Abstract
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease of the Central Nervous System (CNS). Genetic, epigenetic and environmental factors interact together, contributing to the complex pathogenesis of the disease. In the last decades, the role of hypovitaminosis D on MS risk was hypothesised. Several factors drive the regulation of vitamin D status, including genetics. The current review summarises the literature evidence on the association between vitamin D and MS, with a focus on the genetic polymorphisms in vitamin D-related genes. The variants of the genes codifying Vitamin D Receptor (VDR), Vitamin D Binding Protein (VDBP) and CYP enzymes have been investigated, but the findings are controversial. Only a few studies have addressed the role of DHCR7 polymorphisms in MS risk.
Highlights
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease of the Central Nervous System (CNS)
The current review summarises the literature evidence on the association between vitamin D status and MS risk
This finding further supported the importance of vitamin D in MS risk and represented the foundation for investigating the influence of variants in genes implicated in vitamin D metabolism, catabolism and function on MS
Summary
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease of the Central Nervous System (CNS). An inverse correlation between geographical latitude and MS prevalence, with increasing risk from the equator to North and South Poles, has been reported [3]. Bezzini and Battaglia observed an inverse correlation between MS and latitude in Europe [5] They concluded that the increasing prevalence could be the result of increasing survival and incidence. Genetic studies disclosed several Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) in the genes codifying molecules involved in the vitamin D pathway associated with the vitamin D status. The current review summarises the literature evidence on the association between vitamin D status and MS risk
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