Vitamin D supplementation: Hypothetical effect on medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw. (July 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lorenzo-Pouso, Alejandro I.; Pérez-Sayáns, Mario; García, Abel; Carballo, Javier
• Is Part Of: Medical hypotheses. Volume 116(2018)
• Page Start: 79
• Page End: 83
• Publication Date: 2018-07
• Subjects: Osteonecrosis -- Vitamin -- Supplementation -- Osteoporosis -- Biphosphonates; Medicine -- Periodicals; Medicine -- Periodicals; Médecine -- Périodiques; Medicine; Periodicals; 610
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2018.04.023
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0306-9877

Abstract

Abstract: Vitamin D is an important nutrient for bone health and skeleton growth. Few foods are natural sources of this secosteroid; this is the reason why the consumption of vitamin D as a dietary supplement is becoming common in developed countries. For many years vitamin D has been considered crucial in the treatment and prevention of the Global Burden of Disease and in a reduction in mortality among elder people. Many health care providers prescribe these supplements in the management of osteoporosis and metabolic bone diseases; specifically in the primary prevention of fractures. Recently medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) has been reported as severe late sequelae of antiresorptive therapies (i.e., bisphosphonates and some monoclonal antibodies). Although MRONJ-related pathophysiology is not fully understood, there are three fundamental theories to explain it: (1) the inhibition of osteoclasts, (2) the inhibition of angiogenesis and (3) the processes of inflammation-infection. Recent advances in Vitamin D research have shown that this secosteroid can play a potential pivotal role in many of the different etiological pathways of MRONJ. Furthermore, there are a large number of co-morbidities between the deficit of this vitamin and other MRONJ concomitant outcomes. Our hypothesis argues that the low-risk and low-cost vitamin D dietary supplementation may prove to be suitable for use as a practical MRONJ prevention strategy. The described framework gives more insight into the study of disease mechanisms, search of potential biomarkers, and therapeutic targets in MRONJ.