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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2012 Jun 1.
Published in final edited form as: Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2010 Nov 2;40(6):512–531.e8. doi: 10.1016/j.semarthrit.2010.07.009

Table 4.

Epidemiologic Studies of Vitamin D Intake and Risk of Developing Autoimmune Disease

Autoimmune Disease Population Study Design Subjects Controls Vitamin D Intake Follow-up Period/Duration of Study Confounders Considered Results Year Reference
Rheumatoid Arthritis North America (Nurses’ Health Study) Prospective cohort 722 who developed RA 186,389 Dietary and supplement intake Up to 22 years Age, all women, race, age at menarche, oral contraceptive use, parity, duration of breastfeeding, menopausal status, postmenopausal hormone use, cigarette smoking, latitude of residence at age 15 (North, Middle or South U.S.), physical activity, body mass index No association; highest quintile intake RR 1.0 (95%CI 0.8, 1.3) 2008 Costenbader et al, (200)
Rheumatoid Arthritis North America (Iowa Women's Health Study) Prospective Cohort 152 who developed RA 29,386 Diet and supplement intake 11 years Age, all women, all postmenopausal, Higher intake at baseline associated with lower risk up to 11 years later: RR 0.67 (95%CI 0.44,1.00) 2004 Merlino et al, (199)
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus North America (Nurses’ Health Study) Prospective Cohort 190 who developed SLE 186,389 Diet and supplement intake Up to 22 years Age, all women, race, age at menarche, oral contraceptive use, parity, duration of breastfeeding, menopausal status, postmenopausal hormone use, cigarette smoking, latitude of residence at age 15 (North, Middle or South U.S.), physical activity, body mass index No association; highest quintile intake RR 1.4 (95%CI 0.8, 2.3) 2008 Costenbader et al, (200)
Type I Diabetes Mellitus Finland (Diabetes Prediction and Prevention Study) Birth Cohort 165 children who developed TID or advanced beta-cell autoimmunity 3723 infants Maternal vitamin D intake and at 1 and 3 months post partum. Mean of 4.3 years familial diabetes and genetic risk factors for T1D, sex, gestational age, maternal age, maternal education, delivery hospital, route of delivery, number of earlier deliveries and smoking during pregnancy Maternal intake of vitamin D from food RR 1.25 (95%CI 0.80,1.95), and from supplements RR 1.05 (95%CI 0.95-1.16) for risk of advanced beta cell autoimmunity/type 1 diabetes in offspring 2010 Marjamaki et al, (208)
Type I Diabetes Mellitus Italy Case-control 83 T1D ages 0-14 166 age and sex-matched, same region Vitamin D administration during lactation as baby (recall) Recall as adults medical history of severe infections nor history of surgical operations OR 0.31 (95% CI 0.11, 0.8) for vitamin D administration during lactation and risk type 1 DM 2007 Tenconi et al, (202)
Type I Diabetes Mellitus Sweden Cohort-retrospective and prospective 8.7% at 1 year and 8.9% at 2.5 years + for glutamic acid decarboxylase or islet antigen-2 autoantibodies 18,886 infants Questionnaire: Vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy, at 1 year and 2.5 years 2.5 years familial type 1 diabetes, maternal education, maternal age, delivery type, weight increase from birth, breastfeeding duration, introduction of cow's-milk protein, fish intake OR 0.71 (95% CI 0.52-0.96) for reduced islet-cell autoimmunity at 1 year, but OR 1.25 (95%CI 0.91, 1.73) at 2.5 years. Surrogate measure for type 1 diabetes used. 2007 Brekke et al, (221)
Type I Diabetes Mellitus North America (Diabetes Autoimmunity Study in the Young) High-risk cohort 16 children who developed islet-cell autoimmunity 206 children without islet-cell autoimmunity Maternal dietary and supplemental vitamin D intake during pregnancy-recalled after birth Average 4 years HLA genotype, family history of type 1 diabetes, presence of GDM, and ethnicity HR 0.37 (95% CI 0.17-0.78) for increased maternal vitamin D intake and risk for islet-cell autoimmunity. Surrogate measure for type 1 diabetes used. 2003 Fronczak et al, (207)
Type I Diabetes Mellitus Norway Case-control 545 cases (children mean age 10.9) 1668 controls population (children mean age 9.3) Questionnaire: vitamin D supplement use during pregnancy and the first year of life (recalled) maternal use of cod liver oil during pregnancy, child's use of cod liver oil during the first year of life, duration of exclusive breastfeeding, child's age at introduction of solid foods, maternal education, maternal smoking during pregnancy, maternal age at delivery, child's number of siblings, type 1 diabetes among child's siblings or parents, and the child's age and sex OR 0.98 (95% CI 0.73, 1.31) for maternal use of vitamin D ≥ 5 times/week vs. none during pregnancy and OR 0.97 (0.73, 1.29) for vitamin D use ≥ 5 times/week during first year of life 2003 Stene et al, (203)
Type I Diabetes Mellitus Finland Birth cohort 81 developed T1D 10366 newborns Vitamin D supplementation during first year of life 31 years Sex, maternal parity, gestational and maternal age, maternal education, social status, birth weight, and growth rate in infancy and suspected rickets RR 0.12 (95% CI 0.03-0.51) for regular versus no supplementation 2001 Hypponen et al, (206)
Type I Diabetes Mellitus Norway Case-control 78 cases 980 controls Questionnaire: Maternal itamin D intake during pregnancy (recall) - Age, sex, breastfeeding and maternal education OR 1.27 (95 % CI 0.70, 2.31) for vitamin D supplementation in 1st year life 2000 Stene et al, (204)
Type I Diabetes Mellitus Europe (7 centers) Case-control 820 cases 2335 controls-population-based, age-group matched Questionnaire or interview: recalled infancy vitamin D intake - Age, birth weight, duration of breast feeding, maternal age and study center OR 0.67 (95% CI 0.53, 0.86) for vitamin D supplementation in infancy 1999 EURODIAB Substudy 2 study group, (222)
Multiple Sclerosis North America (Nurses’ Health Study) Prospective Cohort study 173 MS cases 92,253 women Dietary and supplemental vitamin D Up to 20 years Age, all women, smoking and latitude at birth RR 0.67 (95% CI 0.40,1.12); p trend 0.006; for highest quintile 2004 Munger et al,(201)