Pediatric Rheumatology Online Journal (May 2018)

Vitamin D and juvenile idiopathic arthritis

  • Sarah L. Finch,
  • Alan M. Rosenberg,
  • Hassan Vatanparast

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12969-018-0250-0
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 16, no. 1
pp. 1 – 17

Abstract

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Abstract Background Vitamin D has been implicated in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. While the roles of vitamin D in other autoimmune diseases have been investigated, less is known about the role of vitamin D in chronic childhood arthritis. Main body This review summarizes and evaluates evidence relating to 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and chronic childhood arthritis. A scoping literature review was conducted using Ovid Medline, Ovid Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Web of Science and Scopus. Further, we geo-mapped the results of the studies to identify the patterns of the association between vitamin D and chronic childhood arthritis across the globe. Of 38 studies reporting 25(OH)D concentrations in childhood chronic arthritis, 32 (84.2%) reported that a significant number of children had suboptimal (< 75 nmol/L) status. Conclusion The data indicate suboptimal vitamin D status in children with chronic arthritis. Further, the association between low vitamin D and increased arthritis activity follow a north-south geographical gradient.

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