Vitamin D serum levels in women using contraception containing drospirenone - a preliminary study

Oral Contraceptive Pills Increase Circulating 25-Hydroxy-Vitamin D Concentrations in Women Who Are Lactating

OBJECTIVE

 This article aims to determine the association between maternal 25-hydroxy-vitamin D [25(OH)D] status and intake of hormonal oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) in women who are lactating.

STUDY DESIGN

 Women who were exclusively breastfeeding participated in a randomized controlled trial assessing vitamin D supplementation at 400, 2,400, or 6,400 international unit (IU)/d from 1 month through 7 months postpartum. This observational, secondary analysis assessed whether OCPs were associated with maternal 25(OH)D concentrations in women who are lactating. Multivariate regression models were used to predict 25(OH)D concentrations and create parameter estimates for each variable.

RESULTS

 In a bivariate analysis, the use of OCPs at 4 months was associated with increased serum 25(OH)D (p = 0.02). OCPs' use at 7 months was associated with a higher trend in 25(OH)D, but this finding was not statistically significant (p = 0.1). In a multivariate regression model at 4 months, independent positive predictors of 25(OH)D concentrations were the use of OCPs (p = 0.03) and treatment with vitamin D at 6,400 IU/d (p ≤ 0.0001). Negative predictors were Black (p = 0.001) and Hispanic (p = 0.0001) race and ethnicity, and body mass index (BMI) greater than 30 (p = 0.0002). The same pattern occurred at 7 months, with more southern latitude as a positive independent predictor (p = 0.04) of 25(OH)D concentration.

CONCLUSION

 The use of OCPs was associated with greater 25(OH)D in women who are lactating. Additionally, treatment with vitamin D at 6,400 IU/d and southern latitude was associated with greater 25(OH)D in women who are lactating. Black and Hispanic race and ethnicity, and BMI greater than 30, were independently associated with lower 25(OH)D in women who are lactating.

KEY POINTS

· The association of OCP with serum 25(OH)D concentrations during postpartum lactation is unknown.. · OCPs' use was associated with higher 25(OH)D concentrations in postpartum women who are lactating.. · Treatment with vitamin D and southern latitude was associated with greater 25(OH)D in women who are lactating.. · Black and Hispanic, and BMI > 30 were associated with lower 25(OH)D in women who are lactating.. · Practitioners can counsel women who are lactating on OCPs' use and the positive effects on their 25(OH)D status..

Biochemical spectrum of parathyroid hormone disorders in patients attending Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal

Objectives

This study intends to determine the association of parathormone with vitamin D and other biochemical parameters (calcium and phosphate) and evaluate the relationship between low vitamin D and parathormone levels.

Methods

A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 310 study participants over the period of 1 year. Patients who underwent laboratory investigations for vitamin D, parathormone, calcium, and phosphate in the Clinical Biochemistry Laboratory at the Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital were included. Serum intact parathyroid hormone, vitamin D, calcium, and phosphate were measured in Abbott Architect (ci4100) integrated system autoanalyzer.

Results

Among the 310 study participants, 177 (57%) were males and 43% were females. The mean age of the patient was 47.09 ± 19.01 years. High intact parathyroid hormone (>68 pg/ml) was observed in 73% of the patients. Low vitamin D (<20 ng/ml) was present in 30.2% of the patients. The findings from our study depict that there is a negative significant correlation between intact parathyroid hormone levels, vitamin D, and calcium levels and a positive correlation between intact parathyroid hormone and phosphate levels (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

The findings from our study illustrate that there is a swapping drift in the profile of hyperparathyroidism in the Nepalese population. We report the presence of hyperparathyroidism in the middle age group than in the older age group contradictory to that reported in the literature.

Klotho and vitamin D in multiple sclerosis: an Italian study

INTRODUCTION

Low vitamin D levels have been recognised as an important risk factor for autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS). MS is a multifactorial disease, the pathogenesis of which contributes both to genetic and environmental factors. Polymorphisms in genes codifying molecules involved in vitamin D homeostasis have been associated with hypovitaminosis D. However, the influence of polymorphisms of Klotho, which codify a protein with a pivotal role in vitamin D metabolism, have never been investigated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association among genetic variants of Klotho, namely rs1207568 and rs9536314, serum 25(OH)D₃ levels, and multiple sclerosis (both risk and disease progression).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

107 patients with MS and 133 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. Serum 25(OH)D₃ levels and genotyping of Klotho SNPs were evaluated in all participants by high-performance liquid chromatography and real-time polymerase chain reaction, respectively.

RESULTS

Allelic and genotypic frequencies did not differ between patients and controls. Concerning rs1207568, we found a trend toward lower serum 25(OH)D₃ levels in MS patients with A allele (mutant), both in heterozygosis (AG) and in homozygosis (AA), in comparison to MS patients with G allele in homozygosis (GG) (AG + AA 20.5 ±6.3 µg/l; GG 22.5 ±7.5 µg/l, p = 0.07).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings did not identify a role of Klotho in the genetic susceptibility to MS.

Vitamin D and Uterine Fibroids-Review of the Literature and Novel Concepts

This article provides a detailed review of current knowledge on the role of vitamin D and its receptor in the biology and management of uterine fibroids (UFs). Authors present ideas for future steps in this area. A literature search was conducted in PubMed using the following key words: "uterine fibroid" and "vitamin D". The results of the available studies, published in English from January 2002 up to April 2018, have been discussed. Vitamin D is a group of steroid compounds with a powerful impact on many parts of the human body. This vitamin is believed to regulate cell proliferation and differentiation, inhibit angiogenesis, and stimulate apoptosis. Nowadays, hypovitaminosis D is believed to be a major risk factor in the development of UFs. In many studies vitamin D appears to be a powerful factor against UFs, resulting in inhibition of tumor cell division and a significant reduction in its size, however, the exact role of this compound and its receptor in the pathophysiology of UFs is not fully understood. According to available studies, vitamin D and its analogs seem to be promising, effective, and low-cost compounds in the management of UFs and their clinical symptoms, and the anti-tumor activities of vitamin D play an important role in UF biology. The synergy between vitamin D and selected anti-UF drugs is a very interesting issue which requires further research. Further studies about the biological effect of vitamin D on UF biology are essential. Vitamin D preparations (alone or as a co-drugs) could become new tools in the fight with UFs, with the additional beneficial pleiotropic effect.