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Vitamin D may have a role in CRC immunoprevention
The association between the risk for colorectal cancer and plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D varies depending on the degree of intratumoral periglandular reaction, according to results of a nested case-control study. High-level plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D was linked with a decrease in the risk for tumors with high-level reaction, but not tumors with low-level reaction.
Mingyang Song, MD, of the department of nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, and colleagues, investigated the role of plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) in regard to the risk for CRC depending on the level of tumor immunity response.
“Our findings provide the first line of population-based evidence for a role of vitamin D in cancer immunoprevention through tumor-host interaction,” Song and colleagues wrote. “In the future, host immunity status may serve as a potential biomarker to predict the benefit from vitamin D supplementation or other vitamin D-augmenting intervention for CRC prevention.”
The study included patients from the Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study, which enrolled cohorts consisting of female nurses aged 30 to 55 years at baseline in 1976, and health professional men aged 40 to 75 years at baseline in 1986. Using a molecular pathological epidemiology database, 318 patients with rectal and colon carcinoma were matched to 624 controls.
The researchers used multivariable conditional logistic regression to determine any links between plasma 25(OH)D and different tumor subtypes.
Results demonstrated that, higher plasma 25(OH)D levels were associated with a lower risk for a tumor with intense immune status (comparing the highest vs. lowest tertile: OR = 0.1; 95% CI, 0.03-0.35; P for trend < .001). High-level plasma 25(OH)D was not associated with a lower risk for tumor with lower-level reaction (P for trend > .5).
The association between 25(OH)D and tumor subtypes according to CD3+T cell density was not statistically significant (P for heterogeneity = .03; adjusted statistical significance level of alpha = 0.006).
“Further research is needed to confirm our findings and to examine potential mechanisms for CRC immunoprevention,” the researchers wrote. – by Suzanne Reist
Disclosures: Chan reports previously serving as a consultant for Bayer Healthcare, Millennium Pharmaceuticals and Pfizer Inc. This study was not funded by BayerHealthcare, Millennium Pharmaceuticals or Pfizer. Please see the full study for a list of all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.