Abstract
The role of vitamin D in calcium homeostasis is well known. More recently vitamin
D has become a topic of interest in immune regulation and multiple sclerosis. The
main reason for this is the observed geographical distribution of multiple sclerosis.
Areas with high sunlight exposure, the principal inducer of vitamin D synthesis, have
a relatively low prevalence of multiple sclerosis and vice versa. Furthermore, low
levels of the principal vitamin D metabolite (25-hydroxy vitamin D) in the circulation
are associated with a high incidence of multiple sclerosis. Other epidemiological
evidence also supports the view that vitamin D metabolites have an immune and disease
modulating effect in multiple sclerosis. Experimental research in vitro and in animal models has further clarified the interaction of vitamin D metabolites
with the immune system. The evidence obtained from these studies strongly supports
a model in which vitamin D mediates a shift to a more anti-inflammatory immune response,
and in particular to enhanced regulatory T cell functionality. In the current review
we link the basic knowledge on vitamin D and immune regulation with the vitamin D
related observations in multiple sclerosis. We conclude that there is a sound basis
on which to initiate double-blind placebo-controlled trials that not only address
the effect of vitamin D on the clinical outcome of multiple sclerosis, but also on
the regulatory T cell compartment.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: January 07, 2008
Accepted:
November 21,
2007
Received in revised form:
November 20,
2007
Received:
August 14,
2007
Identification
Copyright
© 2007 Elsevier B.V. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
