[iko (OP)]

ok Iko.. My blood tests=vitamin "D" test came back at 12 WHICH she said was very very low.. supplements have been added 1 a week at 1.25mg for a 12 weeks. Only she said it shouldn't be that low while I am taking huge doses of omega 3 Vitamin. "D" and my thyroid screwed up now taking 175mcg levoxyl instead 150.Feel like crap and hurt everywhere specially in my bones etc...

Instead of tons of omega-3(fish oil), you could have taken
Liver fish oil, rich of omega-3 plus vitamin A and D.  []

[Karen W.]

WELL THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN GOOD lol... WHAT THE HECK IS A LIVER FISH? LOL...

[iko (OP)]

WELL THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN GOOD lol... WHAT THE HECK IS A LIVER FISH? LOL...

Fish liver oil...mostly cod liver oil!!!  []
(I learned English from a book!)
Hugs

ikod

[Karen W.]

LOL...LOL. Basically cod liver oil.... OK then.. Thanks Iko.. Your English is fine like mine... Sometimes, I need to explain myself, too!

Thank you!

Hugs you back!

[Karen W.]

update...I am now in my second round of 12 weeks of Vitamin D supplementation. I do feel some better but still having some problems.. She checked my Vitamin d level and felt it necessary to   continue for another 12 weeks on 50,000 units a week. 

[ericcarter13]

"There is much we still need to learn about the roles of diet and physical activity in protecting against cancer: We are confident these new studies will add to our understanding in this vital field,"

[iko (OP)]

Do we need more than vitamin D 200-400 I.U. per day recommended in the past century?
Maybe:

Are commonly recommended dosages for vitamin D supplementation too low?
Vitamin D status and effects of supplementation on serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels
-an observational study during clinical practice conditions.

Leidig-Bruckner G, Roth HJ, Bruckner T, Lorenz A, Raue F, Frank-Raue K.
Gemeinschaftspraxis für Endokrinologie, Nuklearmedizin und Humangenetik, Brückenstr. 21, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany, thomas.bruckner@t-online.de.

Abstract
Vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased fracture risk. The observational study aimed to investigate vitamin D status and supplementation in ambulatory patients. Only 20% of patients had optimal serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels. Commonly recommended dosages were insufficient to achieve clinically relevant increase of 25(OH)D levels. Higher dosages were safe and effective under clinical practice conditions.
INTRODUCTION: Vitamin D deficiency is associated with adverse health outcome. The study aimed to investigate vitamin D status and supplementation in ambulatory patients.
METHODS: Nine hundred seventy-five women and 188 men were evaluated for bone status from January 2008 to August 2008 within an observational study; 104 patients (n = 70 osteoporosis) received follow-up after 3 months. Dosage of vitamin D supplementation was documented and serum 25(OH)D and parathyroid hormone (PTH) determined.
RESULTS: In all patients (age, 60.4 +/- 14.1 years), distribution of 25(OH)D was 56.3 +/- 22.3 nmol/L (normal range, 52-182 nmol/L) and PTH 53.8 +/- 67.5 ng/L (normal range, 11-43 ng/L). The proportion of patients with 25(OH)D < 25, 25 to <50, 50 to <75, >/=75 nmol/L was 7.5%, 33.3%, 38.9% and 20.2% in the total group and 20.1%, 38.5%, 30.8%, 10.6% at baseline in the follow-up group, respectively. After 3 months, 3.9% had still 25(OH)D < 25 nmol/L; only 12.5% achieved 25(OH)D >/= 75 nmol/L. In osteoporosis patients, 25(OH)D increased more in those taking >/=1,500 (median, 3,000) IU vitamin D per day (33.1 +/- 14.7 nmol/L) compared with </=1,000 (median, 800) IU/day (10.6 +/- 20.0 nmol/L) (p < 0.0008). PTH decreased more in patients taking >/=1,500 IU/day (-13.2 +/- 15.2 ng/L) compared with </=1,000 IU/day (-7.6 +/- 19.2 ng/L; p = 0.29). 25(OH)D was negatively correlated to PTH (r = -0.49, p < 0.0001). An increase of 25(OH)D >/= 75 nmol/L resulted in normalised PTH.

