Correlation between vitamin D and alterations in MRI among patients with multiple sclerosis

Ann Agric Environ Med. 2021 Sep 16;28(3):372-377. doi: 10.26444/aaem/127062. Epub 2020 Sep 17.ABSTRACTINTRODUCTION: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of unknown etiology. Diagnosis of MS is primarily based on detection of myelin damage by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and classification of demyelination according to the McDonald Criteria. Cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) has been shown to affect the onset and progression of MS via its immunomodulating properties. The role of vitamin D in MS pathogenesis and treatment deserves further investigation, as there is sufficient evidence to suggest a correlation between vitamin D blood level and brain MRI lesion load.STATE OF KNOWLEDGE: Elevated blood vitamin D concentration is linked with demyelination, as determined by T2-weighted and gadolinium-enhanced MRI. Blood vitamin D blood levels are affected by sun exposure, among other factors; however, there is no evident connection between abnormalities in myelination and seasonality. Vitamin D supplementation among MS patients has been associated with a lower probability of new lesions and loss of existing lesion volume, as observed seen in T1-weighted MRI scans (p=0.03). An increase in TGF-beta levels was noted among patients using vitamin D supplementation, which may suggest a mechanism by which cholecalciferol may improve MS prognosis. Patients with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) exhibited an inverse correlation between vitamin D concentration and risk of new lesions as seen i...
Source: Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine : AAEM - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Source Type: research