ABSTRACT

Several lines of experimental evidence support a close relationship between Vitamin D (vitD) and tuberculosis susceptibility. People with low vitD serum concentration have an increased risk of tuberculosis progression, and some genetic variations in the receptor for vitD are associated with higher infection rates. Moreover the vitD improves the innate immune response. This review stands out the importance of the vitD-tuberculosis relationship, and describes its major topics with an emphasis on the molecular aspects which sustain the potential use of vitamin D on the disease treatment.

KEYWORDS

Vitamin D, tuberculosis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, VDR, supplementation, LL-37.

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