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08:11
Measuring Progressive Neurological Disability in a Mouse Model of Multiple Sclerosis
Published on: November 14, 2016
11.5K
Vitamin D and MRI measures in progressive multiple sclerosis.
Justin R Abbatemarco1, Robert J Fox1, Hong Li2
1Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USA.
Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders
|August 25, 2019
Summary
Vitamin D levels showed no link to brain volume in progressive MS patients. However, higher vitamin D may protect myelin content, suggesting a potential therapeutic role in multiple sclerosis.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Immunology
- Radiology
Background:
- Vitamin D deficiency is implicated in multiple sclerosis (MS) pathogenesis.
- The specific role of vitamin D in progressive MS (PPMS and SPMS) remains unclear.
- Understanding vitamin D's impact is crucial for developing targeted therapies for progressive MS.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between serum vitamin D levels and MRI-derived metrics in patients with primary progressive MS (PPMS) and secondary progressive MS (SPMS).
- To explore potential correlations between 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25[OH]D3) with brain volume and lesion load.
- To assess the relationship between vitamin D status and white matter integrity using magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) in progressive MS.
Main Methods:
- Serum 25(OH)D and 25(OH)D3 levels were measured in 267 participants of the SPRINT-MS trial.
- Quantitative MRI scans were performed to assess brain parenchymal fraction, T1/T2 lesion volume, and MTR.
- Statistical analyses, including Pearson/Spearman correlation and multivariate regression, were used to determine associations between vitamin D levels and imaging outcomes.
Main Results:
- No significant association was observed between vitamin D levels and T1/T2 lesion volume or brain parenchymal fraction in PPMS and SPMS patients.
- A modest positive association was found between 25(OH)D3 levels and whole brain-MTR (r=0.17, p=0.007) and normal-appearing grey matter-MTR (r=0.15, p=0.02).
- Vitamin D levels were comparable between PPMS and SPMS subgroups.
Conclusions:
- Unlike findings in relapsing-remitting MS, vitamin D levels were not linked to brain volume or lesion burden in progressive MS.
- The association between 25(OH)D3 and MTR suggests a potential neuroprotective role for vitamin D in maintaining myelin integrity in progressive MS.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the therapeutic potential of vitamin D supplementation in managing progressive MS.
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