title: Innate immune modulation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: moving closer toward vitamin D therapy.
abstract: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the most common respiratory diseases and a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Disturbed innate immune processes characterize the pathogenesis of COPD. Vitamin D deficiency is very common in COPD patients and has been associated with disease severity. Interestingly, mechanistic evidence from animal and in vitro studies has demonstrated important innate immunomodulatory functions of vitamin D, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and antimicrobial functions. This review discusses in detail how the innate immunomodulatory functions of vitamin D may have therapeutic potential in COPD patients. The remaining challenges associated with vitamin D therapy in COPD patients are also discussed.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases (N.H., W.J.) and Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology (H.K.), Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Nele
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Heulens
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases (N.H., W.J.) and Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology (H.K.), Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Hannelie
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Korf
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases (N.H., W.J.) and Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology (H.K.), Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium wim.janssens@uzleuven.be.
authors.forename: Wim
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Janssens
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000187:drug effects*; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D