60
views
0
recommends
+1 Recommend
0 collections
    0
    shares
      • Record: found
      • Abstract: found
      • Article: found
      Is Open Access

      Vitamin D and Cancer

      review-article

      Read this article at

      Bookmark
          There is no author summary for this article yet. Authors can add summaries to their articles on ScienceOpen to make them more accessible to a non-specialist audience.

          Abstract

          Vitamin D system is a complex pathway that includes precursors, active metabolites, enzymes, and receptors. This complex system actives several molecular pathways and mediates a multitude of functions. In addition to the classical role in calcium and bone homeostasis, vitamin D plays “ non-calcemic” effects in host defense, inflammation, immunity, and cancer processes as recognized in vitro and in vivo studies. The aim of this review is to highlight the relationship between vitamin D and cancer, summarizing several mechanisms proposed to explain the potential protective effect of vitamin D against the development and progression of cancer. Vitamin D acts like a transcription factor that influences central mechanisms of tumorigenesis: growth, cell differentiation, and apoptosis. In addition to cellular and molecular studies, epidemiological surveys have shown that sunlight exposure and consequent increased circulating levels of vitamin D are associated with reduced reduced occurrence and a reduced mortality in different histological types of cancer. Another recent field of interest concerns polymorphisms of vitamin D receptor (VDR); in this context, preliminary data suggest that VDR polymorphisms more frequently associated with tumorigenesis are Fok1, Bsm1, Taq1, Apa1, EcoRV, Cdx2; although further studies are needed to clarify their role in the cancer. In this review, the relationship between vitamin D and cancer is discussed.

          Related collections

          Most cited references114

          • Record: found
          • Abstract: found
          • Article: not found

          The steroid and thyroid hormone receptor superfamily.

          Analyses of steroid receptors are important for understanding molecular details of transcriptional control, as well as providing insight as to how an individual transacting factor contributes to cell identity and function. These studies have led to the identification of a superfamily of regulatory proteins that include receptors for thyroid hormone and the vertebrate morphogen retinoic acid. Although animals employ complex and often distinct ways to control their physiology and development, the discovery of receptor-related molecules in a wide range of species suggests that mechanisms underlying morphogenesis and homeostasis may be more ubiquitous than previously expected.
            Bookmark
            • Record: found
            • Abstract: found
            • Article: not found

            Prospective study of predictors of vitamin D status and cancer incidence and mortality in men.

            Vitamin D has potent anticancer properties, especially against digestive-system cancers. Many human studies have used geographic residence as a marker of solar ultraviolet B and hence vitamin D exposure. Here, we considered multiple determinants of vitamin D exposure (dietary and supplementary vitamin D, skin pigmentation, adiposity, geographic residence, and leisure-time physical activity-to estimate sunlight exposure) in relation to cancer risk in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. Among 1095 men of this cohort, we quantified the relation of these six determinants to plasma 25-hydroxy-vitamin D [25(OH)D] level by use of a multiple linear regression model. We used results from the model to compute a predicted 25(OH)D level for each of 47,800 men in the cohort based on these characteristics. We then prospectively examined this variable in relation to cancer risk with multivariable Cox proportional hazards models. From 1986 through January 31, 2000, we documented 4286 incident cancers (excluding organ-confined prostate cancer and nonmelanoma skin cancer) and 2025 deaths from cancer. From multivariable models, an increment of 25 nmol/L in predicted 25(OH)D level was associated with a 17% reduction in total cancer incidence (multivariable relative risk [RR] = 0.83, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.74 to 0.92), a 29% reduction in total cancer mortality (RR = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.60 to 0.83), and a 45% reduction in digestive-system cancer mortality (RR = 0.55, 95% CI = 0.41 to 0.74). The absolute annual rate of total cancer was 758 per 100,000 men in the bottom decile of predicted 25(OH)D and 674 per 100,000 men for the top decile; these respective rates were 326 per 100,000 and 277 per 100,000 for total cancer mortality and 128 per 100,000 and 78 per 100,000 for digestive-system cancer mortality. Results were similar when we controlled further for body mass index or physical activity level. Low levels of vitamin D may be associated with increased cancer incidence and mortality in men, particularly for digestive-system cancers. The vitamin D supplementation necessary to achieve a 25(OH)D increment of 25 nmol/L may be at least 1500 IU/day.
              Bookmark
              • Record: found
              • Abstract: found
              • Article: not found

              Calcium plus vitamin D supplementation and the risk of colorectal cancer.

