Objective To determine vitamin D receptor (VDR) blood serum concentrations in patients with SLE and to assess the relationship with vitamin D status, disease course, bone turnover markers levels and bone mineral density (BMD). Methods The cross-sectional study involved 99 patients with SLE and 30 controls. We assessed VDR, vitamin D, C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin (IL) 6, osteocalcin (OC), C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX) concentrations, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) in study subjects. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was also performed. Results Mean VDR levels in patients with SLE and in the control group were 12.78±0.61 ng/mL and 23.12±0.61 ng/mL, accordingly (p0.05) was found. Conclusion Low VDR concentration is a common phenomenon in patients with SLE associated with age, high disease activity, vitamin D supply and serum CTX concentration. VDR concentration had no significant association with sex, disease duration, cumulative GC dose, BMI, a diagnosed lupus nephritis, Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index, OC level and BMD.
Shevchuk et al. (Tue,) studied this question.