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. 2010 Dec 7;26(6):445–454. doi: 10.1007/s12264-010-0731-8

Role of vitamin D in immune responses and autoimmune diseases, with emphasis on its role in multiple sclerosis

维生素D 在免疫反应和自身免疫性疾病特别是多发性硬化中的作用

Hong-Liang Zhang 1,✉, Jiang Wu 1
PMCID: PMC5560339  PMID: 21113195

Abstract

Vitamin D is a seco-steroid involved in calcium and phosphorus metabolism, and bone formation and mineralization, through binding to a specific nuclear receptor, vitamin D receptor (VDR). Besides its well-established functions on bone health, multiple lines of evidence have indicated the immunomodulatory roles of vitamin D. Vitamin D can affect both innate and adaptive immunity, and prevent autoimmune responses efficiently. Vitamin D regulates the immune responses by suppressing T cell proliferation and modulating macrophage functions. Epidemiological studies have shown that vitamin D deficiency is associated with multiple diseases such as rickets and cancer. Moreover, associations between vitamin D and autoimmune diseases have been confirmed in multiple sclerosis (MS), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), etc. The present review mainly summarized the recent findings on the immunomodulatory role of vitamin D in various disorders, with special focus on its role in MS, an autoimmune disease of the nervous system.

Keywords: vitamin D, autoimmune disease, multiple sclerosis

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