Title:Boosting the Immune System with Vitamin D: Special Focus on Prevention
of COVID-19 and Complications
Volume: 19
Issue: 6
Author(s): Abida Parveen, Bushra Parveen, Sultan Zahiruddin, Rabea Parveen, Nidhi Agarwal, Shahid Husain Ansari*Sayeed Ahmad*
Affiliation:
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, Jamia Hamdard, Bioactive Natural Product Laboratory, New
Delhi 62, India
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, Jamia Hamdard, Bioactive Natural Product Laboratory, New
Delhi 62, India
Keywords:
Adaptive immunity, COVID-19, disease prevention, immunomodulation, vitamin D, cytokine storm.
Abstract: In addition to the classical functions of the musculoskeletal system and calcium homeostasis,
the function of vitamin D as an immune modulator is well established. The vitamin D
receptors and enzymes that metabolize vitamin D are ubiquitously expressed in most cells in the
body, including T and B lymphocytes, antigen-presenting cells, monocytes, macrophages and
natural killer cells that trigger immune and antimicrobial responses. Many in vitro and in vivo
studies revealed that vitamin D promotes tolerogenic immunological action and immune modulation.
Vitamin D adequacy positively influences the expression and release of antimicrobial peptides,
such as cathelicidin, defensin, and anti-inflammatory cytokines, and reduces the expression
of proinflammatory cytokines. Evidence suggestss that vitamin D's protective immunogenic actions
reduce the risk, complications, and death from COVID-19. On the contrary, vitamin D deficiency
worsened the clinical outcomes of viral respiratory diseases and the COVID-19-related
cytokine storm, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and death. The study revealed the need for
more preclinical studies and focused on well-designed clinical trials with adequate sizes to understand
the role of vitamin D on the pathophysiology of immune disorders and mechanisms of
subduing microbial infections, including COVID-19.