title: Vitamin D levels in Swiss multiple sclerosis patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vitamin D levels have not been previously published for Swiss multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. An association between vitamin D status and disease activity in MS has been suggested.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To define 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25(OH)D) levels in Swiss multiple sclerosis patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross sectional case control study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  25(OH)D levels of 80 patients (76.3% female, mean age 37.9 ± 10.6 years, mean Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) 2.6 ± 1.2) were collected. Mean levels of 25(OH)D were 57.0 ± 29.7 nmol/l (range 18-175 nmol/l) in all patients. A total of 21.3% of patients had levels ≤37 nmol/l and 75% had levels ≤70 nmol/l. 25(OH)D levels in patients with previous high disease activity were 52.8 ± 23.1 nmol/l versus 58.9 ± 32.3 nmol/l in the low disease activity group (p = 0.4).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of 25(OH)D deficiency was high in Swiss MS patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Multiple Sclerosis Outpatient Clinic, Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, Rorschacher Strasse 95, 9000 St. Gallen, Szitzerland. yildizmur@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yildiz
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tettenborn
authors.forename: Norman
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Putzki
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013557:Switzerland; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000097:blood*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D