title: Vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased IL-17 and TNFα levels in patients with chronic heart failure.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent studies revealed a strong association between vitamin D (VD) status and chronic heart failure (CHF). It is now commonly considered that proinflammatory immune response underlies CHF development.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Since VD expresses anti-inflammatory properties, we investigated its impact on cytokines implicated in CHF, such as TNFα and IL-17, in patients suffering from CHF.
  
  
  METHODS
  Blood was obtained from forty patients with CHF secondary to hypertension and/or coronary heart disease. VD status, IL-17 and TNFα levels were assessed using 25-hydroxy VD3 EIA and cytokine ELISAs. Clinical assessment and echocardiography was also performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Elderly patients with CHF in Nis (Southeast Europe, latitude 43ºN) exhibited 25-hydroxy VD3 levels below normal. Our data identified that patients with CHF secondary to hypertension have significantly lower 25-hydroxy VD3, increased TNFα and IL-17A levels in comparison to donors with CHF secondary to coronary disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study reveals that even in regions with a lot of sunny days VD deficiency represents a concerning issue. Data suggest that impaired VD status contributes to high IL-17 and TNFα levels and thereby may support CHF development.
authors.affiliation: Institute of pharmacology and toxicology, Faculty of medicine, University of Nis, Sérvia. milena.milovanovic@medfak.ni.ac.rs
authors.forename: Milena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Milovanovic
authors.forename: Gordana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pesic
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nikolic
authors.forename: Tatjana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jevtovic-Stoimenov
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vasic
authors.forename: Zorica
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jovic
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Deljanin-Ilic
authors.forename: Srdjan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pesic
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000150:complications; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055771:Serbia; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013472:Sunlight; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood*; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000150:complications*
chemical_list: D020381:Interleukin-17; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D