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I have previously reported on the key role vitamin D appears to have in
maintaining the intestinal mucosal barrier.  A study showing greater incidence
of celiac disease in summer-born children who likely receive their first gluten
during minimal sunlight winter months strongly suggests vitamin D deficiency is
involved in the onset of celiac disease.  Now a study links low vitamin D in
infants to the development of type 1 diabetes, a disease which may also be
linked to increased intestinal permeability.  "Overall, they found, infants who
were supplemented with Vitamin D were 29 percent less likely to develop type
1 diabetes than children who had not received supplements."

It is possible that vitamin D not only maintains the integrity of the intestinal
barrier, but vitamin D might also suppress T cell response to gluten.  I would
strongly encourage investigators to experiment with vitamin D in celiac disease
T cell cultures exposed to gluten to see if there is a supressive effect on T
cell response to gluten in the presence of vitamin D.  This is a relatively
straight-forward test procedure researchers are well-versed to perform.  If
vitamin D can prevent celiac disease, we certainly need to know!

Vitamin D Preserves the Intestinal Mucosal Barrier
http://www.celiac.com/articles/21476

Vitamin D for babies may prevent type 1 diabetes
Fri May 30, 2008 By Anne Harding
http://uk.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUKCOL06260820080530

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