Vitamin D, a Regulator of Androgen Levels, Is Not Correlated to PSA Serum Levels in a Cohort of the Middle Italy Region Participating to a Prostate Cancer Screening Campaign

Abstract

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common non-cutaneous malignancy in men worldwide, and it represents the fifth leading cause of death. It has long been recognized that dietary habits can impact prostate health and improve the benefits of traditional medical care. The activity of novel agents on prostate health is routinely assessed by measuring changes in serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels. Recent studies hypothesized that vitamin D supplementation reduces circulating androgen levels and PSA secretion, inhibits cell growth of the hormone-sensitive PCa cell lines, counteracts neoangiogenesis and improves apoptosis. However, the results are conflicting and inconsistent. Furthermore, the use of vitamin D in PCa treatments has not achieved consistently positive results to date. In order to assess the existence of a correlation between the PSA and 25(OH)vitamin D levels as widely hypothesized in the literature, we analyzed the serum PSA and 25(OH)vitamin D concentration on a cohort of one hundred patients joining a PCa screening campaign. Additionally, we performed medical and pharmacological anamnesis and analyzed lifestyle, as sport practice and eating habits, by administering a questionnaire on family history. Although several studies suggested a protective role of vitamin D in PCa onset prevention and progression, our preliminary results revealed a clear absence of correlation between the serum vitamin D and PSA concentration levels, suggesting that vitamin D has no impact on PCa risk. Further investigations enrolling a huge number of patients are needed with particular attention to vitamin D supplementation, calcium intake, solar radiation that influences vitamin D metabolism and other potential indicators of health to confirm the absence of correlation observed in our study.

Pretreatment level of serum sialic acid predicts both qualitative and quantitative bone metastases of prostate cancer

“…The overall incidence rate stands at 31 cases per 100,000 males across all age groups, while the lifetime cumulative risk is estimated at 3.9%. Notably, the prevalence of PCa among men aged 75 and above exceeds one in four individuals ( 37 , 38 ). While the majority of cases are indolent and do not result in death, a substantial number of cases present with intermediate- or high-risk localized, locally advanced, or metastatic cancer despite treatment ( 39 ).…”

Association of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations with all-cause mortality among individuals with kidney stone disease: the NHANES database prospective cohort study

“…This can also explain why studies have observed lower concentrations of vitamin D in men with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) ( 71 ). The impact of vitamin D is well described in certain tumors; however, the findings regarding the role of vitamin D in prostate cancer and serum PSA levels are contradictory and lack consistency ( 72 , 73 ). Moreover, there has a possible relationship between vitamin D and urinary tract infection (UTI), erectile dysfunction (ED), and the male reproductive system ( 74 – 78 ).…”

Vitamin D and prostate cancer prevention

“…Another important topic is whether vitamin D can be used as a surrogate marker for prostate cancer screening that potentially will help predict the presence or progression of the disease. A recent study found an absence of correlation between the serum vitamin D concentration levels and prostate cancer risk[ 17 ]. There are still too few large-scale, well-conducted studies to confirm the absence of correlation.…”