The Relationship between Th1/Th2 Balance and 1α, 25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 in Patients with Allergic Rhinitis

Abstract

Objective: With regard to the correlation between T helper1/T helper2 (Th1/Th2) cell balance and 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 , active metabolite of vitamin D, we studied Th1/Th2 cell balance by measuring levels of the cytokines interleukin (IL)-4, IL-10 and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), which are important for immune response of patients with allergic rhinitis. Methods:Thirty adult patients diagnosed with allergic rhinitis (study group) and 40 healthy volunteers (control group) are examined in the research. IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-10, and total immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels from serum samples and vitamin D 3 levels from plasma were determined in all patients. Results:In IgE, IL-4, IL-10, IFN-γ, and 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 levels (p<0.05), a statistically noticeable difference was observed between the study and control group. The 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 levels in both groups were compared and a statistically significant difference between the 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 levels in the study group and that in the control group (p<0.05) was observed. There was a positive correlation between IFN-γ and vitamin D levels (p<0.05) in the study group, whereas IgE, IL-4, and IL-10 levels showed a negative correlation with vitamin D 3 levels (p<0.05). Conclusion:In our study, 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 levels were associated with Th1/Th2 balance in allergic rhinitis, and a remarkable correlation was observed among vitamin D deficiency and allergy. These findings show that 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 may have a remarkable role in the severity and control of allergic disorders. In addition, further investigations are required to confirm how vitamin D should be used in allergic diseases. Furthermore, to reveal the exact mechanism of vitamin D on allergic diseases, further studies are required. Rhinitis, allergic, cholecalciferol, Th1 cells, Th2 cells, Keywords:

The Impact of Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 Levels on Allergic Rhinitis

“…Aryan et al 23 found a negative correlation between AR and levels of vitamin D in pediatric population. Keleş et al 5 reported similar results in their study, in which they searched serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D levels in adults. Lee et al 4 found that serum levels of vitamin D were lower in AR compared to vasomotor rhinitis and control groups in Korean children.…”

“…4,5 Vitamin D, via its nuclear receptors (vitamin D receptor) found in various immunologically active cells, such as macrophages, T cells, B cells, and dendritic cells, function both as an anti-inflammatory and an immunoprotective agent. 4,5,6 Since the past 50 years, many studies have been conducted to investigate the relation between allergy and the serum levels of vitamin D; however, the results are inconsistent and most of them were performed on the pediatric population. We aimed to clarify the relation between AR and the serum levels of 25hydroxivitamin D in the adult population.…”

Bullous pemphigoid anti-BP180-NC16A autoantibody reactivity in healthy individuals is associated with marked hypovitaminosis D and Th2-like cytokine predominance

“…In contrast, we did not find a direct correlation between the low vitamin D status and the upregulated Th2 cytokines in anti-BP180-NC16A IgG-reactive individuals, which may at least partly be explained by the fact that we analyzed normal blood donors without any known immunological diseases. In fact, different studies indicated variable correlations between vitamin D levels and the cytokine output by Th2 cells, with mostly allergic disorders showing an inverse relationship while some autoimmune diseases (e.g., systemic lupus erythematosus) or healthy subjects were lacking associations [ 18 – 20 ]. Interestingly, we observed a series of positive cross-correlations between the studied cytokines (i.e., IL-2, IL-5, IL-9, IL-10, and IL-13).…”

Vitamin D and allergic diseases

“…In an ovalbumin-induced AR mouse model, 1,25(OH)2D reduced serum levels of ovalbumin-specific IgE and spleen IL-17 levels, as well as IL-5 and IL-13 levels in nasal lavage fluid ( 71 ). Additionally, studies on human serum have shown that the level of 1,25(OH)2D is related to the Th1/Th2 balance in AR patients, and vitamin D deficiency shifts the Th1/Th2 balance to Th2 ( 72 ). Most studies believe that the serum vitamin D level of AR patients is lower than that of healthy people or the control group ( 73 – 78 ).…”