Sjögren’s syndrome (2nd most common rheumatic disease) and vitamin D - many studies

---

Vitamin D and Sjögren’s Disease: Revealing the Connections—A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis - Jan 2023

Nutrients 2023, 15(3), 497; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15030497
Mislav Radić 1,2,*ORCID,Ela Kolak 3ORCID,Hana Đogaš 4ORCID,Andrea Gelemanović 5ORCID,Dora Bučan Nenadić 3ORCID,Marijana Vučković 4 and Josipa Radić 2,4ORCID

Background: The aim of the present review was to summarize the current evidence about the impact of vitamin D deficiency on pathology and clinical manifestations of Sjögren’s disease (SD).

Methods: Databases PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane library were searched for studies assessing the levels of vitamin D in SD patients using the following keywords: (vitamin D OR calciferol OR cholecalciferol OR 25-hydroxyvitamin D OR 25-hydroxycholecalciferol OR calcidiol OR calcitriol OR 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol) AND (Sjögren’s Syndrome OR Sjögren’s disease) accessed on 20 September 2022. Out of 248 retrieved studies, following the systematic review methodology and defined inclusion and exclusion criteria, 9 clinical studies were eligible to be included in the present review: 4 of them case-control, 4 cross-sectional, and 1 cohort study.

Results: Nine studies totaling 670 SD patients and 857 healthy controls were eligible for meta-analysis with moderate to high methodological quality as determined by the Newcastle–Ottawa Quality Scale (NOS). According to the obtained results, a high prevalence of hypovitaminosis D was observed in SD patients when compared to healthy controls (95% CI −10.43, −2.39; p < 0.01).

Conclusion: Available evidence points to lower levels of vitamin D in patients with SD in comparison to healthy controls. However, further studies are necessary to understand the underlying mechanisms associated with the role of vitamin D in the development and disease severity of SD.
 Download the PDF from VitaminDWiki

---

Dry eye more severe with lower vitamin D in Sjögren Syndrome - Dec 2019

The Association of Serum Vitamin D Level With the Severity of Dry Eye Parameters in Primary Sjögren Syndrome
Cornea. 2019 Dec 20. doi: 10.1097/ICO.0000000000002234.
Lee JH1, Kim SJ2, Byun YS2, Lee J3, Park SH3, Chung SH2.

PURPOSE: To analyze the relationship between serum 25(OH)D3 level and dry eye parameters in primary Sjögren syndrome (SS).

METHODS: This study included 74 eyes of 74 patients diagnosed with primary SS. Dry eye parameters included tear breakup time, Schirmer I value, corneal staining score, conjunctival staining score, and Ocular Surface Disease Index. The serum concentration of 25(OH)D3 was evaluated.

RESULTS:
The mean serum 25(OH)D3 level was 20.4 ± 8.0 ng/mL.
There were strong negative correlations between serum 25(OH)D3 level and corneal staining score (P < 0.001, r = -0.446) and conjunctival staining score (P < 0.001, r = -0.455).
The Schirmer I value and tear breakup time showed significant positive correlations with serum 25(OH)D3 level (P = 0.038, r = 0.261 and P = 0.003, r = 0.352, respectively).
The Ocular Surface Disease Index did not show any significant correlation with serum 25(OH)D3 level.

CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that serum 25(OH)D3 level might be associated with dry eye severity in primary SS.

---

Vitamin D and Sjögren syndrome - Review April 2017

Autoimmunity Reviews, Available online 12 April 2017, http://doi.org/10.1016/j.autrev.2017.04.004
Mario Garcia-Carrascoa, b, Erick Alejandro Jiménez-Herreraa, Jose Luis Gálvez-Romeroc, Luis Vázquez de Larad, Claudia Mendoza-Pintoa, b, Ivet Etchegaray-Moralesa, Pamela Munguía-Realpozoe,

Highlights
• Vitamin D immunomodulatory functions could be benefit in autoimmune diseases.
• Vitamin D deficiency has been reported in patients with Sjögren syndrome.
• UV radiation and vitamin D could interact with the Sjögren syndrome pathogenesis.
• Vitamin D low levels are associated to extraglandular manifestations.

