Cancer niacin deficiency

Niacin deficiency is known to produce pellagra, which presents dermatological, gastrointestinal, and neurological symptoms (19,93,96). Niacin has also been implicated in several nonvitamin functions, which are still under investigation. These include the reduction of serum cholesterol levels, vasodilation, and modulation of the effects of cancer and diabetes (93,96-99). 

EL Jacobson. Niacin deficiency and cancer in women. J Am Coll Nutr 12 412-416, 1993. 

The best-established function of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase is in repair of damaged DNA it is activated by DNA strand breaks, and acts to clear histones and other nucleoproteins away from the DNA to permit access of the DNA repair enzymes. Both in vitro and in experimental animals, niacin deficiency leads to increased genomic instability, as the ability to repair damaged DNA is impaired, and may increase tumor risk. There is little information about genomic instability and cancer risk in human niacin deficiency (ffageman and Stiemm, 200f). 

Subclinical niacin deficiency is still present in developing countries and frank deficiency occurs in cancer patients, alcoholics and anorexia nervosa (Kirkland 2007 Prousky et al. 2011). 

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