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.
CITATION STYLE
Skrobot, A., Demkow, U., & Wachowska, M. (2018). Immunomodulatory role of vitamin D: A review. In Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology (Vol. 1108, pp. 13–23). Springer New York LLC. https://doi.org/10.1007/5584_2018_246
Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.