Role of Vitamin D in the Induction of Regulatory T Cells Producing Interleukin 10 in Children with Cow Milk Allergy

Mabrouk, Randa Reda; Amer, Hana Ahmed; Soliman, Dina Ahmed; Mohamed, Nesrine Aly; El-Ghoneimy, Dalia Helmy; Atef, Sara Mohammad

doi:10.12816/0033753

Role of Vitamin D in the Induction of Regulatory T Cells Producing Interleukin 10 in Children with Cow Milk Allergy

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Chemical Pathology Ain Shams University

² Clinical and Chemical Pathology Ain Shams University

³ Pediatric, Faculty of Medicine – Ain Shams University

10.12816/0033753

Abstract

Background: Various populations of regulatory T cells play a central role in the development of peripheral tolerance to allergens. Culturing of CD4+ T cells isolated from peripheral blood of allergic patients with vitamin D induces the generation of stable IL-10 producing CD4+CD25+ Treg cells suppressing the proliferation of T helper cells obtained from the same patients. The immune regulatory role of vitamin D in allergic patients has been controversial and obviously needs a more clarifying research work. Aim of the work: to determine the percentage of induced T regulatory cells producing interleukin 10 after stimulation of T regulatory cells with cow milk allergen in the presence of vitamin D in culture. This aims to further in-vitro study the immune regulatory role of vitamin D in cow milk allergic patients. Results: there is association between decreased level of vitamin D and milk-allergy, as serum level of 25(OH) D3 was insufficient in 16 (80 %) patients (10- 29.9 ng/ml) while 4 (20%) patients were sufficient (30-100 ng/ml). Addition of vitamin D, in culture, induces the production of CD4+ CD25hi Foxp3+ IL10+ .
Treg cells within peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PMNCs) isolated from allergic children who had insufficient vitamin D, but not in allergic children who had normal level of vitamin D.
Conclusion: this work provides further evidence for an important role of 1,25(OH)2D3 as an immune-modulatory molecule and suggests that supplementation of vitamin-D-deficient individuals, who are reported to have reduced numbers of circulating and Foxp3⁺IL10⁺ Treg cells, may represent an attractive therapy for enhancing endogenous populations of Treg cells in allergy.

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