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. 2017 Oct 10:3:14.
doi: 10.1186/s40738-017-0042-0. eCollection 2017.

Vitamin D binding protein is lower in infertile patients compared to fertile controls: a case control study

Jason Franasiak  1   2 , Sue Shapses  3 , Wei Sun  4 , Richard Scott  1   2 , Xiangbing Wang  4
Affiliations

Vitamin D binding protein is lower in infertile patients compared to fertile controls: a case control study

Jason Franasiak et al. Fertil Res Pract. .

Abstract

Background: The importance of vitamin D in general health as well as in human reproductive success has been an area of focus. A better understanding of vitamin D metabolism, particularly vitamin D binding protein, is important when elucidating this relationship.

Methods: This case control trial seeks to characterize vitamin D metabolism in infertile patients undergoing natural cycle IVF as compared to normally cycling premenopausal women with proven fertility matched for age and body mass index (BMI). A total of 68 subjects were examined; 39 were infertile premenopausal women and 29 were regularly cycling fertile controls. Their 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25OHD), vitamin D binding protein (DBP), and albumin were measured and free and bioavailable 25OHD calculated. Between group comparisons were conducted with an unpaired t-test. A stepwise regression using age, BMI, 25OHD, estradiol & albumin in the model were used to determine predictors of DBP.

Results: Age, BMI, and total 25OHD did not differ between the two groups. However, vitamin D binding protein, free and bioavailable vitamin D were significantly different in the infertile patients as compared to the regularly cycling fertile controls (p < 0.01). Stepwise Regression using age, BMI, 25OHD, estradiol & albumin in the model showed that only albumin was a predictor of DBP (β-coefficient - 0.310; p = 0.01).

Conclusion: The implications of lower vitamin D binding protein associated with infertility is not clear from this pilot study, and requires further study.

Keywords: Bioavailable vitamin D; Fertility; Menstrual cycle; Vitamin D binding protein.

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Conflict of interest statement

Ethics approval and consent to participate

All data was collected under IRB approval and consent for its use obtained from participants.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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