Front immune: study reveals the effect of vitamin D on the immune system

April 28, 2019 / BIOON / - scientists have a new understanding of how vitamin D affects the immune system and how it may affect susceptibility to diseases such as multiple sclerosis Vitamin D is produced by human body in light, and is often praised for its health benefits It also affects key cells in the immune system, the researchers found This finding may explain how vitamin D regulates the immune response associated with autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis Photo source: Frontiers in immunology a team at the University of Edinburgh focused on how vitamin D affects the ability of dendritic cells to activate T cells, a mechanism in the body's immune system In a healthy human body, T cells play a crucial role in helping fight infection However, in patients with autoimmune diseases, they begin to attack the body's own tissues Through the study of mouse and human cells, the researchers found that vitamin D can cause more CD31 molecules on the surface of dendritic cells, thus hindering the activation of T cells The team revealed how CD31 prevented the two cells from making steady contact - an important part of the activation process - leading to a significant reduction in the immune response The findings reveal how vitamin D deficiency may modulate the immune system and affect the susceptibility to autoimmune diseases, the researchers said "Low vitamin D levels have long been considered an important risk factor for multiple autoimmune diseases Our study reveals a way in which vitamin D metabolites can significantly affect the immune system " Reference: Louise Saul et al 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 restraints CD4 + T cell pricing capability of CD11c + deterministic cells by updating expression of CD31, Frontiers in Immunology (2019) Doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.00600