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Relatively high serum vitamin D levels do not impair the antibody response to encapsulated bacteria

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Abstract

Vitamin D skews the immune system towards a more tolerogenic state. Therefore, a relatively high vitamin D status, i.e., within the normal physiological range, might result in a lower antibody response to infection and vaccination. We hypothesized, however, that vitamin D is primarily important in establishing immune homeostasis, implying that a relatively high vitamin D status would not hamper an adequate antibody response against pathogens. Our results show that the vitamin D status did not differ between responders and hypo-responders in patients infected with Streptococcus pneumoniae, as well as patients vaccinated against S. pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis type C (MenC), and/or Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib). Furthermore, specific IgG titers were not associated with the vitamin D status in patients vaccinated against S. pneumoniae and MenC, while there was a weak inverse association in Hib-vaccinated patients. These data indicate that a relatively high vitamin D status does not seem to hamper an adequate antibody response upon infection or vaccination, suggesting that vitamin D, in this setting, is not immunosuppressive.

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Conflicts of interest

R.H. declares to have received honoraria for lectures, expert meetings, and sponsorships for PhD students from: Biogen Idec, Merck Serono, Sanofi-Aventis, Novartis, Bayer, and Teva. All other authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Medical Center, Universiteitssingel 50, room 5.302, P.O. box 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands

    E. Peelen

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Clinical and Experimental Immunology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands

    E. Peelen & J. W. Cohen Tervaert

  3. Academic MS Center Limburg, Orbis Medical Center, Sittard, The Netherlands

    E. Peelen & R. Hupperts

  4. Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, St. Antonius Hospital, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands

    G. Rijkers

  5. Department of Sciences, Roosevelt Academy, Middelburg, The Netherlands

    G. Rijkers

  6. Department of Internal Medicine, St. Antonius Hospital, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands

    A. Meerveld-Eggink & S. Meijvis

  7. Department of Clinical Chemistry, Orbis Medical Center, Sittard, The Netherlands

    M. Vogt

  8. School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands

    J. W. Cohen Tervaert & R. Hupperts

  9. Laboratory for Clinical Immunology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands

    J. W. Cohen Tervaert & J. Damoiseaux

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  1. E. Peelen
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  2. G. Rijkers
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  8. J. Damoiseaux
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Correspondence to E. Peelen.

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Peelen, E., Rijkers, G., Meerveld-Eggink, A. et al. Relatively high serum vitamin D levels do not impair the antibody response to encapsulated bacteria. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 32, 61–69 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-012-1714-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-012-1714-7

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