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Vitamin D supplementation up-regulates IL-6 and IL-17A gene expression in multiple sclerosis patients

Bahar Naghavi Gargari1, Mehrdad Behmanesh1, Zeinab Shirvani Farsani1

  • 1Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.

International Immunopharmacology
|July 20, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Vitamin D treatment increased pro-inflammatory gene expression (IL-6 and IL-17A) in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Correlations were found between gene expression, vitamin D levels, and clinical features, particularly in female RR-MS patients.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Neuroscience
  • Endocrinology

Background:

  • Vitamin D plays a crucial role in regulating gene expression and cellular functions.
  • Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and Interleukin-17A (IL-17A) are key pro-inflammatory cytokines implicated in the pathogenesis of Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of vitamin D on the expression levels of IL-6 and IL-17A in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from MS patients.
  • To analyze correlations between these gene expressions and clinical indicators, including serum vitamin D levels and the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS).

Main Methods:

  • Culturing PBMCs from MS patients.
  • Treating PBMCs with vitamin D.
  • Quantifying IL-6 and IL-17A gene expression.
  • Performing correlation analyses with clinical data (serum vitamin D, EDSS).

Main Results:

  • Vitamin D treatment led to a significant upregulation of IL-6 and IL-17A gene expression in MS patient PBMCs.
  • Specific gender-based correlations were observed between gene expression levels and serum vitamin D concentrations in female Relapsing-Remitting MS (RR-MS) patients.

Conclusions:

  • Vitamin D influences the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-17A in the context of MS.
  • Findings suggest potential gender-specific interactions between vitamin D status and inflammatory markers in MS, warranting further investigation.
Keywords:
EDSSGene expressionIL-17AIL-6Multiple sclerosisVitamin D

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