A pilot study assessing the effect of prolonged administration of high daily doses of vitamin D on the clinical course of vitiligo and psoriasis

Dermato-Endorcrinology January/February/March 2013 Volume 5, Issue 1
Danilo C. Finamor,1; Rita Sinigaglia-Coimbra,1; Luiz C.M. Neves,2; Marcia Gutierrez,3; Jeferson J. Silva,1; Lucas D. torres,1; Fernanda Surano, 1; Domingos J. Neto,5; Neil F. Novo, 6; Yara Juliano,6; Antonio C. Lopes 4; and Cicero Galli Coimbra 1 coimbracg.nexp at epm.br
1 Laboratório de Fisiopatologia Clínica e Experimental; Universidade Federal de São paulo; São paulo, Brazil;
2 Instituto de Ciências da Saúde; Universidade paulista; São paulo, Brazil;
3 Farmácia Sensitiva; São paulo, Brazil;
4 Disciplina de Clínica Médica; Universidade Federal de São paulo; São paulo, Brazil;
5 Hospital Heliópolis; São paulo, Brazil;
6 Disciplina de Cirurgia plástica; Universidade Federal de São paulo; São paulo, Brazil

Autoimmunity has been associated with vitamin D deficiency and resistance, with gene polymorphisms related to vitamin D metabolism frequently described in affected patients. High doses of vitamin D3 may conceivably compensate for inherited resistance to its biological effects. This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of prolonged high-dose vitamin D3 treatment of patients with psoriasis and vitiligo. Nine patients with psoriasis and 16 patients with vitiligo received vitamin D3 35,000 IU once daily for six months in association with a low-calcium diet (avoiding dairy products and calcium-enriched foods like oat, rice or soya “milk”) and hydration (minimum 2.5 L daily).

All psoriasis patients were scored according to “Psoriasis Area and Severity Index” (PASI) at baseline and after treatment.
Evaluation of clinical response of vitiligo patients required a quartile grading scale.
All patients presented low vitamin D status (serum 25(OH)D3 ≤ 30 ng/mL) at baseline.

After treatment 25(OH)D3 levels significantly increased (from 14.9 ± 7.4 to 106.3 ± 31.9 ng/mL and from 18.4 ± 8.9 to 132.5 ± 37.0 ng/mL) and PTH levels significantly decreased (from 57.8 ± 16.7 to 28.9 ± 8.2 pg/mL and from 55.3 ± 25.0 to 25.4 ± 10.7 pg/mL) in patients with psoriasis and vitiligo respectively. PTH and 25(OH)D3 serum concentrations correlated inversely. The PASI score significantly improved in all nine patients with psoriasis. Fourteen of 16 patients with vitiligo had 25–75% repigmentation. Serum urea, creatinine and calcium (total and ionized) did not change and urinary calcium excretion increased within the normal range. High-dose vitamin D3 therapy may be effective and safe for vitiligo and psoriasis patients.

Vitiligo results clipped from PDF

Two out of 16 vitiligo patients showed no repigmentation of the affected areas;
four patients showed 1–25% repigmentation,
five patients showed 26–50% repigmentation,
five patients showed 51–75% repigmentation and
none showed more than 75% repigmentation of the affected areas

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PDF is attached at the bottom of this page

See also VitaminDWiki

• All items in category Psorasis and Vitamin D 47 items
• Update on Treating Multiple Sclerosis with high dose vitamin D - Sept 2013
     Dr. Coimbra also cured (not just treated) many of MS with 150 ng of vitamin D
• Search VitaminDWiki for Vitiligo 105 items as of May 2017
  Vitiligo is a condition that causes depigmentation of parts of the skin, incidence < 1%
• Video by Dr. Coimbra – 95 percent of auto-immune cured with vitamin D in high doses - April 2014
• Vitiligo (loss of skin pigment) treated by narrowband UVB
• Vitamin D from low-cost UVB lamps: both Psoraisis and Vitiligo
• 1000 IU per kg Vitamin D for autoimmune diseases – Coimbra Aug 2013
• Spotty skin coloring (vitiligo) treated by augmenting topical tacrolimus with oral Vitamin D – Oct 2016
• Psoriasis – less frequent and shorter duration with higher vitamin D (45 ng is nice) – Dec 2016

See also web

• High-Dose Vitamin D Dramatically Improves Psoriasis and Vitiligo GreenMed Info review of this pilot study, Sept 2017
• Vitamin D deficiency prevalent in autoimmune skin disorder Vitamin D Council Jan 2013
  Reporting on a study - 97.5% of vitiligo participants were vitamin D deficient, It is behind a $5/month paywall
• Search web for "Vitamin D" and vitiligo resulted in 580,000 hits on Feb 2014
• Sept 2013 Dr. Coimbra video with English translation in the background