PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Aline Schögler
AU  - Ricardo J. Muster
AU  - Elisabeth Kieninger
AU  - Carmen Casaulta
AU  - Caroline Tapparel
AU  - Andreas Jung
AU  - Alexander Moeller
AU  - Thomas Geiser
AU  - Nicolas Regamey
AU  - Marco P. Alves
TI  - Vitamin D represses rhinovirus replication in cystic fibrosis cells by inducing LL-37
AID  - 10.1183/13993003.00665-2015
DP  - 2016 Feb 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - 520--530
VI  - 47
IP  - 2
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/47/2/520.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/47/2/520.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2016 Feb 01; 47
AB  - Vitamin D has immunomodulatory properties in the defence against pathogens. Its insufficiency is a widespread feature of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, which are repeatedly suffering from rhinovirus (RV)-induced pulmonary exacerbations.To investigate whether vitamin D has antiviral activity, primary bronchial epithelial cells from CF children were pre-treated with vitamin D and infected with RV16. Antiviral and anti-inflammatory activity of vitamin D was assessed. RV and LL-37 levels were measured in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) of CF children infected with RV.Vitamin D reduced RV16 load in a dose-dependent manner in CF cells (10−7 M, p<0.01). The antiviral response mediated by interferons remained unchanged by vitamin D in CF cells. Vitamin D did not exert anti-inflammatory properties in RV-infected CF cells. Vitamin D increased the expression of the antimicrobial peptide LL-37 up to 17.4-fold (p<0.05). Addition of exogenous LL-37 decreased viral replication by 4.4-fold in CF cells (p<0.05). An inverse correlation between viral load and LL-37 levels in CF BAL (r=−0.48, p<0.05) was observed.RV replication in primary CF bronchial cells was reduced by vitamin D through the induction of LL-37. Clinical studies are needed to determine the importance of an adequate control of vitamin D for prevention of virus-induced pulmonary CF exacerbations.Rhinovirus replication is decreased in CF cells by vitamin D through the induction of the antimicrobial peptide LL-37 http://ow.ly/Snsyo