Modulation of the immune response to respiratory viruses by vitamin D

• Published in: Nutrients Vol. 7; no. 6; pp. 4240 - 4270
• Main Authors: Greiller, Claire L, Martineau, Adrian R
• Format: Journal Article Book Review
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 29.05.2015; MDPI
• Subjects: antiviral immunity; Chemokine CXCL10 - metabolism; Dietary Supplements; Epithelial Cells - drug effects; Epithelial Cells - virology; Humans; Immunity, Innate - drug effects; Immunomodulation; Influenza A virus - drug effects; Interleukin-6 - metabolism; Interleukin-8 - metabolism; Respiratory Syncytial Viruses - drug effects; Respiratory Tract Infections - drug therapy; Respiratory Tract Infections - immunology; Respiratory Tract Infections - virology; respiratory viruses; Review; Rhinovirus - drug effects; Tumor Necrosis Factors - metabolism; Virus Diseases - drug therapy; Virus Diseases - immunology; vitamin D; Vitamin D - administration & dosage; Vitamin D Deficiency - complications; Vitamin D Deficiency - drug therapy; respiratory viruses; vitamin D; antiviral immunity
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu7064240

Vitamin D deficiency has been shown to be independently associated with increased risk of viral acute respiratory infection (ARI) in a number of observational studies, and meta-analysis of clinical trials of vitamin D supplementation for prevention of ARI has demonstrated protective effects. Several cellular studies have investigated the effects of vitamin D metabolites on immune responses to respiratory viruses, but syntheses of these reports are lacking. In this article, we review the literature reporting results of in vitro experiments investigating immunomodulatory actions of vitamin D metabolites in human respiratory epithelial cells infected with respiratory viruses. Vitamin D metabolites do not consistently influence replication or clearance of rhinovirus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) or influenza A virus in human respiratory epithelial cell culture, although they do modulate expression and secretion of type 1 interferon, chemokines including CXCL8 and CXCL10 and pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF and IL-6. More studies are needed to clarify the effects of vitamin D metabolites on respiratory virus-induced expression of cell surface markers mediating viral entry and bacterial adhesion to respiratory epithelial cells.