Not sure what good this is - but it's Vitamin D related

DianaCox

Bad Cop
Joined
Dec 30, 2013
Messages
6,343
Location
San Jose
I was doing some research for a friend whose husband has cancer about what to do if/when the chemo fails, and was looking into immunotherapies (which was my company's business in 2005-2010, before the company was bought out by a big pharma company, which is now bringing our pipeline to market with some excellent results).

My research caused me to stumble upon a drug treatment including a compound that looked familiar - and indeed, it is something that I use as a topical medication for a minor autoimmune or inflammatory condition I have, which has a slight but non-zero risk of becoming cancerous if not treated (lichen planus). I use an alternating treatment of a strong steroid (which reduces the inflammation) and some stuff that is mostly a prescription emollient, because the steroid can have bad effects too. Recently, my doctor game me some new stuff to cycle with, which is called Calcipotriene cream (AKA Calcipotrol) - the active ingredient is, of all things, a Vitamin D analogue. The only side effects are - wait for it - vitamin D toxicity. Oh wait, that would NOT be a toxicity for me!

Anyway, in following THAT lead down the internet rabbit hole, I found an interesting article about vitamin D and autoimmune diseases, which contains some dense but somewhat readable information about vitamin D and immunity. So, I want to park it here, where I can find it again. And - I wonder if topical application of this medication could help some of us who are having trouble absorbing sufficient vitamin D?

http://www.ima.org.il/FilesUpload/IMAJ/0/39/19663.pdf

Isr Med Assoc J. 2010 Mar;12(3):136-9.
Vitamin D supplementation and regulatory T cells in apparently healthy subjects: vitamin D treatment forautoimmune diseases?
Prietl B1, Pilz S, Wolf M, Tomaschitz A, Obermayer-Pietsch B, Graninger W, Pieber TR.
Author information

Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Epidemiological data show significant associations of vitamin D deficiency and autoimmune diseases. Vitamin D may prevent autoimmunity by stimulating naturally occurring regulatory T cells.

OBJECTIVES:
To elucidate whether vitamin D supplementation increases Tregs frequency (%Tregs) within circulating CD4+ T cells.

METHODS:
We performed an uncontrolled vitamin D supplementation trial among 50 apparently healthy subjects including supplementation of 140,000 IU at baseline and after 4 weeks (visit 1). The final follow-up visit was performed 8 weeks after the baseline examination (visit 2). Blood was drawn at each study visit to determine 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and %Tregs. Tregs were characterized as CD4+CD25++ T cells with expression of the transcription factor forkhead box P3 and low or absent expression of CD127.

RESULTS:
Forty-six study participants (65% females, mean age +/- SD 31 +/- 8 years) completed the trial. 25(OH)D levels increased from 23.9 +/- 12.9 ng/ml at baseline to 45.9 +/- 14.0 ng/ml at visit 1 and 58.0 +/- 15.1 ng/ml at visit 2. %Tregs at baseline were 4.8 +/- 1.4. Compared to baseline levels we noticed a significant increase of %Tregs at study visit 1 (5.9 +/- 1.7, P < 0.001) and 2 (5.6 +/- 1.6, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS:
Vitamin D supplementation was associated with significantly increased %Tregs in apparently healthy individuals. This immunomodulatory effect of vitamin D might underlie the associations of vitamin D deficiency and autoimmune diseases. Hence, our finding provides a rationale for further studies to investigate vitamin D effects on autoimmunological processes.
 
Another great read! I love these things! If you keep posting all this and I keep reading and cutting and pasting, maybe one day I can be almost 1/2 as smart as you are! :D
 
Smart is not the same as having an accumulation of information - though most "smart" people can't help collecting unconnected facts - like a magnet in a junkyard. :)
 
By the way, this article echoes some information I learned from postings on the Vitamin D Council site, which is that (1) if your vitamin D levels are TOO low, your immunity is impaired; but (2) if your D is "too high," your immunity can ALSO be suppressed - and the implications of that includes the inability to properly respond to vaccinations (e.g., flu shots) when your D is high.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top