title: Vitamin D and inflammatory bowel disease.
abstract: Vitamin D deficiency has been recognized as an environmental risk factor for Crohn's disease since the early 80s. Initially, this finding was correlated with metabolic bone disease. Low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels have been repeatedly reported in inflammatory bowel diseases together with a relationship between vitamin D status and disease activity. Subsequently, low serum vitamin D levels have been reported in various immune-related diseases pointing to an immunoregulatory role. Indeed, vitamin D and its receptor (VDR) are known to interact with different players of the immune homeostasis by controlling cell proliferation, antigen receptor signalling, and intestinal barrier function. Moreover, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D is implicated in NOD2-mediated expression of defensin-β2, the latter known to play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease (IBD1 gene), and several genetic variants of the vitamin D receptor have been identified as Crohn's disease candidate susceptibility genes. From animal models we have learned that deletion of the VDR gene was associated with a more severe disease. There is a growing body of evidence concerning the therapeutic role of vitamin D/synthetic vitamin D receptor agonists in clinical and experimental models of inflammatory bowel disease far beyond the role of calcium homeostasis and bone metabolism.
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ardesia
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunology and Biotherapy, Department of Human Pathology, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ferlazzo
authors.affiliation: Clinical Unit for Chronic Bowel Disorders, IBD-UNIT, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, 98125 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fries
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D007109:Immunity; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol / Q000235:genetics; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000097:blood*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol; D014807:Vitamin D