The Immunomodulatory Properties of Vitamin D

Since its discovery, vitamin D was shown to have both immunostimulatory and immunomodulatory effects on the immune system. A growing body of evidence so far linked vitamin D deficiency with the development and severity of several systemic and organ specific autoimmune/inflammatory diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and multiple sclerosis. In the present report, the multiple and diverse effects of vitamin D on the immune system are reviewed.