Importance of vitamin d level in early-stage chronic lymphocytic leukemia and its comparison with healthy population

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a chronic lymphoproliferative hematological malignancy accompanied by a
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a chronic lymphoproliferative hematological malignancy accompanied by a
monoclonal proliferation of mature B lymphocytes. Vitamin D is vital in calcium hemostasis in serum and skeletal system
and is involved in several other cellular processes such as differentiation, proliferation, apoptosis, and angiogenesis.
Vitamin D receptors were also demonstrated in normal or malignant hematopoietic cells. The correlation of low serum
vitamin D levels with colorectal, breast, and other solid-organ neoplasms is well known. With regard to CLL, vitamin D
inadequacy is related to bad prognosis, bad overall survival, and necessity to start treatment early. This study aimed to
compare vitamin D levels of patients with early-stage CLL and controls and to examine its relationship with prognostic
indicators.
The study included 33 patients with early-stage CLL treated at Atatürk Training and Research Hospital Hematology Clinic
between 2015 and 2017 and 34 healthy controls. Age and gender distribution in both groups was similar. Patients with <20
ng/mL vitamin D level were considered as vitamin D deficient.
Vitamin D deficiency was detected in 26/33 patients with CLL and 16/34 controls. A statistically significant difference in
vitamin D deficiency was found between these two groups (P = 0.003). CLL cases were compared in terms of RAI stage,
splenomegaly, hepatomegaly, and presence of B symptoms. However, no significant difference was observed.
This study demonstrated that vitamin D levels of patients with early-stage CLL were significantly low in comparison with
those of healthy population, in line with the literature. More comprehensive studies are required for assessing the effects
of low vitamin D levels on the prognosis of patients with early-stage CLL.