Beyond its critical function in
calcium homeostasis,
vitamin D has recently been found to play an important role in the modulation of the immune/
inflammation system via regulating the production of inflammatory
cytokines and inhibiting the proliferation of proinflammatory cells, both of which are crucial for the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases. Several studies have associated lower
vitamin D status with increased risk and unfavorable outcome of acute
infections.
Vitamin D supplementation bolsters clinical responses to acute
infection. Moreover, chronic inflammatory diseases, such as
atherosclerosis-related
cardiovascular disease,
asthma,
inflammatory bowel disease,
chronic kidney disease,
nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and others, tend to have lower
vitamin D status, which may play a pleiotropic role in the pathogenesis of the diseases. In this article, we review recent epidemiological and interventional studies of
vitamin D in various inflammatory diseases. The potential mechanisms of
vitamin D in regulating immune/inflammatory responses in inflammatory diseases are also discussed.