Abstract
Purpose:
Low serum levels of Vitamin D has been found to be involved in the development of autoimmune diseases. The aim of this study was to determine basal blood levels of 25(OH)vitaminD in patients with autoimmune uveitis and the effect of vitamin D supplementation on the course of the disease.
Methods:
: Prospective, comparative, longitudinal study with follow-up period of six months. All patients received conventional treatment and were divided in 2 groups: Group A: patients with autoimmune uveitis and daily supplementation with 600IU of vitamin D and group B: patients with autoimmune uveitis, without vitamin D supplementation. Basal serum 25(OH)vitaminD levels were measured using High Resolution Liquid Chromatography. All patients underwent complete ophthalmological evaluation in the first visit and every month until the sixth month.
Results:
There were 12 patients in each group. The mean serum vitamin D levels were normal in both groups (Group A: 66.9 nmol/L, Group B: 75.9 nmol/L). Mean age was 48.4 years. 88% were female. The most frequent type of uveitis was bilateral idiopathic non-granulomatous anterior uveitis. After six months of treatment, group A had an improvement of LogMar visual acuity that was statistically significant (p=0.0035), and decrease in anterior chamber cells (p=0.0001) compared with group B.
Conclusions:
Our pilot study study suggest that in patients with autoimmune uveitis, vitamin D supplementation, regardless to vitamin D levels, may have a beneficial effect in the course of the disease.
Keywords: 745 uvea •
746 uveitis-clinical/animal model •
466 clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: treatment/prevention assessment/controlled clinical trials