Image 1. Two types of foamy macrophages in humans:
A) The lipid body positive foamy macrophages (LB+FMs) that are M2-like and anti-inflammatory which promote the replication of viruses and intracellular pathogens such as shown here on the top right with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. [Peyron P et al., PLoS Pathogens, 2008].
B) The lipid body negative foamy macrophages (LB-FMs) that are highly vacuolated which are M1-like and proinflammatory and produce the protector HERV-K102 particles and generate trained innate immunity [Laderoute M et al., Open AIDS Journal, 2015]. These particles are released by cell lysis. Note sebocytes in sebaceous glands that line the mucosa are LB-FMs.
Here is a comment on ‘Grab Your Vitamin D and Valium’ posted last night on Joel S Hirschorn’s Pandemic Blunder Newsletter. I think it is a very succinct explanation of the importance of vitamin D especially during an ongoing pandemic.
Vitamin D is essential for the human body to fight SARS-COV-2 [Laderoute M. Trained immunity involving HERV-K102 activation may promote recovery from COVID-19 providing a new vaccination paradigm against pandemic RNA viruses ( submitted) ]. There are two types of foamy macrophages (Image 1) the lipid body negative (B) highly vacuolated M1-like proinflammatory macrophages (LB-FMs) which produce the protector HERV-K102 particles and the lipid body positive (A, Oil Red O strongly positive) M2-like anti-inflammatory macrophages (LB+FMs). Many viruses and other intracellular pathogens [Dias SSG et al, PLoS Pathogens, 2020; Wu X et al., Microbiol Pathog 2021; Cho HJ et al , BMC Infect Dis 2020] infect the protector LB-FM and convert them to the LB+FM to knock out the HERV-K102 trained (innate) immunity protector system. Vitamin D deficiency promotes this conversion favoring the invading viruses and pathogens which is exacerbated with diabetes [Oh J et al, Circulation 2009]. Of the 66 different cell types identified in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids from severe COVID-19 patients, only the LB-FMs and its immediate precursors (the CD14+CD16+ monocytes) exhibit a highly active VDR signaling pathway [Ren X et al., Cell, 2021]. Yes, optimal vitamin D levels are vital to survival, period.
I gave away over $1200 worth of bottles of 5000IU vitamin-D capsules to coworkers and patients at myclinic in 2020, half just before Christmas. (I was fired for non-vaccination about a year later)
drjohnsblog.substack.com
I was surprised to learn that NOT all bottles labelled D3 are the same. The quality depends on particular makers.