Vitamin D and Vitamin D-Binding Protein in Health and Disease

Assessment of Supplementation with Different Biomolecules in the Prevention and Treatment of COVID-19

Consequences of the disease produced by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have led to an urgent search for preventive and therapeutic strategies. Besides drug treatments, proposals have been made for supplementation with biomolecules possessing immunomodulatory and antioxidant properties. The objective of this study was to review published evidence on the clinical usefulness of supplementation with vitamin D, antioxidant vitamins (vitamin A, vitamin E, and vitamin C), melatonin, lactoferrin and natural products found in food (curcumin, luteolin, ginger, allicin, magnesium and zinc) as supplements in SARS-CoV-2 infection. In general, supplementation of conventional treatments with these biomolecules has been found to improve the clinical symptoms and severity of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), with some indications of a preventive effect. In conclusion, these compounds may assist in preventing and/or improving the symptoms of COVID-19. Nevertheless, only limited evidence is available, and findings have been inconsistent. Further investigations are needed to verify the therapeutic potential of these supplements.

Biomarkers That Seem to Have the Greatest Impact on Promoting the Formation of Atherosclerotic Plaque in Current Scientific Research

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease that causes degenerative and productive changes in the arteries. The resulting atherosclerotic plaques restrict the vessel lumen, causing blood flow disturbances. Plaques are formed mainly in large- and medium-sized arteries, usually at bends and forks where there is turbulence in blood flow. Depending on their location, they can lead to various disease states such as myocardial infarction, stroke, renal failure, peripheral vascular diseases, or sudden cardiac death. In this work, we reviewed the literature on the early detection of atherosclerosis markers in the application of photodynamic therapy to atherosclerosis-related diseases. Herein, we described the roles of C-reactive protein, insulin, osteopontin, osteoprotegerin, copeptin, the TGF-β cytokine family, and the amino acid homocysteine. Also, we discuss the role of microelements such as iron, copper, zinc, and Vitamin D in promoting the formation of atherosclerotic plaque. Dysregulation of the administered compounds is associated with an increased risk of atherosclerosis. Additionally, taking into account the pathophysiology of atherosclerotic plaque formation, we believe that maintaining homeostasis in the range of biomarkers mentioned in this article is crucial for slowing down the process of atherosclerotic plaque development and the stability of plaque that is already formed.

New evidence that vitamin D prevents headache: a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis

Background

Previous observational clinical studies and meta-analyses have yielded inconsistent results regarding the relationship between vitamin D and headache, and the causal relationship remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the causal relationship between vitamin D and headache by bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomisation (MR) analysis.

Methods

The relationship between high levels of vitamin D and headache was investigated by two-sample MR analysis using publicly available genome-wide association study (GWAS) data. The primary method was inverse variance weighting (IVW), and secondary methods were weighted median and MR-Egger methods. No heterogeneity or horizontal multidirectionality was found in the MR results. The robustness and validity of the findings were assessed using the leave-behind method.

Results

A significant causal relationship was found between high vitamin D levels and headache using the IVW method (OR = 0.848; p = 0.007; 95% CI = 0.752-0.956). However, in a reverse analysis, no evidence of a causal relationship between headache and high levels of vitamin D was found using the IVW method (OR = 1.001; p = 0.906; 95% CI = 0.994-1.006). Our MR analyses showed no significant horizontal multidimensionality or heterogeneity (p > 0.05). Sensitivity analyses confirmed that MR estimates were not affected by single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Confirmation that our results are robust and valid has been obtained by the leave-one-out method.

Conclusion

Our study suggests that high levels of vitamin D prevent the risk of headache. However, there is no evidence of a causal relationship between headache and high levels of vitamin D. Vitamin D may reduce the risk of headache.

Vitamin D Binding Protein: A Potential Factor in Geriatric COVID-19 Acute Lung Injury

Background

Previous research indicated that vitamin D binding protein (VDBP) is an independent multifunctional protein that plays a vital role in acute inflammatory and tissue damage. However, its role in acute lung injury (ALI) due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is unclear, and studies are lacking. This study intends to investigate the difference in serum VDBP levels in COVID-19 patients with ALI or without ALI and further explore the role of VDBP in the inflammatory response of ALI through cellular models.

