Signaling through the vitamin D receptor has been shown to be biologically active and important in a number of preclinical studies in prostate and other cancers. Epidemiologic data also indicate that vitamin D signaling may be important in the cause and prognosis of prostate and other cancers. These data indicate that perturbation of vitamin D signaling may be a target for the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer. Large studies of vitamin D supplementation will be required to determine whether these observations can be translated into prevention strategies. This paper reviews the available data in the use of vitamin D compounds in the treatment of prostate cancer. Clinical data are limited which support the use of vitamin D compounds in the management of men with prostate cancer. However, clinical trials guided by existing preclinical data are limited.
Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use* ; Calcifediol/blood* ; Calcitriol/therapeutic use* ; Clinical Trials as Topic ; Ergocalciferols/therapeutic use* ; Humans ; Male ; Prostatic Neoplasms/prevention & control* ; Signal Transduction ; Vitamin D/metabolism* ; Vitamin D Deficiency/epidemiology*

OBJECTIVES: Dry eye disease (DED) is an increasingly important public health problem in Korea. Previous studies conducted in Korea have reported inconsistent results regarding the protective effects of vitamin D on DED, and these discrepancies may be related to the relatively simple questionnaire that has been used. Thus, we evaluated the association of serum vitamin D levels with DED using the ocular surface disease index (OSDI). METHODS: The present study evaluated data from participants in the Study Group for Environmental Eye Disease (2014-2015). This group included data from 752 participants, and data from 740 participants (253 men and 487 women) were analyzed in the present study. DED severity was evaluated using the OSDI. RESULTS: Higher serum vitamin D levels were associated with a non-significantly reduced risk of DED in the crude analysis (odds ratio [OR], 0.991; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.971 to 1.011) and in the adjusted analysis (OR, 0.988; 95% CI, 0.966 to 1.010). In the crude analysis of no/mild DED vs. moderate/severe DED, men exhibited a decreased risk with increasing serum vitamin D levels (OR, 0.999; 95% CI, 0.950 to 1.051), while women exhibited an increased risk (OR, 1.003; 95% CI, 0.979 to 1.027). In these analyses, we found no significant associations. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the present study support previous reports that serum vitamin D levels are not associated with DED.
25-Hydroxyvitamin D 2 ; Dry Eye Syndromes ; Eye Diseases* ; Female ; Humans ; Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca ; Korea ; Male ; Public Health ; Vitamin D* ; Vitamins*

PURPOSE: Vitamin D deficiency is reported to be more common in type 1 diabetes patients and might be associated with the increased urinary loss of vitamin D binding protein (VDBP) consequent to impaired 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) circulation. We aimed to evaluate the possible increased urinary loss of VDBP, a correlation between VDBP and circulating 25(OH)D level, and risk factors influencing low vitamin D level in pediatric type 1 diabetes patients without microalbuminuria. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study of subjects who visited Seoul National University Children’s Hospital between January and March 2013. Forty-two type 1 diabetes patients and 29 healthy controls were included. Biochemical parameters including serum and urine VDBP concentrations were analyzed. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the frequency of vitamin D deficiency or serum 25(OH)D level between the 2 groups. The serum and urine VDBP concentrations did not show any difference between the 2 groups. Serum 25(OH) D level did not correlate with serum or urine VDBP. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that daylight outdoor hours (β=2.948, P=0.003) and vitamin D intake (β=2.865, P=0.003) affected the 25(OH)D level; the presence of type 1 diabetes or urinary VDBP excretion was not significant. CONCLUSIONS: In pediatric type 1 diabetes patients, urinary VDBP excretion did not contribute to low serum 25(OH)D level in the setting of normoalbuminuria. The factors associated with 25(OH)D level during winter periods were daylight outdoor hours and vitamin D intake. Further studies including both micro- and macroalbuminuria patients with type 1 diabetes are warranted.
Albuminuria ; Child ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 ; Ergocalciferols ; Humans ; Risk Factors ; Seoul ; Vitamin D ; Vitamin D Deficiency ; Vitamin D-Binding Protein* ; Vitamins*

