(1) Background: Vitamin D is an immunoregulatory factor influencing intestinal homeosta-sis. Recent evidence supports a central role of this micronutrient in the course of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD). This narrative review aims to provide a general overview of the possible biological mechanisms of action of vitamin D and its therapeutic implications in IBD. (2) Methods: A systematic electronic search of the English literature up to October 2021 was performed using Medline and the Cochrane Library. Only papers written in English that analyzed the role of vitamin D in IBD were included. (3) Results: In vitro and animal studies reported that vitamin D signaling improves epithelial barrier integrity regulating the expression of several junctional proteins, defensins, and mucins, modulates the inflammatory response, and affects gut microbiome composition. Recent studies also suggest that vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent among IBD patients and that low serum levels correlate with disease activity and, less clearly, with disease course. (4) Conclusions: An increasing body of evidence suggests some role of vitamin D in the pathophysiology of IBD, nonetheless the underlying mechanisms have been so far only partially elucidated. A strong correlation with disease activity has been reported but its implication in the treatment is still undefined. Thus, studies focused on this issue, the definition of vitamin D levels responsible for clinical effects, and the potential role of vitamin D as a therapeutic agent are strongly encouraged.
Titolo: | Vitamin D in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. Mechanisms of Action and Therapeutic Implications | |
Autori: | LATELLA, GIOVANNI (Corresponding) | |
Data di pubblicazione: | 2022 | |
Rivista: | ||
Handle: | http://hdl.handle.net/11697/178470 | |
Appare nelle tipologie: | 1.1 Articolo in rivista |
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Latella - Nutrients 2022, 14, 269.pdf | Documento in Post-print | ![]() | Open Access Visualizza/Apri |