Authors:
Gorman, S.; Tan, D. H. W.; Lambert, M. J. M.; Scott, N. M.; Judge, M. A.; Hart, P. H.
Authors notes:
Pediatric Allergy and Immunology. 2012;23(1):83-7
Keywords:
Asthma, Lymphocytes, Mice, Vitamin D, allergen, colecalciferol, gamma interferon, immunoglobulin E
Abstract
There is debate as to whether vitamin D deficiency contributes towards the extent of the asthma epidemic. In this study, using a mouse model, we determined whether vitamin D deficiency in utero and during early life modulated the severity of asthma.
Using dietary restriction, vitamin D 3-replete and vitamin D 3-deficient colonies of BALB/c mice were established. Utilizing the allergic airway disease model of asthma with the experimental allergen ovalbumin (OVA), we examined asthma-like responses 24h after airway challenge with OVA in adult offspring born to vitamin D 3-replete and vitamin D 3-deficient mothers.
The ability of airway-draining lymph node cells to proliferate and secrete cytokines in response to OVA ex vivo was significantly enhanced by vitamin D 3 deficiency. However, other aspects of allergic disease, including the numbers and proportions of inflammatory cells and cytokines in the lungs and the quantity of OVA-specific IgE in serum, were not modified. These results suggest that vitamin D 3 deficiency modulates the capacity of lymphocytes to respond to allergens.