Skip to main content
Advertisement
  • Neurology.org
  • Journals
    • Neurology
    • Clinical Practice
    • Genetics
    • Neuroimmunology & Neuroinflammation
    • Education
  • Online Sections
    • COVID-19
    • Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Anti-racism, & Social Justice (IDEAS)
    • Innovations in Care Delivery
    • Practice Buzz
    • Practice Current
    • Residents & Fellows
    • Without Borders
  • Collections
    • Topics A-Z
    • Disputes & Debates
    • Health Disparities
    • Infographics
    • Patient Pages
    • Null Hypothesis
    • Translations
  • Podcast
  • CME
  • About
    • About the Journals
    • Contact Us
    • Editorial Board
  • Authors
    • Submit a Manuscript
    • Author Center

Advanced Search

Main menu

  • Neurology.org
  • Journals
    • Neurology
    • Clinical Practice
    • Genetics
    • Neuroimmunology & Neuroinflammation
    • Education
  • Online Sections
    • COVID-19
    • Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Anti-racism, & Social Justice (IDEAS)
    • Innovations in Care Delivery
    • Practice Buzz
    • Practice Current
    • Residents & Fellows
    • Without Borders
  • Collections
    • Topics A-Z
    • Disputes & Debates
    • Health Disparities
    • Infographics
    • Patient Pages
    • Null Hypothesis
    • Translations
  • Podcast
  • CME
  • About
    • About the Journals
    • Contact Us
    • Editorial Board
  • Authors
    • Submit a Manuscript
    • Author Center
  • Home
  • Latest Articles
  • Current Issue
  • Past Issues
  • Residents & Fellows

User menu

  • Subscribe
  • My Alerts
  • Log in

Search

  • Advanced search
Neurology
Home
The most widely read and highly cited peer-reviewed neurology journal
  • Subscribe
  • My Alerts
  • Log in
Site Logo
  • Home
  • Latest Articles
  • Current Issue
  • Past Issues
  • Residents & Fellows

Share

July 17, 2012; 79 (3) Articles

Interferon-β and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D interact to modulate relapse risk in MS

Niall Stewart, Steve Simpson, Ingrid van der Mei, Anne-Louise Ponsonby, Leigh Blizzard, Terrence Dwyer, Fotini Pittas, Darryl Eyles, Pauline Ko, Bruce V. Taylor
First published June 13, 2012, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0b013e31825fded9
Niall Stewart
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Steve Simpson Jr
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Ingrid van der Mei
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Anne-Louise Ponsonby
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Leigh Blizzard
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Terrence Dwyer
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Fotini Pittas
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Darryl Eyles
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Pauline Ko
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Bruce V. Taylor
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Full PDF
Citation
Interferon-β and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D interact to modulate relapse risk in MS
Niall Stewart, Steve Simpson, Ingrid van der Mei, Anne-Louise Ponsonby, Leigh Blizzard, Terrence Dwyer, Fotini Pittas, Darryl Eyles, Pauline Ko, Bruce V. Taylor
Neurology Jul 2012, 79 (3) 254-260; DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0b013e31825fded9

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
Permissions

Make Comment

See Comments

Downloads
394

Share

  • Article
  • Figures & Data
  • Info & Disclosures
Loading

This article requires a subscription to view the full text. If you have a subscription you may use the login form below to view the article. Access to this article can also be purchased.

Abstract

Objective: To determine whether interferon-β (IFN-β) medication use is associated with vitamin D levels and whether the two interact in exerting effects on relapse risk.

Methods: In a prospective cohort of 178 persons with clinically definite multiple sclerosis (MS) living in southern Tasmania in 2002–2005, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] was measured biannually, with assessment by questionnaire for relevant factors, including IFN-β treatment.

Results: Subjects reporting IFN-β use had significantly higher mean 25(OH)D than persons who did not (p < 0.001). This was mediated by an interaction between personal sun exposure and IFN-β, with treated persons realizing nearly three times 25(OH)D per hour of sun exposure of persons not on therapy. The association between 25(OH)D and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D did not differ by IFN-β therapy (p = 0.82). 25(OH)D was associated with a reduced relapse risk only among persons on IFN-β (p < 0.001). Importantly, IFN-β was only protective against relapse among persons with higher 25(OH)D (hazard ratio [HR] 0.58 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.35–0.98]), while among 25(OH)D-insufficient persons, IFN-β increased relapse risk (HR 2.01 [95% CI 1.22–3.32]).

Conclusion: In this study, we found that IFN-β therapy is associated with greater production of vitamin D from sun exposure, suggesting part of the therapeutic effects of IFN-β on relapse in MS may be through modulation of vitamin D metabolism. These findings suggest persons being treated with IFN-β should have vitamin D status monitored and maintained in the sufficiency range.

Classification of evidence: This study provided Class III evidence that IFN-β is associated with reduced risk of relapse, and this effect may be modified by a positive effect of IFN-β on serum 25(OH)D levels.

GLOSSARY

25(OH)D=
25-hydroxyvitamin D;
7-DHC=
7-dehydrocholesterol;
BMI=
body mass index;
CI=
confidence interval;
EDSS=
Expanded Disability Status Scale;
HR=
hazard ratio;
IFN-β=
interferon-β;
MS=
multiple sclerosis;
RRMS=
relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis

Footnotes

  • ↵* These authors contributed equally to this work.

