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Vitamin D, Immunity Function and Chronic Liver Disease

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A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Micronutrients and Human Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (5 November 2021) | Viewed by 20875

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Aldo J. Montano-Loza

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Guest Editor

Division of Gastroenterology & Liver Unit, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2X8, Canada
Interests: autoimmune liver disease; cirrhosis; body composition; liver transplantation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Maryam Ebadi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Division of Gastroenterology & Liver Unit, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2X8, Canada
Interests: body composition; fat metabolism; adipose tissue; nutritional assessment; sarcopenia
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Vitamin D is a secosteroid that has a wide spectrum of immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory antifibrotic, and antioxidant actions. Expression of inflammatory cytokine [e.g., IL-1α, IL-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α] could be inhibited by vitamin D and its insufficiency was associated with overexpression of Th1 cytokines.

These attributes have generated interest in vitamin D as a pathogenic factor that can be measured, monitored, and manipulated. Low circulating levels of vitamin D have been detected in patients with autoimmune and non-autoimmune chronic liver diseases and diverse autoimmune diseases that are not primarily liver-related. Low-serum vitamin D levels have correlated with the severity of inflammatory activity, and they have predicted poor outcomes in several liver and non-liver diseases. Moreover, epidemiological studies have reported that vitamin D deficiency is associated with viral respiratory tract infections and acute lung injury, including coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

The goals of this special section are to describe the homeostatic mechanisms that modulate vitamin D production and action, indicate the properties of vitamin D that might affect the severity and outcome of infections and chronic liver disease, and examine the implications of vitamin D deficiency and the investigational opportunities that might improve its management.

Prof. Aldo J. Montano-Loza
Dr. Maryam Ebadi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

Vitamin D deficiency
Vitamin D supplementation
Vitamin D and chronic liver diseases
Vitamin D and COVID-19
Vitamin D and diabetes
Vitamin D and obesity
Vitamin D and cancer
Vitamin D and immunity in chronic diseases

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 880 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Vitamin D Is Associated with Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Primary Biliary Cholangitis

by Maryam Ebadi, Stephen Ip, Ellina Lytvyak, Somayyeh Asghari, Elora Rider, Andrew Mason and Aldo J. Montano-Loza

Nutrients 2022, 14(4), 878; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14040878 - 19 Feb 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3470

Abstract

Vitamin D (VD) deficiency has been associated with clinical outcomes in patients with chronic liver disease. This study aims to identify the prevalence of VD deficiency in patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) and its association with treatment response to ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), cirrhosis development, and liver-related events (mortality and liver transplantation). Two hundred and fifty-five patients with PBC diagnosis were evaluated. Patients with VD levels below 50 nmol/L were defined as deficient. Treatment response to UDCA was defined according to the Toronto criteria. Independent risk factors were identified using binary logistic and Cox regression analysis. The mean level of serum VD was 77 ± 39 nmol/L, and 64 patients (25%) were VD deficient. Incomplete response to UDCA was more prevalent in VD-deficient patients compared to their counterparts (45% vs. 22%; p < 0.001). The risk of cirrhosis development (hazard ratio (HR) 1.93; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.17–3.19, p = 0.01) and liver-related mortality or need for liver transplantation (HR 3.33, 95% CI, 1.57–7.07, p = 0.002) was higher in VD-deficient patients after adjusting for confounders. Vitamin D deficiency is frequent in patients with PBC and is associated with incomplete response to UDCA, cirrhosis development, and liver-related mortality or need for liver transplantation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vitamin D, Immunity Function and Chronic Liver Disease)

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13 pages, 1705 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on Skeletal Muscle Volume and Strength in Patients with Decompensated Liver Cirrhosis Undergoing Branched Chain Amino Acids Supplementation: A Prospective, Randomized, Controlled Pilot Trial

by Tomomi Okubo, Masanori Atsukawa, Akihito Tsubota, Hiroki Ono, Tadamichi Kawano, Yuji Yoshida, Taeang Arai, Korenobu Hayama, Norio Itokawa, Chisa Kondo, Keiko Kaneko and Katsuhiko Iwakiri

Nutrients 2021, 13(6), 1874; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13061874 - 30 May 2021

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3488

Abstract

Background: Sarcopenia worsens patient prognoses in chronic liver disease. This study aimed to elucidate the effects of vitamin D supplementation on skeletal muscle volume and strength in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. Methods: Thirty-three patients were entered into the study based on the criteria and then randomly assigned to two groups: Group A (n = 17), the control group, and Group B (n = 16), those who received oral native vitamin D3 at a dose of 2000 IU once a day for 12 months. Results: SMI values in Group B were significantly increased at 12 months (7.64 × 10⁻³). The extent of changes in the SMI and grip strength in Group B were significantly greater than that in Group A at 12 months (p = 2.57 × 10⁻³ and 9.07 × 10⁻³). The median change rates in the SMI were +5.8% and the prevalence of sarcopenia was significantly decreased from 80.0% (12/15) to 33.3% (5/15; p = 2.53 × 10⁻²) in Group B. Conclusions: Vitamin D supplementation might be an effective and safe treatment option for patients with decompensated cirrhosis to increase or restore the skeletal muscle volume and strength or prevent the muscle volume and strength losses. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vitamin D, Immunity Function and Chronic Liver Disease)

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Review

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23 pages, 600 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Role of Vitamin Deficiency in Liver Disease: To Supplement or Not Supplement?

by Anna Licata, Maddalena Zerbo, Silvia Como, Marcella Cammilleri, Maurizio Soresi, Giuseppe Montalto and Lydia Giannitrapani

Nutrients 2021, 13(11), 4014; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13114014 - 10 Nov 2021

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 12931

Abstract

Over the past few years, growing interest has been shown for the impact of dietary requirements and nutritional factors on chronic diseases. As a result, nutritional programs have been reinforced by public health policies. The precise role of micronutrients in chronic liver disease is currently receiving particular attention since abnormalities in vitamin levels are often detected. At present, treatment programs are focused on correcting vitamin deficiencies, which are frequently correlated to higher rates of comorbidities with poor outcomes. The literature reviewed here indicates that liver diseases are often related to vitamin disorders, due to both liver impairment and abnormal intake. More specific knowledge about the role of vitamins in liver disease is currently emerging from various results and recent evidence. The most significant benefits in this area may be observed when improved vitamin intake is combined with a pharmacological treatment that may also affect the progression of the liver disease, especially in the case of liver tumors. However, further studies are needed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vitamin D, Immunity Function and Chronic Liver Disease)

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