PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Current data clearly support an interaction of vitamin D with cells of the immune system apart from its regulatory role in calcium homeostasis. The discovery that immune cells express the vitamin D receptor and are capable of metabolizing circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D into its active form, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, has revolutionized the field and suggested a regulatory role on both the innate and adaptive immune systems. RECENT FINDINGS: Of particular interest with respect to infectious diseases, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D has been shown to trigger the production of antimicrobial peptides with a direct pathogen-killing capacity. Interestingly, pathogen-derived components influence the key players in the vitamin D metabolizing pathway, further supporting such an interaction. SUMMARY: Here, we review the potential mechanisms of vitamin D in promoting the innate immune response against infectious agents and discuss the possible implications for such a response in the prevention of or the intervention in various infectious diseases.
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Current data clearly support an interaction of vitamin D with cells of the immune system apart from its regulatory role in calcium homeostasis. The discovery that immune cells express the vitamin D receptor and are capable of metabolizing circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D into its active form, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, has revolutionized the field and suggested a regulatory role on both the innate and adaptive immune systems. RECENT FINDINGS: Of particular interest with respect to infectious diseases, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D has been shown to trigger the production of antimicrobial peptides with a direct pathogen-killing capacity. Interestingly, pathogen-derived components influence the key players in the vitamin D metabolizing pathway, further supporting such an interaction. SUMMARY: Here, we review the potential mechanisms of vitamin D in promoting the innate immune response against infectious agents and discuss the possible implications for such a response in the prevention of or the intervention in various infectious diseases.
Authors: Abigail N Turner; Patricia Carr Reese; Pai Lien Chen; Cynthia Kwok; Rebecca D Jackson; Mark A Klebanoff; Raina N Fichorova; Tsungai Chipato; Charles S Morrison Journal: Am J Obstet Gynecol Date: 2016-03-02 Impact factor: 8.661
Authors: L John Hoffer; Line Robitaille; Nelda Swinton; Jason Agulnik; Victor Cohen; David Small; Carmela Pepe; Shaun Eintracht Journal: Nutr J Date: 2016-10-06 Impact factor: 3.271