The relationship between serum vitamin D levels and vitamin D receptor poymorphism with NK cell activity in chronic lymhocytic leukemia patients

CLL is the most common type of leukemia in adults. Elucidating NK cell dysfunction, which has an important role in the etiopathogenesis and process of the disease in CLL patients with multifaceted immune dysfunction, will contribute to the disease treatment process. For this purpose, the relationship between vitamin D level and receptor polymorphism, which are suggested to be related to the etiopathogenesis of the disease in CLL patients, and NK cells were examined. Forty patients who were followed up with a diagnosis of CLL were included in the study with their informed consent. In addition to the demographic and biochemical parameters of the patients, their 25 OH vitamin D levels were recorded and the 3 most common polymorphisms in the vitamin D receptor gene were investigated. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to 25 OH vitamin D levels: below and above 20 pg/dl. The relationship between 25 OH vitamin D and each region polymorphism separately with other biochemical parameters and NK cell function was evaluated using statistical methods. Although no relationship could be detected between vitamin D level and NK cell number and NK cell function, the high frequency of polymorphisms in all three regions compared to the population raises suspicion about the relationship between changes in the vitamin D receptor and the disease. Large-scale studies will shed more light on this relationship.