Testing for association between month of birth and circulating levels of vitamin D among participants in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial
Principal Investigator
Name
Lahiru Handunnetthi
Degrees
M.D., Ph.D.
Institution
University of Oxford
Position Title
Clnical Research Fellow
Email
About this CDAS Project
Study
PLCO
(Learn more about this study)
Project ID
PLCO-318
Initial CDAS Request Approval
Oct 23, 2017
Title
Testing for association between month of birth and circulating levels of vitamin D among participants in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial
Summary
Low circulating vitamin D levels are associated with a number of cancers and autoimmune diseases. Therefore, understanding factors that determine circulating vitamin D levels is of interest to disease prevention. Several genetic markers that influence circulating vitamin D levels have previously been identified.
Many diseases associated with low circulating vitamin D levels also display month of birth effects. A leading candidate for mediating the month of birth effect is vitamin D itself, thus, it is possible that early life or intrauterine levels of vitamin D exposure can result in germline epigenetic changes and later regulate the bioavailability of vitamin D later in life.
In an exploratory data-only project we hope to test our hypothesis that month of birth is associated with circulating levels of vitamin D using the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) Vitamin D Masterfile dataset containing vitamin D levels in 3418 cases and 3442 controls. To our knowledge this is the first study of its kind and results could have important implication for future studies of disease prevention.
Many diseases associated with low circulating vitamin D levels also display month of birth effects. A leading candidate for mediating the month of birth effect is vitamin D itself, thus, it is possible that early life or intrauterine levels of vitamin D exposure can result in germline epigenetic changes and later regulate the bioavailability of vitamin D later in life.
In an exploratory data-only project we hope to test our hypothesis that month of birth is associated with circulating levels of vitamin D using the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) Vitamin D Masterfile dataset containing vitamin D levels in 3418 cases and 3442 controls. To our knowledge this is the first study of its kind and results could have important implication for future studies of disease prevention.
Aims
1. Test for any association with month of birth and circulating vitamin D levels in controls and cases.
Collaborators
Professor Julian Knight, Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford.