TY - JOUR

T1 - Maternal and cord blood 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 are associated with increased cord blood and naive and activated regulatory T cells

T2 - The Barwon infant study

AU - Thorsen, Steffen U.

AU - Collier, Fiona

AU - Pezic, Angela

AU - O’Hely, Martin

AU - Clarke, Michael

AU - Tang, Mimi

AU - Burgner, David

AU - Vuillermin, Peter

AU - Ponsonby, Anne Louise

AU - Carlin, John

AU - Tang, Mimi

AU - Collier, Fiona

AU - Dwyer, Terry

AU - Ranganathan, Sarath

AU - Sly, Peter

AU - Harrison, Len

AU - Burgner, David

AU - Barwon Infant Study Investigator Group

N1 - Publisher Copyright: Copyright © 2021 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - Vitamin D has shown immune-modulatory effects but mostly in in vitro and animal studies. Regulatory T cells (Treg) are important for a balanced immune system. The relationship between vitamin D on the number of circulating neonatal Treg is unclear. We sought to investigate the association between maternal and neonatal vitamin D metabolites and cord blood (CB) Treg subsets. In a cohort of Australian infants (n = 1074), recruited using an unselected antenatal sampling frame, 158 mother–infant pairs had data on the following: 1) 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3) measures in both maternal peripheral blood (28- to 32-wk gestation) and infant CB; 2) proportions (percentage of CD4+ T cells) of CB Treg subsets (CD4+CD45RA+ FOXP3low naive Treg, and CD4+CD45RA2 FOXP3high activated Treg [aTreg]); and 3) possible confounders, including maternal personal UV radiation. Multiple regression analyses were used. The median 25(OH)D3 was 85.4 and 50.7 nmol/l for maternal and CB samples, respectively. Higher maternal 25(OH)D3 levels were associated with increased CB naive Treg (relative adjusted mean difference [AMD] per 25 nmol/l increase: 5%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1–9%), and aTreg (AMD per 25 nmol/l increase: 17%; 95% CI: 6–28%). Furthermore, a positive association between CB 25(OH)D3 levels and CB aTreg (AMD per 25 nmol/l increase: 29%; 95% CI: 13–48%) was also evident. These results persisted after adjustment for other factors such as maternal personal UV radiation and season of birth. 25(OH)D3, may play a role in the adaptive neonatal immune system via induction of FOXP3+ Tregs. Further studies of immune priming actions of antenatal 25(OH)D3 are warranted.

AB - Vitamin D has shown immune-modulatory effects but mostly in in vitro and animal studies. Regulatory T cells (Treg) are important for a balanced immune system. The relationship between vitamin D on the number of circulating neonatal Treg is unclear. We sought to investigate the association between maternal and neonatal vitamin D metabolites and cord blood (CB) Treg subsets. In a cohort of Australian infants (n = 1074), recruited using an unselected antenatal sampling frame, 158 mother–infant pairs had data on the following: 1) 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3) measures in both maternal peripheral blood (28- to 32-wk gestation) and infant CB; 2) proportions (percentage of CD4+ T cells) of CB Treg subsets (CD4+CD45RA+ FOXP3low naive Treg, and CD4+CD45RA2 FOXP3high activated Treg [aTreg]); and 3) possible confounders, including maternal personal UV radiation. Multiple regression analyses were used. The median 25(OH)D3 was 85.4 and 50.7 nmol/l for maternal and CB samples, respectively. Higher maternal 25(OH)D3 levels were associated with increased CB naive Treg (relative adjusted mean difference [AMD] per 25 nmol/l increase: 5%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1–9%), and aTreg (AMD per 25 nmol/l increase: 17%; 95% CI: 6–28%). Furthermore, a positive association between CB 25(OH)D3 levels and CB aTreg (AMD per 25 nmol/l increase: 29%; 95% CI: 13–48%) was also evident. These results persisted after adjustment for other factors such as maternal personal UV radiation and season of birth. 25(OH)D3, may play a role in the adaptive neonatal immune system via induction of FOXP3+ Tregs. Further studies of immune priming actions of antenatal 25(OH)D3 are warranted.

U2 - 10.4049/jimmunol.2000515

DO - 10.4049/jimmunol.2000515

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 33431661

AN - SCOPUS:85100470401

VL - 206

SP - 874

EP - 882

JO - Journal of Immunology

JF - Journal of Immunology

SN - 0022-1767

IS - 4

ER -