Methods

The serum was collected from COVID-19 patients, and the concentration of serum VDBP was detected. Construct a VDBP gene-silencing plasmid and transfect it into human alveolar epithelial A549 cells. After 72 hours of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) intervention, The inflammatory factors interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were detected, and cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was used to detect cell viability. Flow cytometry was used to detect cell apoptosis.

Results

The serum concentration of VDBP was significantly higher in COVID-19 with ALI (P < 0.05). Correlation analysis indicated serum VDBP positively correlated with leukocyte (r=0.329, P = 0.002), c-reaction protein (r = 0.470, P < 0.001), serum amyloid A (r = 0.900, P < 0.001), procalcitonin (r = 0.670, P < 0.001), and interleukin 6 (r = 0.452, P < 0.001). Simultaneously, the logistic regression analysis showed that increased serum VDBP was an independent risk factor for ALI in COVID-19 patients (OR 1.003 95% CI 1.001-1.006, P = 0.002). In human alveolar epithelial A549 cells, after LPS intervention, the inflammatory factor IL-1β and TNF-A significantly reduced in the VDBP gene silencing group compared to the negative control (NC) group (P < 0.05). The cell viability of the VDBP gene silencing group was significantly increased compared to the NC group, and the cell apoptosis rate was significantly reduced (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

In COVID-19 patients, acute lung injury may lead to increased serum concentration of VDBP. VDBP plays a vital role in promoting inflammatory response and apoptosis of bronchial epithelial cells.

Nonlinear relationship between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and lipid profile in Chinese adults

Background

Previous studies on the liner associations between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels and lipid profiles revealed ambiguous findings. The current study therefore tried to elucidate the possible non-linear associations between 25(OH)D and lipid profiles.

Methods

This study involved 8,516 adult participants (aged 18-74 years, males N = 3,750, females N = 4,766) recruited from the Dalian health management cohort (DHMC). The risk (OR) for specific dyslipidemias was estimated across the serum 25(OH)D levels and the cut-off value for serum 25(OH)D were determined by using logistic regression, restricted cubic spline, and piecewise linear regression methods, adjusted for age, sex, season, and ultraviolet index.

Results

In this study, a high prevalence of 25(OH)D deficiency was observed in the participants (65.05%). The level of 25(OH)D showed the inverse U-shaped correlations with the risks (ORs) of abnormal lipid profile, with inflection points observed at 23.7 ng/ml for hypercholesterolemia, 24.3 ng/ml for hypertriglyceridemia, 18.5 ng/ml for hyper-low-density lipoprotein cholesterolemia, 23.3 ng/ml for hypo-high-density lipoprotein cholesterolemia, 23.3 ng/ml for hyper-non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and 24.3 ng/ml for high remnant cholesterol. The stratified analyses showed that the risk for most dyslipidemias related to deficiency of 25(OH)D was particularly increased among females aged 50-74 (except for hypertriglyceridemia, where the highest risk was among men aged 50-74 years), during winter/spring or under low/middle ultraviolet index environments.

Conclusions

Nonlinear inverse U-shaped associations were observed between 25(OH)D levels and abnormal lipid profile. The risk was particularly increased among females aged 50-74, during winter/spring period or under lower ultraviolet index environments. In vitamin D deficient subjects [25(OH)D <20 ng/ml], a positive association of serum vitamin D levels with the risk for dyslipidemia was observed, which needs a further.

Correlation between vitamin D levels and blood pressure in elderly hypertensive patients with osteoporosis

Objectives

The association between vitamin D and blood pressure in elderly patients with hypertension complicated by osteoporosis remains unclear. The objective of this study is to explore whether vitamin D deficiency contributes to elevated blood pressure in elderly individuals with both hypertension and osteoporosis.

Methods

This study represents a single-center retrospective observational investigation carried out at the Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Xiamen University. Ambulatory blood pressure, bone density, vitamin D levels, and additional laboratory parameters were collected upon admission. The association between vitamin D and ambulatory blood pressure outcomes was assessed using Spearman correlation tests and partial correlation analyses. The relationship between vitamin D and changes in blood pressure was analyzed through Generalized Additive Models, and threshold analysis was conducted to explore potential thresholds.

