S49 Is the development of acute lung injury influenced by increased levels of IL17 as a result of Treg/TH17 imbalance?

Vitamin D is known to have profound effects on the immune system. We have shown that vitamin D is lower in patients with Acute Lung Injury (ALI) than in healthy or at risk controls and that in patients at risk of ALI post oesophagectomy, low vitamin D levels are associated with increased post-operative systemic inflammatory response and alveolar epithelial dysfunction. Studies have shown that when T cells are exposed to vitamin D, expression of IL17 decreases and regulatory capacity increases. We hypothesised that vitamin D deficiency may play a role in development of Acute Lung Injury (ALI) via changes in the balance between regulatory T cells (Treg) and pro-inflammatory Th17 cells.