CONCLUSION: Supplementation with higher vitamin D dosages (2,000-3,000 IU/day) is required to achieve a relevant increase of 25(OH)D and normalisation of PTH.

Osteoporos Int. 2010 Jun 17. [Epub ahead of print]

A promise is a promise... []
so here you find D-vitamin safety limits:

Risk assessment for vitamin D.

Hathcock JN, Shao A, Vieth R, Heaney R.
Council for Responsible Nutrition, Washington, DC 20036-5114, USA. jhathcock@crnusa.org

The objective of this review was to apply the risk assessment methodology used by the Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) to derive a revised safe Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) for vitamin D. New data continue to emerge regarding the health benefits of vitamin D beyond its role in bone. The intakes associated with those benefits suggest a need for levels of supplementation, food fortification, or both that are higher than current levels. A prevailing concern exists, however, regarding the potential for toxicity related to excessive vitamin D intakes. The UL established by the FNB for vitamin D (50 microg, or 2000 IU) is not based on current evidence and is viewed by many as being too restrictive, thus curtailing research, commercial development, and optimization of nutritional policy. Human clinical trial data published subsequent to the establishment of the FNB vitamin D UL published in 1997 support a significantly higher UL. We present a risk assessment based on relevant, well-designed human clinical trials of vitamin D.
Collectively, the absence of toxicity in trials conducted in healthy adults that used vitamin D dose > or = 250 microg/d (10,000 IU vitamin D3) supports the confident selection of this value as the UL.

Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Jan;85(1):6-18.

Free full text to enjoy real Science!  http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/reprint/85/1/6

[Jimy blue]

he doctor should be called if the parent notices that the child has any signs of vitamin D
take care people

[Karen W.]

Jimmy Blue do you mean if the child has any sign of vitamin "D" deficiency?

[iko (OP)]

D-vitamin newsletter!  [] [] []

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin d and the incidence of acute viral respiratory tract infections in healthy adults.

Sabetta JR, Depetrillo P, Cipriani RJ, Smardin J, Burns LA, Landry ML.

Department of Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America.

Abstract
BACKGROUND: Declining serum concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D seen in the fall and winter as distance increases from the equator may be a factor in the seasonal increased prevalence of influenza and other viral infections. This study was done to determine if serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations correlated with the incidence of acute viral respiratory tract infections. METHODOLOGY/FINDINGS: In this prospective cohort study serial monthly concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D were measured over the fall and winter 2009-2010 in 198 healthy adults, blinded to the nature of the substance being measured. The participants were evaluated for the development of any acute respiratory tract infections by investigators blinded to the 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations. The incidence of infection in participants with different concentrations of vitamin D was determined. One hundred ninety-five (98.5%) of the enrolled participants completed the study. Light skin pigmentation, lean body mass, and supplementation with vitamin D were found to correlate with higher concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D. Concentrations of 38 ng/ml or more were associated with a significant (p<0.0001) two-fold reduction in the risk of developing acute respiratory tract infections and with a marked reduction in the percentages of days ill.
CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Maintenance of a 25-hydroxyvitamin D serum concentration of 38 ng/ml or higher should significantly reduce the incidence of acute viral respiratory tract infections and the burden of illness caused thereby, at least during the fall and winter in temperate zones. The findings of the present study provide direction for and call for future interventional studies examining the efficacy of vitamin D supplementation in reducing the incidence and severity of specific viral infections, including influenza, in the general population and in subpopulations with lower 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations, such as pregnant women, dark skinned individuals, and the obese.

PLoS One. 2010 Jun 14;5(6):e11088

http://www.paesionline.it/foto_italia/DD1004_sci_estivo_tonale.jpg

[iko (OP)]

Searching for D-vitamin & leukemia connections...

Products of vitamin D3 or 7-dehydrocholesterol metabolism by cytochrome P450scc show anti-leukemia effects, having low or absent calcemic activity.

Slominski AT, Janjetovic Z, Fuller BE, Zmijewski MA, Tuckey RC, Nguyen MN, Sweatman T, Li W, Zjawiony J, Miller D, Chen TC, Lozanski G, Holick MF.

