Randomised Clinical Trial Study: The Combination of Vitamin D and Curcumin Piperine Attenuates Disease Activity and Pro-inflammatory Cytokines Levels Insystemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients

Abstract

Background: Curcumin-piperine might synergise with vitamin D to induce clinical remission in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Objective: To observe the improvement of patients with SLE clinically and the levels of inflammatory cytokines after receiving supplements of curcumin-piperine and cholecalciferol (Vitamin D3).

Methods: Forty-five female SLE patients were included in a three-month double-blind, randomized controlled trial. Participants were classified into: Group I (400 IU cholecalciferol + placebo three times daily, n = 15), Group II (600 mg curcumin + 15,800 m piperine once daily and three times daily placebo, n = 15), and Group III (cholecalciferol 400 IU three times and 600 mg curcumin + 15,800 mg piperine once a day, n = 15). Mexican SLE disease activity score (Mex- SLEDAI), fatigue severity scale (FSS), TGF-β, and IL-6 levels were measured from all patients before and after the treatments.

Results: Mex-SLEDAI, FSS, and IL-6 were reduced significantly, while TGF-β serum levels were increased in all groups after the treatments (p <0.05). Changes in Mex-SLEDAI score (p = 0.003 and p = 0.008), FSS (p = 0.001 and p <0.001), and TGF-β (p = 0.003 and p = 0.004) serum levels were significantly higher in group III compared to the group I or group II. On the other hand, changes in Mex-SLEDAI, FSS, IL-6, and TGF-β serum levels were similar between groups I and II.

Conclusion: Although vitamin D or curcumin-piperine alone could improve the clinical outcome and cytokines levels in SLE, curcumin-piperine combined with vitamin D had the best outcome in improving the disease activity and cytokines levels among patients with SLE. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT05430087).

Keywords: curcumin; disease activity; piperine; systemic lupus erythematosus; vitamin D.