Potential role of vitamin D in the prevention and treatment of type 1 diabetes mellitus
The incidence of type 1 diabetes mellitus is increasing worldwide, and the number of people with vitamin D deficiency in all age groups, including children and adolescents, is simultaneously growing in the world. Over the past decades, it has been found that vitamin D, in addition to participating in the regulation of calcium homeostasis and bone metabolism, has an anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effect. Epidemiological evidence suggests the involvement of vitamin D deficiency in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes mellitus. Polymorphisms in genes important for vitamin D metabolism also modulate the risk of type 1 diabetes mellitus. Several studies have evaluated the role of vitamin D as adjuvant immunomodulating therapy in patients with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes mellitus. The purpose of this review is to present current data on the involvement of vitamin D in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes mellitus and to evaluate its role as a drug for the prevention of the disease and its use in treatment in addition to insulin therapy.