title: [Vitamin D in allergic disorders].
abstract: Vitamin D is a factor that plays a significant role in calcium-phosphate balance. It has an effect on bone metabolism and also has modulator and anti-inflammatory activity. It is claimed that vitamin D inhibits immunological reactions with Th1 and Th17 lymphocytes. The influence of vitamin D on Th2 lymphocytes is not clear. The main effect of vitamin D is probably the activation of Treg lymphocytes. It was observed that vitamin D had a beneficial influence on diseases connected with excessive activation of Th1 lymphocytes, such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, non-specific enteritis, diabetes type 1 or psoriasis. The role of vitamin D in allergic diseases, in which increased activation of Th2-dependent reactions are of great importance, is controversial. However, due to a wide range of vitamin D activity, this view seems to be simplified. A beneficial effect on the course of allergic diseases was observed in up-to-date studies although the role of vitamin D in their pathogenesis has not been explained yet. On the basis of recent studies and well-known mechanisms of vitamin D activity on particular elements of the immunological system, the influence of vitamin D on the course of chosen allergic diseases, such as allergic asthma, atopic dermatitis and allergic rhinitis was presented considering the possibility of contribution of allergen-specific immunotherapy.
authors.affiliation: II Oddział Pulmonologii z Pododdziałem Alergologii Oddechowej Samodzielnego Zespołu Gruźlicy i Chorób Płuc w Olsztynie.
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pawlak
authors.affiliation: Klinika Pulmonologii - Oddział Pulmonologiczny Samodzielnego Zespołu Gruźlicy i Chorób Płuc w Olsztynie.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Doboszyńska
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D065631:Rhinitis, Allergic / Q000188:drug therapy; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D