Results

139 patients with newly diagnosed osteoporosis were consecutively included (mean age 73 years, 84.9% female). There is a negative correlation between 25-(OH) D3 and 24 h mean systolic blood pressure (mSBP), diurnal mSBP, nocturnal mSBP, maximum SBP, respectively. The results of the generalized additive model analysis show that there is a nonlinear relationship between 25-(OH) D3 and 24 h mSBP, diurnal mSBP, nocturnal mSBP, respectively. After determining the critical point of 25-(OH) D3 as 42 nmol/L, a segmented linear regression model was used to calculate the effect size and 95% confidence interval on both sides of the critical point. When 25-(OH) D3 is ≤42 nmol/L, it significantly negatively correlates with 24 h, diurnal, and nocturnal mean SBP. Conversely, when 25-(OH) D3 exceeds 42 nmol/L, there is no statistically significant association with 24 h, diurnal, or nocturnal mSBP.

Conclusion

There was a significant negative correlation between vitamin D levels and blood pressure levels in elderly patients with hypertension and osteoporosis.

A narrative review of the effects of vitamin D3 on orthodontic tooth movement: Focus on molecular and cellular mechanisms

Orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) is a critical process in dental alignment, driven by the application of calibrated orthodontic forces. This study delves into the intricate molecular and cellular mechanisms by which vitamin D3 influences OTM. Vitamin D3 is identified as a critical regulator in bone metabolism, enhancing osteoblast activity and bone formation while also modulating osteoclast quantity and RANKL expression, essential for the remodeling of the alveolar bone. The precise mechanisms through which vitamin D3 facilitates these processes are explored, highlighting its potential in accelerating bone remodeling and, consequently, tooth alignment. This comprehensive review underscores vitamin D3's anabolic impact on bone metabolism and its pivotal role in the synthesis and mineralization processes governed by osteoblasts. The findings illuminate vitamin D3's promise in augmenting orthodontic therapy, suggesting its utility in improving treatment efficiency and reducing duration. However, the need for further research into the optimal application of vitamin D3 in orthodontics is emphasized, particularly concerning dosage, timing, and delivery methods.

Proteomics data in vitiligo: a scoping review

An unbiased screening of which proteins are deregulated in vitiligo using proteomics can offer an enormous value. It could not only reveal robust biomarkers for detecting disease activity but can also identify which patients are most likely to respond to treatments. We performed a scoping review searching for all articles using proteomics in vitiligo. Eight manuscripts could be identified. Unfortunately, very limited overlap was found in the differentially expressed proteins between studies (15 out of 272; 5,51%) with variable degrees of the type of proteins and a substantial variety in the prevalence of acute phase proteins (range: 6-65%). Proteomics research has therefore brought little corroborating evidence on which proteins are differentially regulated between vitiligo patients and healthy controls or between active and stable vitiligo patients. While a limited patient size is an obvious weakness for several studies, an incomplete description of patient characteristics is an unfortunate and avoidable shortcoming. Additionally, the variations in the used methodology and analyses may further contribute to the overall observed variability. Nonetheless, more recent studies investigating the response to treatment seem to be more robust, as more differentially expressed proteins that have previously been confirmed to be involved in vitiligo were found. The further inclusion of proteomics analyses in clinical trials is recommended to increase insights into the pathogenic mechanisms in vitiligo and identify reliable biomarkers or promising drug targets. A harmonization in the study design, reporting and proteomics methodology could vastly improve the value of vitiligo proteomics research.

