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Fat-soluble vitamins as disease modulators in multiple sclerosis.
Ø Torkildsen1, K I Løken-Amsrud, S Wergeland
1Department of Neurology, Norwegian Multiple Sclerosis Competence Centre, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.
Acta Neurologica Scandinavica. Supplementum
|November 30, 2012
Summary
Fat-soluble vitamins, including vitamin D, show promise in modulating multiple sclerosis (MS) disease activity. While vitamin D has potential therapeutic effects, vitamins A and E also warrant further investigation in human studies.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Immunology
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) possess properties relevant to modulating multiple sclerosis (MS) disease activity.
- Understanding the role of these vitamins is crucial for developing novel therapeutic strategies for MS.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review the evidence on the role of fat-soluble vitamins in multiple sclerosis (MS) and its animal models.
- To assess the potential of vitamins A, D, E, and K as modulators of MS disease activity.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature search of PubMed and Medline databases up to May 2012.
- Inclusion of studies on vitamins A, D, E, K, multiple sclerosis, animal models, and experimental autoimmune encephalitis (EAE).
- Examination of reference lists for additional relevant publications.
Main Results:
- Vitamin D shows promising therapeutic effects in MS, supported by level 2c evidence, though large clinical trials are pending.
- Vitamins A and E demonstrate modulatory effects in MS (level 4 and 5 evidence), with potential relevance to MS pathogenesis.
- All examined fat-soluble vitamins showed efficacy in animal models of MS, suggesting broader therapeutic potential.
Conclusions:
- Vitamin D is a strong candidate for MS disease modulation, with ongoing controlled studies.
- Vitamins A and E are promising for future case-control and cohort studies due to their biological relevance to MS.
- Further research into fat-soluble vitamins could offer new avenues for managing multiple sclerosis.
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