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Vitamin D metabolites are associated with clinical and MRI outcomes in multiple sclerosis patients

Bianca Weinstock-Guttman1, Robert Zivadinov, Jun Qu

  • 1Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA.

Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry
|November 5, 2010
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Vitamin D metabolites, particularly 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3), show protective associations with disability and brain atrophy in multiple sclerosis (MS). Lower levels correlate with increased disease severity and brain tissue injury in MS patients.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Endocrinology
  • Radiology

Background:

  • Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disease characterized by brain tissue injury and clinical disability.
  • The role of vitamin D in MS pathogenesis and progression is an area of ongoing research.
  • Associations between vitamin D and MRI-derived brain tissue injury measures in MS remain underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between vitamin D metabolites and brain tissue injury in MS patients.
  • To evaluate the significance of vitamin D and its active metabolites in relation to clinical disability and MRI-assessed brain damage in MS.
  • To explore novel associations between vitamin D and neurological outcomes in multiple sclerosis.

Main Methods:

  • Serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D(3) (25(OH)VD(3)), 25-hydroxyvitamin D(2) (25(OH)VD(2)), 1α, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) (1, 25(OH)(2)VD(3)), and 24(R), 25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) (24, 25(OH)(2)VD(3)) were quantified in 193 MS patients.
  • Disability was assessed using the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and MS Severity Scale (MSSS).
  • MRI measures including T2 lesion volume (LV), T1-LV, and brain parenchymal fraction were analyzed. Regression analyses examined associations between deseasonalised vitamin D metabolite levels and clinical/MRI outcomes.

Main Results:

  • Lower levels of total 25(OH)VD, 25(OH)VD(3), and 24, 25(OH)(2)VD(3) were associated with higher MS Severity Scale (MSSS) scores.
  • Reduced 24, 25(OH)(2)VD(3) levels correlated with higher Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores.
  • A higher ratio of 25(OH)VD(3) to 24, 25(OH)(2)VD(3) was linked to increased MSSS and decreased brain parenchymal fraction.

Conclusions:

  • Vitamin D metabolites demonstrate protective associations against disability and brain atrophy in MS.
  • The metabolite 24, 25(OH)(2)VD(3) shows particularly strong associations with reduced disability and brain tissue injury in MS patients.
  • These findings highlight the potential neuroprotective role of specific vitamin D metabolites in multiple sclerosis management and research.

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