The Effects of First-Line Anti-Tuberculosis Drugs on the Actions of Vitamin D in Human Macrophages.

Journal: Journal of clinical & translational endocrinology
Published Date:

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) is a major global health problem. Patients with TB have a high rate of vitamin D deficiency, both at diagnosis and during the course of treatment with anti-tuberculosis drugs. Although data on the efficacy of vitamin D supplementation on clearance is uncertain from randomized controlled trials (RCTs), vitamin D enhances the expression of the anti-microbial peptide human cathelicidin (hCAP18) in cultured macrophages One possible explanation for the mixed (primarily negative) results of RCTs examining vitamin D treatment in TB infection is that anti-TB drugs given to enrolled subjects may impact actions of vitamin D to enhance cathelicidin in macrophages. To address this hypothesis, human macrophage-like monocytic (THP-1) cells were treated with varying doses of first-line anti-tuberculosis drugs in the presence of the active form of vitamin D, 1N1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)D). The expression of hCAP18 was determined by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). 1,25(OH)D strongly induced expression of hCAP18 mRNA in THP-1 cells (fold-change from control). The combination of the standard 4-drug TB therapy (isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide and ethambutol) in the cultured THP-1 cells demonstrated a significant decrease of hCAP18 mRNA at the dosage of 10 ug/mL. In 31 subjects with newly diagnosed drug-sensitive TB randomized to either high-dose vitamin D (1.2 million IU over 8 weeks, n=13) versus placebo (n=18), there was no change from baseline to week 8 in hCAP18 mRNA levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells or in plasma concentrations of LL-37, the protein product of hCAP18.These data suggest that first-line anti-TB drugs may alter the vitamin D-dependent increase in hCAP18 and LL-37 human macrophages.

Authors

  • Supavit Chesdachai
  • Susu M Zughaier
    Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
  • Li Hao
    Department of Reproductive Medicine, Zigong Hospital of Women and Children Health Care, Zigong, China.
  • Russell R Kempker
  • Henry M Blumberg
  • Thomas R Ziegler
    Nutrition and Health Sciences Program, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
  • Vin Tangpricha
    Nutrition and Health Sciences Program, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

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