Posts Tagged ‘Multiple Sclerosis’

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Confirmation of association between Multiple Sclerosis, CYP27B1 & Vitamin D

Sunday, July 25th, 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in External News Articles, Uncategorized

Confirmation of association between multiple sclerosis, CYP27B1 and vitamin D

Multiple sclerosis, MS (OMIM No. 126200), is a complex inflammatory disease that is characterized by lesions in the central nervous system.

Both genes and other environmental factors influence disease susceptibility. One of the environmental factors that has been implicated in MS and autoimmune disease, such as type 1 diabetes, is vitamin D deficiency, in which patients have lower levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25-OHD3) in blood than do controls.

Previtamin D3 is produced in the skin, and turned into 25-OHD3 in the liver. In the kidney, skin and immune cells, 25-OHD3 is turned into bioactive 1,25(OH)2D3 by the enzyme coded by CYP27B1 (cytochrome P450 family 27 subfamily B peptide 1) on chromosome 12q13.1–3. 1,25(OH)2D3 binds to the vitamin D receptor, expressed in T cells and antigen-presenting cells. 1,25(OH)2D3 has a suppressive role in the adaptive immune system, decreasing T-cell and dendritic cell maturation, proliferation and differentiation, shifting the balance between T-helper 1 (Th1) and Th2 cells in favor of Th2 cells and increasing the suppressive function of regulatory T cells. Rs703842 in the 12q13–14 region was associated with MS in a recent study by the Australian and New Zealand Multiple Sclerosis Genetics Consortium (ANZgene).

We show associations with three SNPs in this region in our Swedish materials (2158 cases, 1759 controls) rs4646536, rs10877012 and rs10877015 (P=0.01, 0.01 and 3.5 × 10−3, respectively). We imputed rs703842 SNP and performed a joint analysis with the ANZgene results, reaching a significant association for rs703842 (P=5.1 × 10−11; odds ratio 0.83; 95% confidence interval 0.79–0.88).

Owing to its close association with 25-OHD3, our results lend further support to the role of vitamin D in MS pathology.

  1. 1Neuroimmunology Unit, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
  2. 2Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
  3. 3Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

Correspondence: E Sundqvist, Neuroimmunology Unit, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Center for Molecular Medicine L8:04, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 17176, Sweden. Tel: +46 85 177 6258; Fax: +46 85 177 6248; E-mail: Emilie.Sundqvist@ki.se

Received 4 December 2009; Revised 19 March 2010; Accepted 4 June 2010; Published online 21 July 2010.

http://www.nature.com/ejhg/journal/vaop/ncurrent/abs/ejhg2010113a.html

A dose of Midday sun can be good for you: Advice U-turn after years of telling us to cover up

Wednesday, July 7th, 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , ,
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According to the old song, only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.

Yet the latest thinking is that maybe everyone should give it a try.

After years of urging us to cover up, a leading charity is expected to recommend short spells exposed to the sun at its highest.

The advice, from Cancer Research UK, reflects concern that current sunbathing recommendations are unnecessarily restrictive and are leading to low levels of vitamin D.

Although the vitamin is found in some foods, most of that found in the body comes from sunlight exposure, and most of us just don’t have enough of it.

In England, half of the population is low in the ’sunshine vitamin’ when winter ends, while in Scotland the proportion is two thirds.

As part of its remit to prevent skin cancer, the charity advises trying to stay out of the sun when it is at its peak and cover the skin with clothing and generous amounts of sunscreen.

But a confidential statement being prepared by the charity acknowledges that the evidence about the benefits of vitamin D is growing.

The vitamin is vital for calcium absorption and bone health, and could help ward off Alzheimer’s.

Recent research has shown that vitamin D supplements are as good as some drugs at keeping prostate cancer under control – and it is said that taking supplements in pregnancy and childhood could wipe out 80 per cent of cases of multiple sclerosis.

