Decidua immunity and Vitamin D – dissertation

Vitamin D in pregnancy: understanding immune effects in the decidua

Tamblyn, Jennifer Ann (2018) , Ph.D. thesis, University of Birmingham.

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Epidemiology has linked preeclampsia (PET) to vitamin D deficiency. To date, studies have focused upon serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(0H. )D3) alone as the marker of vitamin D status.~We provide strong evidence comprehensive analysis of vitamin D metabolites in pregnancy is highly informative, particularly within the context of PET. Uniquely, analysis of maternal urinary metabolites provides a novel insight into vitamin D and the kidney, with lower 25(0H)D3 and 24,25(0H)2D3 excretion early indicators of a predisposition towards PET.

Since vitamin D is a potent regulator of immune function, and the decidua appears a key extra-renal site for vitamin D metabolism, we investigated effects of 1 ,25(0H)2D3 upon decidual uterine natural killer cells and macrophages. We show both express a functional vitamin-D system and demonstrate differential sensitivity to 1 ,25(0H)2D3 compared to their peripheral counterparts.

To understand the functional impact of vitamin D, whole transcriptomic analysis of 1,25(0H)2D3-mediated effects upon uNK and macrophages was performed. We show the actions of vitamin D extend far beyond simple immuno-regulation, targeting major cellular functions including migration, adhesion and apoptosis. In particular, our data support effects highly relevant to decidualisation.

We anticipate these findings to be highly relevant within the context of vitamin D deficiency, mal placentation and PET.

Dissertation includes portions of 5 of her publications

  • Tamblyn JA, Hewison M, Wagner CL, Bulmer JN, Kilby MD. Immunological role of vitamin D at the maternal-fetal interface. J Endocrinol. 2015; 224(3):R107-21(71). http://dx.doi/org/10.1530/JOE-14-0642

  • Tamblyn JA, Susarla R, Jenkinson C, Jeffery L, Ohizua O, Chun R, Chan S, Kilby M, Hewison M. Dysregulation of Maternal and Placental Vitamin D Metabolism in Preeclampsia. Placenta 50, 70-77.2016 (104). http://dx.doi/org/10.1016/j.placenta.2016.12.019

  • Tamblyn J, Jenkinson C, Larner D, Hewison M, Kilby M. Serum and urine vitamin D metabolite analysis in early preeclampsia. Endocr Connect. 2017; pii: EC-17-0308 (105). http://dx.doi/org/10.1530/EC-17-0308

  • Liu NQ, Larner D, Yao Q, Chun R, Zhou R, Tamblyn JA, Wagner C, Hewison M. Vitamin Ddeficiency and sex-specific dysregulation of placental inflammation. Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2017; S0960-0760(17)30163-2(505). http://dx.doi/org/10.1016/j.jsbmb.2017.06.012

  • Powell R, Lissauer D, Tamblyn J, Beggs A, Cox P, Moss P, Kilby M. Decidual T cells exhibit a highly differentiated phenotype and demonstrate potential fetal-specificity and a strong transcriptional response to interferon. Journal of Immunology 2017; 199(10):3406-3417 (234) http://dx.doi/org/10.4049/jimmunol.1700114

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