title: Vitamin D metabolism and deficiency in critical illness.
abstract: Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent and has been associated with a diverse range of chronic medical conditions in the general population. In contrast, the prevalence, pathogenesis and significance of vitamin D deficiency have received little attention in acute medicine. Vitamin D deficiency is seldom considered and rarely corrected adequately, if at all, in critically ill patients. Recent recognition of the extra-skeletal, pleiotropic actions of vitamin D in immunity, epithelial function and metabolic regulation may underlie the previously under-recognized contribution of vitamin D deficiency to typical co-morbidities in critically ill patients, including sepsis, systemic inflammatory response syndrome and metabolic dysfunction. Improved understanding of vitamin D metabolism and regulation in critical illness may allow therapeutic exploitation of vitamin D to improve outcome in critically ill patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diabetes and Endocrinology, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. pcylee@gmail.com
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003422:Critical Care / Q000639:trends; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D