The immunomodulatory effects of vitamin D have been extensively studied in the context of autoimmunity. Multiple studies have demonstrated a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in autoimmune diseases. Recently, a possible protective role of vitamin D in autoimmunity has been described; however, this function remains controversial. Few studies have investigated the role of vitamin D in patients with Sjögren syndrome (SS). In this review, we compiled the main features of SS pathogenesis, the vitamin D immunomodulatory effects and the possible interaction between both. Data suggests that vitamin D may play a role in the SS pathogenesis. In addition, vitamin D low levels have been found in SS patients, which are associated with extra-glandular manifestations, such as lymphoma or neuropathy, suggesting a possible benefit effect of vitamin D in SS.

Abbreviations APC, Antigen-presenting cell; BAFF, B-cell activating factor; DBP, vitamin D-binding protein; EBV, Epstein-Barr virus; RA, Rheumatoid arthritis; SLE, Systemic lupus erythematosus; SS, Sjögren syndrome; Treg, T regulatory cell; VDR, Vitamin D receptor; VDRE, Vitamin D response element
 Download the PDF from Sci=hub VitaminDWiki

---

Novel aspects of Sjögren’s syndrome in 2012

BMC Medicine 2013, 11:93 doi:10.1186/1741-7015-11-93
Angela Tincani 1,2*, Laura Andreoli 2, Ilaria Cavazzana 1, Andrea Doria 3, Marta Favero 3, Maria-Giulia Fenini 4, Franco Franceschini 1, Andrea Lojacono 5, Giuseppe Nascimbeni 6, Amerigo Santoro 7, Francesco Semeraro 6, Paola Toniati1 and Yehuda Shoenfeld 8 * *Corresponding author: Angela Tincani tincani at med.unibs.it
1 Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology Unit, Spedali Civili, Piazzale Spedali Civili 1, 25100 Brescia, Italy
2 Chair of Rheumatology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Spedali Civili, Piazzale Spedali Civili 1, 25100 Brescia, Italy
3 Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Padua, Azienda Ospedaliera di Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, Padua, 35128, Italy
4 Rheumatology Unit, Vallecamonica Hospital, Via Manzoni 142, Esine (Brescia), 25040, Italy
5 Obstetrics and Gynecology Unit, Spedali Civili and University of Brescia, Piazzale Spedali Civili 1, Brescia, 25100, Italy
6 Ophthalmology Unit, Spedali Civili and University of Brescia, Piazzale Spedali Civili 1, Brescia, 25100, Italy
7 Pathology Unit, Spedali Civili, Piazzale Spedali Civili 1, Brescia, 25100, Italy
8 Zabludowicz Center for Autoimmune Diseases, Sheba Medical Center, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Hashomer, 52621, Israel
Received: 19 November 2012; Accepted: 15 February 2013; Published: 4 April 2013

Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) is a systemic progressive autoimmune disease characterized by a complex pathogenesis requiring a predisposing genetic background and involving immune cell activation and autoantibody production. The immune response is directed to the exocrine glands, causing the typical ‘sicca syndrome’, but major organ involvement is also often seen. The etiology of the disease is unknown. Infections could play a pivotal role: compared to normal subjects, patients with SS displayed higher titers of anti-Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) early antigens, but lower titers of other infectious agent antibodies such as rubella and cytomegalovirus (CMV) suggest that some infections may have a protective role against the development of autoimmune disease. Recent findings seem to show that low vitamin D levels in patients with SS could be associated with severe complications such as lymphoma and peripheral neuropathy. This could open new insights into the disease etiology. The current treatments for SS range from symptomatic therapies to systemic immunosuppressive drugs, especially B cell-targeted drugs in cases of organ involvement. Vitamin D supplementation may be an additional tool for optimization of SS treatment.

PDF is attached at the bottom of this page

Sections on vitamin D clipped from the PDF

Novel aspects of SS: the role of infections and vitamin D Infections and SS

The etiology of autoimmune diseases (AID) is multifactorial where genetic, immunologic, hormonal and environmental factors play in concert in their induction. The final step determining the date of emergence of an AID is most probably an environmental trigger, which is generally of infectious origin [73]. In the interplay between infectious agents and autoimmunity it was found that the same infectious agent (that is, Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)) may be involved in inducing many autoimmune diseases, while the same autoimmune disease may be caused by various agents (that is, EBV, cytomegalovirus (CMV), Helicobacter pylori, and so on) [74].
Recently, several multicenter studies analyzed a large number of sera samples (>2,500) from patients with AID such as SS, SLE, antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), RA, vasculitides, and others for the presence of a profile of anti-infectious agents antibodies including EBV, CMV, H. pylori,rubella,treponema,Herpesvirus and toxoplasmosis. In several diseases a higher prevalence and titers of anti-infectious antibodies were found compared with healthy controls matched for sex, age and ethnicity [75-80]. For instance, in patients with SS the prevalence and titers of antibodies against EBV-early antigen were significantly higher than in their control group (P = 0.0003).

