Questioning Cause and Effect: Children with Severe Asthma Exhibit High Levels of Inflammatory Biomarkers Including Beta-Hexosaminidase, but Low Levels of Vitamin A and Immunoglobulins

Samarasinghe, Amali E.; Penkert, Rhiannon R.; Hurwitz, Julia L.; Sealy, Robert E.; LeMessurier, Kim S.; Hammond, Catherine; Dubin, Patricia J.

doi:10.3390/biomedicines8100393

Cited by 9 publications

(6 citation statements)

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“…Levels of vitamins A and D exert significant influences on pediatric and adult immune health. While cause–effect relationships are not always proven, low vitamin A levels have been associated with poor immune responses and/or severe disease consequences in numerous contexts, including (i) children with severe asthma [ 45 ], (ii) children with sickle cell disease [ 46 , 47 ], an animal model of cystic fibrosis [ 48 ], vitamin-A-deficient (VAD) mice following bacterial and/or viral infections [ 7 , 8 , 49 , 50 ], vaccinated children [ 1 ], and children with measles [ 5 ]. High levels of vitamin D have been associated with a decreased incidence of tuberculosis, in part due to the 25(OH)D-mediated enhancement of cathelicidin production by macrophages [ 13 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Retinol Binding Protein, Sunlight Hours, and the Influenza Virus-Specific Immune Response

et al. 2022

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Healthy pediatric immune responses depend on adequate vitamin A and D levels. Relationships between solar ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation and vitamin D are well understood, while relationships between sunlight, vitamin A, and its serum escort, retinol binding protein (RBP), are not. A pediatric clinical study enrolled 2–8-year-old children at various times between September 2016 and March 2017, inclusive, in Memphis, Tennessee. A serum sample from each child was then assayed to examine the influence of season on vitamin levels. We found that RBP and RBP/retinol molar ratios decreased in winter months and RBP/retinol ratios correlated positively with the average daily sunlight hours per month. A food frequency questionnaire given to parents/guardians indicated a shift in dietary intake from plant-based foods to animal-based foods by children between winter and spring months. This translated to higher retinol and zinc (integral to RBP–transthyretin–retinol complexes) in the spring, perhaps explaining the seasonal influence on RBP/retinol. RBP and retinol were associated positively with IgG/IgM and IgA/IgM ratios. RBP and retinol, but not 25(OH)D, also correlated positively with influenza virus-specific antibodies. Retinol correlated negatively, while 25(OH)D correlated positively, with certain serum cytokine/chemokine levels. Significant differences in 25(OH)D, immunoglobulin ratios, and cytokines/chemokines were observed between black and white children. In sum, seasonal changes in dietary foods rich in retinol and zinc may have influenced RBP levels, which in turn influenced innate and adaptive immune responses. Results encourage routine monitoring and reporting of season, RBP, and vitamin levels in future clinical studies, as seasons may affect sunlight exposures, diet, vitamin levels, and immune protection against infectious disease.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Retinol Binding Protein, Sunlight Hours, and the Influenza Virus-Specific Immune Response

et al. 2022

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“…A meta-analysis of 62 observational studies in children, supports the beneficial effects of vitamin A on infection [123]. However, subsequent research has produced conflicting results [124][125][126][127][128][129][130][131][132][133][134][135].…”

Section: Vitamin Amentioning

confidence: 99%

Dietary patterns and micronutrients in respiratory infections including COVID-19: a narrative review

Salehi,

Askari,

Jafari

et al. 2024

BMC Public Health

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Background COVID-19 is a pandemic caused by nCoV-2019, a new beta-coronavirus from Wuhan, China, that mainly affects the respiratory system and can be modulated by nutrition. Methods This review aims to summarize the current literature on the association between dietary intake and serum levels of micronutrients, malnutrition, and dietary patterns and respiratory infections, including flu, pneumonia, and acute respiratory syndrome, with a focus on COVID-19. We searched for relevant articles in various databases and selected those that met our inclusion criteria. Results Some studies suggest that dietary patterns, malnutrition, and certain nutrients such as vitamins D, E, A, iron, zinc, selenium, magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, and fiber may have a significant role in preventing respiratory diseases, alleviating symptoms, and lowering mortality rates. However, the evidence is not consistent and conclusive, and more research is needed to clarify the mechanisms and the optimal doses of these dietary components. The impact of omega-3 and fiber on respiratory diseases has been mainly studied in children and adults, respectively, and few studies have examined the effect of dietary components on COVID-19 prevention, with a greater focus on vitamin D. Conclusion This review highlights the potential of nutrition as a modifiable factor in the prevention and management of respiratory infections and suggests some directions for future research. However, it also acknowledges the limitations of the existing literature, such as the heterogeneity of the study designs, populations, interventions, and outcomes, and the difficulty of isolating the effects of single nutrients from the complex interactions of the whole diet.

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“…Vitamin A may also act directly on the immune system by inhibiting T H 2 and T H 17 responses while vitamin C may reduce airway reactivity and inflammation through prostaglandin inhibition (Han et al, 2013). The dietary intake of vitamin A and vitamin C in asthma patients is significantly low (Allen et al, 2009), and children with severe asthma have low plasma vitamin A levels (Samarasinghe et al, 2020). In comparison to mild asthma, vitamin E levels are significantly low in severe asthma (Allen et al, 2009).…”

Section: Vitaminsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human matters in asthma: Considering the microbiome in pulmonary health

et al. 2022

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Graphical AbstractExogenous factors that influence the microbiome and asthma pathogenesis. External factors including a well-balanced diet and clean air support a healthy gut microbiome that releases metabolites and short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) that promote a healthy pulmonary immune system that remains non-inflammatory thereby protecting against the development of asthma or asthma exacerbations (left panel). An unhealthy diet, dirty air, and some pharmaceutical agents on the other hand can induce dysbiosis in the gut and lung microbial communities through induction of co-morbid states like obesity and aberrant immune activation. Additional confounders including modes of delivery and feeding, use of antibiotics during pregnancy and childhood also have an impact on the airway microbial homeostasis and asthma onset and pathogenesis (right panel). Figure prepared on BioRender.

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Questioning Cause and Effect: Children with Severe Asthma Exhibit High Levels of Inflammatory Biomarkers Including Beta-Hexosaminidase, but Low Levels of Vitamin A and Immunoglobulins

Cited by 9 publications

References 84 publications

Retinol Binding Protein, Sunlight Hours, and the Influenza Virus-Specific Immune Response

Retinol Binding Protein, Sunlight Hours, and the Influenza Virus-Specific Immune Response

Dietary patterns and micronutrients in respiratory infections including COVID-19: a narrative review

Human matters in asthma: Considering the microbiome in pulmonary health

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