PMID: 

Indian J Psychol Med. 2020 Jan-Feb;42(1):11-21. Epub 2020 Jan 6. PMID: 31997861

Abstract Title: 

Vitamin D and Depression: A Critical Appraisal of the Evidence and Future Directions.

Abstract: 

Background: Growing evidence points to the role of vitamin D in the pathobiology and treatment of depression. However, the evidence is inconsistent in many aspects. The objectives of this narrative review were to evaluate the state of the evidence, synthesize the knowledge gaps, and formulate recommendations for more enhanced research in this growing area.Methods: Electronic searches of MEDLINE via PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar databases were carried out from inception till February 2019 to identify relevant English language peer-reviewed articles. Abstracts generated were systematically screened for eligibility. Included articles were grouped under three broad themes: The association between vitamin D and depression, its biological underpinnings, and trials evaluating the efficacy of vitamin D supplementation in depression. Relevant data were extracted as per a structured proforma.Results: A total of 61 articles were included in the present review. Overall findings were that there is a relationship between vitamin D and depression, though the directionality of this association remains unclear. The association appears to be driven by the homeostatic, trophic, and immunomodulatory effects of vitamin D. Evidence from supplementation trials suggest a more robust therapeutic effect on subjects with major depression and concurrent vitamin D deficiency.Conclusion: Serum vitamin D levels inversely correlate with clinical depression, but the evidence is not strong enough to recommend universal supplementation in depression. Enriching depression treatment trials with subjects having concurrent vitamin D deficiency appears to be a potential step forward in identifying subgroups who may maximally benefit from this approach.

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PMID: 

Front Neurol. 2020 ;11:19. Epub 2020 Jan 31. PMID: 32082243

Abstract Title: 

Neuron-Specific Vitamin D Signaling Attenuates Microglia Activation and CNS Autoimmunity.

Abstract: 

Low vitamin D during childhood is associated with an increased risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) as an adult. Given that vitamin D has anti-inflammatory properties, it has been postulated that the relationship between MS and low vitamin D is due to immune dysregulation. Since the vitamin D receptor (VDR) is expressed in many cell types, this study investigated an alternative hypothesis-neuron-specific VDR signaling induces anti-inflammatory molecules that protect the central nervous system from autoimmunity. Using media from neurons treated with calcitriol, the active form of vitamin D, LPS-activated microglia had a reduction in pro-inflammatory molecules, and a reciprocal induction of anti-inflammatory molecules. Since IL-34 is critical to the homeostasis of microglia, and was previously shown to be induced in endothelial cells by vitamin D, we investigated IL-34 as the potential anti-inflammatory molecule induced in neurons by vitamin D. Treatment of LPS-activated microglia with IL-34 reduced pro-inflammatory cytokine production and enhanced the expression of anti-inflammatory transcripts. However, neutralizing IL-34 in vitamin D neuronal conditioned media only impacted IL-6 and not the broader anti-inflammatory phenotype of microglia. To mimic low vitamin D in children, we used a neuron-specific inducible mouse model in which VDR was partially deleted in juvenile mice. Partial deletion of VDR in neurons during early life resulted in exacerbated CNS autoimmunity in adult mice. Overall, the study illustrated that vitamin D signaling in neurons promotes an anti-inflammatory state in microglia, and low vitamin D in early life may enhance CNS autoimmunity.

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PMID: 

Int J Infect Dis. 2020 Mar ;92S:S91-S99. Epub 2020 Feb 27. PMID: 32114204

Abstract Title: 

New perspectives on difficult-to-treat tuberculosis based on old therapeutic approaches.

