Frontiers in Pediatrics (Jul 2022)

Vitamin D Supplementation: Association With Serum Cytokines in Pediatric Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

  • Braden Olsen,
  • Jessica Bodea,
  • Angela Garcia,
  • Kristen Beebe,
  • Kristen Beebe,
  • Courtney Campbell,
  • Carly Schwalbach,
  • Dana Salzberg,
  • Holly Miller,
  • Roberta Adams,
  • Roberta Adams,
  • Lucia Mirea,
  • Paul Castillo,
  • Biljana Horn,
  • Sandhya Bansal,
  • Thalachallour Mohanakumar,
  • Alexander Ngwube,
  • Alexander Ngwube,
  • Alexander Ngwube

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2022.913586
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10

Abstract

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Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in pediatric patients presenting for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and has been linked to poor clinical outcomes. Using the data from a randomized control trial, in this paper we explore the effects of vitamin D supplementation on circulating cytokine levels during pediatric HSCT (www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03176849). A total of 41 children, 20 received Stoss therapy and 21 children received standard of care vitamin D supplementation. Levels of 25(OH)D and 20 cytokines were assessed at baseline and day +30. Significantly (P < 0.05) higher levels of mostly proinflammatory cytokines, FGF, GCSF, TNFα, IL-2, IL-6, IP10 were detected pre-transplant for patients with low compared to those with normal vitamin D levels. In sex stratified models that compare changes in cytokines between Stoss vs. standard of care, females in the Stoss group show greater changes in mostly pro -inflammatory cytokines- IP-10 (P = 0.0047), MIG (P = 0.009), and RANTES (P = 0.0047), IL-2R (P = 0.07) and IL-6(P = 0.069). Despite a small sample size, these findings suggest vitamin D deficiency affects the pre-transplant cytokine milieu and higher doses of vitamin D (Stoss therapy) appears to influence proinflammatory cytokine responses in a sex specific manner during pediatric HSCT. Larger clinical trials are warranted to validate these results.

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