title: Low serum vitamin D levels and recurrent inflammatory spinal cord disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Low 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels have been associated with a higher risk of developing multiple sclerosis and increased relapse rates in patients with multiple sclerosis. As a sterol hormone involved in multiple immunologic pathways, vitamin D may play a role in preventing monophasic immune-mediated central nervous system attacks from developing into recurrent disease.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the association between low serum vitamin D levels and recurrent spinal cord disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a retrospective analysis at Johns Hopkins Transverse Myelitis Center, Baltimore, Maryland, evaluating 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in 77 patients with monophasic and recurrent inflammatory diseases of the spinal cord.
  
  
  METHODS
  Levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Vitamin D levels are significantly lower in patients who developed recurrent spinal cord disease, adjusting for season, age, sex, and race.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides a basis for a prospective trial of measuring 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in these patient populations and assessing the influence of vitamin D supplementation on the frequency of relapses in those with recurrent inflammatory spinal cord disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, 600 N Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
authors.forename: Maureen A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mealy
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Newsome
authors.forename: Benjamin M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Greenberg
authors.forename: Dean
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wingerchuk
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Calabresi
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Levy
mesh_terms: D015652:25-Hydroxyvitamin D 2 / Q000097:blood; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D002112:Calcifediol / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D051346:Mobility Limitation; D009187:Myelitis / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology*; D009188:Myelitis, Transverse / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology; D009471:Neuromyelitis Optica / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012621:Seasons; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000097:blood*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D014807:Vitamin D; D015652:25-Hydroxyvitamin D 2; D002112:Calcifediol