40 years later: Why do immune cells have vitamin D receptors?
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review of immunological mechanisms without primary human data or systematic synthesis.
PubMed 41759752 · doi:10.1016/j.jsbmb.2026.106971
What was done
This narrative review summarizes the biological mechanisms governing vitamin D receptor (VDR) expression and local 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D) production in immune cells, evaluating how maternal and endogenous vitamin D status influences immune response, inflammation resolution, and host defense.
What was found
No quantitative data, effect sizes, or statistical figures are reported in the abstract. The review qualitatively describes that immune cells express VDRs and produce local 1,25(OH)2D, which restrains pro-inflammatory T cells, increases interleukin-10 (IL-10), and upregulates regulatory T cells to restore homeostasis after immune challenge.
Why it matters
It outlines how vitamin D can suppress pro-inflammatory T cells while simultaneously supporting host defense, providing a mechanistic basis for its dual role in preventing autoimmunity and mitigating infectious disease severity.
Limits
The abstract provides no primary human experimental data, sample sizes, or systematic search methodology. It presents theoretical and narrative mechanistic conclusions rather than direct clinical trial evidence.
Cited by
- supports Immune cells express vitamin D receptors.