title: Vitamin D in multiple sclerosis and central nervous system demyelinating disease--a review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The role of vitamin D as both a risk factor and a disease modifier in multiple sclerosis (MS) has a storied history with ongoing accumulation of supportive convergent evidence from animal data, clinical studies and trials, and biomarkers of disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  A detailed review of the published literature ranging from in vivo immune studies to human clinical studies of epidemiology, physiology, immunology, clinical, and radiological markers was undertaken.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There is compelling evidence that vitamin D is not only a risk factor for central nervous system (CNS) demyelinating disease (namely MS) but also seems to modify both the inflammatory and neurodegenerative elements of the disease, with large-scale treatment trials underway. The authors also address questions of interest that remain unanswered.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Vitamin D is an important contributor and modifiable risk factor in CNS demyelinating disease. Further work will determine whether it is also neuroprotective and if such benefits will apply to other inflammatory and degenerative neurological diseases.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Clinical Neurosciences and Community Health Sciences (JMB), University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; and Departments of Clinical Neurosciences and Surgery (FEC), University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Jodie M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Burton
authors.forename: Fiona E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Costello
mesh_terms: D002493:Central Nervous System Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism*; D003711:Demyelinating Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D