Abstract: 

Tuberculosis (TB) is an important clinical and public health issue worldwide. Despite improved treatment success rates following the introduction of antibiotics in daily clinical practice, the expected decline in incidence has been hampered by HIV epidemics and multi- and extensively drug-resistant TB. During the pre-antibiotic era, TB therapies were mainly based on improving hygiene conditions, strengthening the immune system, and targeting the rest of the affected lungs with invasive techniques. Detailed knowledge of old non-pharmacological therapies might support physicians and researchers in the identification of new solutions for difficult-to-treat patients. We performed a narrative literature review on the main old therapeutic options prescribed for patients with TB. The main recommendations and contraindications of sanatorium therapies (i.e., bed rest, fresh air, sunlight) and pulmonary collapse techniques are reviewed, evaluating their physiological basis and their impact on patient outcomes. We report studies describing new interventional pulmonary and surgical techniques and assess new perspectives based on old medical and surgical treatments, whose potential implementation could help complicated patients.

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PMID: 

J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2020 Mar 16 ;200:105663. Epub 2020 Mar 16. PMID: 32194242

Abstract Title: 

Vitamin D and intestinal homeostasis: Barrier, microbiota, and immune modulation.

Abstract: 

Vitamin D plays a pivotal role in intestinal homeostasis. Vitamin D can impact the function of virtually every cell in the gut by binding to its intracellular receptor (VDR) and subsequently transcribing relevant genes. In the lumen, the mucus layer and the underlying epithelium serve to keep resident microbiota at bay. Vitamin D ensures an appropriate level of antimicrobial peptides in the mucus and maintains epithelial integrity by reinforcing intercellular junctions. Should bacteria penetrate the epithelial layer and enter the interstitium, immune sentinel cells (e.g. macrophages, dendritic cells, and innate lymphoid cells) elicit inflammation and trigger the adaptive immune response by activating Th1/Th17 cells. Vitamin D/VDR signaling in these cells ensures clearance of the bacteria. Subsequently, vitamin D also quiets the adaptive immune system by suppressing the Th1/Th17 cells and favoring Treg cells. The importance of vitamin D/VDR signaling in intestinal homeostasis is evidenced by the development of a chronic inflammatory state (e.g. IBD) when this signaling system is disrupted.

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There are two worlds. Where independent researchers sort out what is actually going on behind propaganda parading as medical research. The second world, it’s all official propaganda.

PMID: 

Zhongguo Dang Dai Er Ke Za Zhi. 2012 Jan ;14(1):1-6. PMID: 22289742

Abstract Title: 

[Vitamin D intake in young children with acute lower respiratory infection].

Abstract: 

OBJECTIVE: To determine if vitamin D intake is associated with acute lower respiratory infections (ALRI) in children.METHODS: The vitamin D intakes of children younger than 5 years of age admitted to hospital with either bronchiolitis or pneumonia were compared to an unmatched control group of the same age without respiratory infection. Caregivers of 197 children completed a questionnaire collecting information on demographic variables, ALRI risk factors and diet. Associations of ALRI with vitamin D intake and other ALRI risk factors were determined.RESULTS: The mean vitamin D intake of children with ALRI was 48 IU/kg/d compared to 60 IU/kg/d in the control group. When controlling for age, ethnicity, socio-economic status, northern residence, breastfeeding, immunizations and smoking contact, children with a vitamin D intake of less than 80 IU/kg/d were greater than 4 times more likely to have ALRI compared to children with a vitamin D intake exceeding 80 IU/kg/d (OR=4.9; 95%CI: 1.5-16.4).CONCLUSIONS: A higher vitamin D intake than currently recommended might be needed to offer protection against diseases such as ALRI. Increased vitamin D supplementation could have important public health consequences, as bronchiolitis and pneumonia are the most common reasons for hospitalization in young children. (Full English version will be available online at http://www.amepc.org/tp.).

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PMID: 

Acta Paediatr. 2010 Mar ;99(3):389-93. Epub 2009 Nov 7. PMID: 19900174

Abstract Title: 

Vitamin D status and acute lower respiratory infection in early childhood in Sylhet, Bangladesh.

