Vitamin D and its importance in lymphomas

Overview

Vitamin D is a group of steroid hormones, produced with the help of UV radiation of the sun in the skin. It is also contained in various foods such as marine fish oils etc. In the body, it is subsequently transformed into its active form in the liver and kidneys. In the blood, it is transported by the VDBP (vitamin D binding protein). In the cell nucleus, it is bound to the VDR receptor (vitamin D receptor). The concentration of vitamin D in plasma is influenced by many factors: geographical latitude, season (length of sunshine), skin pigmentation, amount of fat, and muscle tissue. The best-known function of vitamin D is the regulation of calcium-phosphate metabolism, but it is involved in many processes such as the regulation of the cell cycle and the induction of apoptosis. It plays a role in the regulation of the immune system as well. Its immunomodulatory action is required for adequate anti-infectious and anti-tumoral immune response. It prevents an exaggerated inflammatory reaction and leads to immunotolerance. Deficiency has become more common in our population, affecting up to 50% of Europeans. Deficiency is also associated with a higher aggressiveness of tumours, including non-Hodgkin lymphomas. It has been shown that higher levels of vitamin D are associated with better overall survival and time to progression. The question is, whether vitamin D supplementation could impact and improve prognosis. Despite the ambiguous results of published studies, vitamin D supplementation should be considered in patients with diagnosed deficiency.

Keywords:

supplementation – Prognosis – Lymphomas – vitamin D – VDR