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

Giampaolino P, Pierluigi Giampaolino, Della Corte L, 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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⚙ AI-generated summary by gemini-2.5-flash-lite, 2026-06-07 ⓘ

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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This paper is an overview of PubMed literature examining whether vitamin D is related to endometriosis and what effects vitamin D supplementation may have. It synthesizes evidence from studies measuring serum vitamin D levels, assessing vitamin D receptor polymorphisms and vitamin D-binding protein, and from experimental work evaluating vitamin D’s effects on pain relief, endometriotic lesions in vitro, and in rat models, including consideration as a future immunotherapy target. The authors conclude that despite promising findings, available data are not sufficient to establish a cause-effect relationship between vitamin D status and endometriosis. This paper is centrally about endometriosis — it reviews the relationship between vitamin D (including supplementation and mechanistic hypotheses) and endometriosis pathogenesis and potential therapeutic effects.

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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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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.

Keywords

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endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

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

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