The effect of 1‐hydroxyvitamin D3 for prolongation of leukemic transformation‐free survival in myelodysplastic syndromes

Abstract

Leukemic transformation (LT) free survival was studied in 30 patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). In 15 cases, 4–6 μg/day of 1-hydroxyvitamin D₃ was administered, for a median duration of 17 months (D-group), other subjects had no therapy (N group). LT free survival of the D group had significant advantage over that of the N group according to the Kaplan—Meier method (P < 0.001). In addition, 7 cases in the N group developed acute leukemia, in contrast to only one in the D group (P < 0.05). These results suggest that oral administration of 1-hydroxyvitamin D₃ prevents the progression of MDS to overt leukemia under the effect of differentiation capacity from blasts to monocytes.