Reumatismo. 2014 Jul 28;66(2):153-70. doi: 10.4081/reumatismo.2014.788.
Rossini M1, Gatti D, Viapiana O, Caimmi C, Idolazzi L, Fracassi E, Adami S.
1Rheumatology Unit, University of Verona. maurizio.rossini@univr.it.
Vitamin D has some well-known effects on calcium, phosphate and bone metabolism, but it has recently shown to have many other effects, which may potentially be relevant to patients with extra-skeletal rheumatic diseases.
Such effects may be justified by:
- 1) the presence of the vitamin D receptors also on extra-osseous cells, such as cartilage cells, sinoviocytes, muscle cells;
- 2) the proven role of vitamin D in the control of the transcription of genes involved in rheumatic diseases;
- 3) the evidence that vitamin D has multiple endocrine effects not only on calcium homeostasis;
- 4) the activation of vitamin D not only in the kidneys,
but also in monocyte-macrophage and lymphocytic cell lines
and in some epithelial cells with additional intracrine and paracrine effects.
Vitamin D deficiency has been reported in numerous metabolic, degenerative, inflammatory and autoimmune rheumatic diseases. In some cases this association was also related to the risk of developing a rheumatic disease or the degree of disease activity.
However there is no conclusive evidence of the efficacy of a preventive or therapeutic strategy based on vitamin D supplementation in extra-skeletal rheumatic diseases. This review aims to provide an overview of the latest evidence concerning the relationship between vitamin D and the most relevant rheumatic diseases.
PMID: 25069497
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