title: The impact of vitamin D on asthmatic human airway smooth muscle.
abstract: Asthma is a chronic heterogeneous disorder, which involves airway inflammation, airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and airway remodeling. The airway smooth muscle (ASM) bundle regulates the broncho-motor tone and plays a critical role in AHR as well as orchestrating inflammation. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to increased severity and exacerbations of symptoms in asthmatic patients. It has been shown to modulate both immune and structural cells, including ASM cells, in inflammatory diseases. Given that current asthma therapies have not been successful in reversing airway remodeling, vitamin D supplementation as a potential therapeutic option has gained a great deal of attention. Here, we highlight the potential immunomodulatory properties of vitamin D in regulating ASM function and airway inflammation in bronchial asthma.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Biomedical Science , Creighton University School of Medicine , Omaha , NE , USA.
authors.forename: Sannette C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.affiliation: b Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology , Creighton University School of Medicine , Omaha , NE , USA.
authors.forename: Kimberly D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.affiliation: a Department of Biomedical Science , Creighton University School of Medicine , Omaha , NE , USA.|b Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology , Creighton University School of Medicine , Omaha , NE , USA.|c Department of Clinical and Translational Science , Creighton University School of Medicine , Omaha , NE , USA.
authors.forename: Devendra K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Agrawal
mesh_terms: D056151:Airway Remodeling / Q000187:drug effects; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000187:drug effects*; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000150:complications; D014815:Vitamins / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D014815:Vitamins; D014807:Vitamin D
keywords: Asthma airway hyperresponsiveness airway smooth muscle cells; immunomodulation remodeling vitamin D