The following is a summary of “Relationship between human papillomavirus and serum vitamin D levels: a systematic review,” published in the January 2024 issue of Infectious Diseases by Khalili et al.
Human papillomavirus (HPV), a prevalent sexually transmitted disease (STD), affects people globally. Researchers conducted a retrospective study investigating connections between cervicovaginal HPV infection and serum vitamin D levels.
They utilized electronic databases, such as Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, and PubMed, to conduct searches using various keyword combinations related to “human papillomavirus” and “vitamin D.” The keywords were sourced from Mesh and Emtree with AND, and OR operators. The search was performed without any time restriction and collected data (December 24, 2022). The reporting followed established guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) for systematic reviews and meta-analyses.
The result showed 11,168 participants, 276 citations related to vitamin D and cervicovaginal HPV, and 7 met the inclusion criteria for detailed review. While the findings remained inconclusive, three studies suggested a link between vitamin D deficiency and HPV infection, while three others did not. One study observed a correlation between higher vitamin D levels and prolonged persistence of high-risk HPV strains.
Investigators concluded that, despite initial interest, current research reveals no conclusive link between vitamin D levels and cervicovaginal HPV infection; further investigation is needed.
Source: bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12879-024-09006-8
