Review Article The Pleiotropic Effect of Vitamin D

License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The novel roles of vitamin Dwere discovered and valued in this century. In addition to themaintenance of calcium and phosphorus balance, vitaminD regulates the function of the kidneys, heart, and immune system.Moreover, its anti-inflammatory, antiapoptotic, and antifibrotic roles have gained considerable attention. Vitamin D is also important for the maintenance of homeostasis by regulation of hormone secretion, cell proliferation, and differentiation.This paper will review these pleiotropic functions of vitamin D. 1