Document Type : Original Article(s)

Authors

1 Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, School of Dentistry, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

2 Otolaryngology Research Center, Department of Otolaryngology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

3 Department of Oral Medicine, School of Dentistry, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

4 Shiraz Institute for Cancer Research, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to evaluate serum vitamin D levels in patients with oral lichen planus (OLP) and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) in comparison to healthy controls in an Iranian population.
Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted, which included 69 patients with OLP, 40 patients with OSCC, and 60 healthy controls. Serum vitamin D levels were measured using the ELISA method. The data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney and T-tests, and statistical significance was set at P < 0.05.
Results: The study found that 17.9% of OLP patients, 27.25% of OSCC patients, and 25% of the control group had normal vitamin D levels. The mean vitamin D level in OLP patients (17.00 ± 14.16 ng/mL) was significantly lower than that in the control group (22.99 ± 14.46 ng/mL) (P = 0.003). However, in OSCC patients, the mean vitamin D level (24.63 ± 16.19 ng/mL) was not significantly different from that of the control group.
Conclusion: The study revealed a high rate of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency in OLP, OSCC, and control group patients. Vitamin D deficiency was more common in patients with OLP. Vitamin D deficiency may potentially increase the risk of OLP and OSCC development and progression.

Highlights

Zohreh Jaafari-Ashkavandi (Google Scholar)

Keywords

How to cite this article:

Tangarpoor M, Khademi B, Mardani M, Malekzadeh M, Jaafari-Ashkavandi Z. Vitamin D serum levels in oral lichen planus and oral cancer patients. Middle East J Cancer. 2023;14(4):530-6. doi: 10.30476/mejc.2023.95276.1762.

 

