Vitamin D3 treatment of Crohn’s disease patients increases stimulated T cell IL‐6 production and proliferation

Abstract

International audienceIntroduction:Vitamin D3 has shown immune-modulating effects in CD4+ T cells from Crohn's disease (CD) patients in vitro. Aim:To investigate the effects of in vivo vitamin D3 treatment on T cells in CD patients. Methods:Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were isolated at week 0 and week 26 from 10 vitamin D3 and 10 placebo treated CD patients participating in a randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial study. Monocyte-depleted PBMC were stimulated with anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 and cultured for 7 days, to investigate CD4+ T cell proliferation and T cell cytokine production. Results: In vitamin D3 treated patients the median 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 levels increased 70 nmol/l compared to -5 nmol/l in the placebo group. Vitamin D3 treatment increased interleukin-6 production (delta = 188 pg/ml, range: -444 - 4071) compared to a decrease in the placebo group (delta = -896 pg/ml, range: -3841 - 1323) (p < 0.02, Wilcoxon rank sum test). Interestingly vitamin D3 increased the amount of proliferating stimulated CD4+ T cells from median 41 % (range: 10 - 75%), to 56 % (range: 26 - 77%)(p = 0.02, Wilcoxon rank sum test). Conclusions:Vitamin D3 treatment of CD patients increased the IL-6 levels. Interestingly vitamin D3 treatment enhanced the CD4+ T cell proliferation