The implication of vitamin D and autoimmunity: a comprehensive review.
Historically, vitamin D has been associated with the regulation of bone metabolism. However, increasing evidence demonstrates a strong association between vitamin D signaling and many biological processes that regulate immune responses. The discovery of the vitamin D receptor in multiple immune cell lineages, such as monocytes, dendritic cells, and activated T cells credits vitamin D with a novel role in modulating immunological functions and its subsequent role in the development or prevention of autoimmune diseases. In this review we, discuss five major areas in vitamin D biology of high immunological significance: (1) the metabolism of vitamin D; (2) the significance of vitamin D receptor polymorphisms in autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes mellitus, and systemic lupus erythematosus; (3) vitamin D receptor transcriptional regulation of immune cell lineages, including Th1, Th17, Th2, regulatory T, and natural killer T cells; (4) the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency/deficiency in patients with multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes mellitus, and systemic lupus erythematosus; and finally, (5) the therapeutic effects of vitamin D supplementation on disease severity and progression.
Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California at Davis School of Medicine, 451 Health Sciences Drive, Suite 6510, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.
Chen-Yen
CY
Yang
Patrick S C
PS
Leung
Iannis E
IE
Adamopoulos
M Eric
ME
Gershwin
D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D019070:Cell Lineage; D004035:Diet Therapy; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol / Q000235:genetics*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000378:metabolism*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy
D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol; D014807:Vitamin D