EFFICACY AND ENDURANCE OF HIGH DOSES OF ORAL VITAMIN D3 IN THE TREATMENT OF PSORIASIS VULGARIS

Roula Baddour, Yousef Zrek and Marah Aldali*

ABSTRACT

Background There are limited randomized controlled trials of oral vitamin D supplementation in psoriasis, especially in Asia, and the results are inconclusive. Objective: To investigate the clinical effect of oral vitamin D supplementation on psoriasis. Methods: A study was conducted on 50 patients who were given vitamin D at a dose of 60,000 IU every two weeks for 6 months. Serum vitamin levels was measured. The disease was evaluated clinically using the area and severity index. Results: Giving oral vitamin D to psoriasis patients leads to an increase in the level of the vitamin in the serum after 3 and 6 months (average vitamin D 17.2 - + 5.3, and after 3 and 6 months 24.15 - + 4.5 and 40.1 - + 10.8, respectively) in addition to clinical improvement with a decrease in the PASI index after 3 and 6 months (average PASI 8.6 - +3.2 and after 3 and 6 months 6.1 - +2.5 and 3.7 - +2.8 respectively) and no significant side effects were recorded. Conclusion: Oral vitamin D supplementation in patients with psoriasis increased the serum vitamin D level and significantly improved the treatment outcome without increasing adverse events.

Keywords: psoriasis, serum levels of vitamin D.