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MS campaigner concerned on safe sun advice

Sunday, July 4th, 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Ryan McLaughlin from the Shine on Scotland campaign is growing concerned about the mixed bag of advice given on sun exposure and the message being given to parents on a childs ’safe sun exposure’ by groups who are giving poor advice to parents and advising parents to ‘ lotion children up before going out ‘

In a recent message Ryan heard on the radio the message advised all parents to cover children totally up and to put on sunscreen some 20 mins before going outdoors and to adopt it as common routine –  it was then backed up by a Politician.

Now 15 yr old campaigner will work gain a general consensus from all groups concerned to issue a common ’safe sun message’ across the UK over the coming months that looks after children’s health.

Statement by Ryan Mclaughlin:

” All children need  a little sun exposure to get essential vitamin D and need to get our levels built up – even in summer months , vitamin D deficency is a major health issue across the UK and Vitamin D is needed for our future health, we simply cant ignore this problem any longer ”

Worried parents no longer know what to do and what is safe and what is not.

“The current advice being given on ’safe sun exposure’ is being exploited, parents are being told constantly by influential groups to cover children up with sunscreen and so children are robbed of essential sun exposure and vitamin D.

Children are not supposed to live in the dark so to speak and a little sun exposure is very good for us, we children need some sunlight we cant grow properly without it .

The current advice being given out is extremely worrying and the message to parents is being exploited by the sunscreen industry.

Pregnant mothers should be given vitamin D to help safeguard babies’ health

Saturday, July 3rd, 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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newborn1shineon

Researchers at the UCL Institute of Child Health (ICH) are calling for the swift reintroduction of vitamin D supplements to pregnant women in the UK.

In an article published online today by the British Journal of Nutrition (BJN), the authors argue that despite a growing body of evidence that links vitamin D deficiency to complications in pregnancy and poor neonatal health, the UK remains the only one of 31 European countries that doesn’t have a set vitamin D recommendation for women of reproductive age, whilst also failing to endorse a daily supplement to expectant mothers.
Dr Elina Hyppönen, reader in epidemiology and public health at the ICH and a co-author explains, “The incidence of vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women in Britain is unacceptably high, especially during winter and spring.  This is compounded by a lack of exposure to sunlight and the limitations of an average diet to meet the optimal need.

“In the most severe cases, maternal vitamin D deficiency can be life threatening to a newborn. We believe that the routine provision of a daily supplement throughout pregnancy would significantly decrease the number of mothers who are clearly vitamin D deficient, reducing related serious risks to their babies.

“Our take on vitamin D supplementation in the UK has seen many changes over the decades and we can see clearly from past experience that a proactive approach to supplementation has coincided with a much lower incidence of deficiency linked diseases such as infantile hypocalcaemia and rickets.”
Current data for the UK shows that women are more likely to be vitamin D deficient than men (9.2 and 6.6 per cent respectively). Pregnancy poses a particularly high risk situation, with one in four pregnant mothers being vitamin D deficient ( below 25nmol/l) during winter and spring, with nearly all (90 per cent) having concentrations considered insufficient (below 50nmol/l).
In the article, Dr Hyppönen and her co-author, Barbara J Boucher (Queen Mary, University of London) draw on historical data that supports the case for a daily dose of at least 10µg of vitamin D to prevent vitamin D deficiency in pregnant mothers, and recent evidence suggesting potentially wide-ranging benefits for the prevention of deficiency for the health of the mother and her child.
“This risk of vitamin D deficiency is largely being overlooked by our health professionals. Under a current government scheme, pregnant women who are on a low income are entitled to receive supplements free of charge, but there is no strong evidence to suggest that this group are at greater risk.
“What’s needed is a unified approach that will ensure that all expectant mothers, regardless of their economic status, are informed of the benefits of taking a regular supplement throughout pregnancy.”

