The mechanism of pituitary gland tumour (PGT) is unclear. Aberrant immune tolerance is associated with the pathogenesis of tumour. Vitamin D and vitamin D receptor (VDR) are involved in the immune regulation. Interleukin (IL)-10 is one of the important immune regulatory molecules. This study aims to elucidate the role of VDR in the regulation of IL-10 in peripheral B cells of PGT patients. In this study, the peripheral blood samples were collected from PGT patients and healthy subjects. B cells were purified from the blood samples and analysed by RT-qPCR and Western blotting. The correlation between the expression of IL-10 and VDR in the B cells was assessed. We observed that the serum VitD levels were negatively correlated with IL-10 expression in peripheral B cells of patients with PGT. Low levels of VDR expression were found in peripheral B cells of PGT patients. Exposure to VitD suppressed the expression of IL-10 in B cells. The VDR bounds the transcription factor of IL-10 to interfere with the expression of IL-10 in B cells. The VDR agonists inhibited IL-10 expression in B cells from PGT patients. In conclusion, modulation of the expression of VDR can regulate the expression of IL-10 in peripheral B cells of PGT patients, which may contribute to the treatment of PGT.
Keywords: B lymphocyte; immune tolerance; interleukin-10; pituitary gland tumour; vitamin D.
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