Hypovitaminosis D in medical inpatients.
Thomas MK, Lloyd-Jones DM, Thadhani RI, Shaw AC, Deraska DJ, Kitch BT, Vamvakas EC, Dick IM, Prince RL, Finkelstein JS.
N Engl J Med. 1998 Mar 19;338(12):777-83.
PMID: 9504937
Conclusions Hypovitaminosis D is common in general medical inpatients, including those with vitamin D intakes exceeding the recommended daily amount and those without apparent risk factors for vitamin D deficiency.
SSeason of diagnosis is a prognostic factor in Hodgkin's lymphoma: a possible role of sun-induced vitamin D.
Porojnicu AC, Robsahm TE, Ree AH, Moan J.
Br J Cancer. 2005 Sep 5;93(5):571-4.
PMID: 16136030
doi:10.1038/sj.bjc.6602722
Epidemiological data for this period indicate that season of diagnosis is a strong prognostic factor for Hodgkin's lymphoma, with approximately 20% lower case fatality for patients diagnosed during autumn vs winter diagnosis (RR = 0.783, 95% CI,-0.62 to 0.99; P = 0.041). Notably, the improved autumnal survival rate was higher than 60% (RR = 0.364, 95% CI, -0.15 to 0.87; P = 0.025) for patients younger than 30 years. This finding may be related to higher endogenous levels of vitamin D in autumn, with a favourable influence on the conventional therapy.
In conclusion, we have found that the prognosis of Hodgkin's lymphoma is significantly correlated with the season of diagnosis, particularly for patients younger than 30 years. This seasonal effect is presumably due to the vitamin D3 synthesis in skin during sun exposure. The present findings should encourage further investigations of the possible adjuvant role of vitamin D derivatives in cancer therapy
The dependency of vitamin D status on body mass index, gender, age and season.
Lagunova Z, Porojnicu AC, Lindberg F, Hexeberg S, Moan J.
Anticancer Res. 2009 Sep;29(9):3713-20.
PMID: 19667169
CONCLUSION: The 25(OH)D3 level, as well as its seasonal variation and the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, are all dependent on BMI, and age separately. The results of the study suggest that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 2 men with BMI > or = 40 are vitamin D deficient.
Prospective study of serum vitamin D and cancer mortality in the United States.
Freedman DM, Looker AC, Chang SC, Graubard BI.
J Natl Cancer Inst. 2007 Nov 7;99(21):1594-602. Epub 2007 Oct 30.
PMID: 17971526
doi:10.1093/jnci/djm204
CONCLUSIONS: Our results do not support an association between 25(OH)D and total cancer mortality, although there was an inverse relationship between 25(OH)D levels and colorectal cancer mortality.
Does nutritional intake differ between children with autism spectrum disorders and children with typical development?
Herndon AC, Diguiseppi C, Johnson SL, Leiferman J, Reynolds A.
J Autism Dev Disord. 2009 Feb;39(2):212-22. Epub 2008 Jul 4.
PMID: 18600441
DOI: 10.1007/s10803-008-0606-2
Addressing the health benefits and risks, involving vitamin D or skin cancer, of increased sun exposure.\nMoan J, Porojnicu AC, Dahlback A, Setlow RB.\nProc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008 Jan 15;105(2):668-73. Epub 2008 Jan 7.\nPMID: 18180454
"Vitamin D may be more important to colon cancer prevention than previously believed, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (Vol. 290, No. 22: 2959-2967).
The study examined people with no symptoms of colon cancer to determine what role diet, exercise, smoking, and other behaviors played in the development or not of colon polyps, small growths in the colon that can turn into cancer if they aren't removed."
Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D status of the US population: 1988-1994 compared with 2000-2004.
Looker AC, Pfeiffer CM, Lacher DA, Schleicher RL, Picciano MF, Yetley EA.
Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Dec;88(6):1519-27.
PMID: 19064511
doi:10.3945/ajcn.2008.26182
Conclusions: Overall, mean serum 25(OH)D was lower in 2000-2004 than 1988-1994. Assay changes unrelated to changes in vitamin D status accounted for much of the difference in most population groups. In an adult subgroup, combined changes in BMI, milk intake, and sun protection appeared to contribute to a real decline in vitamin D status.
In summary, age-standardized mean serum 25(OH)D concentrations based on observed values were significantly lower in 2000-2004 than in 1988-1994 in all groups examined. Adjustment for assay changes noticeably reduced the difference between surveys. However, mean serum 25(OH)D concentrations remained significantly lower in males (except Mexican Americans) in NHANES 2000-2004 than in NHANES III, even after adjustment for assay differences. This remaining difference likely represents a real decline in vitamin D status. Changes in BMI, milk intake, and sun protection appeared to contribute to this decline in a subgroup of non-Hispanic white adults. The possibility that trends in overweight, sun protection, and milk intake may continue supports the need to continue monitoring the serum 25(OH)D status of the population
Also known as group specific protein (Gc), vitamin D binding protein (VDBP) is a 52Kda protein that binds monomeric actin in addition to vitamin D. The protein is 458 residues in length (Cooke, 1986), and forms three domains, the first of which contains the sterol binding site
"We have been bombarded over the past couple of years with scientific articles suggesting that vitamin D is the key to improving many aspects of our health, including reducing the risks of dying from cancer.
An article in this week's Journal of the National Cancer Institute reminds us that perhaps we should be a bit cautious in embracing vitamin D as "the answer" before we do more research.
The report, from the National Cancer Institute and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, concluded that vitamin D levels in the blood were not related to overall cancer mortality.
However, the study did find that higher levels of vitamin D were associated with a substantial decrease in the risk of dying from colorectal cancer, and possibly with a reduction in the risk of dying from breast cancer."