Vitamin D and autoimmune diseases

Abstract

The review discusses the effect of Vitamin D on the tolerogenic modulation of an immune response, its relationship to cells of the monocyte-macrophage series, including dendritic cells, monocytes, and macrophages, in the context of the impact of the expression of anti-inflammatory proinflammatory cytokines in some autoimmune diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, systemic scleroderma, multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes mellitus, systemic lupus erythematosus, and Crohn's disease). It discusses the role of Vitamin D in the development of innate and adaptive immunity. Despite some conflicting evidence, the immune regulatory function of Vitamin D is generally directed toward inhibition of the components of innate and acquired immunity, which are responsible for the induction of autoimmune reactions; in this connection there are a growing number of publications devoted to the issues of Vitamin D supplementation in patients with autoimmune diseases, the preventive effect of Vitamin D intake on the risk of an abnormality and that of therapeutic doses of the vitamin on its course. The maintenance of the threshold value for serum 25(OH)D3 at least 30 ng/ml, which is achieved by the intake of about 2000 IU of Vitamin D, is shown to be required for its immune regulatory function. The data given raise the question as to whether it is necessity to revise the Russian recommended daily dietary allowances for Vitamin D through its infant food fortification.