REVIEW   

Minerva Endocrinologica 2020 June;45(2):138-47

DOI: 10.23736/S0391-1977.20.03190-9

Copyright © 2020 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

lingua: Inglese

Vitamin D and psoriasis: an update for dermatologists and nutritionists

Matteo MEGNA ¹ ✉, Maria FERRILLO ¹, Luigi BARREA ², Cataldo PATRUNO ³, Giovanna MUSCOGIURI ², Silvia SAVASTANO ², Gabriella FABBROCINI ¹, Maddalena NAPOLITANO ⁴

¹ Section of Dermatology, Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy; ² Unit of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy; ³ Department of Health Sciences, University Magna Græcia of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy; ⁴ Department of Medicine and Health Sciences Vincenzo Tiberio, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy

Psoriasis is a common chronic immune-mediated inflammatory skin disease, now considered a systemic inflammatory process with several comorbidities. The skin produces vitamin D by the action of ultraviolet light. Vitamin D performs various immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antifibrotic actions. The immunomodulatory effects of vitamin D offer opportunities to improve the treatment of several autoimmune diseases, such as psoriasis. In the literature, several significant associations are reported between low levels of vitamin D and psoriasis. Today, topical vitamin D represents an important therapeutic option due to its action on the proliferation and maturation of keratinocytes. The situation is different regarding the oral intake and integration of vitamin D in psoriasis patients. The use of vitamin D supplementation as an adjunctive treatment option in these patients is still discussed. This work aims to analyze the association between psoriasis and vitamin D levels according to dermatologists and nutritionists.

KEY WORDS: Psoriasis; Vitamin D; Dermatologists; Nutritionists; Therapeutics