  • Study funding: The MS Longitudinal Study was funded by a grant from the Australian National Health & Medical Research Council (Project 211308). Additional funding for 25(OH)D measures provided by the Trish Foundation. Additional funding for 1,25(OH)2D measures provided by a University of Tasmania Rising Star Award. I.v.d.M. is supported by a Future Fellowship from the Australian Research Council.

  • Editorial, page 208

  • See pages 261 and 267

  • Supplemental data at www.neurology.org

  • Received August 21, 2011.
  • Accepted November 14, 2011.
  • Copyright © 2012 by AAN Enterprises, Inc.
View Full Text

AAN Members

We have changed the login procedure to improve access between AAN.com and the Neurology journals. If you are experiencing issues, please log out of AAN.com and clear history and cookies. (For instructions by browser, please click the instruction pages below). After clearing, choose preferred Journal and select login for AAN Members. You will be redirected to a login page where you can log in with your AAN ID number and password. When you are returned to the Journal, your name should appear at the top right of the page.

Google Safari Microsoft Edge Firefox

Click here to login

AAN Non-Member Subscribers

Click here to login

Purchase access

For assistance, please contact:
AAN Members (800) 879-1960 or (612) 928-6000 (International)
Non-AAN Member subscribers (800) 638-3030 or (301) 223-2300 option 3, select 1 (international)

Sign Up
Information on how to subscribe to Neurology and Neurology: Clinical Practice can be found here 

Purchase
Individual access to articles is available through the Add to Cart option on the article page.  Access for 1 day (from the computer you are currently using) is US$ 39.00.  Pay-per-view content is for the use of the payee only, and content may not be further distributed by print or electronic means.  The payee may view, download, and/or print the article for his/her personal, scholarly, research, and educational use.  Distributing copies (electronic or otherwise) of the article is not allowed.

Disputes & Debates: Rapid online correspondence

No comments have been published for this article.
Comment

REQUIREMENTS

If you are uploading a letter concerning an article:
You must have updated your disclosures within six months: http://submit.neurology.org

Your co-authors must send a completed Publishing Agreement Form to Neurology Staff (not necessary for the lead/corresponding author as the form below will suffice) before you upload your comment.

If you are responding to a comment that was written about an article you originally authored:
You (and co-authors) do not need to fill out forms or check disclosures as author forms are still valid
and apply to letter.

Submission specifications:

  • Submissions must be < 200 words with < 5 references. Reference 1 must be the article on which you are commenting.
  • Submissions should not have more than 5 authors. (Exception: original author replies can include all original authors of the article)
  • Submit only on articles published within 6 months of issue date.
  • Do not be redundant. Read any comments already posted on the article prior to submission.
  • Submitted comments are subject to editing and editor review prior to posting.

More guidelines and information on Disputes & Debates

Compose Comment

More information about text formats

Plain text

  • No HTML tags allowed.
  • Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
Author Information
NOTE: The first author must also be the corresponding author of the comment.
First or given name, e.g. 'Peter'.
Your last, or family, name, e.g. 'MacMoody'.
Your email address, e.g. higgs-boson@gmail.com
Your role and/or occupation, e.g. 'Orthopedic Surgeon'.
Your organization or institution (if applicable), e.g. 'Royal Free Hospital'.
Publishing Agreement
NOTE: All authors, besides the first/corresponding author, must complete a separate Publishing Agreement Form and provide via email to the editorial office before comments can be posted.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Vertical Tabs

You May Also be Interested in

Back to top
  • Article
    • Abstract
    • GLOSSARY
    • METHODS
    • RESULTS
    • DISCUSSION
    • AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS
    • DISCLOSURE
    • Footnotes
    • REFERENCES
  • Figures & Data
  • Info & Disclosures
Advertisement

Related Articles

  • Vitamin D in MSA vitamin for 4 seasons
  • Lower serum vitamin D levels are associated with a higher relapse risk in multiple sclerosis
  • Vitamin D and disease activity in multiple sclerosis before and during interferon-β treatment
  • Spotlight on the November 20 Issue

Topics Discussed

  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Cohort studies
  • Class III

Alert Me

  • Alert me when eletters are published
Neurology: 98 (21)

Articles

  • Ahead of Print
  • Current Issue
  • Past Issues
  • Popular Articles
  • Translations

About

  • About the Journals
  • Ethics Policies
  • Editors & Editorial Board
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise

Submit

  • Author Center
  • Submit a Manuscript
  • Information for Reviewers
  • AAN Guidelines
  • Permissions

Subscribers

  • Subscribe
  • Activate a Subscription
  • Sign up for eAlerts
  • RSS Feed
Site Logo
  • Visit neurology Template on Facebook
  • Follow neurology Template on Twitter
  • Visit Neurology on YouTube
  • Neurology
  • Neurology: Clinical Practice
  • Neurology: Genetics
  • Neurology: Neuroimmunology & Neuroinflammation
  • Neurology: Education
  • AAN.com
  • AANnews
  • Continuum
  • Brain & Life
  • Neurology Today

Wolters Kluwer Logo

Neurology | Print ISSN:0028-3878
Online ISSN:1526-632X

© 2022 American Academy of Neurology

  • Privacy Policy
  • Feedback
  • Advertise