Gender Differences in the Interplay between Vitamin D and Microbiota in Allergic and Autoimmune Diseases

Abstract

The synergic role of vitamin D and the intestinal microbiota in the regulation of the immune system has been thoroughly described in the literature. Vitamin D deficiency and intestinal dysbiosis have shown a pathogenetic role in the development of numerous immune-mediated and allergic diseases. The physiological processes underlying aging and sex have proven to be capable of having a negative influence both on vitamin D values and the biodiversity of the microbiome. This leads to a global increase in levels of systemic inflammatory markers, with potential implications for all immune-mediated diseases and allergic conditions. Our review aims to collect and analyze the relationship between vitamin D and the intestinal microbiome with the immune system and the diseases associated with it, emphasizing the effect mediated by sexual hormones and aging.

Vitamin D and allergic diseases

“…Vitamin D deficiency may compromise barrier integrity and alter microbiome composition, with gut dysbiosis potentially impairing both local and pulmonary immune functions, thus heightening asthma susceptibility. Respiratory infections can disrupt the gut microbiome, decreasing bacteria that produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which in turn impacts the function and fate of immune cells, further exacerbating asthma symptoms ( 109 – 111 ).…”