title: Low vitamin D levels in healthy controls and patients with autoimmune neuromuscular disorders in Greece.
abstract: Normal autoimmune function is dependent on adequate levels of activated vitamin D, 25 hydroxy vitamin D [25(OH)D]. A recent study presented deficiency of 25(OH)D levels in Swedish MG patients. We aimed to study 25(OH)D levels in patients with MG and autoimmune polyneuropathies (PNP) at a southern latitude in Greece. Plasma levels of 25(OH)D were analyzed in Greek patients with MG (n = 19), immune-mediated PNP (N = 11) and in 30 Greek healthy age- and sex-matched controls. Ten MG patients received supplementation with vitamin D3. The MG Composite Score (MGC) and MG quality of life assessed disease severity in MG patients, whereas the INCAT Disability Scale assessed clinical features in the PNP patients. MG patients with and without vitamin D3 supplementation had higher 25(OH)D levels (mean 58.8 ± 16.3 and 62.0 ± 22.4 nmol/L, respectively) than PNP patients (mean 42.1 ± 11.5 nmol/L, p = 0.01) and healthy controls (mean 45.7 ± 13.8 nmol/L, p = 0.01). Plasma 25(OH)D levels was lower with age in all groups. There were no correlations between 25(OH)D and disease duration, MGC score, or INCAT score. Vitamin D deficiency was found in all Greek patient groups and healthy controls. Levels of 25(OH)D were higher in MG patients with as well as without vitamin D supplementation compared to healthy controls, whereas CIDP/GBS patients had levels similar to controls.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of Patras, Patras, Greece.
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chroni
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of Patras, Patras, Greece.
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dimisianos
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Institute of Neuroscience, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala University, 75185, Uppsala, Sweden. anna.rostedt.punga@neuro.uu.se.
authors.forename: Anna Rostedt
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Punga
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000906:Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D020275:Guillain-Barre Syndrome / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016884:Polyendocrinopathies, Autoimmune / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000097:blood; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D012621:Seasons; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000097:blood*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; D014807:Vitamin D; C095714:MUSK protein, human; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
keywords: Autoimmune polyneuropathy; Guillain–Barré syndrome; Myasthenia gravis; Vitamin D