Effects of Vitamin D on the Renin-Angiotensin System and Acute Childhood Pneumonia

Antibiotics (Basel). 2022 Nov 3;11(11):1545. doi: 10.3390/antibiotics11111545.

Abstract

Vitamin D promotes kidney calcium reabsorption and regulates calcium and phosphate metabolism, as well as the intestinal absorption of calcium and phosphorus and bone mineralization events. Vitamin D is also known for its immunomodulatory properties. It has been shown in the literature that the active form of vitamin D, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, performs multiple functions in the adaptive and innate immune system, as well as acting on the endothelial membrane. Recent evidence shows that vitamin D is a negative endocrine modulator of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), with protection from diseases leading to lung damage, such as pneumonia caused by various pathogens. Vitamin D support associated with the use of antibiotics could be crucial to counteract these infectious diseases.

Keywords: antibiotics; infectious disease; pharmacology; pneumonia; renin–angiotensin system; vitamin D.

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.