title: Shedding new light on female fertility: The role of vitamin D.
abstract: In the last decades several studies suggested that vitamin D is involved in the modulation of the reproductive process in women due to the expression of VDR and 1α-hydroxylase in reproductive tissues such as ovary, uterus, placenta, pituitary and hypothalamus. Vitamin D has also a role in the regulation of sex hormone steroidogenesis. Increasing evidence suggests that vitamin D might have a regulatory role in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)-associated symptoms, including ovulatory dysfunction, insulin resistance and hyperandrogenism. Vitamin D deficiency also has been reported to contribute to the pathogenesis of endometriosis due to its immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties. Although most of the studies supported a role of vitamin D in the onset of these diseases, randomized controlled trials to assess the efficacy of vitamin D supplementation have never been performed. In this review we critically discuss the role of vitamin D in female fertility, starting from in vitro and in vivo studies, focusing our attention on the two most frequent causes of female infertility: PCOS and endometriosis.
authors.affiliation: Ios and Coleman Medicina Futura Medical Center, Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Section of Endocrinology, University "Federico II", Via Sergio Pasini, 580121, Naples, Italy. giovanna.muscogiuri@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Muscogiuri
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Institute of Medical Pathology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Altieri
authors.affiliation: Ios and Coleman Medicina Futura Medical Center, Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Section of Endocrinology, University "Federico II", Via Sergio Pasini, 580121, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: de Angelis
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Arcispedale Santa Maria Nuova-IRCCS, 42123, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Palomba
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University "Federico II", Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pivonello
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University "Federico II", Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Annamaria
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Colao
authors.affiliation: Department of Sports Science and Wellness, "Parthenope" University Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Orio
mesh_terms: D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000209:etiology*; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D011247:Pregnancy; D013472:Sunlight; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D
keywords: Endometriosis; Female fertility; PCOS; Vitamin D