Risk factors for vitamin D deficiency in Abu Dhabi Emirati population.

OBJECTIVE: There have been concerns regarding the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in the United Arab Emirates and the association between this prevalence and cardiovascular risk. Vitamin D deficiency is a global public health problem, with a high prevalence in the Abu Dhabi national population. This cross-sectional retrospective observational study aimed to elucidate vitamin D deficiency symptoms and contributing factors in this context. METHOD AND SAMPLING: Among 12346 participants presenting for their Weqaya population comprehensive cardiovascular risk factor screening, 700 were randomly selected and telephoned, among whom 400 completed a questionnaire that elicited information on dietary intake, sun exposure, clothing, physical activity, and symptoms related to vitamin D deficiency. RESULTS: Higher vitamin D levels were noted in participants who consumed extra servings of cod liver oil, tuna, salmon, and eggs; who wore clothes with their arms and legs exposed; and who performed daily physical activity. Symptoms of hypovitaminosis D (bone pain) were more frequently found in females. Fatigue is significantly associated with low vitamin D and younger participants. Strategies focusing on health promotion and lifestyle interventions should be implemented to address vitamin D deficiency.

Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and associated comorbidities among Abu Dhabi Emirates population.

OBJECTIVE: The study explored the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, its seasonal variation and associated comorbidities among the Abu Dhabi Emirati population living in urban and suburban settings. RESULT: Of the 12,346 participants 36.9% were male and 63.1% female. The majority (72%) were either vitamin D deficient (< 50 nmol/L), or (10%) vitamin D insufficient (50-74 nmol/L). Vitamin D deficiency was similar in both sexes (male 83.1% vs female 83.8%) as insufficiency (male 12.7% vs female 11.2%). Low vitamin D levels were associated with high blood pressure, high body mass index, central obesity, high cholesterol, impaired blood glucose levels and a high Framingham risk score. The mean vitamin D level was highest in January (winter) and lowest in July (summer).

Delineation of the role of platelet-activating factor in the immunoglobulin G2 antibody response.

Localized aggressive periodontitis (LAgP) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by severe destruction of periodontal tissues surrounding the first molars and incisors. LAgP subjects produce large amounts of immunoglobulin G2 (IgG2) antibody against oral pathogens, and this response is inversely correlated with the severity of disease. We previously demonstrated that platelet-activating factor (PAF) is required for optimal IgG2 responses. The present investigation was designed to determine the mechanism of IgG2 induction by PAF. Exogenous PAF acetylhydrolase suppressed approximately 80% of pokeweed mitogen-stimulated IgG2 production, confirming that PAF is essential for optimal responses. PAF-activated leukocytes produced gamma interferon (IFN-gamma), a Th1 cytokine that has been associated with IgG2 responses in previous studies. The monocyte-derived cytokines interleukin-12 (IL-12) and IL-18 are upstream of IFN-gamma production, and IgG2 production was suppressed by neutralizing antibodies against these proteins. In addition, PAF induced monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DC) but not macrophages (MPhi) to secrete IL-12 and IL-18. This observation was interesting because monocyte differentiation in LAgP subjects is skewed to the DC phenotype. Although other investigators have implicated IFN-gamma in IgG2 production, its precise role in this response is controversial. Our studies suggest that IFN-gamma induces isotype switching to IgG2 but only in concert with the Th2 cytokine IL-4. Thus, it appears that the unique PAF metabolism of LAgP monocytes or DC promotes Th1 responses that are essential for optimal IgG2 antibody production. As IgG2 antibodies opsonize oral bacteria and promote their clearance and destruction, these alterations in PAF metabolism may be essential for limiting disease severity in LAgP patients.

Differential expression of platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase in macrophages and monocyte-derived dendritic cells.

Although macrophages (Mphi) and monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MDDC) come from a common precursor, they are distinct cell types. This report compares the two cell types with respect to the metabolism of platelet-activating factor (PAF), a biologically active lipid mediator. These experiments were prompted by our studies of localized juvenile periodontitis, a disease associated with high IgG2 production and a propensity of monocytes to differentiate into MDDC. As the IgG2 Ab response is dependent on PAF, and MDDC selectively induce IgG2 production, we predicted that PAF levels would be higher in MDDC than in Mphi. To test this hypothesis, human MDDC were prepared by treating adherent monocytes with IL-4 and GM-CSF, and Mphi were produced by culture in M-CSF. Both Mphi and MDDC synthesized PAF; however, MDDC accumulated significantly more of this lipid. We considered the possibility that PAF accumulation in MDDC might result from reduced turnover due to lower levels of PAF acetylhydrolase (PAFAH), the enzyme that catabolizes PAF. Although PAFAH increased when monocytes differentiated into either cell type, MDDC contained significantly less PAFAH than did Mphi and secreted almost no PAFAH activity. The reduced levels of PAFAH in MDDC could be attributed to lower levels of expression of the enzyme in MDDC and allowed these cells to produce PGE(2) in response to exogenous PAF. In contrast, Mphi did not respond in this manner. Together, these data indicate that PAF metabolism may impinge on regulation of the immune response by regulating the accessory activity of MDDC.

Monocyte differentiation in localized juvenile periodontitis is skewed toward the dendritic cell phenotype.

Several lines of evidence indicate that the monocytes of subjects with localized juvenile periodontitis (LJP) are functionally distinct from cells of age- and race-matched nonperiodontitis (NP) subjects. Among the abnormalities are the propensity to secrete large amounts of prostaglandin E(2) and the induction of immunoglobulin G2 (IgG2) antibodies. The experiments described here were performed to further characterize the LJP monocytes and to determine if these cells mature differently than NP monocytes. When adherent monocytes from LJP subjects were cultured in the presence of human serum, both macrophages and cells with the morphology of immature monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MDDC) were observed. Within 4 days the prevalence of the immature MDDC was approximately twofold higher in LJP cultures than in NP cultures. In addition to their dendritic morphology, these cells were CD11c(+) and CD14(-) or CD14(low) and stimulated potent autologous mixed leukocyte reactions, consistent with differentiation to the MDDC phenotype. Like LJP monocytes, cultures of MDDC generated with interleukin-4 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor selectively induced IgG2 in cultures of pokeweed mitogen-stimulated NP leukocytes. Together, these data suggest that the monocytes of LJP subjects have a propensity to differentiate into MDDC and that this differentiation may be related to the high levels of IgG2 that are observed in the sera of LJP subjects. As high levels of circulating IgG2 are correlated with less severe disease, the propensity of LJP monocytes to differentiate into MDDC may have important implications for both the host response against oral pathogens and the progression of LJP.