Correlation between vitamin D and lipid profile in multiple sclerosis patients

Abstract

Abstract Background Studies have suggested that vitamin D and lipid profile have been linked to the etiology of multiple sclerosis and have an impact on the activity and progression of the disease. Objectives The aim of the present study was to determine correlation between vitamin D level and lipid profile in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and their effect on disease activity and progression for better management and control of risk factors. Patients and Methods It is a cross-sectional hospital based study carried on clinically definite 111 Relapsing Remitting MS (RRMS) patients according to McDonald criteria 2010 recruited from Multiple sclerosis unit at Ain Shams University Hospitals, both genders included and aged from 18 to 50 years old. All subjects were assessed regarding their basic demographic data, serum vitamin D level and lipid profile and correlated these data with their state of disease activity and degree of disability. Results The mean level of serum vitamin D was 18.93 ± 9.85 ng/mL. Serum vitamin D level was insufficient (< 30 ng/mL) in 81.08% of patients and sufficient (≥ 30 ng/mL) in 18.92% of patients. The mean level of total cholesterol (TC) was 204.9 ± 50.9 mg/dL, of tri-glycerides (TG) was 105.4 ± 44.6 mg/dL, of low density lipoprotein (LDL) was 122.2 ± 38.8 mg/dL and of high density lipoprotein (HDL) level was 56.2 ± 16.6 mg/dL. High relapse frequency was found to be significantly related to low serum vitamin D level with P-value 0.005. Near all lipid related variables were positively correlated to disease duration. TC and TG were positively related to EDSS while HDL was negatively related with it. Number of brain T2 lesions was significantly correlated with TC and TG levels with P-value 0.001 and 0.002 respectively. Fingolimod was found to be associated with dyslipidemia. We found that each 1 ng/mL increase in vitamin D was associated with decrease in TC of 1.48 mg/dL (95% CI: -2.42 to -0.54, P-value 0.002) and increase in HDL of 0.35 mg/dL (95% CI: 0.04 to -0.66, P-value 0.028). Conclusion Vitamin D deficiency is predominant among Egyptian MS patients. Patients with insufficient vitamin D were found to have higher annualized relapse rate (ARR). Patients with dyslipidemia found to have longer duration, more disability and higher brain T2 lesion load. Vitamin D was correlated positively with HDL and negatively with TC.