title: Therapeutic Effects of Vitamin D in Asthma and Allergy.
abstract: In recent years, low vitamin D status has been proposed as a putative risk factor for allergic diseases. A growing body of literature reports low vitamin D levels in atopic patients and supports an association between vitamin D deficiency and risk of adverse asthma and allergies outcomes. Therefore, it has been speculated that vitamin D supplementation may either prevent or reduce the risk of allergic diseases. Birth cohort studies addressing the role of vitamin D intake during pregnancy have shown conflicting results regarding allergy outcomes in offspring. Currently, only a few studies have tried to supplement vitamin D in asthmatic patients, often as an add-on therapy to standard asthma controller medications, and results are not all consistent. There is emerging data to show that vitamin D can enhance the antiinflammatory effects of glucocorticoids and potentially be used as adjuvant therapy in steroid-resistant asthma. Recent in vivo data suggest that vitamin D supplementation may also reduce the severity of atopic dermatitis. This review examines the existing relevant literature focusing on vitamin D supplementation in the treatment of allergic diseases.
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Benetti
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Comberiati
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Capristo
authors.forename: Attilio L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Boner
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Ferrara, P.O. Via A. Moro 8, 44124, Cona (Ferrara); Italy. diego.peroni@unife.it.
authors.forename: Diego G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Peroni
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D