Avoidance of vitamin D deficiency in pregnancy in the United Kingdom: the case for a unified approach in National policy, Elina Hyppönen1 and Barbara J. Boucher2: http://journals.cambridge.org/bjn/vitD

Australia Pledges Additional $750,000 (AUD) For Multiple Sclerosis Research

Sunday, June 20th, 2010 | Tags: , , ,
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Parliamentary Secretary for Health Mark Butler today announced the Australian Government will provide a further $750,000 to Multiple Sclerosis Research Australia (MSRA) over the next three years.

This builds on $750,000 provided to the MSRA over the past three years and will help MSRA further develop its research strategy to accelerate advances that will prevent, better treat and ultimately cure multiple sclerosis (MS). It will also assist the MSRA to broaden their funding base.

MS is a disease that affects the central nervous system and can interfere with the transmission of nerve impulses in the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. It is estimated that 18,000 people in Australia are living with MS.

“A cure for MS remains frustratingly elusive and its cause is largely unknown. However, Australia is making a significant contribution to the international research effort and knowledge base on this debilitating disease, bringing us ever closer to solving this medical mystery,” Mr Butler said.

“Today’s $750,000 investment to the MSRA is in addition to the $21.3 million the Rudd Government has provided to the National Health and Medical Research Council for MS research over the last three years (2007-2009).

Overall, the Australian Government is providing more than $715 million for the nation’s health and medical research efforts.

“This Government continues to support the nation’s best and brightest minds to maintain our place at the forefront of all major areas of health research, including multiple sclerosis,” Mr Butler said.

Labour leader in bid to save Lothians MS respite centre

Sunday, June 20th, 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized

SCOTTISH Labour leader Iain Gray is seeking an urgent meeting with health secretary Nicola Sturgeon in a bid to save Scotland’s only respite home for people with multiple sclerosis.

Leuchie House, on the outskirts of North Berwick, is run by the Multiple Sclerosis Society which has decided that it will no longer directly provide residential respite care services.

And the home will close later this year unless a new provider is found to take it over.

Mr Gray, MSP for East Lothian, visited the home along with the area’s MP Fiona O’Donnell.

He said: “When we spoke to the guests they were very clear that this was the best holiday option for them and they didn’t know what they would do without Leuchie House.

“The decision by the MS Society to stop providing residential respite care is completely at odds with the wishes of users.

“The society’s own consultation process shows that 94 per cent of people with MS rate breaks in the society’s centres – including Leuchie House – as either very good or good.

“The MS Society argues that these changes are led by the service users, but the outcome of their own consultation would appear to suggest that moves to close down their residential centres are more about cutting costs.”

He said inspections by the Care Commission confirmed that people with MS received first-class care at Leuchie House. “It would be terrible if such a tremendous facility was lost, not just for East Lothian but well beyond.”

Call for vitamin D programme to help fight MS

Tuesday, June 15th, 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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ryantimesonlineScientists studying the high incidence of multiple sclerosis in Scotland have urged the Holyrood Government to introduce a nationwide programme of vitamin D supplements for pregnant women and children to help combat the disease.

Under the heading Vitamin D: hope on the horizon for MS prevention? the June issue of The Lancet Neurology insists the benefits of supplementation outweigh any potential side effects and concludes “given the low costs, low toxicity … steps to tackle vitamin D deficiency in high-risk populations seem warranted.”

Vitamin D is sometimes known as the “sunshine drug”. The new research specifically identifies Scotland among a number of high-latitude countries — with long, dark winters — that have a higher than average incidence of MS. Around 10,500 people in Scotland have the disease which is the country’s most common disabling neurological condition, typically affecting sufferers from their late 20s and 30s.

The Lancet’s intervention follows a succession of studies which have demonstrated the link between Vitamin D deficiency and a number of health conditions, including rickets, type 1 (or early onset) diabetes, heart disease, infectious diseases and some forms of cancer.

The authors of the report concede that the link between Vitamin D deficiency and MS is not definitively proved, but add that assembling data on MS prevention could take decades. They argue that dietary supplement were likely to provide wider health benefits that would quickly result in a reduction in government health spending.

