Correlation Between Autoimmune Disease Recurrence with Vitamin D

Abstract

Vitamin D plays an important role in immune regulation and may influence the clinical course of autoimmune diseases. However, evidence regarding vitamin D status and its relationship with demographic characteristics, clinical factors, and disease recurrence remains limited in Indonesian clinical settings. This study aimed to evaluate vitamin D status and analyze its associations with demographic and clinical characteristics and patient outcomes among autoimmune patients at Fatmawati General Hospital, Jakarta. An analytical observational study with a retrospective cross-sectional design was conducted using medical records from 2022 to 2025. A total of 135 eligible patients were included through total sampling. Data on sex, age, autoimmune disease type, treatment duration, serum vitamin D status, and clinical outcomes were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Chi-square test or Fisher’s Exact Test, as appropriate, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Most patients were female (87.4%), aged over 55 years (28.1%), and diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (39.3%), followed by systemic lupus erythematosus (37.8%). Normal vitamin D status was identified in 31.9% of patients, while 31.1% had vitamin D insufficiency, 18.5% had deficiency, and 18.5% had excess levels. Age (p = 0.012) and type of autoimmune disease (p < 0.001) were significantly associated with vitamin D status, whereas sex (p = 0.105) and treatment duration (p = 0.881) were not. Treatment duration was significantly associated with clinical outcomes (p < 0.001), while autoimmune disease type showed no significant association with outcomes (p = 0.227). These findings highlight the importance of monitoring vitamin D status, particularly among older patients and individuals with specific autoimmune conditions. However, the relationship between vitamin D status and autoimmune disease recurrence could not be established because it was not directly analyzed. Further prospective studies are needed to investigate this relationship and identify additional factors influencing vitamin D status and clinical outcomes.