Biomaterial Database

Mechanisms underlying the effect of vitamin D on the immune system. 2010

Margherita T Cantorna

Center for Molecular Immunology and Infectious Disease, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Science, The Pennsylvania State University, 115 Henning Bldg, University Park, PA 16802, USA. mxc69@psu.edu

Vitamin D and the vitamin D receptor (VDR) have been shown to be important regulators of the immune system. In particular, vitamin D and VDR deficiency exacerbates experimental autoimmune diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). IBD develops due to an immune-mediated attack by pathogenic T-cells that overproduce IL-17 and IFN-gamma and a few regulatory cells. VDR knockout mice have twice as many T-cells making IL-17 and IFN-gamma than wild-type mice. In addition, vitamin D and the VDR are required for normal numbers of regulatory T-cells (iNKT and CD8alphaalpha) that have been shown to suppress experimental IBD. In the absence of vitamin D and the VDR, autoimmunity occurs in the gastrointestinal tract due to increased numbers of IL-17 and IFN-gamma secreting T-cells and a concomitant reduction in regulatory T-cells.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007420	Intestine, Large	A segment of the LOWER GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT that includes the CECUM; the COLON; and the RECTUM.	Large Intestine
D004195	Disease Models, Animal	Naturally-occurring or experimentally-induced animal diseases with pathological processes analogous to human diseases.	Animal Disease Model,Animal Disease Models,Disease Model, Animal
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001327	Autoimmune Diseases	Disorders that are characterized by the production of antibodies that react with host tissues or immune effector cells that are autoreactive to endogenous peptides.	Autoimmune Disease,Disease, Autoimmune,Diseases, Autoimmune
D013601	T-Lymphocytes	Lymphocytes responsible for cell-mediated immunity. Two types have been identified - cytotoxic (T-LYMPHOCYTES, CYTOTOXIC) and helper T-lymphocytes (T-LYMPHOCYTES, HELPER-INDUCER). They are formed when lymphocytes circulate through the THYMUS GLAND and differentiate to thymocytes. When exposed to an antigen, they divide rapidly and produce large numbers of new T cells sensitized to that antigen.	T Cell,T Lymphocyte,T-Cells,Thymus-Dependent Lymphocytes,Cell, T,Cells, T,Lymphocyte, T,Lymphocyte, Thymus-Dependent,Lymphocytes, T,Lymphocytes, Thymus-Dependent,T Cells,T Lymphocytes,T-Cell,T-Lymphocyte,Thymus Dependent Lymphocytes,Thymus-Dependent Lymphocyte
D014807	Vitamin D	A vitamin that includes both CHOLECALCIFEROLS and ERGOCALCIFEROLS, which have the common effect of preventing or curing RICKETS in animals. It can also be viewed as a hormone since it can be formed in SKIN by action of ULTRAVIOLET RAYS upon the precursors, 7-dehydrocholesterol and ERGOSTEROL, and acts on VITAMIN D RECEPTORS to regulate CALCIUM in opposition to PARATHYROID HORMONE.
D014808	Vitamin D Deficiency	A nutritional condition produced by a deficiency of VITAMIN D in the diet, insufficient production of vitamin D in the skin, inadequate absorption of vitamin D from the diet, or abnormal conversion of vitamin D to its bioactive metabolites. It is manifested clinically as RICKETS in children and OSTEOMALACIA in adults. (From Cecil Textbook of Medicine, 19th ed, p1406)	Deficiency, Vitamin D,Deficiencies, Vitamin D,Vitamin D Deficiencies
D015212	Inflammatory Bowel Diseases	Chronic, non-specific inflammation of the GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT. Etiology may be genetic or environmental. This term includes CROHN DISEASE and ULCERATIVE COLITIS.	Bowel Diseases, Inflammatory,Inflammatory Bowel Disease
D051379	Mice	The common name for the genus Mus.	Mice, House,Mus,Mus musculus,Mice, Laboratory,Mouse,Mouse, House,Mouse, Laboratory,Mouse, Swiss,Mus domesticus,Mus musculus domesticus,Swiss Mice,House Mice,House Mouse,Laboratory Mice,Laboratory Mouse,Mice, Swiss,Swiss Mouse,domesticus, Mus musculus
D018167	Receptors, Calcitriol	Proteins, usually found in the cytoplasm, that specifically bind calcitriol, migrate to the nucleus, and regulate transcription of specific segments of DNA with the participation of D receptor interacting proteins (called DRIP). Vitamin D is converted in the liver and kidney to calcitriol and ultimately acts through these receptors.	Calcitriol Receptors,Cholecalciferol Receptors,Receptors, Vitamin D,Vitamin D 3 Receptors,Vitamin D Receptors,1,25-Dihydroxycholecalciferol Receptor,1,25-Dihydroxycholecalciferol Receptors,1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D 3 Receptor,1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 Receptor,1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 Receptors,Calcitriol Receptor,Receptors, 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D 3,Receptors, Cholecalciferol,Receptors, Vitamin D 3,Receptors, Vitamin D3,Vitamin D 3 Receptor,Vitamin D Receptor,Vitamin D3 Receptor,Vitamin D3 Receptors,1,25 Dihydroxycholecalciferol Receptor,1,25 Dihydroxycholecalciferol Receptors,1,25 Dihydroxyvitamin D 3 Receptor,1,25 Dihydroxyvitamin D3 Receptor,1,25 Dihydroxyvitamin D3 Receptors,D Receptor, Vitamin,D Receptors, Vitamin,D3 Receptor, 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin,D3 Receptor, Vitamin,D3 Receptors, 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin,D3 Receptors, Vitamin,Receptor, 1,25-Dihydroxycholecalciferol,Receptor, 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3,Receptor, Calcitriol,Receptor, Vitamin D,Receptor, Vitamin D3,Receptors, 1,25-Dihydroxycholecalciferol,Receptors, 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3