The role of vitamin D3 and vitamin B9 (Folic acid) in immune system

ABSTRACT Background and aims: Vitamins are essential constituents of our diet that Longley have been known to influence the immune system. Vitamin D3 and B9 have received particular attention in recent years as these vitamins have been shown to have an unexpected and crucial effect on the immune response. 1, 25(OH)2D3 metabolizing enzymes and vitamin D receptor (VDR) are present in many cell types including various immune cells such as antigen-presenting-cells, T cells, B cells. Methods: In this mini review, we study 30 novel articles since 2009 to 2015 about the essential roles of vitamins in modulating a broad range of immune processes, such as lymphocyte activation, T-helper-cell differentiation and regulation of the immune response. Results: 1, 25(OH)2D3 has direct effect on CD4+ T (T-helper) cells for suppressing various cytokines such as IFN-γ, IL-17, IL-21 and IL-22, while enhancing the regulatory Tcells. In vitro studies show that Treg cells could be differentiated from naive T cells in vitamin B9-reduced condition. Conclusions: These findings provide a new link between diet and the immune system, which could maintain the immunological homeostasis and clarify the beneficial roles of vitamins in informing the design of vitamin analogs as pharmacologic agents for the generation and maintenance of a healthy immune condition

The Intricate Expression of CC Chemokines in Glial Tumors: Evidence for Involvement of CCL2 and CCL5 but Not CCL11

Chemokines are biologically active peptides involved in the pathogenesis of various pathologies including brain malignancies. They are amongst primitive regulators of the development of immune responses against malignant glial tumors. The present study aimed to examine the expression of CC chemokines in anaplastic astrocytoma and glioblastoma multiform patients at both mRNA and protein levels. Blood specimens in parallel with stereotactic biopsy specimens were obtained from 123 patients suffering from glial tumors and 100 healthy participants as a control. The serum levels of CCL2, CCL5, and CCL11 were measured by ELISA and stereotactic samples subjected to western and northern blotting methods for protein and mRNA, respectively. Demographic characteristics were also collected by a researcher-designed questionnaire. Results of the present study indicated that, however,CCL2 andCCL5 are elevated in serum and tumor tissues of patients suffering from a glial tumor at both mRNA and protein levels, theCCL11 was almost undetectable. According to the findings of the present investigation, it could presumably be reasonable to conclude that chemokines are good predictive molecules for expecting disease severity, metastasis, and response to treatment