title: Relatively high serum vitamin D levels do not impair the antibody response to encapsulated bacteria.
abstract: Vitamin D skews the immune system towards a more tolerogenic state. Therefore, a relatively high vitamin D status, i.e., within the normal physiological range, might result in a lower antibody response to infection and vaccination. We hypothesized, however, that vitamin D is primarily important in establishing immune homeostasis, implying that a relatively high vitamin D status would not hamper an adequate antibody response against pathogens. Our results show that the vitamin D status did not differ between responders and hypo-responders in patients infected with Streptococcus pneumoniae, as well as patients vaccinated against S. pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis type C (MenC), and/or Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib). Furthermore, specific IgG titers were not associated with the vitamin D status in patients vaccinated against S. pneumoniae and MenC, while there was a weak inverse association in Hib-vaccinated patients. These data indicate that a relatively high vitamin D status does not seem to hamper an adequate antibody response upon infection or vaccination, suggesting that vitamin D, in this setting, is not immunosuppressive.
authors.affiliation: School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Medical Center, Universiteitssingel 50, room 5.302, PO box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands. evelyn.peelen@maastrichtuniversity.nl
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Peelen
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rijkers
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Meerveld-Eggink
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Meijvis
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vogt
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Cohen Tervaert
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hupperts
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Damoiseaux
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D000917:Antibody Formation; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000276:immunology; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000276:immunology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000276:immunology*; D044967:Serum / Q000276:immunology; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology*; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D014807:Vitamin D