title: Vitamin D and chronic rhinitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To discuss the role of vitamin D in chronic rhinitis and chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Vitamin D has been shown to have an immunomodulatory effect with a significant impact on immune function. Specifically, vitamin D regulates the mechanisms which suppress the inflammatory response and direct the differentiation fate of immune cells. Vitamin D has been shown to play an important role in asthma, and the concept of the unified airway model allows the extrapolation of vitamin D as a critical player in chronic rhinitis and rhinosinusitis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Recent findings on the function of vitamin D may explain aspects of the pathophysiology of chronic rhinitis and CRS, and may help direct future treatment of these diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA.
authors.forename: Waleed M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Abuzeid
authors.forename: Nadeem A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Akbar
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Zacharek
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol / Q000276:immunology; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000276:immunology*; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000276:immunology*; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol; D014807:Vitamin D