AUTHOR=Giannetti Arianna , Bernardini Luca , Cangemi Jessica , Gallucci Marcella , Masetti Riccardo , Ricci Giampaolo 

TITLE=Role of Vitamin D in Prevention of Food Allergy in Infants

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pediatrics

VOLUME=Volume 8 - 2020

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pediatrics/articles/10.3389/fped.2020.00447

DOI=10.3389/fped.2020.00447

ISSN=2296-2360

ABSTRACT=The prevalence of food allergy is increasing over the last decades. The role of vitamin D in the prevention of food allergy has been largely investigated. As it is well known the of calcitriol (the active form of vitamin D), has also effects on epithelial cells, T cells, B cells, macrophages and dendritic cells. Almost all cells of the adaptive immune system express the vitamin D receptor, making them also capable of being vitamin responsive. Specifically considering the potential role of vitamins in food allergy, vitamin D has been shown to affect several mechanisms that promote immunologic tolerance, including the T regulatory cell function and the induction of tolerogenic dendritic cells.
The aim of our review is to evaluate the role of vitamin D in the prevention of food allergy in children.
There are contradictory data on the association between the vitamin D deficiency and the development of food allergy. Some studies associate lower exposure to sunlight to food allergy, on the other hand, further research has found that higher levels of vitamin D could increase the likelihood of allergic sensitization and food allergy. Therefore, there is an urgent need for well planned randomized controlled trials on vitamin D supplementation, with particular regard to the prevention of food allergy. The role of vitamin D beyond bone and calcium metabolism not is fully understood.