Role of Vitamin D in Osteoarthritis: Molecular, Cellular, and Clinical Perspectives

Figure 2

The effects of vitamin D on several different cell types in osteoarthritis including chondrocytes, osteoclasts, and osteoblasts. Vitamin D has a range of effects on cell types within osteoarthritis affected joints. Vitamin D acts through the vitamin D receptor and acts to alter gene expression which results in the phenotypic changes summarised here. Osteoclasts appear to respond indirectly to vitamin D signalling via osteoblasts and RANKL signalling. VDR: vitamin D receptor; MMP: matrix metalloproteinase.