Multiple Sclerosis – more gray matter and fewer relapses if 10 ng more vitamin D

Created October 2015

Vitamin D in clinically isolated syndrome: evidence for possible neuroprotection

European Journal of Neurology, Article first published online: 31 OCT 2015, DOI: 10.1111/ene.12844

E. M. Mowry1,*, D. Pelletier2, Z. Gao3, M. D. Howell3, S. S. Zamvil4 andE. Waubant4

Every 10 ng/ml more vitamin D associated with * 8 ml more gray matter volume * 35% reduction in risk of MS relapse (P = 0.096) See also VitaminDWiki * Fewer white spots in MRI brain scans if had more vitamin D – Jan 2014 * Multiple Sclerosis Treatment and Research -Vitamin D presentations at European Congress Oct 2015 * Multiple Sclerosis web survey: 82 percent take vitamin D (2000-5000 IU), strong association with latitude - Aug 2015 * Multiple Sclerosis prevention by Vitamin D: 10 year, 30 million dollar trial - Sept 2013 * Appears that Vitamin D can induce remission in recent Multiple Sclerosis * Prevention with vitamin D in Multiple Sclerosis is logical – editorial April 2013 The articles in both MS and Meta-Analysis are: {category} MS Intervention using Vitamin D: {category} 10 Most visited pages in Multiple Sclerosis {LISTPAGES}

Background and purpose

Vitamin D status has been associated with inflammatory activity in multiple sclerosis (MS), but it is not known if it is associated with gray matter volume, the loss of which predicts long-term disability in MS. The association of vitamin D levels with brain volume measures and inflammatory activity in patients with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) was investigated.

Methods

In the phase 2 CIS trial of atorvastatin, 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were evaluated for their age-adjusted associations with normalized gray matter and brain parenchymal volumes on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The relationships between 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and clinical and MRI measures of inflammatory activity were also assessed.

Results

In 65 patients in this substudy, each 25 nmol/l higher 25-hydroxyvitamin D level was associated with 7.8 ml higher gray matter volume (95% confidence interval 1.0, 14.6, P = 0.025). There was a tendency for an inverse association of average 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and the composite end-point of ≥3 new brain T2 lesions or ≥1 relapse within a year (odds ratio per 25 nmol/l higher 25-hydroxyvitamin D level 0.66, 95% confidence interval 0.41, 1.08, P = 0.096).

Conclusions

Vitamin D status may impact neurodegeneration after CIS, although these results should be replicated in a second study. If confirmed in clinical trials, vitamin D supplementation may reduce long-term disability.

Tags: Multiple Sclerosis