  1. Alrashdan MS, Cirillo N, McCullough M. Oral lichen planus: a literature review and update. Arch Dermatol Res. 2016;308(8):539-51. doi: 10.1007/s00403-016-1667-2.
  2. Jaafari-Ashkavandi Z, Aslani E. Caveolin-1 expression in oral lichen planus, dysplastic lesions and squamous cell carcinoma. Pathol Res Pract. 2017;213(7):809-14. doi: 10.1016/j.prp.2017.03.006.
  3. Ali J, Sabiha B, Jan HU, Haider SA, Khan AA, Ali SS. Genetic etiology of oral cancer. Oral Oncol. 2017;70:23-8. doi: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2017.05.004.
  4. Jeon SM, Shin EA. Exploring vitamin D metabolism and function in cancer. Exp Mol Med. 2018;50(4):1-14. doi: 10.1038/s12276-018-0038-9.
  5. Osafi J, Hejazi A, Stutz DD, Keiserman MA, Bergman CJ, Kingsley K. Differential effects of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃ on oral squamous cell carcinomas in vitro. J Diet Suppl. 2014;11(2):145-54. doi: 10.3109/19390211.2013.859209.
  6. Huang Z, Zhang Y, Li H, Zhou Y, Zhang Q, Chen R, et al. Vitamin D promotes the cisplatin sensitivity of oral squamous cell carcinoma by inhibiting LCN2-modulated NF-κB pathway activation through RPS3. Cell Death Dis. 2019;10(12):936. doi: 10.1038/s41419-019-2177-x. Erratum in: Cell Death Dis. 2020;11(3):190.
  7. Harrison SR, Li D, Jeffery LE, Raza K, Hewison M. Vitamin D, autoimmune disease and rheumatoid arthritis. Calcif Tissue Int. 2020;106(1):58-75. doi: 10.1007/s00223-019-00577-2.
  8. Gupta A, Mohan RPS, Kamarthi N, Malik S, Goel S, Gupta S. Serum vitamin D level in oral lichen planus patients of north India-A case-control study. Journal of Dermatologic Research And Therapy (JDRT). 2017;1(2):19-35.doi: 10.14302/issn.2471-2175.jdrt-17-1481.
  9. Afzal S, Bojesen SE, Nordestgaard BG. Low plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D and risk of tobacco-related cancer. Clin Chem. 2013;59(5):771-80.doi: 10.1373/clinchem.2012.201939.
  10. Arem H, Weinstein SJ, Horst RL, Virtamo J, Yu K, Albanes D, et al. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and risk of oropharynx and larynx cancers in Finnish men. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2011;20(6):1178-84.doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-11-0153.
  11. Bahramian A, Bahramian M, Mehdipour M, Falsafi P, Khodadadi S, Dabaghi Tabriz F, et al. Comparing vitamin D serum levels in patients with oral lichen planus and healthy subjects. J Dent (Shiraz). 2018;19(3):212-6.
  12. Mirbolouk F, Pakseresht S, Asgharnia M, Farjadmand BM, Kazemnezhad EJN. Study of vitamin D status in pregnant women in north of Iran. International Journal of Women's Health and Reproduction Sciences. 2016;4(4):176-80.doi: 10.15296/ijwhr.2016.39.
  13. Ahmed SA. The role of serum vitamin D deficency in oral lichen planus case control study. Diyala Journal of Medicine. 2019;17(2):189-98.doi: doi:10.26505/DJM.17024991005.
  14. Sadeghi M, Zarabadipour M, Azmodeh F, Mirzadeh M, Golezari AS. Association of serum level of 25-hydroxy vitamin D with oral lichen planus. A case-control study. J Oral Res. 2020;9(5):400-4. doi: 10.17126/joralres.2020.081.
  15. Prietl B, Treiber G, Pieber TR, Amrein KJN. Vitamin D and immune function. Nutrients. 2013;5(7):2502-21.doi: 10.231/JIM.0b013e31821b8755.
  16. Zhao B, Xu N, Li R, Yu F, Zhang F, Yang F, et al. Vitamin D/VDR signaling suppresses microRNA-802-induced apoptosis of keratinocytes in oral lichen planus. FASEB J. 2019;33(1):1042-50. doi: 10.1096/fj.201801020RRR.
  17. Van Belle TL, Gysemans C, Mathieu C. Vitamin D in autoimmune, infectious and allergic diseases: a vital player? Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2011;25(4):617-32.doi: 10.1016/j.beem.2011.04.009.
  18. Varma R, Valappila N, Pai A, Saddu S, Mathew NJI. Oral lichen planus: Is vitamin D deficiency a predisposing factor? A case report. IJSS. 2014;2(7):230-2.
  19. Orell-Kotikangas H, Schwab U, Österlund P, Saarilahti K, Mäkitie O, Mäkitie AA. High prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency in patients with head and neck cancer at diagnosis. Head Neck. 2012;34(10):1450-5. doi: 10.1002/hed.21954.
  20. Grimm M, Cetindis M, Biegner T, Lehman M, Munz A, Teriete P, et al. Serum vitamin D levels of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and expression of vitamin D receptor in oral precancerous lesions and OSCC. Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal. 2015;20(2):e188-95. doi: 10.4317/medoral.20368.
  21. Anand A, Singh S, Sonkar AA, Husain N, Singh KR, Singh S, et al. Expression of vitamin D receptor and vitamin D status in patients with oral neoplasms and effect of vitamin D supplementation on quality of life in advanced cancer treatment. Contemp Oncol (Pozn). 2017;21(2):145.doi: 10.5114/wo.2017.68623.
  22. Bochen F, Balensiefer B, Körner S, Bittenbring JT, Neumann F, Koch A, et al. Vitamin D deficiency in head and neck cancer patients–prevalence, prognostic value and impact on immune function. Oncoimmunology. 2018;7(9):e1476817.doi: 10.1080/2162402X.2018.1476817.
  23. Udeabor SE, Albejadi AM, Al-Shehri WAK, Onwuka CI, Al-Fathani SY, Al Nazeh AA, et al. Serum levels of 25-hydroxy-vitamin D in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma: Making a case for chemoprevention. Clin Exp Dent Res. 2020;6(4):428-32. doi: 10.1002/cre2.294.
  24. Feldman D, Krishnan AV, Swami S, Giovannucci E, Feldman BJ. The role of vitamin D in reducing cancer risk and progression. Nat Rev Cancer. 2014;14(5):342-57. doi: 10.1038/nrc3691.
  25. Vaughan-Shaw PG, O'Sullivan F, Farrington SM, Theodoratou E, Campbell H, Dunlop MG, et al. The impact of vitamin D pathway genetic variation and circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D on cancer outcome: systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Cancer. 2017;116(8):1092-110. doi: 10.1038/bjc.2017.44.