              Higher intake of calcium and vitamin D has been associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer in epidemiologic studies and polyp recurrence in polyp-prevention trials. However, randomized-trial evidence that calcium with vitamin D supplementation is beneficial in the primary prevention of colorectal cancer is lacking. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 36,282 postmenopausal women from 40 Women's Health Initiative centers: 18,176 women received 500 mg of elemental calcium as calcium carbonate with 200 IU of vitamin D3 [corrected] twice daily (1000 mg of elemental calcium and 400 IU of vitamin D3) and 18,106 received a matching placebo for an average of 7.0 years. The incidence of pathologically confirmed colorectal cancer was the designated secondary outcome. Baseline levels of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D were assessed in a nested case-control study. The incidence of invasive colorectal cancer did not differ significantly between women assigned to calcium plus vitamin D supplementation and those assigned to placebo (168 and 154 cases; hazard ratio, 1.08; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.86 to 1.34; P=0.51), and the tumor characteristics were similar in the two groups. The frequency of colorectal-cancer screening and abdominal symptoms was similar in the two groups. There were no significant treatment interactions with baseline characteristics. Daily supplementation of calcium with vitamin D for seven years had no effect on the incidence of colorectal cancer among postmenopausal women. The long latency associated with the development of colorectal cancer, along with the seven-year duration of the trial, may have contributed to this null finding. Ongoing follow-up will assess the longer-term effect of this intervention. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00000611.). Copyright 2006 Massachusetts Medical Society.
                Bookmark

                Author and article information

                Journal
                Front Endocrinol (Lausanne)
                Front Endocrinol (Lausanne)
                Front. Endocrin.
                Frontiers in Endocrinology
                Frontiers Research Foundation
                1664-2392
                20 February 2012
                23 April 2012
                2012
                : 3
                : 58
                Affiliations
                [1] 1simpleDepartment of Molecular and Clinical Endocrinology and Oncology, “Federico II” University of Naples Naples, Italy
                [2] 2simpleIstituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico SDN Foundation Naples, Italy
                Author notes

                Edited by: Antonino Belfiore, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Italy

                Reviewed by: Antonino Belfiore, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Italy; Roberta Malaguarnera, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Italy

                *Correspondence: Laura Vuolo, Department of Molecular and Clinical Endocrinology and Oncology, “Federico II” University of Naples, 80138 Naples, Italy. e-mail: lauravuolo@ 123456tiscali.it

                This article was submitted to Frontiers in Cancer Endocrinology, a specialty of Frontiers in Endocrinology.

                Article
                10.3389/fendo.2012.00058
                3355893
                22649423
                5614dbce-7468-413e-9ff7-c701c2c6ed31
                Copyright © 2012 Vuolo, Somma, Faggiano and Colao.

                This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial License, which permits non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in other forums, provided the original authors and source are credited.

                History
                : 06 February 2012
                : 04 April 2012
                Page count
                Figures: 3, Tables: 2, Equations: 0, References: 126, Pages: 13, Words: 13068
                Categories
                Endocrinology
                Review Article

                Endocrinology & Diabetes
                vitamin d,inflammation,cancer,immunity,25-hydroxy-vitamin d
                Endocrinology & Diabetes
                vitamin d, inflammation, cancer, immunity, 25-hydroxy-vitamin d

                Comments

                Comment on this article