title: 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 inhibits the RANKL pathway and impacts on the production of pathway-associated cytokines in early rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study effects of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) on RANKL signaling pathway and pathway-associated cytokines in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B ligand (RANKL), osteoprotegerin (OPG), IFN- γ , IL-6, TNF- α , IL-17, and IL-4 were examined in 54 patients with incipient RA using a cytometric bead array (CBA) or an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 72 hours of incubation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with 1,25(OH)2D3 in RA patients, the levels of RANKL, TNF- α , IL-17 and IL-6 significantly decreased compared to those of the control. 1,25(OH)2D3 had no significantly impact on the levels of OPG, RANKL/OPG, and IL-4.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study demonstrated that 1,25(OH)2D3 reduced the production of RANKL and the secretion of TNF- α , IL-17, and IL-6 in PBMCs of RA patients, which indicated that 1,25(OH)2D3 might be able to decrease damage of cartilage and bone in RA patients by regulating the expression of RANKL signaling pathway and pathway-associated cytokines.
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, The Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Hongyan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Shuangtian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiaofeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D002117:Calcitriol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002356:Cartilage / Q000187:drug effects / Q000293:injuries; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000097:blood; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D053244:Osteoprotegerin / Q000097:blood*; D053245:RANK Ligand / Q000097:blood*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D020381:Interleukin-17; D015850:Interleukin-6; D053244:Osteoprotegerin; D053245:RANK Ligand; C505688:TNFSF11 protein, human; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D015847:Interleukin-4; D002117:Calcitriol