This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Vitamin D supplementation shows promise for treating Crohn's disease
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Vitamin D supplementation may have an effect on the intestinal barrier dysfunction related to Crohn’s disease, according to recent study data.
“This is an exciting development in the treatment of Crohn’s disease and we welcome anything new that could potentially help patients with this debilitating condition,” Charles Murray, MD, from the Royal Free Hospital in London, and United European Gastroenterology’s IBD expert, said in a press release.
Researchers performed a double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study at Tallaght Hospital in Dublin. From October to December 2011, they recruited 27 patients with Crohn’s disease who were in remission. They were randomly assigned 2,000 IU vitamin D per day or placebo for 3 months. At baseline and the end of the study period, patients were evaluated for intestinal permeability, plasma cathelicidin (LL-37), human beta-defensin-2 (hBD2), Crohn’s Disease Activity Index (CDAI) scores, C-reactive protein (CRP), fecal calprotectin, quality of life and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, or 25-(OH)D.
At 3 months, the researchers found the treatment group had increased 25-(OH)D concentrations (P < .001), increased LL-37 concentrations (P = .05) and maintained intestinal permeability, whereas the placebo group had increased small bowel (P = .018) and gastro-duodenal permeability (P = .03). Patients with 25-(OH)D levels of at least 75 nmol/L has lower CRP (P = .019), higher quality of life (P = .037), higher LL-37 concentrations (P < .001) and slightly lower CDAI scores (P = .082).
“This is the first reporting of effects of vitamin D supplementation on intestinal permeability and antimicrobial peptide measures in a [Crohn’s disease] cohort,” the researchers concluded in the press release. “Whilst the data requires further confirmation, it broadly supports evidence from previous experimental studies that suggest a role for vitamin D in maintaining intestinal barrier integrity.” – by Adam Leitenberger
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts