Bone mineral density reduction in adolescents with systemic erythematosus lupus: association with lack of vitamin D supplementation

Can vitamin D be an adjuvant therapy for juvenile rheumatic diseases?

Vitamin D, known for its essential role in calcium and bone homeostasis, has multiple effects beyond the skeleton, including regulation of immunity and modulation of autoimmune processes. Several reports have shown suboptimal serum 25 hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels in people with different inflammatory and autoimmune rheumatic conditions, and an association between 25(OH)D levels, disease activity and outcomes. Although most available data pertain to adults, insights often are extended to children. Juvenile rheumatic diseases (JRDs) are a significant health problem during growth because of their complex pathogenesis, chronic nature, multisystemic involvement, and long-term consequences. So far, there is no definitive or clear evidence to confirm the preventive or therapeutic effect of vitamin D supplementation in JRDs, because results from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have produced inconsistent outcomes. This review aims to explore and discuss the potential role of vitamin D in treating selected JRDs. Medline/PubMed, EMBASE, and Scopus were comprehensively searched in June 2023 for any study on vitamin D supplementary role in treating the most common JRDs. We used the following keywords: "vitamin D" combined with the terms "juvenile idiopathic arthritis", "juvenile systemic scleroderma", "juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus", "juvenile inflammatory myopathies", "Behcet disease", "periodic fever syndromes" and "juvenile rheumatic diseases". Observational studies have found that serum 25(OH)D concentrations are lower in juvenile idiopathic arthritis, juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus, juvenile systemic scleroderma, Behcet disease and proinflammatory cytokine concentrations are higher. This suggests that vitamin D supplementation might be beneficial, however, current data are insufficient to confirm definitively the complementary role of vitamin D in the treatment of JRDs. Considering the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency worldwide, children and adolescents should be encouraged to supplement vitamin D according to current recommendations. More interventional studies, especially well-designed RCTs, assessing the dose-response effect and adjuvant effect in specific diseases, are needed to determine the potential significance of vitamin D in JRDs treatment.

Diet and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE): From Supplementation to Intervention

BACKGROUND

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease characterised by immune dysregulation affecting multiple organs. Current anti-inflammatory treatments used in SLE are associated with unwanted side-effects. Dietary supplementation has been suggested as a safe and effective addition to conventional treatment, but evidence of efficacy in SLE or preventing associated comorbidities is uncertain.

METHODS

We identified literature on clinical trials focused on nutritional interventions in SLE aiming to improve inflammation and comorbidities. A systematic-type search on Embase, Medline, and the Cochrane Library, was conducted to identify nutritional interventions among SLE patients in the past 15 years that met our inclusion criteria.

RESULTS

We identified 2754 articles, of which 14 were eligible for inclusion based on our set criteria and were subsequently quality assessed. Vitamin D or E supplementation was associated with respective improvement of inflammatory markers or antibody production, but not disease activity scores in most studies. Despite their expected synergistic actions, the addition of curcumin on vitamin D supplementation had no additional effects on disease activity or inflammatory markers. Trials of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation presented significant reductions in ESR, CRP, disease activity, inflammatory markers, and oxidative stress, and improved lipid levels and endothelial function, while a low glycaemic index (GI) diet showed evidence of reduced weight and improved fatigue in patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Different dietary guidelines can therefore be implicated to target specific SLE symptoms or therapeutic side-effects. This systematic review highlights the scarcity of larger and longer in duration trials with homogenous methodologies and verifiable outcomes to assess disease progression.

Nutrition and connective tissue disease

Despite an incomplete overall understanding, nutrition plays an important role in connective tissue disease. Assessment of patients with connective tissue disease for nutritional status and metabolic disturbances may significantly contribute to patient outcomes. Several studies have indicated the multifactorial role of macronutrients, micronutrients, and supplements in the setting of connective tissue disease. There is additional evidence regarding the roles of weight, obesity, and malnutrition. This contribution reviews a growing body of data regarding nutrition in the development and treatment of various connective tissue diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus, dermatomyositis, and systemic sclerosis.

Osteoporosis in Rheumatic Diseases

Osteoporosis is a chronic disease characterized by an increased risk of fragility fracture. Patients affected by rheumatic diseases are at greater risk of developing osteoporosis. The purpose of the present review is to discuss the pathogenesis, epidemiology, and treatment of osteoporosis in patients affected by rheumatic diseases with special focus for rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, spondyloarthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis, vasculitides, Sjogren syndrome, and crystal-induced arthritis.

