Prenatal vitamin D3 supplementation suppresses LL-37 peptide expression in ex vivo activated neonatal macrophages but not their killing capacity. Issue 6 (28th September 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Raqib, Rubhana; Ly, Anna; Akhtar, Evana; Mily, Akhirunnesa; Perumal, Nandita; Al-Mahmud, Abdullah; Rekha, Rokeya Sultana; Baqui, Abdullah Hel; Roth, Daniel E.
• Is Part Of: British journal of nutrition. Volume 112:Issue 6(2014)
• Page Start: 908
• Page End: 915
• Publication Date: 2014-09-28
• Subjects: Nutrition -- Periodicals; 572.4
• DOI: 10.1017/S0007114514001512
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0007-1145

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="normal"> <title> <x content-type="archive" xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <p>Vitamin D has regulatory effects on innate immunity. In the present study, we aimed to assess the effect of prenatal vitamin D<sub>3</sub> (vitD<sub>3</sub>) supplementation on neonatal innate immunity in a randomised, placebo-controlled trial by evaluating cathelicidin (LL-37) expression and the killing capacity of macrophages. Healthy pregnant women (<italic>n</italic> 129) attending a clinic in Dhaka were randomised to receive either a weekly oral dose of 0·875 mg vitD<sub>3</sub> or placebo starting from 26 weeks of gestation up to delivery. Serum, plasma and monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) were obtained from the cord blood. 25-Hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration was measured in serum. MDM were stimulated with or without Toll-like-receptor 4 ligand (TLR4L). Innate immune function was assessed by measuring LL-37 peptide levels in the culture supernatant of MDM by ELISA, LL-37 transcript levels by quantitative PCR, and <italic>ex vivo</italic> bactericidal capacity of MDM. vitD<sub>3</sub> supplementation did not increase LL-37 peptide levels in plasma or in the extracellular fluid of macrophages with or without TLR4L induction. However, stimulated intracellular LL-37 expression (ratio of stimulated:unstimulated MDM) was significantly reduced in the vitamin D group <italic>v</italic>. placebo (<italic>P</italic>= 0·02). Multivariate-adjusted analyses showed that intracellular LL-37 peptide concentration from stimulated MDM was inversely associated with 25(OH)D concentration in serum (<italic>P</italic>= 0·03). TLR4L stimulation increased the bactericidal capacity of MDM compared with the unstimulated ones (<italic>P</italic>= 0·01); however, there was no difference in killing capacity between the two groups. A weekly dose of 0·875 mg vitD<sub>3</sub> to healthy pregnant women suppressed the intracellular LL-37 peptide stores of activated macrophages, but did not significantly affect the <italic>ex vivo</italic> bactericidal capacity of cord blood MDM.</p> </abstract>