| Abstract [eng] |
Multiple sclerosis is autoimmune, neurodegenerative central nervous system disease. The prevalence of disease has grown over the years and the numbers reach almost three million people worldwide. The first symptoms appear at around 20-40 years of age and three times more in women than in men. Multiple sclerosis is the leading cause of non-traumatic disability in young adults and around 80 percent of the patients develop severe disability. The main risk factors include genetic susceptibility, smoking, Ebstein-Barr viral infection, obesity in adolescence, vitamin D deficiency and/or lack of sun exposure. Vitamin D regulates calcium and phosphate absorption and enables normal bone mineralization and remodeling. Other vitamin D function is immunomodulation. Studies show that vitamin D is associated with chronic autoimmune, infectious diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and tumors. Cohort studies show vitamin D deficiency association with increased disease activity and disability. Also, reaching optimal blood concentration could decrease radiological and clinical disease activity, especially in initial stages. However, there is no statistically significant correlation between first-line disease-modifying therapy with high dose vitamin D and disease activity or disability shown in clinical trials. So, vitamin D significance for patients with multiple sclerosis is still unclear. This study describes three female patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis and their link to vitamin D. Radiological disease activity was reduced on brain magnetic resonance images after change of disease-modifying treatment and addition of vitamin D supplements to reach and maintain optimal vitamin D blood concentration. |
