Summary of an article exploring vitamin D in African-Americans with lupus
| Author, year | N | Objective | Results | Conclusions | Level of evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hoffecker et al, 201356 | 118 | To evaluate relationships between vitamin D status, cellular ageing (telomere length) and antitelomere antibodies among African-American Gullah women with SLE. | Patients with SLE had higher antitelomere antibody titres and significantly shorter telomeres compared to age-matched and gender-matched controls without SLE. The patients who remained vitamin D deficient tended to have shorter telomeres than those patients whose 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels came back to normal levels. | Increasing 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in African-American patients with SLE may be beneficial in maintaining telomere length and preventing cellular ageing. Antitelomere antibody levels may be a promising biomarker of SLE status and disease activity. | III |
SLE, systemic lupus erythematosus.