3,3'-Diindolylmethane in Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

This study is a single-blinded, placebo-controlled trial to determine the effects of DIM supplementation in patients with SLE. The DIM supplement to be used is BioResponse-DIM® (BR-DIM®), an absorption-enhanced formulation of proven bioavailability in animal testing and human trials. A total of 30 individuals will be enrolled into this 14-month study. Ten patients will be randomly assigned to the Low Dose Group \[a daily dose of 225 mg of DIM from BR-DIM\]. Ten patients will be randomly assigned to the High Dose Group \[a daily dose of 375 mg of DIM from BR-DIM\]. Ten patients will be randomly assigned to a matching placebo group, where 5 of these patients will receive matched placebo capsules equaling use in the Low Dose active group, and 5 will receive matched placebo equaling use in the High Dose active group. Each active capsule will deliver 75 mg of DIM from BR-DIM. Dosing will span 52 weeks. BR-DIM or comparably packaged placebo will be administered orally with meals twice per day. Placebo subjects randomized to the Low Dose group will take 2 placebo capsules in the am and 1 capsule in the pm and placebo subjects randomized to the high dose group will take 3 capsules in the am and 2 capsules in the pm. Low Dose active subjects will take 2 capsules in the am and 1 capsule in the pm. High Dose active subjects will take 3 capsules in the am and 2 capsules in the pm. Study subjects will be randomly assigned to one of the four treatment groups. Randomization procedures will be overseen by the staff of the North Shore Long Island Jewish General Clinical Research Center. The randomization schedule will be set up by the Bio-Statistics unit. The Investigator will contact the Research Pharmacy at North Shore University Hospital who will contact the Bio-Statistics unit once the subject signs the Informed Consent Form in order to learn which treatment regimen the subject is assigned to. Patients and control subjects will be given the appropriate amount of study medication at each visit to take home with them. Study personnel will monitor compliance by asking the patient to return any unused study medication at each visit for drug accountability. In addition, medication logs will be kept by the study subject and will be presented to the study coordinator at each visit. The subject, but not study personnel, will be blinded to the study drug assignments.