Vitamin D may exacerbate autoimmune disease

[lighthouse33]

I found this posted on the National Osteoporosis Support Community Forum.  Wow!  Now I don't know what to think.

Vitamin D may exacerbate autoimmune disease:

This was posted on a Thyroid website, but thought it might be of use here. I use a lot of Vitamin D in order to get my levels up, so this has got me worried....

Deficiency in vitamin D has been widely regarded as contributing to autoimmune disease, but a review appearing in Autoimmunity Reviews explains that low levels of vitamin D in patients with autoimmune disease may be a result rather than a cause of disease and that supplementing with vitamin D may actually exacerbate autoimmune disease.

Authored by a team of researchers at the California-based non-profit Autoimmunity Research Foundation, the paper goes on to point out that molecular biologists have long known that the form of vitamin D derived from food and supplements, 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-D), is a secosteroid rather than a vitamin. Like corticosteroid medications, vitamin D may provide short-term relief by lowering inflammation but may exacerbate disease symptoms over the long-term.

The insights are based on molecular research showing that 25-D inactivates rather than activates its native receptor - the Vitamin D nuclear receptor or VDR. Once associated solely with calcium metabolism, the VDR is now known to transcribe at least 913 genes and largely control the innate immune response by expressing the bulk of the body's antimicrobial peptides, natural antimicrobials that target bacteria.

Written under the guidance of professor Trevor Marshall of Murdoch University, Western Australia, the paper contends that 25-D's actions must be considered in light of recent research on the Human Microbiome. Such research shows that bacteria are far more pervasive than previously thought - 90% of cells in the body are estimated to be non-human - increasing the likelihood that autoimmune diseases are caused by persistent pathogens, many of which have yet to be named or have their DNA characterized.

Marshall and team explain that by deactivating the VDR and subsequently the immune response, 25-D lowers the inflammation caused by many of these bacteria but allows them to spread more easily in the long-run. They outline how long-term harm caused by high levels of 25-D has been missed because the bacteria implicated in autoimmune disease grow very slowly. For example, a higher incidence in brain lesions, allergies, and atopy in response to vitamin D supplementation have been noted only after decades of supplementation with the secosteroid.
Furthermore, low levels of 25-D are frequently noted in patients with autoimmune disease, leading to a current consensus that a deficiency of the secosteroid may contribute to the autoimmune disease process. However, Marshall and team explain that these low levels of 25-D are a result, rather than a cause, of the disease process. Indeed, Marshall's research shows that in autoimmune disease, 25-D levels are naturally down-regulated in response to VDR dysregulation by chronic pathogens. Under such circumstances, supplementation with extra vitamin D is not only counterproductive but harmful, as it slows the ability of the immune system to deal with such
bacteria.

The team points out the importance of examining alternate models of vitamin D metabolism. "Vitamin D is currently being recommended at historically unprecedented doses," states Amy Proal, one of the paper's co-authors. "Yet at the same time, the rate of nearly every autoimmune disease continues to escalate."

###For the past five years, Autoimmunity Research Foundation has been running an observational study in which patients are administered pulsed low dose antibiotics and a VDR agonist in order to kill chronic bacteria implicated in their diseases. Specific data on the cohort was recently presented by CAPT Thomas H. Perez, USPHS (ret) at the International Congress on Autoimmunity in Porto, Portugal

http://autoimmunityresearch.org/transcripts/AR-Albert-VitD.pdf
http://autoimmunityresearch.org/transcripts/ICA2008_Transcript_TomPerez.pdf

[aussie mum]

There are so many different opinions on these sort of things, I feel we are all really Guinea Pigs for the medical profession.

I have a young Endo who wants my Vitamin D level up to 80 (currently 54) and my GP who in his 60's feels the current fascination of Vit D is just the "Flavour of the Month" and of no real consequence to my overall health. Who should I believe??

I have read a lot of the Marshall Protocol information since my daughter was diagnosed 5 yrs ago. As an Aussie, you would think that the Aussie medical profession would have this guy "up in lights" if they felt this was an actual breakthrough in treatment of AI illnesses... But they don't and my daughter has never been offered this type of treatment.

Could it all just be medical/drug company politics that means Marshall's theories are thought as crazy by the establishment?

Hopefully they can sort it all out soon so we can all get well.

[irish]

It is also very possible that Marshall's theory could present a big danger to a persons health. Time will tell.

Also, the vitamin D thingy is certainly up for grabs. Both my hubby and I have autoimmune disease and also have had very low D levels. We are on daily low dose supplements. We are checked yearly by our doc. I can agree that there can be a problem with the D, espeically in the elderly, and will continue to take the vitamin for the time being. All good things do come to an end though.

I have had uterus and ovaries out in 1990 and took Premarin for 13 years and then quite. Figured enough already. I was also ono statins for high cholesterol for about 12 years and was taken off cause the tests were much better. I had a lipid panel last week and if the doc says I need statins I will tell him no this time. I am 69 years old and my liver doesn't need the stress. Besides that I need my liver for my autoimmune disease meds now.

Another thing is those darn statins are supposed to cause a fatty liver. I can certainly believe that. Sooo, life is really crapshoot when it comes to all the stuff we are supposed to do. Good luck to all of us as we make decisions. Irish

[EllaBlue]

Geesh, I dunno. I have a very hard time maintaining my D levels. I cannot be in the sun with my Lupus...rarely eat cheese IF that even helps. SO I have to take the prescription 50,000 IU...get caught up and then stay on that 2x a month.
My understanding is that D protects us from cancer.
Before, when I was SO deficient, I was always getting questionable results with my tests. I had pre-vaginal cancer....colon polyps, and also questionable mammos so much that I needed a biopsy. Since my D had been fixed my last 3 years have been "home free."  Don't know if this is a coincidence but gosh I AM happy. MY next mammo and pap are in Sept. so I will keep you posted.
It IS always something. Eat eggs don't eat eggs. I guess all we can do is research things, communicate with our doctors and then make that educational guess to the best of our ability.
Hope this helps some..
Take care..
EllaBlue