The role of vitamin D in Pulmonary disease: COPD, asthma, infection, and cancer

Christian Herr 3,1, Timm Greulich 1, Rembert A Koczulla 1, Silke Meyer 2, Tetyana Zakharkina 3,1, Meret Branscheidt 1, Rebecca Eschmann 1 and Robert Bals 3,1*
* Corresponding author: Robert Bals robert.bals at uks.eu
1 Department of Internal Medicine, Division for Pulmonary Diseases, Philipps-Universtät Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany
2 Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology & Diabetology, Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany
3 Department of Pulmonology, University of the Saarland, 66421 Homburg Saar, Germany
Respiratory Research 2011, 12:31 doi:10.1186/1465-9921-12-31
Received: 3 May 2010; Accepted: 18 March 2011; Published: 18 March 2011

The role of vitamin D (VitD) in calcium and bone homeostasis is well described. In the last years, it has been recognized that in addition to this classical function, VitD modulates a variety of processes and regulatory systems including host defense, inflammation, immunity, and repair. VitD deficiency appears to be frequent in industrialized countries. Especially patients with lung diseases have often low VitD serum levels. Epidemiological data indicate that low levels of serum VitD is associated with impaired pulmonary function, increased incidence of inflammatory, infectious or neoplastic diseases. Several lung diseases, all inflammatory in nature, may be related to activities of VitD including asthma, COPD and cancer. The exact mechanisms underlying these data are unknown, however, VitD appears to impact on the function of inflammatory and structural cells, including dendritic cells, lymphocytes, monocytes, and epithelial cells. This review summarizes the knowledge on the classical and newly discovered functions of VitD, the molecular and cellular mechanism of action and the available data on the relationship between lung disease and VitD status.
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See also Vitamin D Life

• Vitamin D Pneumonia and COPD - thesis 105 pages 2010 file
• All items in Breathing and vitamin D category 83 items as of April 2012
• Pseudomonas pneumonia April 2010 Vitamin D Council
• Lung and Vitamin D – Special Issue Dec 2011
• ICU patients with pneumonia stay 7 days longer if low vitamin D - Dec 2011
• COPD and vitamin D in a vicious circle – April 2011

Vitamin D and wheeze – especially in seniors – Aug 2011

• COPD related to vitamin D by a gene in China. - Aug 2010 file
• COPD – Bone Metabolism – Osteoporosis – Vitamin D appear related – Mar 2011
• Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in COPD - 2010
• Genetic link found between vitamin D and COPD – June 2010
• Vitamin D, COPD, and Epigenertics – Aug 2011
• Crescendo of papers on Asthma, Allergy, and Vitamin D – Sept 2011
• Pneumonia elderly death 12X more likely when vitamin D less than 12 ng – 2011 has links to many other articles