Summary
Recent studies have shown that vitamin D has important functions besides bone and
calcium homeostasis. Cells of the innate and adaptive immune system express vitamin
D receptors and respond to stimulation by 1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D. Patients with
sepsis have a high mortality rate as well as a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency.
In addition, septic patients have decreased vitamin D binding protein levels which
further exacerbates vitamin D deficiency. Therapy with vitamin D in animal models
of sepsis improves blood coagulation parameters in disseminated intravascular coagulation
and modulates levels of systemic inflammatory cytokines including TNF-α and IL-6.
Vitamin D can enhance the induction of the antimicrobial peptides cathelicidin and
β-defensin which are found on mucosal and epithelial surfaces and act as the body’s
first line of defense against viral and bacterial pathogens. Vitamin D is potentially
an attractive therapeutic agent for sepsis given its low cost and low risk of toxicity
and side effects. Further prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trials of adjunctive
vitamin D therapy in patients who are deficient are needed in the management of human
sepsis syndrome.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: July 11, 2011
Accepted:
July 3,
2011
Identification
Copyright
© 2011 The British Infection Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
