Vitamin D insufficiency in a large female SLE cohort

The objective of this study was to determine the vitamin D status and its relationship with disease and therapy features and with bone mineral density in women with systemic lupus erythematosus. Non-pregnant systemic lupus erythematosus women with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and vitamin D measurements performed between May 1 2005 and August 31 2006 were studied. In each patient, the lowest T-score of the first dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan during the study period was used. In postmenopausal women, a T-score ≥1.0 standard deviation was considered normal, between -1.0 and -2.5 standard deviations osteopenia and ≤2.5 standard deviations osteoporosis; in premenopausal women a T-score ≥2.5 standard deviations was normal and ≤2.5 standard deviations defined as reduced bone density. 25-hydroxyvitamin D and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D levels were determined at the time of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. A 25-hydroxyvitamin D level of