TY - JOUR T1 - Novel antiviral properties of vitamin D in cystic fibrosis airway epithelial cells JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J VL - 44 IS - Suppl 58 SP - 3449 AU - Aline Schoegler AU - Brigitte S. Kopf AU - Ricardo J. Muster AU - Carmen Casaulta AU - Andreas Jung AU - Alexander Moeller AU - Thomas Geiser AU - Marco P. Alves AU - Nicolas Regamey Y1 - 2014/09/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/44/Suppl_58/3449.abstract N2 - Introduction. CF patients suffer from pulmonary exacerbations induced by virus infections, most frequently triggered by rhinoviruses (RVs). Vitamin D deficiency is a widespread feature of CF patients. Recent evidences suggest that Vitamin D has important immunomodulatory activities in the defense towards pathogens. We hypothesize that Vitamin D has antiviral properties in primary CF airway epithelial cells.Methods. Primary bronchial epithelial cells (BECs) from CF children were pretreated with different concentrations of Vitamin D (10-8 to 10-6 M) and infected with the major group virus RV16. Viral RNA and RV16 surface receptor intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) involved in detection of RV16, interferon (IFN)-λ2/3, viperin and the antimicrobial peptides cathelicidin and β-defensin expression was assessed by RT-qPCR. Levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines were determined by ELISA. Cell death was measured by Flow cytometry.Results. Vitamin D reduced RV16 load in a dose-dependent manner in CF BECs (10-6M: p<0.01). The expression of ICAM-1, PRRs, IFN-λ2/3 and viperin was unaffected by Vitamin D pretreatment in CF BECs. Similarly, Vitamin D did not modify the expression of β-defensin. However, Vitamin D induced a dose-dependent tendency towards increased cathelicidin expression in CF BECs (p=0.07). Vitamin D did not alter the pro-inflammatory cytokine production.Conclusion. Vitamin D lowers RV16 replication in primary paediatric CF BECs possibly through the induction of the antimicrobial peptide cathelicidin. Our in vitro study may point to the importance of an adequate control of the Vitamin D status in CF patients to prevent virus-induced exacerbations. ER -