Immunomodulatory Effects of Vitamin D3 on the Expression of IL-6, IFN-ã and T-BET in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

Abstract

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) is an immune mediated dysfunction in a genetically susceptible host. Crohn's diseases (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are serotypes of IBD. They are important cause of gastrointestinal diseases. Patients with IBD are predisposed to colon cancer. It is therefore not only imperative that patients with IBD have regular colon cancer screenings and monitoring of inflammatory markers, but efforts should be doubled in designing potent treatment options for IBD management. This research aimed to assess the immunomodulatory effects of Vitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) on the expressions of T-bet, IL-6 and IFN-y in IBD patients. Fifteen (15) ml of whole blood was aseptically collected from 20 IBD patients and 20 healthy controls. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated and stimulated with 1ug/ml of LPS in a cell culture plate and incubated for 4 hours. The cells were later treated with 10" and 10°M of 1a,25(OH)’ D3 and incubated at 37°C, under 5% CO2 and 100% humidity. The RNA extractions, cDNA synthesis, ELISA, primer design and qRT-PCR was later carried out. The result findings indicated a significant down-regulations of IL-6, IFN-y and T-bet, gene expressions. The research has shown that 1,25(OH)2D3 do not just possess immunomodulatory activities but also possess immunoregulatory and anti-inflammatory effects and thus, it may be used in the management of IBD patient.