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Study highlights potential role of vitamin D in keeping anti-inflammatory environment
Despite showing no significant direct correlations between vitamin D and serum cytokine profiles, recently published results found a possible relationship between these factors after participants were stratified by their C-reactive protein levels.
Researchers collected venous blood samples from 118 healthy adult women and measured serum levels of vitamin D, C-reactive protein (CRP), pro-inflammatory cytokines and anti-inflammatory cytokines.
Although results showed no significant correlations between serum levels of vitamin D and CRP or between levels of vitamin D and any of the cytokines measured in the sera, researchers found sera levels of CRP correlated significantly with the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-8. Compared with participants with low levels of CRP, participants with high levels of CRP had a statistically higher median level of interleukin-1beta, according to results.
Participants with non-deficient levels of vitamin D and low levels of CRP (NL group) had significantly higher levels of IL-4, while participants with deficient levels of vitamin D and high levels of CRP (DH group) had significantly lower levels of serum IL-1 beta, according to results. Researchers also found a significantly higher IL-8 median level in the DH group vs. participants with deficient levels of vitamin D and low levels of CRP (DL group), as well as higher tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels in the DH group vs. the NL group.
Calculating the cytokine ratio of the anti-inflammatory cytokines to pro-inflammatory cytokines, results showed participants with low CRP levels had higher ratios vs. participants with high levels of CRP. However, researchers noted higher anti-inflammatory/pro-inflammatory ratios in all cytokine combinations among participants with low CRP levels and non-deficient vitamin D levels. – by Casey Tingle
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.