title: Vitamin D and the development of allergic disease: how important is it?
abstract: Vitamin D has known effects on lung development and the immune system that may be important in the development, severity, and course of allergic diseases (asthma, eczema, and food allergy). Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent worldwide and may partly explain the increases in asthma and allergic diseases that have occurred over the last 50-60 years. In this review, we explore past and current knowledge on the effect of vitamin D on lung development and immunomodulation and present the evidence of its role in allergic conditions. While there is growing observational and experimental evidence for the role of vitamin D, well-designed and well-powered clinical trials are needed to determine whether supplementation of vitamin D should be recommended in these disorders.
authors.affiliation: Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mirzakhani
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al-Garawi
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Litonjua
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D056747:Immunomodulation; D015995:Prevalence; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000276:immunology*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D