Vitamin D and juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus: Lights, shadows and still unresolved issues

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and juvenile SLE (jSLE) are autoimmune disorders naturally associated with several genetic, environmental, hormonal, and immunological contributing factors. It has been assumed that vitamin D deficiency may have a role in the immune activation of patients with SLE and play an active part in many comorbidities and even complications. A host of clinical studies suggested that vitamin D exerts inhibitory effects on many immunological abnormalities associated with SLE, also in children and adolescents, while different reports have hypothesized that vitamin D may be associated with accelerated cardiovascular disease in SLE. This review updates and summarizes the information related to the immunoregulatory effects of vitamin D and its importance in jSLE, discusses the innumerable correlations between vitamin D and disease activity, including clinical expression and gene polymorphisms of vitamin D receptor as well as the recommendations for vitamin D supplementation in these patients. Despite the excitement raised by many data obtained about vitamin D and its influence on several aspects of the disease, further well-designed perspective trials are required to define the exact role that vitamin D may have in the management of both SLE and jSLE.

An update on diet and nutritional factors in systemic lupus erythematosus management

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic inflammatory and autoimmune disease characterised by multiple organ involvement and a large number of complications. SLE management remains complicated owing to the biological heterogeneity between patients and the lack of safe and specific targeted therapies. There is evidence that dietary factors can contribute to the geoepidemiology of autoimmune diseases such as SLE. Thus, diet therapy could be a promising approach in SLE owing to both its potential prophylactic effects, without the side effects of classical pharmacology, and its contribution to reducing co-morbidities and improving quality of life in patients with SLE. However, the question arises as to whether nutrients could ameliorate or exacerbate SLE and how they could modulate inflammation and immune function at a molecular level. The present review summarises preclinical and clinical experiences to provide the reader with an update of the positive and negative aspects of macro- and micronutrients and other nutritional factors, including dietary phenols, on SLE, focusing on the mechanisms of action involved.

Evaluation of quality indicators and disease damage in childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus patients

The aim of this study was to describe compliance with select quality indicators and assess organ-specific dysfunction in a childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus population by using a validated damage index and to evaluate associations between compliance with quality indicators and disease damage. A retrospective chart review was performed on patients diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus prior to age 18 followed at a single center in the USA from 1999 to 2012 (n = 75). Data regarding quality indicators and outcome variables, including the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index, were collected. The median disease duration was 3.8 years. The proportion of patients or patient-years in which care complied with the proposed quality measures was 94.4% for hydroxychloroquine use, 84.3% for vitamin D recommendation,75.8% for influenza vaccination (patient-years), 67.2% for meningococcal vaccination, 49.0% for ophthalmologic examination (patient-years), 31.7% for pneumococcal vaccination, and 28.6% for bone mineral density evaluation. Disease damage was present in 41.3% of patients at last follow-up, with an average damage index score of 0.81. Disease damage at last follow-up was associated with minority race/ethnicity (p = 0.008), bone mineral density evaluation (p = 0.035), and vitamin D recommendation (p = 0.018). Adherence to quality indicators in a childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus population is varied, and disease damage is prevalent. This study highlights the importance of quality improvement initiatives aimed at optimizing care delivery to reduce disease damage in pediatric lupus patients.

Abnormal body composition, cardiovascular endurance, and muscle strength in pediatric SLE

BACKGROUND

Children with SLE are known to have higher fat mass compared to their peers but there are no published data regarding exercise capacity as measured by cardiovascular endurance and muscle strength. In our pilot study of ten children with SLE, we sought to examine body composition, cardiovascular endurance, and isometric muscle strength.

FINDINGS

Ten pediatric SLE patients were studied with a mean age of 15.5 years and 90 % female. Percent body fat above 30 %, the recommended normal level in adolescent females, were found in 89 % of female subjects and 40 % of all participants had lower than the recommended norms of muscle mass for their age/gender. Subjects with renal disease were more likely to have low muscle mass compared to those without renal disease (p = 0.03). Cardiovascular endurance was reported as estimated maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) during cycle ergometry. All participants scored in less than fifth percentile for VO2max measurements compared to data from age and gender matched published norms. Isokinetic muscle strength testing was performed on upper and lower extremities. Only one participant (male subject) reached goal percentiles for age and gender.

CONCLUSIONS

We found significant deficit in body composition, muscle strength and cardiovascular endurance in the pediatric SLE population compared to reported published norms. Clinicians should consider these data and focus on exercise programs that can increase aerobic capacity and muscle strength in this high-risk population.