Observation of vitamin D levels in newly diagnosed multiple sclerosis patients: A case series

Abstract

Background: Many environmental factors have been reported to be associated with the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), such as lack of exposure to sunlight, vitamin D deficiency, obesity, smoking, and infectious mononucleosis. Vitamin D deficiency has been shown to play a role in immune system function and may increase the risk of developing MS, although there are many confounding factors and inconsistent results. Objective: In this report, we evaluated vitamin D levels in newly diagnosed MS patients to determine the need for vitamin D supplementation. Methods: We observed vitamin D levels in newly diagnosed MS patients who had not previously used corticosteroids and vitamin D. We measured serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25 OH vitamin D) levels when patients with suspected MS were hospitalized. All patients were evaluated for kidney function, and normal function was ensured. Results: We recorded six patients (5 females, 1 male), aged from 17 to 66 years old, newly diagnosed with MS from January 2024 to July 2024, and 4 patients had positive oligoclonal bands. 25 OH vitamin D levels were low in 5 patients and normal in 1 patient. The patient with normal 25 OH vitamin D levels was the youngest with a serum level of 83.95 ng/ml. In the remaining patients, deficient 25 OH vitamin D levels were recorded in 1 patient (15.91 ng/ml) and insufficient levels in 4 patients (ranging from 20.46 to 28.4 ng/ml). Patients with low 25 OH vitamin D levels were then supplemented with vitamin D2 or D3. Conclusion: Most MS patients have low 25 OH vitamin D levels, so vitamin D supplementation in MS treatment is necessary. However, further observations with larger sample sizes and comparisons with healthy individuals or non-MS patients are needed.