Amrollah Sharifi1, Homayoon Vahedi2, Mohammad Reza Honarvar3, Taghi Amiriani1, Zeinab Nikniaz4, Esmaeil Yousefi Rad5, Mohammad Javad Hosseinzadeh-Attar6. 1. Golestan Research Center of Gastroenterology and Hepatology (GRCGH), School of Health, Golestan University of Medical Sciences (GOUMS), Gorgan, Iran. 2. Digestive Disease Research Center, Digestive Research Institute, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 3. Health Management and Social Development Research Center, School of Health, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran. 4. Gastrointestinal Diseases Research Center, School of Health, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran. 5. Nutritional Health Research Center, School of Health, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran. 6. Department of Clinical Nutrition, Tehran University of Medical Sciences School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS: The interaction of CD40 ligand (CD40L) and CD40 triggers the induction of pro-inflammatory cytokines. It has been proposed that vitamin D deficiency might be an important factor, which causes or aggregates the autoimmune situations. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of vitamin D on CD40L gene expression in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). MATERIALS AND METHODS:Ninety mild-to-moderate UC patients were randomized to receive a single injection of 7.5 mg cholecalciferol or 1 mL normal saline. At baseline and 90 days following the intervention, RNA samples from whole blood were obtained. Fold changes in CD40L mRNA expression were determined for each patient using the 2-ΔΔCq method. The data were analyzed. RESULTS: The serum levels of vitamin D and calcium increased only in the vitamin D group (p<0.05). Relative to baseline values, the CD40L gene expression fold change was significantly lower in the vitamin D group compared with the placebo group (median±interquartile range: 0.34±0.30 vs 0.43±1.20, respectively, p=0.016). CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed that vitamin D administration in mild-to-moderate UC patients led to the downregulation of the CD40L gene, which is an essential part of inflammatory pathways.
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUND/AIMS: The interaction of CD40 ligand (CD40L) and CD40 triggers the induction of pro-inflammatory cytokines. It has been proposed that vitamin D deficiency might be an important factor, which causes or aggregates the autoimmune situations. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of vitamin D on CD40L gene expression in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety mild-to-moderate UCpatients were randomized to receive a single injection of 7.5 mg cholecalciferol or 1 mL normal saline. At baseline and 90 days following the intervention, RNA samples from whole blood were obtained. Fold changes in CD40L mRNA expression were determined for each patient using the 2-ΔΔCq method. The data were analyzed. RESULTS: The serum levels of vitamin D and calcium increased only in the vitamin D group (p<0.05). Relative to baseline values, the CD40L gene expression fold change was significantly lower in the vitamin D group compared with the placebo group (median±interquartile range: 0.34±0.30 vs 0.43±1.20, respectively, p=0.016). CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed that vitamin D administration in mild-to-moderate UCpatients led to the downregulation of the CD40L gene, which is an essential part of inflammatory pathways.
Authors: Amrie C Grammer; Rebecca Slota; Randy Fischer; Hanan Gur; Hermann Girschick; Cheryl Yarboro; Gabor G Illei; Peter E Lipsky Journal: J Clin Invest Date: 2003-11 Impact factor: 14.808