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D is considered to exert a protective effect on various renal diseases but its underlying molecular mechanism remains poorly understood. This study aimed to determine whether paricalcitol attenuates inflammation and apoptosis during lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced renal proximal tubular cell injury through the prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) receptor EP4. METHODS: Human renal tubular epithelial (HK-2) cells were pretreated with paricalcitol (2 ng/mL) for 1 hour and exposed to LPS (1 μg/mL). The effects of paricalcitol pretreatment in relation to an EP4 blockade using AH-23848 or EP4 small interfering RNA (siRNA) were investigated. RESULTS: The expression of cyclooxygenase-2, PGE₂, and EP4 were significantly increased in LPS-exposed HK-2 cells treated with paricalcitol compared with cells exposed to LPS only. Paricalcitol prevented cell death induced by LPS exposure, and the cotreatment of AH-23848 or EP4 siRNA offset these cell-protective effects. The phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of p65 nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) were decreased and the phosphorylation of Akt was increased in LPS-exposed cells with paricalcitol treatment. AH-23848 or EP4 siRNA inhibited the suppressive effects of paricalcitol on p65 NF-κB nuclear translocation and the activation of Akt. The production of proinflammatory cytokines and the number of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling-positive cells were attenuated by paricalcitol in LPS exposed HK-2 cells. The cotreatment with an EP4 antagonist abolished these anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic effects. CONCLUSION: EP4 plays a pivotal role in anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic effects through Akt and NF-κB signaling after paricalcitol pretreatment in LPS-induced renal proximal tubule cell injury.
Apoptosis* ; Cell Death ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; Cytokines ; Ergocalciferols ; Humans ; Inflammation* ; Phosphorylation ; Receptors, Prostaglandin E, EP4 Subtype ; RNA, Small Interfering ; Vitamin D

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of multivitamin vitamin D 300 or 600 units on serum 25 hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) level after 4 weeks of supplementation in postmenopausal women with vitamin D insufficiency. STUDY DESIGN: Randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. METHODS: Postmenopausal women who had vitamin D insufficiency were recruited into the study. The participants were randomized to 3 groups of 4-week treatment period with multivitamin (GPO, Governmental Pharmacy Organization) 2 tablets (contained vitamin D2 amount 600 units), multivitamin 1 tablet (contained vitamin D2 amount 300 units) or placebo. At baseline and after 4 weeks of supplementation, serum 25(OH)D were determined with electrochemilumines-cence immunoassay (Cobas, Roche Diagnostics) and level change of 25(OH)D level were compared among the groups. RESULTS: Out of 144 participants, 49.3% had vitamin D deficiency (<20 ng/ml) and 50.7% had vitamin D insufficiency (<30 ng/ml). However, after 4 weeks of the GPO oral multivitamin, serum 25(OH)D levels significantly increased from 19.4 ± 6.3 ng/ml at baseline to 22.2 ± 5.2 ng/ml (P = 0.01) and from 19.5 ± 5.0 ng/ml to 23.3 ± 5.2 ng/ml (P < 0.01) in the groups receiving vitamin D 300 IU and 600 IU/day, respectively. Approximately, 10% of those who took vitamin D had serum 25(OH)D level above the insufficiency level within 4 weeks. There was no significant changes of serum 25(OH)D after 4 weeks in the placebo group. CONCLUSION: Daily supplementation of the generic multivitamin containing vitamin D2 300 and 600 IU daily for 4 weeks significantly increased mean serum 25(OH)D from baseline up above the deficiency level.
Ergocalciferols ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoassay ; Pharmacy ; Postmenopause ; Tablets ; Vitamin D Deficiency ; Vitamin D* ; Vitamins*

No abstract available.
25-Hydroxyvitamin D 2/*blood ; Cholecalciferol/*blood ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Humans ; *Radioimmunoassay ; Reagent Kits, Diagnostic ; *Tandem Mass Spectrometry

