Is there a Relationship Between Vitamin D and Endometriosis? An Overview of the Literature

Pierluigi Giampaolino, Luigi Della Corte, Virginia Foreste, Giuseppe Bifulco
Current pharmaceutical design · 2019 · vol. 25(22) , pp. 2421–2427 · doi:10.2174/1381612825666190722095401 · PMID:31333100 · W2963190336
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This literature review examined vitamin D serum levels, receptor polymorphisms, binding protein, and supplementation effects in endometriosis, finding promising but insufficient data to establish a cause-effect relationship.

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D is involved in the physiological functions of several tissues, however, its deficiency may contribute to the development of various disorders. Recent research has been focusing on the role of vitamin D in the pathogenesis of endometriosis based on the evidence of the presence of vitamin D receptor and the enzymes required for vitamin D synthesis in the ectopic endometrium. Endometriosis, defined as the presence of endometrial glands and stroma in ectopic locations, is considered an estrogen-dependent disease and Vitamin D seems to have a role in modulation of the inflammatory state and proliferation of endometriotic cells. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to review the available literature regarding the relationship between vitamin D and endometriosis as well as the effects of vitamin D supplementation. METHODS: A search on PubMed database has been performed. RESULTS: The relationship between endometriosis and Vitamin D has been analyzed through the evaluation of vitamin D serum level, the polymorphism of vitamin D receptor and the role of vitamin D-binding protein in patient with endometriosis. The possible role of Vitamin D in the endometriosis therapy has also been investigated, in particular, the effect of vitamin D on pain relief, on endometriotic lesion in vitro and in rat models and in addition to a future target immunotherapy. CONCLUSION: Although promising, the data analyzed are not sufficient to evidence a cause-effect relationship between VD status and endometriosis, therefore further studies are needed in order to better clarify the association between vitamin D and endometriosis, especially in the context of the possibility of new treatment options.

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Condition tags

mesh:D004715endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Endometriosis Vitamin D Vitamin D Deficiency Animals Endometriosis Endometrium Endometrium Female Humans Rats Vitamin D Vitamin D Deficiency Vitamins

Citation neighborhood

Papers in the corpus that this work cites (lower rings, blue) and that cite this one (upper rings, green). Dot size scales with the paper's in-corpus citation count — bigger dot = more influential within the endo/adeno field. Click a dot to open that paper. [ expand to 2 hops ] — adds papers reached through this work's immediate citers/citees. Heavier; up to 60 extra dots.

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Cited by (14)

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