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, United States of America. aslominski@uthsc.edu

Abstract
BACKGROUND: Cytochrome P450scc metabolizes vitamin D3 to 20-hydroxyvitamin D3 (20(OH)D3) and 20,23(OH)(2)D3, as well as 1-hydroxyvitamin D3 to 1alpha,20-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,20(OH)(2)D3). It also cleaves the side chain of 7-dehydrocholesterol producing 7-dehydropregnenolone (7DHP), which can be transformed to 20(OH)7DHP. UVB induces transformation of the steroidal 5,7-dienes to pregnacalciferol (pD) and a lumisterol-like compounds (pL).
METHODS AND FINDINGS: To define the biological significance of these P450scc-initiated pathways, we tested the effects of their 5,7-diene precursors and secosteroidal products on leukemia cell differentiation and proliferation in comparison to 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)(2)D3). These secosteroids inhibited proliferation and induced erythroid differentiation of K562 human chronic myeloid and MEL mouse leukemia cells with 20(OH)D3 and 20,23(OH)(2)D3 being either equipotent or slightly less potent than 1,25(OH)(2)D3, while 1,20(OH)(2)D3, pD and pL compounds were slightly or moderately less potent. The compounds also inhibited proliferation and induced monocytic differentiation of HL-60 promyelocytic and U937 promonocytic human leukemia cells. Among them 1,25(OH)(2)D3 was the most potent, 20(OH)D3, 20,23(OH)(2)D3 and 1,20(OH)(2)D3 were less active, and pD and pL compounds were the least potent. Since it had been previously proven that secosteroids without the side chain (pD) have no effect on systemic calcium levels we performed additional testing in rats and found that 20(OH)D3 had no calcemic activity at concentration as high as 1 microg/kg, whereas, 1,20(OH)(2)D3 was slightly to moderately calcemic and 1,25(OH)(2)D3 had strong calcemic activity.

CONCLUSIONS: We identified novel secosteroids that are excellent candidates for anti-leukemia therapy with 20(OH)D3 deserving special attention because of its relatively high potency and lack of calcemic activity.

PLoS One. 2010 Mar 26;5(3):e9907

free full-text!  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20360850

http://www.uoguelph.ca/research/publications/Assets/HTML_MAGS/health/images/p35.gif

Vitamins versus leukemia
Vitamins A and D may stop cancer cells from growing
by Joseph Briante

Vitamins that can "steer" cancer cells away from growth toward cell differentiation or cell death may form the basis of new therapies for fighting leukemia, say University of Guelph researchers.

Profs. Kelly Meckling-Gill and Jim Kirkland, graduate student Donna Berry and post-doctoral fellow Ducica Curdic, Department of Human Biology and Nutritional Sciences, have discovered a vitamin D signalling pathway that affects how cancer cells grow and develop.

They're now looking at a combination of vitamins A and D to combat acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), which accounts for about 10 per cent of leukemia cases.

Vitamins A and D may also have preventive activity in inhibiting leukemia development in the "at risk" population.

"If we treat leukemia cells with both (Vitamin A and D), those cells are induced to die at a high rate," says Meckling-Gill. "And the vitamins may have a role in preventing cancerous development."


THE APL CHALLENGE
APL usually strikes adults in the prime of their life, with a median age of about 35. Traditional chemotherapy is effective, but relapses are common and very aggressive. So physicians use another approach known as differentiation therapy, which uses an agent to force immature cancer cells to mature and, at the same time, inhibits their growth.
One such agent, retinoic acid -- an active metabolite of vitamin A -- has already been used clinically to treat APL. But its use is limited because it has only short-term efficacy, and patients generally develop resistance.

The Guelph researchers hope that a dual attack using calcitriol, the active form of Vitamin D, and retinoic acid will improve the efficacy of differentiation therapy. If this happens, a treatment could be developed to use when retinoic acid fails.

Meckling-Gill has shown that when calcitriol is used, APL cells mature normally in a pathway distinct from the one induced by retinoic acid. APL cells are arrested at a point where they would normally choose between two maturation pathways. Retinoic acid stimulates maturation to neutrophils; and calcitriol, to monocytes and macrophages, cell types important for immune function.

