Effects of Vitamin D Level on Survival in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Overview

Journal Hepatol Forum

Publisher Kare Publishing

Specialty Gastroenterology

Date 2022 Aug 11

PMID 35949727

Authors

Ali Bilgen

Haluk Tarik Kani

Esra Akdeniz

Yesim Ozen Alahdab

Osman Ozdogan

Feyza Gunduz

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background And Aim: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a life-threatening condition of the liver, often concurrent with vitamin D deficiency. In this study, we investigated the relationship between HCC patients' vitamin D levels and overall survival.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively enrolled patients that were being followed on their HCC diagnosis. We collected and examined data on patients' 25-OH vitamin D levels one month before diagnosis or at any point thereafter. We took levels below 10 ng/mL to indicate severe deficiency, levels between 10 ng/mL and 20 ng/mL to indicate moderate deficiency, and levels between 20 ng/mL and 30 ng/mL to indicate mild deficiency. We then analyzed the effects of vitamin D levels on patients' survival for each of these brackets.

Results: We included 85 patients in our survival analyses. We found 9 ng/mL to be the significant cutoff vitamin D level for survival. Vitamin D levels were lower in cases of advanced disease. Univariate analysis showed that advanced Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) grades, vitamin D levels below 9 ng/mL, and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels above 400 ng/dL had a negative significant effect on survival. Multivariate analysis showed that only advanced BCLC grades and AFP levels above 400 ng/dL had a negative significant effect.

Conclusion: In our study's cohort, HCC grades and AFP levels had a substantial negative impact on patients' overall survival. We found no connection, however, between vitamin D levels and overall survival.

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