OBJECTIVES: Epidemiological studies have reported that vitamin D deficiency is associated with inflammatory disease. Smoking is a well-known risk factor for inflammation. However, few studies have investigated the interactive effect of vitamin D deficiency and smoking on inflammation. This study aims to investigate the interaction of vitamin D and smoking with inflammatory markers in the urban elderly. METHODS: We used data from the Korean Elderly Environmental Panel Study, which began in August 2008 and ended in August 2010, and included 560 Koreans > or =60 years old living in Seoul. Data was collected via questionnaires that included items about smoking status at the first visit. Vitamin D levels, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and white blood cell (WBC) counts were repeatedly measured up to three times. RESULTS: The association of vitamin D and hs-CRP was significant after adjusting for known confounders (beta=-0.080, p=0.041). After separate analysis by smoking status, the association of vitamin D deficiency and hs-CRP in smokers was stronger than that in nonsmokers (smokers: beta=-0.375, p=0.013; non-smokers: beta=-0.060, p=0.150). Smoking status was an effect modifier that changed the association between vitamin D deficiency and hs-CRP (interaction estimate: beta=-0.254, p=0.032). Vitamin D was not significantly associated with WBC count (beta=0.003, p=0.805). CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin D deficiency was associated with hs-CRP in the urban elderly. Smoking status was an effect modifier of this association. Vitamin D deficiency was not significantly associated with WBC count.
25-Hydroxyvitamin D 2/blood ; Aged ; Biomarkers/blood ; Body Mass Index ; C-Reactive Protein/analysis ; Female ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Leukocyte Count ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Smoking ; Urban Population ; Vitamin D/*blood ; Vitamin D Deficiency/diagnosis

PURPOSE: According to previous studies, vitamin D exhibits protective effects against breast cancer via the vitamin D receptor (VDR). There is growing evidence that breast cancer incidence is associated with various polymorphisms of the VDR gene. This study investigates the association of VDR poly(A) microsatellite variants with 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) serum levels and breast cancer risk. METHODS: Polymorphism analysis was performed on a total of 261 blood samples, which were collected from 134 women with breast cancer and 127 controls. Single strand conformation polymorphism was assessed by polymerase chain reaction in combination with sequencing to detect poly(A) lengths for each sample. The vitamin D levels of samples were determined by electrochemiluminescence. RESULTS: The poly(A) variant L allele frequency was significantly higher in cancer patients than in controls (odds ratio [OR], 1.73; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.16-2.57; p=0.006). Thus, carriers of the L allele (LS and LL genotypes) have a higher risk for breast cancer (OR, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.13-3.05; p=0.013). A larger increase in the risk for breast cancer was found in individuals with the L carrier genotype and lowered 25(OH)D levels. CONCLUSION: The results primarily suggest that VDR gene polymorphism in the poly(A) microsatellite is associated with 25(OH)D levels and that it can affect the breast cancer risk in the female population from northern Iran.
25-Hydroxyvitamin D 2 ; Alleles ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; Humans ; Incidence ; Iran ; Microsatellite Repeats* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Receptors, Calcitriol* ; Vitamin D

BACKGROUND: Propofol injection pain is a common problem that can be very distressing for patients. We compared the effects of injection with saline followed by injection with a fentanyl-propofol mixture, injection with fentanyl followed by a propofol injection, and injection with saline followed by propofol alone on propofol injection pain. METHODS: The patients were assigned randomly to one of three groups. A rubber tourniquet was placed on the forearm to produce venous occlusion for 1 min. Before anesthesia induction, group C (control, n = 50) and group M (fentanylpropofol mixture, n = 50) received 5 ml of isotonic saline, while group F (fentanyl, n = 50) received 2 microg/kg of fentanyl. After the tourniquet was released, groups C and F received 5 ml of propofol and group M received 5 ml of a mixture containing 20 ml of propofol and 4 ml of fentanyl. At 10 s after the study drugs were given, a standard question about the comfort of the injection was asked of the patient. We used a verbal rating scale to evaluate propofol injection pain. Statistical analyses were performed with Student's t-tests and Fisher's exact tests; P < 0.05 was considered to indicate statistical significance. RESULTS: The demographic data were similar among the groups. In group M, the number of patients reporting propofol injection pain was significantly lower than in groups F and C (both P < 0.001). No patient in group F or M experienced severe pain, whereas 24 patients (48%) had severe pain in group C (both P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that a fentanyl-propofol mixture was more effective than fentanyl pretreatment or a placebo in preventing propofol injection pain.
Anesthesia ; Dihydrotachysterol ; Fentanyl ; Forearm ; Humans ; Propofol* ; Rubber ; Tourniquets

No abstract available.
Adult ; Aged ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group/ethnology ; China ; Cholecalciferol/*analysis ; Ergocalciferols/*analysis ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoassay ; India ; Malaysia ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Reagent Kits, Diagnostic ; Young Adult