ABSTRACT
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is defined as a relapsing and remitting condition characterized by chronic inflammation at different sites in the gastrointestinal tract. Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) represents the two major forms of IBD. Even though IBD pathophysiology is still not fully understood, genetic factors, environmental factors, dysregulation of both innate and adaptive immune responses, alterations in gut microbiota composition, excessive consumption of saturated fats and cumulative antibiotic exposure have all been suggested to play a role in the development of this condition. Amongst the environmental factors, vitamin D deficiency has been suggested to participate in IBD pathophysiology. Indeed, vitamin D exerts several pleiotropic effects beyond its well-established regulation of bone and calcium homeostasis, including anti-infective, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects as well as maintenance of gastrointestinal barrier integrity and beneficial gut microbiota composition. In this narrative review, we discuss the role of vitamin D deficiency in IBD pathophysiology as well as the potential therapeutic use of vitamin D for the management of IBD.
Subject(s)
Colitis, Ulcerative , Crohn Disease , Inflammatory Bowel Diseases , Vitamin D Deficiency , Humans , Vitamin D/therapeutic use , Inflammatory Bowel Diseases/drug therapy , Crohn Disease/drug therapy , Colitis, Ulcerative/drug therapy , Vitamin D Deficiency/drug therapy , Vitamins/therapeutic useABSTRACT
Early diagnosis of diabetes mellitus can significantly improve therapeutic strategies and overall health span. Identifying biomarkers as a tool for determining the risk of developing diabetes as well as a monitoring strategy for progression of the disease state would be useful in predicting potential complications while simultaneously improving our ability to prevent and treat diabetes. Extracellular vesicles (EV) have recently emerged as prominent mediators of intercellular communication and as a potential source for the discovery of novel biomarkers. A deeper understanding of the cargo molecules present in EVs obtained from type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) patients may aid in the identification of novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, and can potentially lead to the discovery of new therapeutic targets.
