Vitamin D in Systemic Sclerosis: A Review

Nutrients. 2022 Sep 21;14(19):3908. doi: 10.3390/nu14193908.

Abstract

(1) Background: In the present paper we aimed to review the evidence about the potential implication of vitamin D in the pathogenesis and management of systemic sclerosis (SSc); (2) Methods: we performed a review of the literature looking for studies evaluating the potential role of vitamin D and its analogs in SSc. We searched the PubMed, Medline, Embase, and Cochrane libraries using the following strings: (vitamin D OR cholecalciferol) AND (systemic sclerosis OR scleroderma). We included cohort studies, case-control studies, randomized controlled trials, and observational studies. (3) Results: we identified nine pre-clinical and 21 clinical studies. Pre-clinical data suggest that vitamin D and its analogs may suppress fibrogenesis. Clinical data are concordant in reporting a high prevalence of hypovitaminosis D and osteoporosis in SSc patients; data about the association with clinical manifestations and phenotypes of SSc are, conversely, far less consistent; (4) Conclusions: in vitro data suggest that vitamin D may play an antifibrotic role in SSc, but clinical data confirming this finding are currently lacking. Hypovitaminosis D is common among SSc patients and should be treated to reduce the risk of osteoporosis.

Keywords: cholecalciferol; systemic sclerosis; vitamin D.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Cholecalciferol
  • Humans
  • Osteoporosis* / epidemiology
  • Osteoporosis* / etiology
  • Osteoporosis* / prevention & control
  • Rickets* / complications
  • Scleroderma, Systemic* / complications
  • Scleroderma, Systemic* / epidemiology
  • Vitamin D / therapeutic use
  • Vitamin D Deficiency* / complications
  • Vitamin D Deficiency* / epidemiology
  • Vitamins

Substances

  • Vitamins
  • Vitamin D
  • Cholecalciferol

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.