Interestingly, in some diseases lower titers of anti-infectious agents were found, such as the lower prevalence and titers of rubella and CMV antibodies (IgM) detected in patients with SS compared to controls (P <0.02). This may allude indirectly to the notion that some infectious agents may have a protective rather thanapathogenicrole for a specific autoimmune disease.
Furthermore, a certain infectious agent may determine why an individual with the 'proper' genetic background will develop one AID rather than others, as well as its clinical manifestations and severity.

Low levels of vitamin D are associated with neuropathy and lymphoma among patients with SS

The morbidity of SS is mainly determined by extraglandular disease and increased prevalence of lymphoma. Environmental and hormonal factors, such as vitamin D, may play a role in the pathogenic process and disease expression.
The levels of vitamin D and their association with manifestations of SS were studied in a large international multicenter cohort [81]. Vitamin D levels were determined in 176 patients with pSS and 163 matched healthy volunteers utilizing LIAISON chemiluminescent immunoassays (DiaSorin, Saluggia, Italy). Mean vitamin D levels were comparable between patients with SS and controls: 21.2 ± 9.4 ng/ml and 22.4 ± 10 ng/ml, respectively. Peripheral neuropathy was diagnosed in 23% of patients with SS and associated with lower vitamin D levels (18.6 ±5.5 ng/ml vs 22.6 ± 8 ng/ml (P =0.04)). Lymphoma was diagnosed in 4.3% of patients with SS, who had lower levels of vitamin D, 13.2 ± 6.25 ng/ml, compared to patients with SS without lymphoma (22 ± 8 ng/ml; P= 0.03). Other clinical and serological manifestations did not correlate with vitamin D status.

This study reported for the first time the presence of low vitamin D levels in patients with pSS with peripheral neuropathy.
Overall, it seems that vitamin D deficiency may be a component in the pathogenesis of neuropathy in pSS, and may be used for monitoring and treatment of this condition [82-87].

Patients with pSS are at increased risk for NH lymphoma compared to healthy populations [44]. While the relationship between vitamin D and the risk for lymphoma in pSS has not been reported previously, there is some evidence from case-control studies that low dietary intake of vitamin D is associated with an increased risk for NHL in the normal population [88,89]. Vitamin D and its metabolites have been shown to have an antiproliferative effect on lymphoma cell lines and to attenuate their vitamin D receptor (VDR) expression [90].

Thus, low vitamin D levels may join low complements components and the presence of cryoglobulins in predicting eventual development of lymphoma in patients with SS.

Given the associations between hypovitaminosis D and severe complications of SS, it can be proposed that vitamin D supplementation should be given to every patient with SS.

---

Low levels of vitamin-D are associated with neuropathy and lymphoma among patients with Sjögren's syndrome.

J Autoimmun. 2012 Sep;39(3):234-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jaut.2012.05.018. Epub 2012 Jul 24.
Agmon-Levin N, Kivity S, Tzioufas AG, López Hoyos M, Rozman B, Efes I, Shapira Y, Shamis A, Amital H, Youinou P, Shoenfeld Y.
The Zabludowicz Center for Autoimmune Diseases, The Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer 52621, Israel.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is a chronic autoimmune disease primarily involving the exocrine glands. The clinical picture of SS ranges from exocrinopathy to systemic disease affecting the lung, kidney, liver, skin, musculockeletal and nervous systems. The morbidity of SS is mainly determined by extraglandular disease and increased prevalence of lymphoma. Environmental and hormonal factors, such as vitamin-D may play a role in the pathogenic process and disease expression. Thus, we aimed to evaluate levels of vitamin-D and their association with manifestations of SS.

METHODS: Vitamin-D levels were determined in 176 primary SS patients and 163 matched healthy volunteers utilizing the LIAISON chemiluminescent immunoassays (DiaSorin-Italy). A correlation between vitamin-D levels and clinical and serological manifestations of SS was performed.

RESULTS: Mean vitamin-D levels were comparable between SS patients and control 21.2 ± 9.4 ng/ml and 22.4 ± 10 ng/ml, respectively. Peripheral neuropathy was diagnosed in 23% of SS patients and associated with lower vitamin-D levels (18.6 ± 5.5 ng/ml vs. 22.6±8 ng/ml (p = 0.04)). Lymphoma was diagnosed in 4.3% of SS patients, who had lower levels of vitamin-D (13.2 ± 6.25 ng/ml), compared to SS patients without lymphoma (22 ± 8 ng/ml), (p = 0.03). Other clinical and serological manifestations did not correlate with vitamin-D status.

