title: Vitamin D: evidence for its role as a prognostic factor in multiple sclerosis.
abstract: Vitamin D insufficiency has been shown to be associated with increased susceptibility to multiple sclerosis (MS), but until recently, it was unclear if vitamin D status also influences the prognosis of the disease. In experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, a mouse model of MS, the administration of vitamin D reduces the severity of the disease. Initial reports in MS of inverse associations between vitamin D levels and disability or relapse rate were encouraging, but the cross-sectional or retrospective study designs limited their interpretability. More recently, studies of pediatric-onset and adult MS have demonstrated that among those with established MS, those with lower vitamin D levels are at higher risk for subsequent relapse. These observational data provide strong support for randomized controlled trials of vitamin D supplementation in MS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Multiple Sclerosis Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94117, USA. ellen.mowry@ucsf.edu
authors.forename: Ellen M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Mowry
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015897:Comorbidity; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000592:standards; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D