Abstract
The main role of vitamin D is to control mineral homeostasis. However, recent studies suggested the existence of a number of extraskeletal effects. Among the latter, preclinical studies provided consistent data on the involvement of vitamin D in innate and adaptive immunity and autoimmunity. Molecular biology studies showed that both vitamin D receptor and vitamin D enzymatic complexes are expressed in a large number of cells and tissues unrelated to mineral homeostasis. In contrast, only a few randomized clinical trials in humans investigated the possible role of vitamin D in the prevention or treatment of immunological disorders. In this regard, low serum vitamin D levels have been reported in observational trials in human autoimmune disorders. The aim of the present paper was to review the potential implications of vitamin D in immune modulation, with special focus on thyroid autoimmune disorders.
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Abbreviations
- AbTg:
-
Anti-thyroglobulin antibodies
- AbTPO:
-
Anti-thyroid peroxidase antibodies
- AITD:
-
Autoimmune thyroid disorders
- CTLA-4:
-
Cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4
- DC:
-
Dendritic cells
- DHCR7:
-
7-Dehydrocholesterol reductase
- GD:
-
Graves’ disease
- HT:
-
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
- IL:
-
Interleukin
- IFN:
-
Interferon
- LPS:
-
Lipopolysaccharide
- MR:
-
Mendelian randomized
- NK:
-
Natural killer
- PBMC:
-
Peripheral blood mononuclear cell
- RCT:
-
Randomized control trial
- Tg:
-
Thyroglobulin
- Th:
-
T helper cells
- TH:
-
Thyroid hormones
- TLR:
-
Toll-like receptor
- TPO:
-
Thyroid peroxidase
- TSH:
-
Thyroid-stimulating hormone
- TSH-R:
-
Thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor
- TRAb:
-
Anti-TSH receptor antibodies
- VDR:
-
Vitamin D receptor
- VDRE:
-
Vitamin D responsive elements
- 1,25(OH)2 vitamin D:
-
Cholecalciferol
- 1,25(OH)2vitamin D3 :
-
Calcitriol
- 24(OH) ase:
-
24 Hydroxylase
- 25(OH)D:
-
Calcifediol
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Acknowledgements
This work was partly supported by grants from the Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR, Roma) to LB and from the University of Insubria to LB and EP. DG was supported by a University of Insubria Ph.D. scholarship.
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Gallo, D., Mortara, L., Gariboldi, M.B. et al. Immunomodulatory effect of vitamin D and its potential role in the prevention and treatment of thyroid autoimmunity: a narrative review. J Endocrinol Invest 43, 413–429 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40618-019-01123-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40618-019-01123-5