Abstract: 

AIM: Acute lower respiratory tract infection (ALRI) is the most important global cause of childhood death. Micronutrient deficiencies may increase the risk of ALRI. A case-control study was conducted to assess the association between vitamin D status and ALRI in rural Bangladesh.METHODS: Children aged 1-18 months hospitalized with ALRI (cases) were individually matched to controls on age, sex, and village (N = 25 pairs). The mean serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration [25(OH)D] in cases and controls was compared using paired t-test. The unadjusted and adjusted odds of ALRI were assessed by multivariate conditional logistic regression.RESULTS: Mean [25(OH)D] was significantly lower among ALRI cases than controls (29.1 nmol/L vs. 39.1 nmol/L; p = 0.015). The unadjusted odds of ALRI was halved for each 10 nmol/L increase in [25(OH)D] (OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.30-0.96). Adjustment for confounders increased the magnitude of the association.CONCLUSION: Vitamin D status was associated with early childhood ALRI in a matched case-control study in rural Bangladesh. Randomized trials may establish whether interventions to improve vitamin D status can reduce the burden of ALRI in early childhood.

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PMID: 

Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2017 Sep ;274(9):3391-3395. Epub 2017 Jun 12. PMID: 28608241

Abstract Title: 

Vit D deficiency is a possible risk factor in ARS.

Abstract: 

Vitamin D deficiency is effective in the development of acute rhinosinusitis and prolongation of inflammation by increasing inflammation in the sinonasal epithelium. Vitamin D deficiency is important in the development of bone barriers that prevent the complication of acute rhinosinusitis. Although Vitamin D levels may be a variable risk factor for various respiratory tract disorders, there are limited data on the role in sinonasal infections. Our aim was to investigate the association of 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25OHD) levels with acute rhinosinusitis (ARS) and preseptal cellulitis complications. The type of the study is prospective case-control study. Fifteen patients in the pediatric age group with ARS-induced preseptal cellulitis complication were identified as Group 1, fifteen patients with ARS and without complication were identified as Group 2, and fifteen healthy volunteers were identified as Group 3. Serum 25OHD levels (nmol/l) were measured in addition to routine blood tests at the first admission of patients participating in the study. Statistical analysis was performed between groups. The ages of the cases ranged from 1 to 14 years with a mean of 5.62 ± 3.42 years. 55.6% of the cases (n = 25) were male; 44.4% (n = 20) were female children. As a result of classification in which vitamin D levels were compared with normal values, there was a statistically significant difference according to the presence of ARS (Group-1 and Group 2) and absence of ARS (Group-3) (p 

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PMID: 

Indian J Pediatr. 2015 Nov ;82(11):991-5. Epub 2015 May 14. PMID: 25967259

Abstract Title: 

Vitamin D Deficiency and Critical Illness.

Abstract: 

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in critically ill children and assess its association with severity of illness and other outcomes associated with critical illness.METHODS: Eighty children aged 2 mo to 12 y, admitted with medical conditions to the pediatric intensive care unit of a tertiary care hospital were enrolled in this prospective observational study. Vitamin D levels were obtained during the first hour of stay. Severity score was assessed using the Pediatric Risk of Mortality III (PRISM III) within first 12 h of admission.RESULTS: Vitamin D deficiency {25-hydroxy vitamin D [25(OH)D] levels 

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PMID: 

J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2016 Mar ;62(3):479-85. PMID: 26465790

Abstract Title: 

Role of Vitamin D in Hospitalized Children With Lower Tract Acute Respiratory Infections.

Abstract: 

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D is known to have modulatory actions in the immune system. Its influence on the severity of lower tract acute respiratory infections (LT-ARIs) is unclear.OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the role of vitamin D on LT-ARI in paediatric patients.METHODS: Children admitted to hospital with LT-ARI were prospectively recruited through the GENDRES network (March 2009-May 2013). The 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) levels were measured by immunoassay. The severity of the illness was evaluated according to clinical scales, length of hospital stay, ventilatory requirements, and pediatric intensive care unit admission.RESULTS: A total of 347 patients with a median (interquartile range) age of 8.4 (2.6-21.1) months were included. The mean (SD) 25-OHD levels in our series were 27.1 (11.3) ng/mL. In this study, a cutoff value of≥30 ng/mL was considered optimal vitamin status. Patients with 25-OHD levels

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