title: Therapeutic potential of vitamin D for multiple sclerosis.
abstract: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a major inflammatory and demyelinating disease of the central nervous system and has an increasing prevalence in populations residing at higher latitudes. This observation may indicate a protective effect of sunlight exposure, which is reduced at higher latitudes and may contribute to insufficient levels of vitamin D in the MS population. The vitamin D hormone is important for bone metabolism and can regulate cell proliferation and differentiation as well as apoptosis and immune regulation in immune cells such as T helper cells and dendritic cells. Evidence from experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and prospective studies on MS suggests an important role of vitamin D as a modifiable environmental factor in MS. These provide guidance for future studies with regard to the potential role of vitamin D in the prevention and/or treatment of MS. Here, we first review the metabolism and immune functions of vitamin D. Then, we describe the current thinking on the etiology of vitamin D in MS and the accumulating evidence pointing to a link between vitamin D and MS. Further, we describe how genetic susceptibility interacts with environmental risk factors at the population level, MS-associated risk factors, and genetic studies related to the vitamin D receptor. This review also discusses the therapeutic potential of vitamin D for treating MS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Hokkaido University Hospital, Kita-14, Nishi-5, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8648 Japan. niino@med.hokudai.ac.jp
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Niino
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fukazawa
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
authors.forename: Hidenao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sasaki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002762:Cholecalciferol / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004681:Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D014809:Vitamin D-Binding Protein / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol; D014809:Vitamin D-Binding Protein; D002762:Cholecalciferol