Vitamin D and Immune Response in Hepatitis Patients

A recent study by Catharina Gerhards and colleagues looked in depth into the intricate relationship between vitamin D levels and immune response in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and chronic hepatitis C (CHC). The key findings of this study were published in the recent edition of Nutrition journal.

This study was conducted from January 1, 2013 to February 1, 2023 and highlighted how vitamin D influences the innate and adaptive immune parameters which are crucial for managing these viral infections. The findings of the study offer critical insights into the immune dynamics of CHB and CHC patients. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) serological markers, complements, and T lymphocyte subsets were analyzed from laboratory data including serum vitamin D levels that uncovered compelling evidence.

Key Findings

• A significant reduction in the percentage of CD4+ T lymphocytes and the CD4+/CD8+ ratio in both CHB and CHC patients when compared to the control group.
• The percentage of CD8+ cells showed an increase in this patient group.
• A substantial decrease in vitamin D levels was observed specifically in CHB patients.

Further analysis revealed a notable correlation between vitamin D levels and various immune parameters. In CHB patients, vitamin D deficiency expressed a moderate negative influence on CD8 cell count and was associated with decreased antibody production. The positive ratio of HBV DNA and HBsAg decreased with increasing serum vitamin D levels.

The study highlighted the role of vitamin D as a potential modulator of immune function beyond CD8+ and CD4+ cells and extended to CD19+ cells. The study observed an intriguing negative relationship between vitamin D and complement C3 levels that indicated a need for further investigation.

Implications

The implications of these findings highlight that maintaining sufficient levels of vitamin D may hold the key to a more robust immune response against the chronic hepatitis viruses and can potentially lead to sustained virological response. In conclusion, this comprehensive study underlines the multifaceted role of vitamin D in shaping immune responses in chronic hepatitis patients. Unraveling these complexities can help to pave the way for novel therapeutic interventions and personalized treatment strategies tailored to optimize immune function and effectively manage these persistent viral infections.

Source

Gerhards, C., Teufel, A., Gerigk, M., French, M., Antoni, C., Ebert, M., Neumaier, M., & Evliyaoglu, O. (2024). Potential role of Vitamin D in immune response in patients with viral hepatitis. In Nutrition (Vol. 124, p. 112447). Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2024.112447