"A patient resistant to retinoic acid may still respond to vitamin D," says Meckling-Gill. "We hope this research will contribute to the design of a drug to use in a clinical setting."

A MORE GENTLE THERAPY

The advantage of vitamin-derived treatment is that it could decrease problems associated with immunosuppressive and chemotherapeutic drugs, which often have very toxic side effects. If effective, differentiation therapy eliminates the need for patients to undergo bone marrow transplants, which are risky and costly.

This research is sponsored by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and the Cancer Research Society Inc.

Fall 1998!!!   10 years after the "Shanghai Report"!
 http://www.uoguelph.ca/research/publications/Assets/HTML_MAGS/health/page35.html

http://brainworldmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/sunlight.jpg

[iko (OP)]

Time is flowing fast, reports about vit.D
deficiency are many: this one is about post-
-bone marrow transplant pediatric patients:
mostly leukemic patients, of course.

25-Hydroxy Vitamin D Deficiency Following Pediatric Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant.

Duncan CN, Vrooman L, Apfelbaum EM, Whitley K, Bechard L, Lehmann LE.
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, United States.

Children may be at increased risk for vitamin D deficiency following HSCT due to lack of sun exposure, the recommended use of sunscreen, dietary insufficiency, malabsorption, and the use of certain medications. We prospectively assessed the prevalence of and risk factors for 25-hydroxy (OH) vitamin D deficiency in 67 patients transplanted at our institution. 25-OH vitamin D levels were checked during three separate four week periods in the spring, autumn, and winter. Subjects were less than two years following transplant and/or being treated for chronic GVHD. Levels less than 20 ng/mL were considered deficient and those less than 30 ng/mL were considered insufficient. The mean 25-OH vitamin D level was 22.8 ng/mL (range 7- 46.2). 80.6% (CI 69.1- 89.3%) of patients had a level less than the lower limit of the institutional normal range. The deficiency rate was 37.3% (CI 25.8-50%). The mean parathyroid hormone (PTH) level was 77.5 (SD 80.5). There was no correlation between 25-OH vitamin D and PTH levels. We evaluated potential risk factors for 25-OH vitamin D deficiency including age, season of testing, sun exposure, sunscreen use, use of steroid or calcineurin inhibitor, race, and dairy intake. In multivariate logistic regression, only older age was found to be a risk factor for deficiency (p=0.004). Patients with deficient levels were treated with 50,000 IU of ergocalciferol once weekly for six weeks. A post-repletion 25-OH level was available for 22 patients. The majority of repleted patients had a normal post-treatment level (63.6%). The post-supplementation level corrected into the insufficient range for 31.8% of patients and 4.6% remained deficient.

 Vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency are common following HSCT. Further investigation into potential risk factors and the appropriate supplementation for these patients is warranted.

Biol.Bone Marrow Transplant   2010 Oct.14

http://picture-book.com/files/userimages/250u/morning.jpg

[iko (OP)]

Freshly published. From Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
Almost 22 years after the 'Shanghai Report'.

Vitamin D insufficiency and prognosis in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

Shanafelt TD, Drake MT, Maurer MJ, Allmer C, Rabe KG, Slager SL, Weiner GJ, Call TG, Link BK, Zent CS, Kay NE, Hanson CA, Witzig TE, Cerhan JR.
Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States;

Abstract
Vitamin D insufficiency is common globally with low levels linked to higher cancer incidence. Although vitamin D insufficiency is related to inferior prognosis in some cancers, no data exist for chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL). We evaluated the relationship of 25(OH)D serum levels with time-to-treatment(TTT) and overall survival(OS) in newly diagnosed CLL patients participating in a prospective cohort study(discovery cohort) and a separate cohort of previously untreated patients participating in an observational study(confirmation cohort). Of 390 CLL patients in the discovery cohort, 119(30.5%) were 25(OH)D insufficient. After median follow-up of 3 years, TTT(hazard ratio[HR ]=1.66; p=0.005) and OS(HR=2.39; p=0.01) were shorter for 25(OH)D insufficient patients. In the validation cohort, 61 of 153 patients(39.9%) were 25(OH)D insufficient. After median follow-up of 9.9 years, TTT(HR=1.59; p=0.05) and OS(HR 1.63; p=0.06) were again shorter for 25(OH)D insufficient patients. On pooled multivariable analysis of patients in both cohorts adjusting for age, sex, stage, CD38, ZAP-70, IGHV, CD49d, and FISH, 25(OH)D insufficiency remained an independent predictor of TTT(HR=1.47; p=0.008), although the association with OS was not significant(HR=1.47; p=0.07). Vitamin D insufficiency is associated with inferior TTT and OS in CLL patients. Whether normalizing vitamin D levels in deficient CLL patients would improve outcome merits clinical testing.

