RESUMEN
Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in pediatric patients presenting for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and has been linked to poor clinical outcomes. Using the data from a randomized control trial, in this paper we explore the effects of vitamin D supplementation on circulating cytokine levels during pediatric HSCT (www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03176849). A total of 41 children, 20 received Stoss therapy and 21 children received standard of care vitamin D supplementation. Levels of 25(OH)D and 20 cytokines were assessed at baseline and day +30. Significantly (P < 0.05) higher levels of mostly proinflammatory cytokines, FGF, GCSF, TNFα, IL-2, IL-6, IP10 were detected pre-transplant for patients with low compared to those with normal vitamin D levels. In sex stratified models that compare changes in cytokines between Stoss vs. standard of care, females in the Stoss group show greater changes in mostly pro -inflammatory cytokines- IP-10 (P = 0.0047), MIG (P = 0.009), and RANTES (P = 0.0047), IL-2R (P = 0.07) and IL-6(P = 0.069). Despite a small sample size, these findings suggest vitamin D deficiency affects the pre-transplant cytokine milieu and higher doses of vitamin D (Stoss therapy) appears to influence proinflammatory cytokine responses in a sex specific manner during pediatric HSCT. Larger clinical trials are warranted to validate these results.
RESUMEN
This prospective observational study evaluated the impact of adequate vitamin D levels by day +30 after vitamin D supplementation on early post-HSCT outcomes, including acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD), immune recovery, infection rates, and overall survival. Forty children (age 2 to 16 years) undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) were given vitamin D supplementation, were followed prospectively from day +30 post-transplantation, and had day +30 vitamin D levels measured. Thirty patients with normal vitamin D levels (≥30 ng/mL) were compared with 10 patients with low day +30 vitamin D levels (<30 ng/mL). The times to neutrophil and platelet engraftment was similar in both day +30 vitamin D groups (P = .13 and .32, respectively). At day +100, slower immune recovery in CD4+ cells (P = .027), CD19+ cells (P = .024), and natural killer cells (P = .042) was observed in the patients with a low vitamin D level (<30 ng/mL), and no between-group differences were detected in the incidence of infection (P = .72) or grade II-IV aGVHD (P = .46). Our findings show that patients with adequate vitamin D levels during transplantation had faster immune recovery and better overall survival. Vitamin D deficiency does not appear to impact engraftment or the risk of aGVHD and infection in pediatric HSCT.
