Effects of personalized vitamin D₃ on inflammation in colorectal cancer patients: a randomized trial

Low vitamin D status and inflammation are associated with poor prognosis among colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. We assessed the efficacy of personalized vitamin D₃ supplementation (VIDS) for reducing inflammation in patients with low vitamin D status.

In an ongoing randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in Germany, CRC patients who underwent surgery in the past year and had serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels < 60 nmol/L were randomly assigned to either a personalized loading dose of VIDS, followed by a maintenance dose of 2000 IU/day or a placebo for 12 weeks. Changes in serum interleukin-6 (IL-6), interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP-1) were compared at the end of trial among 126 patients (65 in the placebo and 61 in the intervention group).

The VIDS group exhibited 39.3% reduction in IL-6 levels compared to the placebo group (95% CI: -54.9% to -18.2%; p = 0.001). The reductions observed in IFN-γ and MMP-1 due to VIDS were not statistically significant (-6.7%; p = 0.69 and -5.4%; p = 0.23, respectively).

In CRC patients with low vitamin D status, VIDS reduces serum IL-6, a pro-inflammatory biomarker associated with poor prognosis. Further research should explore a potential supportive therapeutic role of VIDS in managing inflammation and improving CRC outcomes. [Words: 200].