Early target genes in human immune cells highlight vitamin D's role in antioxidant defense.

INTRODUCTION

Vitamin D plays a vital role in modulating innate and adaptive immunity. This study investigated the gene regulatory mechanisms underlying this modulation .

METHODS

We conducted a proof-of-principle intervention in which a participant received a bolus of vitamin D (80,000 IU) monthly for three months. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were collected immediately before and at 4, 24, and 48 hours post-supplementation for transcriptome-wide differential gene expression analysis.

RESULTS

We identified 570 genes significantly responsive to vitamin D (p < 0.05) at one or more timepoints. experiments using PBMCs of the 0-hour time point of the same individual validated 303 of these as targets of the vitamin D receptor ligand 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D. Among these, 55 primary target genes exhibited significant changes as early as 4 hours post-supplementation, including genes like (selenoprotein S), which plays a key role in the selenium micronutrient network. Moreover, genes such as (peroxiredoxin 1), (thioredoxin reductase 1), and (superoxide dismutase 2), involved in antioxidant defense, were prominently regulated.

DISCUSSION

These findings highlight a potential early and primary role for vitamin D in regulating detoxification processes, suggesting its critical involvement in maintaining redox homeostasis in immune cells of healthy individuals.