Role of Vitamin D in Immune Response in Patients with Viral Hepatitis

Background To study the relationship of Vitamin D with innate and adaptive immune response parameters in chronic hepatitis B and C patients.

Methods The laboratory data between 01.01.2013-01.01.2023 for patients with cHBV, cHCVre extracted. Serum 25-hydroxyl vitamin D, HBV serological markers, complemets and subsets of T lymphocytes were determined. Study cohort were divided into three groups based on serum 25-hydroxyl vitamin D level with further evaluation of laboratory data.

Results In cHBV and cHCV the percentage of CD4+T lymphocytes and CD4+/CD8+ratio significantly decreased (p<0.05). In cHBV Vitamin D decrease was significant (p<0.001). Vitamin D showed a moderate negative influence on the CD8 cell count in cHBV patients. The positive ratio of HBV-DNA and HBsAg decreased with increasing serum vitamin D levels. The vitamin D deficient group showed significantly lower antibody production compared to the normal group, and exhibited significantly decreased CD4 numbers and increased CD8 numbers (p<0.05 and p<0.001, respectively), while the CD4/CD8 ratio was also significantly decreased in the insufficiency group (p<0.001). Vitamin D levels were significantly associated with complement C3, CD8+, CD4+, CD19+cells, and HBV DNA levels.

Conclusions Vitamin D may be a modulator of immune function via CD8+and CD4+cells and via CD19+cells in chronic HBV infection. Moreover, the increased proportion of B cells and decreased CD4+cells in Vitamin D deficiency disrupts the immune response against HBV. This indicates an influence of CD4+cells for B cell functionality.

 

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Publication History

Article published online:
23 January 2024