Assessment of Vitamin A and D Status in Male Patients with Prostate Disorders in Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Vitamin A and D are both fat-soluble vitamins that are crucial for maintaining overall health and are highly indispensable, despite their minimal daily requirements. Their involvement in cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis has linked them to the development of various tumours, particularly those associated with an increased risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and cancer of the prostate (CAP). Objective: This study aims to assess the levels of vitamin A and D among adult men with BPH and prostate cancers attending the clinic at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, to establish any form of relationship between these vitamins and the disease conditions. Methods: A total of one hundred thirty-eight consenting male subjects 50 years and above diagnosed with prostate enlargement (68) and prostate cancer (70) with Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) above 4ng/ml and attended the urology clinic as well as healthy non-prostate diseased subjects’ men (69) attending general clinic all at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-araba were recruited for the study. A 5 mL venous blood sample was collected from subjects and controls, and the samples were dispensed into specimen containers to determine the total PSA and Vitamins A and D levels using the ELISA method.  Data generated were subjected to statistical analysis using SPSS version 20 with the application of mean, student’s test, one-way ANOVA and Pearson’s correlation coefficient, adopting a p-value less than 0.05 (p<0.05) as statistically significant. Results: Vitamin D levels among individuals in the hyperplasia and prostate cancer group were significantly higher than those in the control subjects. In contrast, vitamin A levels showed no significant difference compared to the hyperplasia and prostate cancer group. Additionally, a positive correlation was observed between vitamin A and D, as well as between serum total PSA and both disease conditions. However, no correlation was found between the vitamins (A and D) and serum PSA in the control group. Conclusion: Maintaining normal serum vitamin A and D levels among males will not only help to reduce the risk or severity of prostate cancer but also be of great benefit to prostate health.