Volume 81, Issue 3 p. 458-466
Original Article

Vitamin D status is independently associated with plasma glutathione and cysteine thiol/disulphide redox status in adults

Jessica A. Alvarez

Corresponding Author

Jessica A. Alvarez

Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Lipids, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA

Correspondence: Jessica Alvarez, 101 Woodruff Cr NE-1028 WMRB, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. Tel.: +(404) 727 1549; Fax: +(404) 727 1300; E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this author
Ritam Chowdhury

Ritam Chowdhury

Department of Epidemiology, James T. Laney School of Graduate Studies, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA

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Dean P. Jones

Dean P. Jones

Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA

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Greg S. Martin

Greg S. Martin

Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA

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Kenneth L. Brigham

Kenneth L. Brigham

Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA

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José N. Binongo

José N. Binongo

Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA

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Thomas R. Ziegler

Thomas R. Ziegler

Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Lipids, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA

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Vin Tangpricha

Vin Tangpricha

Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Lipids, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA

Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Decatur, GA, USA

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First published: 13 March 2014
Citations: 54

Summary

Objective

Redox status and inflammation are important in the pathophysiology of numerous chronic diseases. Epidemiological studies have linked vitamin D status to a number of chronic diseases. We aimed to examine the relationships between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and circulating thiol/disulphide redox status and biomarkers of inflammation.

Design

This was a cross-sectional study of N = 693 adults (449 females, 244 males) in an apparently healthy, working cohort in Atlanta, GA. Plasma glutathione (GSH), cysteine (Cys) and their associated disulphides were determined with high-performance liquid chromatography, and their redox potentials (Eh GSSG and Eh CySS) were calculated using the Nernst equation. Serum inflammatory markers included interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8) and tumour necrosis factor-α, assayed on a multiplex platform, and C-reactive protein (CRP), assayed commercially. Relationships were assessed with multiple linear regression analyses.

Results

Serum 25(OH)D was positively associated with plasma GSH (β ± SE: 0·002 ± 0·0004) and negatively associated with plasma Eh GSSG (β ± SE: −0·06 ± 0·01) and Cys (β ± SE: −0·01 ± 0·003) (< 0·001 for all); statistical significance remained after adjusting for age, gender, race, percentage body fat and traditional cardiovascular risk factors (= 0·01–0·02). The inverse relationship between serum 25(OH)D and CRP was confounded by percentage body fat, and full adjustment for covariates attenuated serum 25(OH)D relationships with other inflammatory markers to nonstatistical significance.

Conclusions

Serum 25(OH)D concentrations were independently associated with major plasma thiol/disulphide redox systems, suggesting that vitamin D status may be involved in redox-mediated pathophysiology.

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