Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
8337803 | The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology | 2018 | 8 Pages |
Abstract
Emerging evidence suggests that maternal or developmental vitamin D (DVD) deficiency is a risk factor for Autism Spectrum Disorders. A well-established association has also been found between gestational infection and increased incidence of autism. Placenta mediates the maternal immune response in respect to the foetus. The placenta is also a major source of vitamin D and locally produced vitamin D is an essential regulator of immune function during pregnancy. Here we investigate the effects of DVD-deficiency on baseline placental immune status and in response to the well-known viral and bacterial immune activating agents polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid (poly(I:C) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). We show DVD-deficiency does not affect baseline inflammatory cytokines in placenta. However, when challenged with poly(I:C) but not LPS, DVD-deficient placentas from male foetuses had higher production of IL-6 and 1L-1β compared to control placentas. This suggests the developing DVD-deficient male foetus may be particularly vulnerable to maternal viral exposures. This in turn may have adverse implications for the developing male brain. In conclusion, a dysregulated placental immune response may provide a plausible mechanism for both the epidemiological links between DVD-deficiency and increased male incidence of developmental conditions such as autism.
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Authors
Asad Ali, Xiaoying Cui, Suzanne Alexander, Darryl Eyles,