Study the levels of vitamin D and C-reactive protein in lung cancer patients from THI-QAR Governorate-Iraq

Abstract

Background: Lung cancer is one of the deadliest neoplasms worldwide, the majority of which are non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Recent evidence has linked vitamin D deficiency to systemic inflammation and cancer evolution. C-reactive protein (CRP), which is an immune-related inflammatory marker, and vitamin D, an immune-modulatory mediator, were underlined in the previous researches and might show value for prognosis of lung cancer. Methodology: The present case-control study was carried out from November 2024 to April 2025 at Thi-Qar, Iraq. A total of 60 patients with lung cancer (31 males, 29 females) and 60 age-matched controls were included in the study. Venous blood samples were obtained and serum was separated and stored to determine the 25-hydroxyvitamin D and CRP concentrations using Cobas e411. Data were analyzed by SPSS ver 26 and p?0.05 was considered significant. Results: Age and BMI were not significantly different between the groups. The CRP levels were significantly higher in lung cancer patients (54.1±42.7 mg/dL) than in the control group (2.8±2.3 mg/dL; p<0.001), whereas the vitamin D concentrations were significantly lower in the lung cancer group (12.3±6.5 µg/L vs. 22.5±8.9 µg/L; p<0.001). There were no statistically significant age differences within the patient group for either marker. Conclusions: The significant increase in CRP and decrease in vitamin D levels between lung cancer patients and healthy controls suggested that systemic inflammation and vitamin D insufficiency are associated with the pathogenesis of lung cancer.