Effect of 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D3 on cathelicidin expression in patients with and without cavitary tuberculosis

• Published in: Tuberculosis (Edinburgh, Scotland) Vol. 94; no. 6; pp. 599 - 605
• Main Authors: Afsal, K, Harishankar, M, Banurekha, V.V, Meenakshi, N, Parthasarathy, R.T, Selvaraj, P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Scotland 01-12-2014
• Subjects: Adult; Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides - biosynthesis; Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides - genetics; Antitubercular Agents - pharmacology; Calcitriol - administration & dosage; Calcitriol - pharmacology; Case-Control Studies; Cells, Cultured; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical - methods; Female; Gene Expression Regulation - drug effects; Humans; Immunologic Factors - administration & dosage; Immunologic Factors - pharmacology; Infectious Disease; Macrophages - drug effects; Macrophages - immunology; Macrophages - microbiology; Male; Middle Aged; Mycobacterium tuberculosis - drug effects; Mycobacterium tuberculosis - growth & development; Phagocytosis - drug effects; Pulmonary/Respiratory; RNA, Messenger - genetics; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary - immunology; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary - metabolism; Up-Regulation - drug effects; Cathelicidin; Lung cavitation; CD14; Vitamin D; PTB
• ISSN: 1472-9792; 1873-281X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tube.2014.09.007

Summary 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2 D3 ) is a potent immuno-modulator which induces LL-37, the active peptide of cathelicidin, and restricts the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) in human macrophages. In the present study, we investigated the effect of 1,25(OH)2 D3 on cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide (CAMP) expression in healthy controls (HCs) and pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) patients. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 50 HCs and 35 PTB patients were cultured for 72 h either with Mtb alone or Mtb with 1,25(OH)2 D3 at 10−7  M concentration. 1,25(OH)2 D3 significantly up regulated the macrophage phagocytosis, CD14, CAMP gene expression and hCAP18 protein in HCs and PTB patients ( p  < 0.05). A significant positive correlation was observed between macrophage phagocytosis and CAMP gene expression in both the study groups ( p  < 0.05). Moreover, 1,25(OH)2 D3 up regulated CAMP gene expression was more prominent in PTB patients without lung cavity (less severe form of disease) as compared to patients with cavitary TB (severe form of disease) ( p  < 0.05). The present study suggests that vitamin D may be used as an adjunct to anti-TB treatment and may be useful for a quicker recovery from less severe forms of TB disease.