Boosting the Immune System with Vitamin D: Special Focus on Prevention
of COVID-19 and Complications

Abida      Parveen; Bushra      Parveen; Sultan      Zahiruddin; Rabea      Parveen; Nidhi      Agarwal; Shahid Husain      Ansari; Sayeed      Ahmad
doi:10.2174/1573401318666220512153837
Abstract

In addition to the classical functions of the musculoskeletal system and calcium homeostasis, the function of vitamin D as an immune modulator is well established. The vitamin D receptors and enzymes that metabolize vitamin D are ubiquitously expressed in most cells in the body, including T and B lymphocytes, antigen-presenting cells, monocytes, macrophages and natural killer cells that trigger immune and antimicrobial responses. Many in vitro and in vivo studies revealed that vitamin D promotes tolerogenic immunological action and immune modulation. Vitamin D adequacy positively influences the expression and release of antimicrobial peptides, such as cathelicidin, defensin, and anti-inflammatory cytokines, and reduces the expression of proinflammatory cytokines. Evidence suggestss that vitamin D's protective immunogenic actions reduce the risk, complications, and death from COVID-19. On the contrary, vitamin D deficiency worsened the clinical outcomes of viral respiratory diseases and the COVID-19-related cytokine storm, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and death. The study revealed the need for more preclinical studies and focused on well-designed clinical trials with adequate sizes to understand the role of vitamin D on the pathophysiology of immune disorders and mechanisms of subduing microbial infections, including COVID-19.
Keywords: Adaptive immunity, COVID-19, Disease prevention, Immunomodulation, Vitamin D, Cytokine storm
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DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1573401318666220512153837	Print ISSN 1573-4013
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher	Online ISSN 2212-3881
Current Nutrition & Food Science

Boosting the Immune System with Vitamin D: Special Focus on Prevention of COVID-19 and Complications

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