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Immunomodulatory Role of Vitamin D: A Review

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Current Trends in Immunity and Respiratory Infections

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((CLEXBI,volume 1108))

Abstract

Vitamin D is well known for its classical hormonal action related to the maintenance of mineral and skeletal homeostasis. However, the discovery that vitamin D receptor (VDR) is expressed in most non-skeletal tissues points to its broad role in the human organism. Current literature emphasizes a multidirectional role of vitamin D, with a special focus on its immunomodulatory properties. As VDR and the enzyme 1-α-hydroxylase are expressed in most immune cells, vitamin D modulates the phagocytic activity of macrophages and natural killer cells. In addition, it induces the microbicidal activity of phagocytes. In contrast, vitamin D suppresses differentiation and maturation of antigen-presenting dendritic cells and B lymphocytes, and it inhibits proliferation of Th1 and Th17 cells. In this review we aimed to describe the current scientific discoveries on the role of vitamin D as immunomodulator.

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Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest in relation to this article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Student’s Scientific Group at Department of Laboratory Diagnostics and Clinical Immunology of Developmental Age, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland

    Agnieszka Skrobot

  2. Department of Laboratory Diagnostics and Clinical Immunology of Developmental Age, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland

    Urszula Demkow & Małgorzata Wachowska

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  1. Agnieszka Skrobot
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  2. Urszula Demkow
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  3. Małgorzata Wachowska
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Correspondence to Małgorzata Wachowska .

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  1. Opole Medical School, Opole, Poland

    Mieczyslaw Pokorski

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Skrobot, A., Demkow, U., Wachowska, M. (2018). Immunomodulatory Role of Vitamin D: A Review. In: Pokorski, M. (eds) Current Trends in Immunity and Respiratory Infections. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology(), vol 1108. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/5584_2018_246

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