Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2012 Jan;4(1):13-28.
doi: 10.3390/nu4010013. Epub 2011 Dec 28.

Vitamin D and allergic disease: sunlight at the end of the tunnel?

Anderson P Jones  1 , Meri K Tulic, Kristina Rueter, Susan L Prescott
Affiliations
Review

Vitamin D and allergic disease: sunlight at the end of the tunnel?

Anderson P Jones et al. Nutrients. 2012 Jan.

Abstract

A role for vitamin D in the regulation of immune function was first proposed after the identification of Vitamin D receptors in lymphocytes. It has since been recognized that the active form of vitamin D, 1α,25(OH)₂D₃, has direct affects on naïve and activated helper T cells, regulatory T cells, activated B cells and dendritic cells. There is a growing body of literature linking vitamin D (serum 25(OH)D, oral intake and surrogate indicators such as latitude) to various immune-related conditions, including allergy, although the nature of this relationship is still unclear. This review explores the findings of epidemiological, clinical and laboratory research, and the potential role of vitamin D in promoting the inappropriate immune responses which underpin the rise in a broad range of immune diseases.

Keywords: 25(OH)D; allergy; helper T cells; immune system; vitamin D; vitamin D receptor.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Holick M.F. The vitamin D deficiency pandemic and consequences for nonskeletal health: Mechanisms of action. Mol. Aspects Med. 2008;29:361–368. doi: 10.1016/j.mam.2008.08.008. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Cantorna M.T., Zhu Y., Froicu M., Wittke A. Vitamin D status, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, and the immune system. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 2004;80:1717S–1720S. - PubMed
    1. Li F., Peng M., Jiang L., Sun Q., Zhang K., Lian F., Litonjua A.A., Gao J., Gao X. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with decreased lung function in Chinese adults with asthma. Respiration. 2011;81:469–475. doi: 10.1159/000322008. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Zosky G.R., Berry L.J., Elliot J.G., James A.L., Gorman S., Hart P.H. Vitamin D deficiency causes deficits in lung function and alters lung structure. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 2011;183:1336–1343. doi: 10.1164/rccm.201010-1596OC. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Black P.N., Scragg R. Relationship between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin d and pulmonary function in the third national health and nutrition examination survey. Chest. 2005;128:3792–3798. doi: 10.1378/chest.128.6.3792. - DOI - PubMed