title: Vitamin D deficiency and connective tissue disease.
abstract: Recently, the evidence linking vitamin D status as a potential environmental factor affecting autoimmune disease prevalence continues to accumulate. Beyond that the traditional known metabolic activities, vitamin D has been shown to modulate the immune system and has anti-inflammatory properties. The immune-regulatory role of vitamin D affects both the innate and adaptive immune responses contributing to the immune-tolerance of self-structures. Vitamin D deficiency skews the immunologic response towards loss of tolerance. Serum levels of vitamin D have been found to be significantly lower in several autoimmune or immune-mediated diseases than in the healthy population. Experimental animal models and clinical studies show that 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 or vitamin D receptor (VDR) agonists can either prevent or suppress symptoms of type 1 diabetes, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erthyematosus and inflammatory bowel disease. The heading aims at reviewing the complex immune-regulatory role of vitamin D from the cellular and humoral level through animal models of autoimmune rheumatic diseases and representing the known contribution of vitamin D in the pathogenesis of connective tissue diseases. Increased vitamin D intakes might reduce the incidence and severity of autoimmune disorders besides reducing the rate of osteoporotic bone fracture.
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Immunology, 3rd Department of Medicine, Medical and Health Science Center, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zold
authors.forename: Zsolt
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Barta
authors.forename: Edit
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bodolay
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D003240:Connective Tissue Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007109:Immunity; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000502:physiology; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D