Welcoming the findings, David McNiven of the MS Society Scotland said his organisation would continue to support the Shine on Scotland campaign, lobbying for Vitamin D Supplements.

“The Lancet article is very encouraging because it endorses the arguments that we have been making: that vitamin D supplementation represents a low-cost, low-risk public health intervention with potentially massive benefits,” said Mr McNiven.

The new research leaves little doubt of the wider benefits of supplementation. The authors write: “If the predicted effects of raising serum vitamin D concentrations … are realised, the potential savings have been estimated to be £160 billion from the direct and indirect burden of the disease, set against an expenditure of £8.5 billion on testing and public education.”

The paper concludes: “Because any benefits for MS in particular will take decades to emerge, a long-term outlook is needed from policymakers, but future health and financial benefits have the potential to make this investment highly rewarding.”

Last year, researchers in North America suggested that high doses of vitamin D could dramatically cut the relapse rate in people with multiple sclerosis. According to scientists in Canada, more than a third of sufferers taking high levels of supplementation did not fall ill during the period of the trial, representing a marked change in the pattern of their disease.

Like Scotland, Canada has a high rate of MS and there is growing evidence that this is connected to a cloudy climate, where weaker ultraviolet B rays during the winter months are insufficient for people to produce enough Vitamin D.

Neurologists at the University of Toronto, studied 25 people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. During the year of treatment 40 per cent of patients on the low dose of vitamin D (1,000 international units daily) experienced a relapse compared to only 16 per cent of those in the high dose (14,000 IU daily) group.

People taking the high dose of vitamin D suffered 41 per cent fewer relapses than the year before the study began, compared with 17 per cent of those taking typical doses. Dr Burton found that those taking high doses of vitamin D did not suffer any significant side effects.

The MS Society Scotland has organised an international summit in September, where the link between vitamin D deficiency and the disease will be discussed. They hope to persuade Scottish ministers to take action on vitamin D as a pressing public health issue.

article published by The Times

Low sunlight linked to MS onset age

Monday, June 14th, 2010 | Tags: , ,
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Age of onset of multiple sclerosis was more than two years earlier in patients who lived in northern latitudes — with reduced exposure to the sun in fall and winter — during childhood, researchers found.

Low intake of vitamin D supplements was also associated with earlier onset, according to Joel Culpepper, MD, of the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore and colleagues.

“This is the first evidence that low sun exposure may be related to early onset of of MS symptoms,” Culpepper told attendees at the meeting of the Joint Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers and America’s Committee on Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis.

Low sun exposure has long been linked to the risk of MS, based on geographic and ethnic patterns in differential MS incidence. To determine if the same was true for age of onset, Culpepper and colleagues recruited 1,167 men and women drawn from the Veterans Administration’s Multiple Sclerosis Surveillance Registry for an extensive interview to determine how much time they spent out in the sun during the fall and winter between the ages of 6 and 15.

Combined with their ZIP code and altitude, this information allowed the researchers to determine the total UV-B exposure during those months.

Vitamin D supplement intake was determined by participants’ recollection of milk, fish, and cod liver oil consumption.

The group of participants was about half women, and included 948 patients with relapsing-remittingMS and 219 with primary progressive form of the disease.

No effect of sun exposure or vitamin D intake was seen in those with primary progressive disease, and no effect was seen in patients with either form who lived in areas of the country that got a lot of sunlight in the winter months. “If you live in a high solar radiation area, such as the deep South, you are probably getting enough exposure even in the deep winter,” Culpepper said.

But in those with relapsing-remitting MS who lived in more northern areas, those in the lowest quartile of exposure, with less than 16 weeks of cool-season exposure, had an age of onset 2.3 years before those in the highest three quartiles (P=0.01).

Age at onset was delayed by three years for regular users of cod liver oil (P=0.01), a potent source of readily available vitamin D. In a multiple regression model, that effect was more pronounced in low-solar radiation areas.