CONCLUSIONS: In this study, low levels of vitamin-D correlated with the presence of peripheral neuropathy and lymphoma among SS patients. The link between vitamin-D and neuropathy or lymphoma was reported in other conditions, and may support a role for vitamin-D in the pathogenesis of these processes. Plausible beneficial effect for vitamin-D supplementation may thus be suggested.

---

Clips from Wikipedia April 2013

Nine out of ten Sjögren's patients are women[4][5] and the average age of onset is after menopause in women, although Sjögren's occurs in all age groups in both women and men.

It is estimated to affect as many as 4 million people in the United States alone, making it the second most common rheumatic disease.

The hallmark symptom of Sjögren's syndrome is a generalized dryness, typically including xerostomia (dry mouth) and keratoconjunctivitis sicca (dry eyes), part of what are known as sicca symptoms.

In addition, Sjögren's syndrome may cause skin, nose, and vaginal dryness, and may affect other organs of the body, including the kidneys, blood vessels, lungs, liver, pancreas, peripheral nervous system (distal axonal sensorimotor neuropathy) and brain.

The overall prevalence of Sjögren’s Syndrome is estimated to be between 0.2 and 0.65% of the total population.

---

Mega Doses Of Vitamin D reduces Sjögren’s fatigue for one person

SjoDry’s Drag Race Sep 2015
Does not state how much was used
Includes the following description
A chronic, slowly progressive autoimmune disease that affects the “exocrine” (moisture producing) glands of the body. It is classified as a “connective tissue disease.” Some other types of connective tissue diseases are: Lupus, Scleroderma, and Rheumatoid Arthritis. Ninety percent of those afflicted with SS are women. Sjogrens can accompany other autoimmune diseases, most frequently seen in conjunction with Rheumatoid Arthritis. When it is found with another connective tissue disease, it is called “secondary sjs.”

Sjogren’s Syndrome is classified as “primary sjs” when no other connective tissue disease is present. Sjogren’s Syndrome causes dry eyes, dry mouth, and it can also affect other major organ systems. Uncommonly, it can affect the central nervous system.

---

12+ VitaminDWiki DRY EYE in the title

The list is automatically updated

---

VitaminDWiki – Autoimmune category contains:

• 204 items in Autoimmune category
• Vitamin D and   MS    Asthma    RA    Diabetes    Gut   Allergy    Hay Fever    Lupus    Psoriasis
• Predicted 95% autoimmune cured by HIGH-DOSE vitamin D - 2014
• 10% of the UK have Autoimmune Diseases - Lancet May 2023 PDF is behind a paywall
  • Increase in 20 years : coeliac disease 2.19 X. Sjogren's syndrome 2.09, and Graves' disease 2.07
  • All 43 references are FREE on-line
• Autoimmune diseases fought by Vitamin D, especially if have more than 40 ng – Sept 2022
• The BEST Nutrient for Autoimmune Conditions (Vitamin D) - video May 2022
• The number 1 Deficiency behind All Autoimmune Diseases (Vitamin D) video - Dec 2023
• Autoimmune disease clusters run in families having low D
• How Vitamin D reduces inflammation, improves immunity and fights autoimmunity – review Dec 2018
• 120 doctors and 20,000 MS patients using high dose Vitamin D Dec 2018
• Vitamin D has treated Multiple Sclerosis and autoimmune diseases for 16 years – Coimbra April 2018
• Vitamin D Receptor is associated in over 58 autoimmune studies
• More autoimmune disease if higher pollution or lower UVB - Feb 2023
• Many autoimmune diseases associated with low vitamin D or poor Vit D genes – July 2019
  

See also web: consensus that ~50 diseases are autoimmune, ~50 more are suspected:

---

See also web

• Conquering Sjogren’s: Follow us on our journey to change the face of Sjogren’s sjorens.org. Sept 2019
• Vitamin D Linked to Dry Eye Severity in Sjögren’s Jan 2020 review of Optometry
• Dry Eye Assessment in Patients With Vitamin D Deficiency Aug 2018 FREE PDF

Short URL= //is.gd/sjorgrenvitd

---

There have been 11535 visits to this page