Serum level of vitamin D3 in cutaneous melanoma

Abstract

Objective To compare the level of vitamin D3 in cutaneous melanoma patients, with or without disease activity, with reference values and with patients from a general hospital.Methods The serum levels of vitamin D3 were measured in cutaneous melanoma patients, aged 20 to 88 years, both genders, from January 2010 to December 2013. The samples from the general group were processed at Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein (control group). Data analysis was performed using the Statistics software.Results A total of 100 patients were studied, 54 of them men, with mean age of 54.67 years, and 95 Caucasian. Out of these 100 patients, 17 had active disease. The average levels of vitamin D3 in the melanoma patients were lower than the level considered sufficient, but above the average of the control group. Both groups (with or without active disease) of patients showed a similar distribution of vitamin D3 deficiency.Conclusion Vitamin D3 levels in melanoma patients were higher than those of general patients and lower than the reference level. If the reference values are appropriate, a large part of the population had insufficient levels of vitamin D, including those with melanoma, or else, this standard needs to be reevaluated. No difference in vitamin D3 levels was found among melanoma patients with or without active disease. More comprehensive research is needed to assess the relation between vitamin D and melanoma.

The association between serum vitamin D level and risk and prognosis of melanoma: a systematic review and meta‐analysis

“…This was possibly, in part due to Filho et al ., which showed, quite different from most other studies, significantly higher vitamin D levels in patients with melanoma than those levels in controls. However, the exclusion and inclusion criteria of controls were not elaborated in this study, and the control group comprised ‘general patients’ instead of healthy controls . This limitation may contribute to substantial bias because a large number of studies have revealed vitamin D deficiency in various diseases .…”

“…Of note, although there was no significant difference in the serum vitamin D levels between patients with melanoma and controls, the heterogeneity of this analysis was extremely high. This was possibly, in part due to Filho et al ., which showed, quite different from most other studies, significantly higher vitamin D levels in patients with melanoma than those levels in controls. However, the exclusion and inclusion criteria of controls were not elaborated in this study, and the control group comprised ‘general patients’ instead of healthy controls .…”

“…However, the exclusion and inclusion criteria of controls were not elaborated in this study, and the control group comprised 'general patients' instead of healthy controls. 20 This limitation may contribute to substantial bias because a large number of studies have revealed vitamin D deficiency in various diseases. 21,22 Leave-one-study-out sensitivity analysis showed that excluding the results of Filho et al led to a significant difference in serum vitamin D levels between patients with melanoma and controls.…”

Vitamin D regulates immunoglobulin mucin domain molecule‐4 expression in dendritic cells

“…Similar condition was also reported by others in AR patients , allergic conjunctivitis , and asthma . Besides allergic disorders, VitD3 abnormality was also found associating with rheumatoid arthritis , diabetes , and cancer .…”

Vitamins and Melanoma

“…Results of this study indicate no statistically significant association between serum 25(OH)D levels and melanoma [ 70 ], although there is a suggested protective association in the second quartiles compared to the lowest levels [ 70 ]. Another recent study showed no direct relationship between high or low levels of vitamin D and the occurrence and severity of melanoma [ 71 ]. Furthermore, several studies demonstrated that VDR expression in melanoma cells is more intense than in normal melanocytes [ 72 , 73 ].…”