Low Vitamin D Levels Correlate With the Proinflammatory State in Type 1 Diabetic Subjects With and Without Microvascular Complications

• Published in: American journal of clinical pathology Vol. 135; no. 3; pp. 429 - 433
• Main Authors: Devaraj, Sridevi, Yun, Jung-Mi, Duncan-Staley, Catherine R., Jialal, Ishwarlal
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago, IL American Society of Clinical Pathologists 01.03.2011
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; C-Reactive Protein - metabolism; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - complications; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - metabolism; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - pathology; Diabetes. Impaired glucose tolerance; Diabetic Angiopathies - complications; Diabetic Angiopathies - metabolism; Diabetic Angiopathies - pathology; Endocrine pancreas. Apud cells (diseases); Endocrinopathies; Etiopathogenesis. Screening. Investigations. Target tissue resistance; Female; Humans; Inflammation - complications; Inflammation - metabolism; Inflammation - pathology; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Male; Medical sciences; Microvessels - pathology; Monocytes - metabolism; Monocytes - pathology; NF-kappaB-Inducing Kinase; Pathology. Cytology. Biochemistry. Spectrometry. Miscellaneous investigative techniques; Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases - metabolism; Toll-Like Receptor 2 - metabolism; Toll-Like Receptor 4 - metabolism; Vitamin D Deficiency - complications; Vitamin D Deficiency - metabolism; Vitamin D Deficiency - pathology; Endocrinopathy; Human; Immunopathology; Autoimmune disease; Cardiovascular disease; Inflammation; Vascular disease; Microcirculation; Anatomic pathology; Microangiopathy; Vitamin D; Type 1 diabetes; Complication; Diabetes
• ISSN: 0002-9173; 1943-7722; 1943-7722
• DOI: 10.1309/AJCPJGZQX42BIAXL

Epidemiologic studies link vitamin D deficiency to onset of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). T1DM exhibits increased inflammation, which is pronounced with microvascular complications (T1DM-MV). However, there are a paucity of data on vitamin D in T1DM-MV in relation to biomarkers of inflammation, and this formed the aim of the study. Healthy control subjects (n = 36), patients with T1DM (n = 24), and patients with T1DM-MV (n =26) were recruited. Serum vitamin D levels, monocyte toll-like receptor (TLR) 2 and TLR4 expression and nuclear factor-κB (NFκB) activity were assessed. Patients with T1DM and T1DM-MV were significantly vitamin D deficient compared with control subjects (P < .01). There was a significant negative correlation between vitamin D levels and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, NFκB activity, and TLR4 expression (P < .05). Preincubation with vitamin D significantly decreased lipopolysaccharide-activated TLR4 expression and cytokine levels in monocytes (P < .05). Low vitamin D levels may contribute to increased inflammation in T1DM. Future studies will elucidate the immunomodulatory effects of vitamin D in decreasing vascular risk in this population.