Background Antenatal vitamin Dsub3/sub (vitDsub3/sub) supplementation significantly increases maternal and neonatal 25-hydroxyvitamin Dsub3/sub (25(OH)Dsub3/sub) concentration, yet the effect of an improvement in maternal-fetal vitamin D status on the neonatal immune response is unclear. Method To assess the effect of prenatal vitDsub3/sub supplementation on cord blood T cell function, healthy pregnant Bangladeshi women ( n =?160) were randomized to receive either oral 35,000?IU/week vitDsub3/sub or placebo from 26 to 29?weeks of gestation to delivery. In a subset of participants ( n =?80), cord blood mononuclear cells (CBMC) were cultured, non-adherent lymphocytes were isolated to assess T cell cytokine responses to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and anti-CD3/anti-CD28 (iCD3/iCD28), measured by multiplex assay. In 12 participants, lymphocyte gene expression profiles were analyzed by PCR array. Result In supplemented group, increased concentrations of IL-10 ( P ?0.000) and TNF-α ( P =?0.05) with iCD3/iCD28 stimulation and IFN-γ ( p =?0.05) with PHA stimulation were obtained compared to placebo group. No differences in the gene expression profile were noted between the two groups. However, PHA stimulation significantly induced the expression of genes encoding Th1 and Th2 cytokines and down-regulated a number of genes involved in T-cell development, proliferation and differentiation of B cells, signal transduction pathway, transcriptional regulation and pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) in the vitamin D group (vitD group). Conclusion Third-trimester high-dose vitDsub3/sub supplementation in healthy pregnant women had balanced effects on biomarkers of cord blood Th1 and Th2 responses. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov ( NCT01126528 ).
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