Vitamin A: yet another player in multiple sclerosis pathogenesis?

Abstract

Evaluation of: Løken-Amsrud KI, Myhr KM, Bakke SJ et al. Retinol levels are associated with magnetic resonance imaging outcomes in multiple sclerosis. Mult. Scler. doi:10.1177/1352458512457843 (2012) (Epub ahead of print).

A combination of genetic and environmental factors probably plays a role in determining an increased susceptibility to multiple sclerosis (MS). Among these factors, vitamin D and A metabolites are likely to play a role given their immunomodulatory properties. Decreased serum vitamin D levels have been associated with clinical and MRI activity of MS. Løken-Amsrud et al. evaluated the association of retinol concentration with clinical and MRI measures of disease activity in MS patients over a 2-year period. Serum retinol levels correlated with MRI metrics of disease activity, but not with clinical findings. Following IFN-β-1a treatment, the association with MRI metrics was lost. These results support a role of vitamin A metabolites in influencing disease activity in MS.

Keywords::

• interferon
• MRI
• multiple sclerosis
• relapse
• retinol

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.