High prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in patients with basal cell nevus syndrome

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate vitamin D status in patients with basal cell nevus syndrome (BCNS) who practice photoprotection because of their genetic predisposition to skin cancer and to determine risk factors for deficiency.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: Academic medical centers.

Patients: Forty-one ambulatory patients with BCNS who participated in a 2-year chemoprevention clinical trial. Population-based controls (n = 360) were selected and matched by age, sex, Fitzpatrick skin type, and season/geography.

Main outcome measures: Levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) and vitamin D deficiency (defined as a 25[OH]D level of ≤20 ng/mL).

Results: Twenty-three patients with BCNS (56%) were vitamin D deficient. Patients with BCNS had mean 25(OH)D levels below those of the general population (-3 ng/mL; P = .02) and were 3 times more likely to be vitamin D deficient (56% vs 18%; P < .001). Levels of 25(OH)D were lower in patients who were overweight (-3.0 ng/mL; P = .04) and who had blood collected in the winter compared with the summer (-7.1 ng/mL; P < .001).

Conclusion: Patients with BCNS may be at increased risk for vitamin D deficiency, depending on their adherence to photoprotection practices.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00023621.

Figures

Figure 1

Levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) in 22 patients with basal cell nevus syndrome (BCNS) who had serial blood collections in the summer and winter season of 1 year. Patients with BCNS have higher 25(OH)D levels in the summer (mean [SD], 27.4 [11.7] ng/mL) compared with the winter (20.3 [10.4] ng/mL; P=.04). Horizontal lines indicate mean levels. To convert 25(OH)D to nanomoles per liter, multiply by 2.496.

Figure 2

Percentage of patients with basal cell nevus syndrome (BCNS) (n=41) and National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) control subjects (n=360) who had vitamin D deficiency (25-hydroxyvitamin D levels ≤20 ng/mL) or severe deficiency (≤10 ng/mL). The NHANES controls were matched by age, sex, race, Fitzpatrick skin type, and season/geography. To convert 25(OH)D to nanomoles per liter, multiply by 2.496.