Vitamin D Levels in Benign and Malignant Prostate Diseases – A Cross-sectional Study in a Mumbai Cohort

Abstract Introduction: The most frequent age-related disease in males is Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and the prevalence of prostate cancer in aging men is rapidly increasing worldwide, particularly in Asian countries. In vivo studies reflect the anti-tumorigenic properties of Vitamin D. This study seeks to add to the understanding of whether Vitamin D deficiency could serve as a modifiable risk factor or a biomarker for prostate cancer. Materials and Methods: 120 males in the age group of 50-80 yrs out of which forty were diagnosed Prostate cancer patients, forty were patients with BPH and forty were healthy controls matched concerning age and sex participated in the study. Serum levels of Vitamin D and serum prostate-specific antigen were measured in the 3 groups. The analysis of continuous data was done using an unpaired t-test and for dichotomous variables, the Chi-square test was used. For the correlation of two continuous variables i.e PSA and Vitamin D3, a correlation coefficient was used. Results: Serum vitamin D levels in patients with prostate carcinoma and BPH was very low compared to healthy controls (p < 0.001). Vitamin D was found to have a positive correlation in prostate cancer patients with a Pearson’s correlation value of 0.403 and in BPH patients with a Pearson’s correlation value of 0.430. Discussion: The findings of this study suggest a possible interplay between vitamin D, PSA, and prostate diseases. Vitamin D may exert anti-inflammatory effects and modulate immune responses, potentially influencing prostate health. It is probable that Vitamin D may influence PSA expression or metabolism. However, further research is needed to elucidate this relationship.