Effectiveness of vitamin D2 supplementation on high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and other metabolic indices in menopausal Thai women: a randomized-controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness of vitamin D2 supplementation with ergocalciferol on high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) level and other cardio-metabolic indices in menopausal Thai women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial was conducted at the menopause clinic of a university hospital in Thailand from May 2017 to 2018. Participants were 80 postmenopausal women randomly assigned to treatment (N = 40, receiving vitamin D2 40,000 IU/week) or control (N = 40, receiving placebo) for 12 weeks. The primary outcome was hsCRP level, and secondary outcomes were cardio-metabolic profiles and 10-year risk of developing cardiovascular disease using the Framingham risk score. The changes from baseline to week-12 (Δ) of all outcomes were analyzed using a modified intention-to-treat (ITT) population. RESULTS: The vitamin D2 (N = 39) and placebo (N = 37) groups were comparable in all baseline characteristics. The hsCRP level was significantly reduced in the vitamin D2 group (Δ of -0.39 ± 1.30 mg/L, p = .024) but not in the placebo group (Δ of -0.15 ± 1.15 mg/L, p = .521). However, the Δ of hsCRP had no statistical difference between groups; neither did the Δ of other cardio-metabolic parameters. CONCLUSION: In menopausal Thai women, vitamin D2 supplementation with ergocalciferol 40,000 IU/week for 12 weeks can reduce hsCRP level; and the treatment might be superior to placebo. However, the hsCRP levels after 12 weeks between both groups were not statistically different. Clinical Trial Registration: Thai Clinical Trials Registry (TCTR20161216001).

SYNOPSISVitamin D2 supplementation in menopausal Thai women can reduce hsCRP level and might be superior to placebo.

A rare case of mixed gonadal dysgenesis in adulthood: diagnostic delay and unique outcomes.

Mixed gonadal dysgenesis (MGD) is a rare sex development disorder, diagnosed by mosaic karyotype of 45,X/46,XY (classical form) with the presence of Müllerian structures, unilateral testis and contralateral streak gonad. MGD expresses diverse phenotypes, from female phenotype with virilization or turner stigmata, to ambiguous genitalia or male phenotype. Early diagnosis is crucial for effective correction of height, sexual development and cancer prevention. The study reports on a case of a 25-year-old patient, reared as female, presenting a large abdominal mass later confirmed as a mixed germ cell tumor. Associated findings were primary amenorrhea, ambiguous genitalia, short statue, gender dysphoria and hyperlipidemia. The study is the first to report on hyperlipidemia in MGD.