(06-12-10) Role of vitamin D in immune responses and autoimmune diseases, with emphasis on its role in multiple sclerosis.

Zhang HL, Wu J.
Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China; E-mail: [email protected].
Abstract
Vitamin D is a seco-steroid involved in calcium and phosphorus metabolism, and bone formation and mineralization, through binding to a specific nuclear receptor, vitamin D receptor (VDR). Besides its well-established functions on bone health, multiple lines of evidence have indicated the immunomodulatory roles of vitamin D. Vitamin D can affect both innate and adaptive immunity, and prevent autoimmune responses efficiently. Vitamin D regulates the immune responses by suppressing T cell proliferation and modulating macrophage functions. Epidemiological studies have shown that vitamin D deficiency is associated with multiple diseases such as rickets and cancer. Moreover, associations between vitamin D and autoimmune diseases have been confirmed in multiple sclerosis (MS), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), etc. The present review mainly summarized the recent findings on the immunomodulatory role of vitamin D in various disorders, with special focus on its role in MS, an autoimmune disease of the nervous system.

Source: Neurosci Bull. 2010 Dec;26(6):445-54.

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