1. The vitamin D receptor turns off chronically activated T cells.
- Author
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Cantorna, Margherita T. and Waddell, Amanda
- Subjects
VITAMIN D receptors ,T cells ,CELL proliferation ,NATURAL immunity ,CYTOKINE receptors ,DATA analysis - Abstract
T cell proliferation and T helper (T
H ) cells that make IL-17 (TH 17 cells) and IFN-γ (TH 1 cells) have been shown to be inhibited by 1,25(OH)2 D3 . Previous work has shown that immune-mediated diseases, where TH 1 and TH 17 cells are pathogenic, are ameliorated with 1,25(OH)2 D3 treatment. Paradoxically, infectious diseases that require TH 1 and TH 17 responses for host resistance are unaffected by 1,25(OH)2 D3 treatment. Resting T cells are not responsive to vitamin D because they do not express the vitamin D receptor (VDR) until late after activation. T cells activated following an infection help clear the infection, and since the antigen is eliminated, vitamin D is not needed to dampen the immune response. Conversely, in immune-mediated disease, there is chronic T cell activation, and in this scenario, vitamin D and 1,25(OH)2 D3 are critical for inhibiting T cell proliferation and cytokine production. Vitamin D is a late regulator of T cell function and acts to turn off T cells. This paper will review these data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2014
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