Vitamin D regulates immunoglobulin mucin domain molecule-4 expression in dendritic cells.
BACKGROUND
Dendritic cell (DC)-derived immunoglobulin domain molecule (TIM)4 plays a critical role in the initiation of T helper (Th)2 polarization. Vitamin D (VitD) involves the regulation of a number of immune responses.


OBJECTIVE
This study tests a hypothesis that VitD regulates TIM4 expression in DCs.


METHODS
Peripheral blood samples were collected from patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) and healthy subjects. DCs were isolated from the samples and analyzed for the expression of TIM4.


RESULTS
We observed that the levels of calcitriol, the active form of VitD3, in the sera of AR patients were lower than that in healthy subjects. The peripheral DC expressed higher levels of TIM4 and lower levels of VDR. A negative correlation was identified between the data of serum calcitriol and TIM4 in DCs. Exposure DCs to calcitriol in the culture increased the expression of VDR. We also found that VDR bound to the TIM4 promoter locus in DCs to repress the TIM4 gene transcription and expression.


CONCLUSIONS
VitD deficiency may contribute to the pathogenesis of AR by increasing the TIM4 expression. The results suggest that to regulate the serum calcitriol levels and the expression of VDR in DCs may be necessary to be taken into account in the treatment of AR.
ENT Institute of the Research Center of Allergy & Immunology, Shenzhen University School of Medicine, Shenzhen, China.|Longgang ENT Hospital and Shenzhen ENT Institute, Shenzhen, China.|The Brain Body Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Z-Q
ZQ
Liu
ENT Institute of the Research Center of Allergy & Immunology, Shenzhen University School of Medicine, Shenzhen, China.
M-G
MG
Li
ENT Institute of the Research Center of Allergy & Immunology, Shenzhen University School of Medicine, Shenzhen, China.|Longgang ENT Hospital and Shenzhen ENT Institute, Shenzhen, China.|The Brain Body Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
X-R
XR
Geng
Shenzhen Maternity & Child Health Hospital, Shenzhen, China.
J
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6030-0510
J
Liu
ENT Institute of the Research Center of Allergy & Immunology, Shenzhen University School of Medicine, Shenzhen, China.|Longgang ENT Hospital and Shenzhen ENT Institute, Shenzhen, China.|The Brain Body Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
G
G
Yang
Longgang ENT Hospital and Shenzhen ENT Institute, Shenzhen, China.
S-Q
SQ
Qiu
ENT Institute of the Research Center of Allergy & Immunology, Shenzhen University School of Medicine, Shenzhen, China.
Z-G
ZG
Liu
ENT Institute of the Research Center of Allergy & Immunology, Shenzhen University School of Medicine, Shenzhen, China.
P-C
PC
Yang
D000328:Adult; D002117:Calcitriol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D065631:Rhinitis, Allergic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000494:pharmacology*
D008565:Membrane Proteins; C512411:TIMD4 protein, human; D014807:Vitamin D; D002117:Calcitriol
TIM4; allergy; dendritic cells; vitamin D; vitamin D receptor