The Potential Use of Vitamin D3 and Phytochemicals for Their Anti-Ageing Effects

Unlike other vitamins, vitamin D3 is synthesised in skin cells in the body. Vitamin D3 has been known as a bone-related hormone. Recently, however, it has been considered as an immune vitamin. Vitamin D3 deficiency influences the onset of a variety of diseases. Vitamin D3 regulates the production of proinflammatory cytokines such as tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) through binding to vitamin D receptors (VDRs) in immune cells. Since blood levels of vitamin D3 (25-OH-D3) were low in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients, there has been growing interest in the importance of vitamin D3 to maintaining a healthy condition. On the other hand, phytochemicals are compounds derived from plants with over 7000 varieties and have various biological activities. They mainly have health-promoting effects and are classified as terpenoids, carotenoids, flavonoids, etc. Flavonoids are known as the anti-inflammatory compounds that control TNF-α production. Chronic inflammation is induced by the continuous production of TNF-α and is the fundamental cause of diseases like obesity, dyslipidaemia, diabetes, heart and brain diseases, autoimmune diseases, Alzheimer's disease, and cancer. In addition, the ageing process is induced by chronic inflammation. This review explains the cooperative effects of vitamin D3 and phytochemicals in the suppression of inflammatory responses, how it balances the natural immune response, and its link to anti-ageing effects. In addition, vitamin D3 and phytochemicals synergistically contribute to anti-ageing by working with ageing-related genes. Furthermore, prevention of ageing processes induced by the chronic inflammation requires the maintenance of healthy gut microbiota, which is related to daily dietary habits. In this regard, supplementation of vitamin D3 and phytochemicals plays an important role. Recently, the association of the prevention of the non-disease condition called "ME-BYO" with the maintenance of a healthy condition has been an attractive regimen, and the anti-ageing effect discussed here is important for a healthy and long life.

How Can Selected Dietary Ingredients Influence the Development and Progression of Endometriosis?

Endometriosis is a chronic, hormone-dependent disease characterized by the presence of endometrial tissue in ectopic locations. Since the treatment options for this disease are still limited, and the cure rate is unsatisfactory, the search for ways to treat symptoms and modify the course of the disease is of key importance in improving the quality of life of patients with endometriosis. So far, the literature has shown that nutrition can influence endometriosis through hormonal modification and altering the inflammatory or oxidative response. Since the importance of nutrition in this disease is still a subject of scientific research, we aimed to summarize the current knowledge on the role of dietary modifications in endometriosis. Our review showed that nutrients with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, including most vitamins and several trace elements, may influence the pathogenesis of endometriosis and can be considered as the nutrients preventing the development of endometriosis. However, despite the many discoveries described in this review, further interdisciplinary research on this topic seems to be extremely important, as in the future, it may result in the development of personalized therapies supporting the treatment of endometriosis.

Association between the Serum Vitamin D Concentration and All-Cause and Cancer-Specific Mortality in Individuals with Cancer

We aimed to explore the association between the serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration and all-cause and cancer-specific mortality in 2,463 adult patients with cancer from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-2018. We linked mortality data from the survey to the National Death Index records up to December 31, 2019. During a median follow-up period of 70 months, 567 patients died, of whom 194 died due to cancer. Multivariate adjustment was performed for demographic characteristics, lifestyle, dietary factors, 25-hydroxyvitamin D testing period, and cancer site. Higher serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations up to 75 nmol/L significantly reduced the risk of all-cause and cancer-specific mortality. When 25-hydroxyvitamin D quartiles were compared, the multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios were 0.59 (95% confidence interval: 0.42, 0.84) for all-cause mortality (P for trend <0.001) and 0.48 (95% confidence interval: 0.29, 0.79) for cancer-specific mortality (P for trend = 0.037) in quartile 3 (79.3-99.2 nmol/L). A threshold of 75 nmol/L for serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D may represent an intervention target to reduce mortalities in patients with cancer, and maintaining 25(OH)D concentrations within range (79.3-99.2 nmol/L) is beneficial for reducing all-cause and cancer-specific mortality.

Influence of Vitamin D on Periodontal Inflammation: A Review

The active form of vitamin D is the hormonally active 1,25(OH)2D3 (Vit D) vitamin, which plays an important role in bone biology and host immunity. The vitamin D receptor (VDR) is a nuclear ligand-dependent transcription factor expressed by many cells. Ligation of VDR by VitD regulates a wide plethora of genes and physiologic functions through the formation of the complex Vit D-VDR signaling cascade. The influence of Vit D-VDR signaling in host immune response to microbial infection has been of interest to many researchers. This is particularly important in oral health and diseases, as oral mucosa is exposed to a complex microbiota, with certain species capable of causing disruption to immune homeostasis. In this review, we focus on the immune modulatory roles of Vit D in the bone degenerative oral disease, periodontitis.