This is all pretty new science - last summer, scientists working with the Human Genome Project announced that thousands of our genes that control major diseases have receptors for Vitamin D on them. In a low Vitamin D environment, these genes mutate and bad things start to happen. I suspect Dupuytrens is one of these diseases since it occurs with more frequency the further one lives from the Equator, as is the case with all of these diseases. Also it's pretty hard to miss the connection if you read the paper on the Vitamin D3 treatment of the Desmoid tumor. Over-proliferation of collagen is central to both Dupuytrens and Desmoids. Anyway, I'm sure many more studies will be forthcoming. In the meantime if you are interested in reducing your risk of everything from Diabetes to Cancer to Heart Disease, you should keep tabs on your D levels.
And Yes, many of us lack the ability or have reduced ability to generate Vitamin D from the sun, possibly a result of age etc., so even if you live in the south, you could still be deficient.
Also, don't count on your surgeon to be up to speed on this yet, some may even be a little defensive - as Upton Sinclair wrote over a century ago "It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his job depends on not understanding it."

Edited 04/11/11 18:02

After I finished the perscription vitamin D(which is Vit D2, 1.25 MG{50,000 unut} one pill every Monday for 6 weeks) I then continued taking my multi vitamin wich contains vitamin D3, 400 IU. I never realized before that there was a D2 and a D3. Thanks for sending the info on it, I am going to check it out, and also question my doctor on my next visit.

I just received my blood work results from my annual physical...crp...perfect!.....Thyroid...perfect! ....cholesterol...177. I got these results from test done yesterday. I have had DC and LD for 6 years. The only "risk" factor I have is...
I am of Scottish descent.

There is some speculation that malfunctions of the thyroid and Dupuytren's Disease might be related

Lockshin MD "Endocrine origins of rheumatic disease. Diagnostic clues to interrelated syndromes" Postgrad Med. 2002 Apr;111(4):87-8, 91-2.
Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11985136

But that's far from any evidence, that's just speculation and above paper is about all there is.

There is no indication whatsoever that Dupuytren's is related to a deficiency of vitamin D. I would therefore suggest to stop posting on vitamin D in this forum because an occasional reader might get the idea that taking vitamin D might be of benefit for Dupuytren's Disease.

Wolfgang

LubaM.:

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I have DD and LD for over ten years. I just had a complete physical and all my test results are normal. No problem with Thyroid, diabetes, Vitamin D, etc. I do not drink alcohol, except for a rare glass of wine... I am 68 and no one in my family has had DD and I am from Eastern European descent....

Go figure!