PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Løken-Amsrud, Kristin I.
AU  - Holmøy, Trygve
AU  - Bakke, Søren J.
AU  - Beiske, Antonie Giaever
AU  - Bjerve, Kristian S.
AU  - Bjørnarå, Bård T.
AU  - Hovdal, Harald
AU  - Lilleås, Finn
AU  - Midgard, Rune
AU  - Pedersen, Tom
AU  - Benth, Jurate Šaltytė
AU  - Sandvik, Leiv
AU  - Torkildsen, Øivind
AU  - Wergeland, Stig
AU  - Myhr, Kjell-Morten
TI  - Vitamin D and disease activity in multiple sclerosis before and during interferon-β treatment
AID  - 10.1212/WNL.0b013e31825fdf01
DP  - 2012 Jul 17
TA  - Neurology
PG  - 267--273
VI  - 79
IP  - 3
4099  - http://n.neurology.org/content/79/3/267.short
4100  - http://n.neurology.org/content/79/3/267.full
SO  - Neurology2012 Jul 17; 79
AB  - Objective: Studies based on deseasonalized vitamin D levels suggest that vitamin D may influence the disease activity in multiple sclerosis (MS), and high doses are suggested as add-on treatment to interferon-β (IFN-β). Seasonal fluctuation of vitamin D varies between individuals, thus the relationship to disease activity should preferentially be studied by repeated and simultaneous vitamin D and MRI measurements from each patient. Methods: This was a cohort study comprising 88 patients with relapsing-remitting MS who were followed for 6 months with 7 MRI and 4 25-hydroxyvitamin D measurements before initiation of IFN-β, and for 18 months with 5 MRI and 5 25-hydroxyvitamin D measurements during IFN-β treatment. Results: Prior to IFN-β treatment, each 10 nmol/L increase in 25-hydroxyvitamin D was associated with 12.7% (p = 0.037) reduced odds for new T1 gadolinium-enhancing lesions, 11.7% (p = 0.044) for new T2 lesions, and 14.1% (p = 0.024) for combined unique activity. Patients with the most pronounced fluctuation in 25-hydroxyvitamin D displayed larger proportion of MRI scans with new T1 gadolinium-enhancing lesions (51% vs 23%, p = 0.004), combined unique activity (60% vs 32%, p = 0.003), and a trend for new T2 lesions (49% vs 28%, p = 0.052) at the lowest compared to the highest 25-hydroxyvitamin D level. No association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D and disease activity was detected after initiation of IFN-β. HLA-DRB1*15 status did not affect the results. Conclusion: In untreated patients with MS, increasing levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D are inversely associated with radiologic disease activity irrespective of their HLA-DRB1*15 status. 25(OH)D=25-hydroxyvitamin D; CI=confidence interval; CUA=combined unique activity; EDSS=Expanded Disability Status Scale; IFN-β=interferon-β; MS=multiple sclerosis; RRMS=relapsing-remitting MS