Researchers discover how vitamin D inhibits inflammation

In the March 1, 2011, issue of The Journal of Immunology, researchers at the National Jewish Health hospital report the discovery of specific molecular and signaling events by which vitamin D affects infammation. Vitamin D levels comparable those in the general population failed to inhibit the inflammatory cascade, while levels considered adequate did inhibit inflammatory signaling. In the current study researchers examined the specific mechanisms by which vitamin D might act on immune and inflammatory pathways. They incubated human white blood cells with varying levels of vitamin D, then exposed them to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a molecule associated with bacterial cell walls that is known to promote intense inflammatory responses. In recent years, much attention has been paid to Vitamin D’s possible immune and inflammatory benefits. Low vitamin D levels have been associated with several diseases including asthma, cancer, diabetes, and arthritis.