title: Vitamin D: not just the bone. Evidence for beneficial pleiotropic extraskeletal effects.
abstract: Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin and a steroid hormone that plays a central role in maintaining calcium-phosphorus and bone homeostasis in close interaction with parathyroid hormone, acting on its classical target tissues, namely, bone, kidney, intestine, and parathyroid glands. However, vitamin D endocrine system regulates several genes (about 3 % of the human genome) involved in cell differentiation, cell-cycle control, and cell function and exerts noncalcemic/pleiotropic effects on extraskeletal target tissues, such as immune and cardiovascular system, pancreatic endocrine cells, muscle, and adipose tissue. Several studies have demonstrated the role of vitamin D supplementation in the prevention/treatment of various autoimmune diseases and improvement of glucose metabolism, muscle, and adipose tissue function. Hence, this review aims to elucidate the effects of vitamin D on extraskeletal target tissues and to investigate the potential therapeutic benefit of vitamin D supplementation among a broad group of pathological conditions, especially with regard to metabolic and autoimmune diseases. In addition, we focused on the best daily intakes and serum levels of vitamin D required for extraskeletal benefits which, even if still controversial, appear to be higher than those widely accepted for skeletal effects.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cardiovascular Endocrinology, IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana, via di Val Cannuta 247, 00166, Rome, Italy. massimiliano.caprio@sanraffaele.it.|Department of Human Sciences and Promotion of the Quality of Life, San Raffaele Roma Open University, Rome, Italy. massimiliano.caprio@sanraffaele.it.
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caprio
authors.affiliation: Unit of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Department of Systems Medicine, CTO A. Alesini Hospital, ASL Roma 2, University Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Infante
authors.affiliation: Unit of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Department of Systems Medicine, CTO A. Alesini Hospital, ASL Roma 2, University Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Matilde
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Calanchini
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cardiovascular Endocrinology, IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana, via di Val Cannuta 247, 00166, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mammi
authors.affiliation: Unit of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Department of Systems Medicine, CTO A. Alesini Hospital, ASL Roma 2, University Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fabbri
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000187:drug effects; D002320:Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena; D002319:Cardiovascular System / Q000187:drug effects*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D
keywords: Adipose tissue; Anorexia nervosa; Autoimmune diseases; Diabetes; Eating disorders; Glucose metabolism; Hashimoto thyroiditis; Multiple sclerosis; Obesity; Skeletal muscle