Introduction
autoimmunity, autoimmune diseases, autoimmune inflammatory diseases
SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS (SLE), DISEASE, AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES, VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY, AUTOIMMUNITY
Vitamin D and its link with autoimmune inflammatory diseases is an important ongoing area of research. The two critical unaddressed questions at present are does vitamin D level determine clinical phenotype in established autoimmune diseases like systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)? Are the current oral vitamin D supplementation protocols in individuals with SLE successful and safe in improving plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels along with additional clinical benefits?In SLE, it is unclear if the low vitamin D levels cause autoimmunity or are the result of photoprotection [Hence, there is a need to evaluate the associations of vitamin D levels with disease activity and clinical phenotype across varying ethnic and geographical backgrounds in a large population. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency is high among Asians [Recent studies have shown that orally supplementing vitamin D decreases progression to autoimmunity [Hence, this study was designed with the following objectives. First is to study the relationship of vitamin D levels with disease variables and interferon-regulated proteins in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) across two ethnic groups of patients from 2 different geographical locations in India. Second is to assess the effect of different dosage regimens of oral vitamin D supplementation on plasma vitamin D levels, disease status and flares at 6 months.