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[Vitamin D and infectious diseases].
1Hôpital universitaire Hôtel-Dieu, unité fonctionnelle de thérapeutique en immuno-infectiologie, centre de diagnostic et de thérapeutique, 75004 Paris, France; Université Paris Descartes, faculté de médecine, EA 3620, site Necker, 75015 Paris, France.
Presse Medicale (Paris, France : 1983)
|September 21, 2013
Summary
Vitamin D influences immune responses and may improve outcomes for certain infections. However, supplementation shows no benefit in preventing pulmonary infections, and optimal levels remain unknown.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Nutritional Science
- Infectious Disease
Context:
- Vitamin D is crucial for immune functions like antibacterial peptide synthesis and autophagy.
- Low vitamin D levels correlate with increased susceptibility and severity of acute infections.
- Chronic infections, such as HIV, are linked to poorer outcomes with vitamin D deficiency.
Purpose:
- To explore the role of vitamin D in infection susceptibility, severity, and treatment outcomes.
- To evaluate the efficacy of vitamin D supplementation in managing viral and bacterial infections.
- To assess the impact of vitamin D on the incidence of pulmonary infections.
Summary:
- Vitamin D supplementation appears to enhance treatment response in some viral (e.g., hepatitis C) and bacterial (e.g., tuberculosis) infections.
- Conversely, vitamin D supplementation did not demonstrate a benefit in reducing the incidence of pulmonary infections.
- The optimal target level for vitamin D following supplementation is yet to be determined.
Impact:
- Highlights the complex role of vitamin D in infectious disease management.
- Suggests potential therapeutic benefits of vitamin D for specific infections, while cautioning against its use for prevention of pulmonary infections.
- Identifies a knowledge gap regarding optimal vitamin D supplementation levels for clinical practice.
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