Blood. 2010 Nov 3. [Epub ahead of print]

PMID: 21048153

http://www.nordiclandscapes.com/Mountains-Winter/slides/8-sunrise-mountains-norway.jpg

[iko (OP)]

Hey!
Somebody just found the ancient "Shanghai Report" searching PubMed...
...and surprisingly didn't think to cross leukemia and 'cod' on Google!

http://community.lls.org/thread/8398

...and now, if you Google "leukemia cod" these two 'pieces of information'
come first and second out of 245k citations! I love this new global Era...
and I'd like to celebrate with you all. Stand up and dance:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I23Bkk92124&feature=channel

http://img3.allvoices.com/thumbs/event/609/480/65740950-tula.jpg

Playing for Change is a multimedia movement created to inspire, connect, and bring peace to the world through music. It creates music all over the world to make money to build music and art schools in communities that are in need of inspiration and hope.
Based on the belief that music has the power to break down boundaries and overcome distances between people, Playing for Change set out to make music by gathering musicians from all over the world and bringing their music to the masses. Their efforts clearly proves that music is the same throughout the world.
Chanda Mama is a folk song from India about the moon. Playing for Change made the Chanda Mama video with a group of talented musicians such as Tula (Israel), Noel Schajris (Argentina), Paolo Morais (Portugal), Roberto Luti & Stefano Tomaselli (Italy), Oneness Choir (India), choir Sinamuva & Sibongiseni Mbanjwa (South Africa), Marcelo "Gaucho" & Santiago Maggi (Argentina), Damien Issertes (France), to name a few.

Here are the lyrics and the English translation as can be found on www.songlyrics.com

Chanda mama raavayya : Moon please come
Nannu yetthukoni muddhuladi povayya : Hold me and kiss me and go
Maraalu nenenni chesina : Thou I always sulked and made petty demands
Gaaralyu neeve chupina: YOu always returned your TLC (tender loving care) and pampered me

"This Song Around The World is a folk tune that originated in Chennai, India. We started the track in New Orleans and added musicians from the all over the world before finally delivering it the people of its origin. We ended up in Chennai recording and filming vocals by the Oneness Choir. The result is an uplifting track that has a feeling of perseverance and joy." - Playing for Change

http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/7137474-playing-for-change-chanda-mama/content/65740950-tula

[iko (OP)]

"...From a clinical perspective, vitamin D insufficiency represents the first potentially modifiable prognostic marker in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) by presenting the opportunity for patients to have their serum vitamin D checked and, if they are deficient, vitamin D supplements administered to correct the deficit."

...

CLL: a supplementary question?

Pepper C, Fegan C.
Cardiff University.

Comment on:
Blood. 2011 Feb 3;117(5):1492-8.

Abstract
In this issue of Blood, Shanafelt and colleagues provide the first evidence that vitamin D deficiency is a risk factor for disease progression in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Their findings imply that dietary vitamin D supplementation could potentially modify the natural history of this incurable disease.

Blood. 2011 Feb 3;117(5):1439-40.

http://bloodjournal.hematologylibrary.org/cgi/reprint/117/5/1439

[iko (OP)]

Ok, we seem to be almost THERE.

It's a pity we didn't start from childhood leukemias...they are not incurable, in fact, but curable in the majority of patients (well over 50%), not enough though.
 
 

‎ "To see what is in front of one's nose needs a constant struggle." George Orwell

If, in the near future, proper vitamin D3 supplementation improves survival in childhood leukemias...
  Well...I'm going to take a week off, a month off...maybe a whole year off!

Ikod

...and that's it my friends,
I thank you so much for your interest
in such a neglected area of human research.

Ikod