Publication details
Vitamin D insufficiency is not associated with disease aggressivity in newly diagnosed non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients
| Authors | |
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| Year of publication | 2013 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | Background. Higher circulating serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) have been shown to be positively associated with survival in lymphoma patients. The goal of our work was to compare initial pre-treatment levels of 25-OHD (reflecting whole body vitamin D stores) with various clinical, pathological and laboratory features of non-Hodgkin lymphoma at the time of diagnosis. Methods. Prospective examination of serum 25-OHD levels in non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients diagnosed within the year of 2012. Blood samples were collected prior to the iniciating of bio/chemotherapy. Levels of 25-OHD were examined by electrochemiluminiscence immunoassay. Deficiency of vitamin D was stated for the levels below 25 nmol/L, insufficiency for the range of 25-50 nmol/L, normal levels for 50-75 nmol/L and optimal levels above 75 nmol/L. Vitamin D levels were compared with the type of lymphoma, disease aggressivity (tumor tissue Ki67 positivity exceeding 80 %), clinical stage, serum LD and Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS, based on CRP and albumin levels). Results were stratified according to the season at the time of sampling and the age of patients. Results. We investigated 152 patients, mean age of 62 years, males/females 72/80. Vitamin D deficiency was found in 34 (22.4 %), insufficiency in 56 (36.8 %), normal levels in 37 (24.3 %) and optimal levels in only 25 (16.5 %). Patients diagnosed during winter months (from November to April) and those older than 70 yr of age had significantly lower 25-OHD levels than the others. Clinical stage, bulky disease, GPS and serum LD were not correlated with vitamin D levels at the diagnosis. Patients with aggressive types of lymphoma had lower, but not significantly, median 25-OHD levels (36.9 nmol/L, n=24) than both other high-grade (43.9 nmol/L, n=74) and low-grade tumor patients (45.8 nmol/L, n=54). Conclusion. Low vitamin D status was highly prevalent among our non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients at the time of diagnosis (59.2 %), but was not associated with more aggressive disease and higher clinical stage. |