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. 2021;28(4):300-307.
doi: 10.1159/000511993. Epub 2020 Dec 14.

Low Vitamin D Status in a Cancer Patient Population from Franconia, Germany

Rainer Johannes Klement  1 , Petra S Koebrunner  2 , Kelley Krage  2 , Reinhart A Sweeney  2
Affiliations

Low Vitamin D Status in a Cancer Patient Population from Franconia, Germany

Rainer Johannes Klement et al. Complement Med Res. 2021.

Abstract
in English, German

Background: Vitamin D has been shown to be associated with reduced risk and severity of COVID-19 and exerts regulating effects on all hallmarks of cancer. The goal of this study was to analyze the vitamin D status of a cancer patient cohort from our clinic in the Franconian region, Germany.

Methods: 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations were available for 116 patients included in prospective trials in our clinic. Associations of vitamin D with anthropometric and blood parameters were investigated using Kendall's τ correlation coefficients and linear regression.

Results: A total of 57 patients (49.1%) were vitamin D deficient (<20 ng/mL), and 92.2% did not meet the recommended vitamin D level of 40 ng/mL. There was a strong negative association between vitamin D and leukocyte count (τ = -0.173, p = 0.007) and C-reactive protein concentration (τ = -0.172, p = 0.007). In linear regression, the most important variables for predicting vitamin D levels were (in order of decreasing importance) season, fat mass index, platelet, and leukocyte count.

Conclusions: Despite appeals towards medical societies to target widespread vitamin D deficiency in Germany more than 10 years ago, our data indicate that these have been without avail. Low vitamin D levels in cancer patients should be corrected using reasonable sun exposure and supplements.

Hintergrund: Es wurde gezeigt, dass Vitamin D mit einem reduzierten Risiko für die Ansteckung mit SARS-CoV-2 und leichteren Verläufen von COVID-19 assoziiert ist; zudem wirkt Vitamin D bei allen kennzeichnenden Merkmalen einer Krebserkrankung mitregulierend. Das Ziel dieser Studie war deshalb, den Vitamin D Status einer Kohorte von Krebspatienten aus unserer Klinik in Unterfranken zu erheben. Methoden: Für 116 Patienten wurde innerhalb prospektiver Studien die 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Konzentration gemessen. Assoziationen zwischen Vitamin D und anthropometrischen sowie Blutparametern wurden mittels Kendall’s Korrelationskoeffizienten τ und linearer Regression untersucht. Ergebnisse: Insgesamt wiesen 57 Patienten (49,1%) einen Vitamin-D Mangel (<20 ng/mL) auf, und 92,2% lagen unterhalb des empfohlenen Vitamin D Spiegels von 40 ng/mL. Wir fanden eine starke negative Korrelation zwischen Vitamin D und der Anzahl an Leukozyten (τ = –0.173, p = 0.007) sowie C-reaktivem Protein (τ = –0.172, p = 0.007). Die wichtigsten Variablen zur Vorhersage des Vitamin D Wertes in der linearen Regression waren (der Wichtigkeit nach) die Jahreszeit, der Fettmasseindex, die Thrombozyten- und die Leukozyten-Zahl. Schlussfolgerungen: Trotz dringender Appelle an medizinische Fachgesellschaften vor über 10 Jahren, etwas gegen weitverbreiteten Vitamin D Mangel zu unternehmen, zeigen unsere Daten, dass diesbezüglich immer noch enormer Handlungsbedarf besteht. Niedrige Vitamin D Spiegel von Tumorpatienten sollten mittels vernünftiger Sonnenexposition und Nahrungsergänzungsmitteln behoben werden.

Keywords: COVID-19; Calcitriol; Cholecalciferol; Radiotherapy; SARS-CoV-2.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest related to this publication.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Boxplot of seasonal variation in vitamin D levels. Black bars and red crosses denote the median and mean, respectively. Individual vitamin D concentrations are shown as black dots.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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