Vitamin D Supplementation as Non-toxic Immunomodulation in Children With Crohn's Disease
Status:
Terminated
Trial end date:
2017-05-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
IBD is caused by an abnormal immune response to the gut bacteria in people who are
genetically predisposed. There has been a huge increase in the number of people diagnosed
with IBD since World War II, likely due to changes in our environment. It is possible that
the abundance of vitamin D in the body may be one of those environmental factors that the
investigators can control to make patients with IBD better.
Vitamin D acts on cells of the immune system and causes many effects, including the
production of a "natural antibiotic" called cathelicidin. The investigators know that when
people are supplemented with vitamin D, levels of cathelicidin produced by these immune cells
increase. By supplementing children with Crohn's disease with vitamin D, the investigators
may be able to alter their immune system "naturally," making their disease better. A
consensus of vitamin D experts believes that vitamin D levels need to reach a level of 40-70
ng/mL in the blood in order to have effects on the immune system. Raising vitamin D levels to
this range is one of the goals in the current study.
Phase:
Phase 1
Details
Lead Sponsor:
University of California, Los Angeles
Collaborator:
The Broad Foundation
Treatments:
Cholecalciferol Ergocalciferols Vitamin D Vitamins