Effect of vitamin D3 on maturation and antigen-presenting function of dendritic cells treated with Mycobacterium...

To investigate the phenotypic characteristics and functional capability differences of mouse bone marrow-derived dendritic cells after stimulation with Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the presence or absence of vitamin D3.

Mouse bone marrow-derived cells were cultured with GM-CSF (20 ng/mL). Then, one was added with 100 nmol/L of 25(OH)D3, while the other did not. On day 6, 5 μg/mL of BCG was added to stimulate the cells for 24 h. On day 7, suspension cells were harvested for phenotypic and functional analyses.

The percentages of CD86 dendritic cells (DCs) in the control group and 25(OH)D3 group were 66.97% ± 8.29% and 52.18% ± 8.52%, respectively; the mean fluorescence intensities of MHC-II in the control group and 25(OH)D3 group were 1 102.16 ± 371.02 and 681.62 ± 292.71. The expression levels of MHC- II and CD86 on the surface of the DCs in 25(OH)D3 group were significantly lower than those of the control group. The ability of the DCs to stimulate proliferation of T-lymphocytes was also significantly lower than that of the control group.

These findings suggest that 25(OH)D3 modulates the immune response by affecting the maturation and function of DCs in Mycobacterium tuberculosis period.