Multiple Sclerosis and Vitamin D – chapter and entire MS book - Nov 2017

Vitamin D and Multiple Sclerosis: An Update.

Zahoor I2, Haq E2.
Chapter 5 of MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS: Perspectives in Treatment and Pathogenesis [Internet]. Brisbane (AU): Codon Publications; 2017 Nov

• 1 Department of Neural & Behavioral Sciences, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA
• 2 Bioinformatics Centre, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, India

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Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a long-lasting inflammatory neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system caused by an inappropriate attack of the body’s immune system on its own cells. To date, its etiology remains highly enigmatic, with insufficient evidence on the exact cause triggering the disease. Many studies have highlighted the role of different environmental and genetic factors in its etiopathogenesis, each adding a new wedge to MS conundrum and therefore making it a multifactorial and polygenic disease. One of the entrants in the risk factor category for MS is vitamin D, and there is sufficient evidence to suggest its role in increasing the risk of MS development. MS patients have lower levels of vitamin D, and in conjunction with other factors like low sunlight intensity and genetic variations in vitamin D metabolic pathway genes, vitamin D has been adjudged as a potent risk factor for MS. The biological effects of vitamin D in the body are mediated by the vitamin D receptor that acts as a transcription factor after activation by vitamin D and subsequent heterodimerization with the retinoid-X receptor. This allows regulation of protein expression of target genes involved in diverse cellular processes including immune response and vitamin D metabolism. It clearly suggests use of vitamin D supplementation as an unconventional option for MS treatment; however, much work needs to be done to precisely determine the level and/or dosage of vitamin D required for achieving optimum therapeutic response in patients without causing adverse effects.

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Table of Contents

1. The Genetics of Multiple Sclerosis 3
2. Living with Multiple Sclerosis in Europe: Pharmacological Treatments, Cost of Illness, and Health-Related Quality of Life Across Countries 17
3. Multiple Sclerosis Therapies in Pediatric Patients: Challenges and Opportunities 39
4. Neuropathic Pain in Multiple Sclerosis—Current Therapeutic Intervention and Future Treatment Perspectives 53
5. Vitamin D and Multiple Sclerosis: An Update 71
6. Stem Cell Therapy: A Promising Therapeutic Approach for Multiple Sclerosis 85
7. Pathogenesis and Progression of Multiple Sclerosis: The Role of Arachidonic Acid-Mediated Neuroinflammation 111
8. Endogenous Opioids in the Etiology and Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis 125
9. Immunomonitoring Lymphocyte Subpopulations in Multiple Sclerosis Patients 139
10. Novel Approaches of Oxidative Stress Mechanisms in the Multiple Sclerosis Pathophysiology and Therapy 155
11. Experimental In Vivo Models of Multiple Sclerosis: State of the Art 173