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Combs A, Singh B, Nylander E, Islam MS, Nguyen HV, Parra E, Bello A, Segars J. A Systematic Review of Vitamin D and Fibroids: Pathophysiology, Prevention, and Treatment. Reprod Sci 2023; 30:1049-1064. [PMID: 35960442 DOI: 10.1007/s43032-022-01011-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/12/2022] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
Uterine fibroids are the most common tumor of reproductive-age women worldwide and cause significant morbidity in affected women. Vitamin D has emerged as a potential therapy for uterine fibroids based on experimental and epidemiologic evidence. The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the role of vitamin D in the pathophysiology of uterine fibroids and its efficacy for prevention and treatment of fibroids. A comprehensive search was conducted of Cochrane Library, Embase, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science from inception to March 2022. English-language publications that evaluated vitamin D and uterine fibroids in humans, whether experimental or clinical, were considered. The search yielded 960 publications, and 89 publications met inclusion criteria: 23 preclinical studies, 25 clinical studies, and 41 review articles. Preclinical studies indicated that the vitamin D receptor was decreased in fibroid cells. Vitamin D treatment of fibroid cells decreased proliferation, extracellular matrix protein expression, and Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Fourteen clinical studies (n = 3535 participants) assessed serum vitamin D level in women with ultrasound-proven fibroids, and all found an inverse correlation between serum vitamin D level and presence of fibroids. Five clinical studies (n = 472 patients) evaluated treatment of fibroids with vitamin D. Four of five studies showed vitamin D significantly inhibited fibroid growth. One pilot study (n = 109 patients) of vitamin D for secondary prevention of fibroids demonstrated smaller recurrent fibroids in the treated group. These studies provide evidence for vitamin D as a therapy for uterine fibroids and underscore the need for well-designed, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail Combs
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Bhuchitra Singh
- Division of Reproductive Sciences and Women's Health Research, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Ross Research Building, 720 Rutland AvenueRoom 624, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Elisabeth Nylander
- Welch Medical Library, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Md Soriful Islam
- Division of Reproductive Sciences and Women's Health Research, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Ross Research Building, 720 Rutland AvenueRoom 624, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ha Vi Nguyen
- Division of Reproductive Sciences and Women's Health Research, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Ross Research Building, 720 Rutland AvenueRoom 624, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Elissa Parra
- Division of Reproductive Sciences and Women's Health Research, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Ross Research Building, 720 Rutland AvenueRoom 624, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ameerah Bello
- Division of Reproductive Sciences and Women's Health Research, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Ross Research Building, 720 Rutland AvenueRoom 624, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - James Segars
- Division of Reproductive Sciences and Women's Health Research, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Ross Research Building, 720 Rutland AvenueRoom 624, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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