Does vitamin D mediate inhibition of epithelial ovarian cancer by modulating cytokines?
OBJECTIVE
Vitamin D deficiency is reported to be involved in pathogenesis of ovarian cancer. But the mechanism is yet to be explored. An imbalance between Th1 and Th2 activity play a crucial role in pathogenesis of many cancers. The purpose of the study is to find out the Th1/Th2 status by estimating TNF-α (Th1 marker) and IL-4 (Th2 marker) in ovarian cancer cases and controls and to correlate these with serum vitamin D levels.


METHODS
A case-control study with 50 ovarian cancer cases and 50 healthy controls was conducted. The cytokines TNF-α and IL-4 were estimated by ELISA. Serum vitamin D was measured by electro-chemiluminescence immunoassay method.


RESULTS
Median TNF-α levels (12.2 vs 6.2 pg/ml; p value <0.001) were significantly higher in ovarian cancer patients and mean IL-4 levels (2.22 ± 0.51 vs 2.99 ± 0.68 pg/ml; p value <0.05) were significantly lower as compared to those of controls. Levels of TNF-α and IL-4 did not vary significantly with clinical staging, and histological grading. Vitamin D levels were negatively correlated with TNF-α and positively correlated with IL-4.


CONCLUSIONS
Low vitamin D levels promotes Th1 activity increasing TNF-α levels and inhibits Th2 activity decreasing IL-4 levels in ovarian cancer. These low levels of vitamin D may induce pro-inflammatory micro ambience which might contribute to pathogenesis of ovarian cancer.
Department of Biochemistry, Maulana Azad Medical College, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi, 110002, India, sudhesna.moh@gmail.com.
S
S
Mohapatra
A
A
Saxena
G
G
Gandhi
B C
BC
Koner
T
T
Singh
P C
PC
Ray
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D000077216:Carcinoma, Ovarian Epithelial; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009375:Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011379:Prognosis; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood*; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000097:blood*; D014815:Vitamins / Q000097:blood*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C508598:IL4 protein, human; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D014815:Vitamins; D014807:Vitamin D; D015847:Interleukin-4