Correlations between vitamin D and inflammatory factors and lymphocyte subpopulation in patients with pneumoconiosis

  Objective  To understand the vitamin D concentration of pneumoconiosis patients and its correlation with inflammatory factors and lymphocyte subpopulation.

  Methods  Totally 182 pneumoconiosis patients and 60 elderly male healthy persons were studied. The vitamin D levels of the two groups were compared. The correlation of vitamin D level with pneumoconiosis stage, inflammatory factors, and lymphocyte subsets in the study group was analyzed.

  Results  The proportion of vitamin D deficiency in 182 pneumoconiosis patients was higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05). The average level of 25(OH)D in study group was(21.55 ±9.51)ng/mL, significantly lower than that in the control group (27.16 ±8.12)ng/mL(P < 0.01). The level of inflammatory factors, including IL-2R, IL-6, IL-8, PCT and CRP increased gradually with the increment of pneumoconiosis stage (P < 0.05). IL-6 was the lowest in vitamin D sufficient group(P < 0.05), and IL-8, PCT and CRP decreased with the increase of 25(OH)D leve(l P < 0.05). The ratio of CD4/CD8 in patients with stage I pneumoconiosis was higher than that in patients with stage 2 and stage 3 pneumoconiosis(P < 0.05);CD4 ⁺T cells and L/CD45 decreased with the increase of pneumoconiosis stage (P < 0.05). With the increase of 25(OH)D level, the ratio of CD4 ⁺T cells and L/CD45 increased gradually, while CD8 ⁺T cells decreased gradually. There was a weak negative correlation between 25(OH)D and CRP level(r=-0.191, P < 0.05), and a weak positive correlation of 25 (OH)D with IL-10, CD4/CD8 ratio, and L/CD45 (r=0.299, 0.176, 0.257, P < 0.05, respectively).

  Conclusions  Vitamin D deficiency or insufficient was common in pneumoconiosis patients. Vitamin D may be involved in inflammation and immune functions by regulating inflammatory factors and lymphocyte subpopulation.