“The link between age of onset and sun exposure is likely through the effect of sun on vitamin D,”Culpepper said.

Childhood through puberty is a critical period of MS risk, he noted. “We believe there is a window of susceptibility” up to the early or mid-teens.

“We need to be able to identify the at-risk individuals, and then intervene in childhood,” he said, but noted that risk is likely to be a combination of genetic, in utero, and childhood effects.

“This is a big challenge for epidemiologists to work out.”

Intervention would be another challenge, he pointed out, since increasing sun exposure without protecting against sun burn increases risk of melanoma. Vitamin D supplementation would be an alternative, Culpepper suggested.

Source: MedPage Today © 2004-2010 MedPage Today, LLC (07/06/10)

Vitamin D linked to poor learning performance in patients With MS

Monday, June 14th, 2010 | Tags: , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized
A new study shows that serum vitamin D deficiency is associated with poor learning performance among patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).

The research was presented at the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers 24th Annual Conference and the Third Joint Meeting of Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis.

There is some evidence that vitamin D suppresses proinflammatory cytokines, and that low levels of these cytokines could contribute to MS. Other evidence suggests that vitamin D plays a role in cognitive function in older adults. Cognitive impairment is very common in MS, but few studies have examined the relationship between serum vitamin D and cognitive deficits in this population.

The researchers enrolled 23 patients with relapsing-remitting MS and secondary progressive MS. After laboratory work to determine serum vitamin D levels, patients underwent a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation to assess emotional functioning, memory, executive functioning, processing speed, attention, and visuospatial abilities.

Low vitamin D levels and poor performance were correlated on a verbal learning test (r = .49; P < .05). The effect was stronger in single-trial learning (r = .65; P < .001). No correlation was observed during later learning trials.

“These findings suggest the importance of determining vitamin D levels in order to maximize cognitive potential among MS patients. Future randomized trials should examine whether vitamin D supplementation may improve learning in MS,” the researchers wrote in the abstract.

The work was prompted by several recent studies that showed a relationship between cognitive function and vitamin D levels in the elderly, Todd Feaster, PsyD, a neuropsychologist at the MidAmerica Neuroscience Institute in Lenexa, Kansas, told Medscape Neurology. Dr. Feaster also works with patients with Alzheimer’s disease, so those findings struck a chord in him, he said.

The study suggests that cognitive impairment might not be caused by MS alone but could be caused or exacerbated by vitamin D deficiency, and supplementation might improve symptoms.

“When you have a winter like we’ve had in the Midwest, you’re stuck inside all day. So is vitamin D deficiency exacerbating cognitive issues? And if we get those levels up, will we get improvement?” Dr. Feaster posited.

The study was relatively small, cautioned Helen Tremlett, PhD, assistant professor of neurology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. “It does need to be reproduced,” she told Medscape Neurology.

“He didn’t factor in seasonality, which could be [important]. But if the findings are true, we might be able to supplement vitamin D and bring up cognitive levels” in these patients, Dr. Tremlett suggested.

However, the study isn’t robust enough to change clinical practice just yet. “We can’t do an intervention based on what he’s presented, but it gives us real food for thought. A longitudinal study would be nice to see,” she remarked.

Source: Medscape Today © 1994-2010 by WebMD LLC (10/06/10)

Scottish Parliament report

Friday, June 11th, 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized

Ryan McLaughlin and the Shine on Scotland campaign to prevent MS through a vitamin D supplementation program is highlighted in the annual report of the Scottish Parliament Petitions Committee.

The report states ” Such was this impact that Ryan features on the front of our new petitions Q&A leaflet”, Petitioning the Scottish Parliament: making your voice heard

Ryan felt honored and humbled to be featured on the brochure and in the video,  he is very thankful for the great work that has been done to make a difference for MS by  the members of the committee and the continued support given to him.

‘I hope that other children will be inspired to fight for Scotland and make your voice heard at the Scottish Parliament’.

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