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. 2022 Dec 8;9:1082500. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2022.1082500

TABLE 1.

Vitamins with pro-and anti-inflammatory effects as well as pro-tumor and anti-tumor effects.

Nutrients Anti-inflammatory effects Pro-inflammatory effects Antitumor effects Tumor effects
Vitamin A It is capable of promoting the Th2 anti-inflammatory response through repression of IL-12 and IFNγ which are synthesized by Th1 lymphocytes (46).
Stimulates production of anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10) (47).
It is a positive relationship between vitamin A and mitogen-induced pro-inflammatory cytokine (IFN-γ) (47).
Under inflammatory conditions RA may sustain or cause stimulation of intestinal inflammation (50).
Through the liberation of certain cytokines such as IL-1, IL-6, IL-12, and nitric oxide is shown that RA may affect macrophages’ activity (51).
It has antitumor effects on human pancreatic cell lines (53).
It has antitumor effects in metastasis renal carcinoma by ATRA.
It seems that all-trans-RA (ATRA) has an antitumor effect (54).
In acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), ATRA is utilized as a very efficient therapeutic agent (56).
Vitamin B1(Thiamin) Anti-inflammatory effects are observed due to the fact that B1 deficiencies side effects is linked to stimulation of IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-α (pro-inflammatory cytokines) expression and neuro-inflammation (64).
B1 may be used in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases through its involvement in the suppression of the pro-oxidative activity of microglial cells (65).
There are some speculations regarding its role in cancer due to its involvement as a cofactor in proliferation and energy pathways that are essential in the development of tumor cells (60, 66).
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) Anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant modulator, especially in lungs (68, 69).
Vitamin B2, act as an anti-inflammatory suppressor. It may block the activation of the NF-κB (74).
B2 bacterial compounds stimulate innate mucosal through invariant T cells which are recognized by their inflammation and defense function in gut mucosal by their products IL-17 and IFN-γ (71).
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) Through deacetylation and suppression of NF-κB, NAD may be an anti-inflammatory nutrient (78).
It has inhibition effects on inflammatory cytokines (79).
It is responsible for diminution of certain alveolar macrophages cytokines such as IL-6, IL-1α, and tumor necrosis factor -α after niacin administration (80).
Niacin was considered an inhibitory factor for pro-inflammatory cytokines (80).
It inhibits proliferation of animal tumor cells (79).
Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin) It has been found a negative relationship between vitamin B12 and TNF-α (81).
Vitamin B12 deficiency is recognized to increase in chronic diseases like insulin resistance (86) and coronary heart disease (87) the inflammatory processes.
No correlation was found between B12 and certain types of cancer like squamous cell carcinoma, prostate, breast, and colorectal (90). Highintake of B12 was considered hazardous for all types of cancer in a big meta-analysis of cancer patients (92).
Vitamin C Vitamin C is responsible for preventing activity of pro-inflammatory cytokines and launching the NF-κB reaction (98).
In peripheral blood cultures that are stimulated with LPS (lipopolysaccharide) after vitamin C administration was observed an enhancement of IL-10 and a reduction of TNF-α and IFN-γ (99).
Vitamin C may be an antioxidant protector for the skin in the fight against ROS as a result of external factors’ synergistic work, particularly pollutants (102).
(104) et al., 2015 confirmed the decreased inflammation effects in hypertensive and/or diabetic adults through a moderate decline of inflammatory markers such as hs-CRP and IL-6.
It is involved in the regulation of HIF-1α activity, which is capable to make possible neutrophil viability under hypoxic conditions (105).
It is supposed that vitamin C is involved in the fight against tumor culture cells through the number enhancement of the NK cells (107).
Vitamin D Vitamin D may be an anti-inflammatory nutrient, through suppression of NF-κB (116).
It is responsible for the inhibition of specific pro-inflammatory Th1 cells cytokines like TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-6, IL-2, and IL-17 (117, 118).
It is capable to increase the number of cytokines such as IL-10, IL-4, and IL-5 as a result of an increase in the activity of Th2 cells (119).
At a molecular level, through the suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and prostaglandins (PG) action as well as stopping the NF-κB signaling pathway calcitriol is considered an anti-inflammatory nutrient (128).
Anti-cancer action of vitamin D is extrapolated in tumor cells by calcitriol which is the active biologically and hormonally compound of vitamin D (127).
The stimulation of apoptosis, the suppression of cancer cell proliferation, and delayed tumor development in cancer are certain effects of calcitriol (126, 127).
Calcitriol may be used as a preventive and therapeutic agent in cancer (128).

ATRA, all-trans-RA; HIF-1α, hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha; IL, interleukin; IFNγ, Interferon γ; NK, natural killer; NF-κB, pro-inflammatory factor Kappa B; hs-CRP high-sensitivity C-reactive protein; RA, retinoic acid; ROS, reactive oxygen species; Th, helper T cell; TNF-α, tumor necrosis factor.