A new study in Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology suggests that vitamin D can help protect against virus-induced cancers such as Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) in this case.
Vitamin D has been proved to be important for the innate immunity and it helps produce antibacterial peptides which kill pathogenic bacteria and viruses. That is why vitamin D can help prevent infections and likely virus induced tumors or cancers.
The current study led by Samimi Mahtab from INRA ISP, UMR 1282 in Tours, France and colleagues shows that patients with Merkel cell carcinoma who had lower vitamin D tended to have larger tumor mass and a worse outcome, compared with those who had high levels of vitamin D.
Merkel cell polyomavirus is considered a cause for Merkel cell carcinoma. Because vitamin D is known to be protective against viruses, it should not be a surprise that vitamin D status was associated with the development of Merkel cell carcinoma.
About the study
The study was intended to examine the association between vitamin D deficiency defined as having serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D lower than 50 nmol/L and the behavior and progression of Merkel cell carcinoma.
The study enlisted 89 patients whose blood was tested within three years after the diagnosis of Merkel cell carcinoma.
Vitamin D deficiency was found in 65 percent of the patients and found associated with greater tumor size at diagnosis and with metastasis recurrence. Specifically, patients who had vitamin D deficiency were nearly twice as likely as those who had normal levels of vitamin D to have metastasis recurrence.
The study also found that vitamin D receptors were strongly expressed in all all Merkel cell carcinoma tumor specimens.
The researchers concluded "The association between vitamin D deficiency and MCC characteristics and outcome, together with detection of the VDR in MCC cells, suggest that vitamin D could influence the biology of MCC."
Take-home message
Food consumers should remember that vitamin D has been PROVED to be important for innate immunity that helps fight bacteria and viruses. Vitamin D has also been found effective in preventing bird flu and other types of influenza, according to a report by Dr. John Cannell, director of Vitamin D Council.
Although more research is needed to confirm that vitamin D deficiency is a risk factor for worse outcome of Merkel cell carcinoma or the development of the disease, vitamin D deficiency has already been associated with more than 100 health conditions or diseases including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, autism, and depression. That is, regardless of the efficacy of vitamin D in treating Merkel cell carcinoma, it is beneficial to maintain a healthy level of serum vitamin D.
Vitamin D is found naturally occurring only in a few foods such as cod liver oil. The major source of vitamin D is the skill which produces vitamin D after its exposure to sun rays. It is believed that one can have 10,000 IU of vitamin D after a 15-minute exposure of the hands and face to the sun at the hottest hours of the day. Those who are at risk of vitamin D deficiency should take vitamin D supplements.
One critical thing food consumers need to remember is, according to many vitamin D experts, that the currently recommended daily allowance - 600 IU per day for almost every one regardless of his age and body size, is not enough. The recommendation has received criticism from vitamin D experts. Vitamin D Council suggests intake of 4000 to 5000 IU of supplemental vitamin D per day.
