Vitamin D levels and olfactory dysfunction in multiple sclerosis patients

Abstract

Objective The objective was to explore the possible relationship between the serum vitamin D level and olfactory impairment in a population of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in Guizhou, China. Methods We included 25 patients with MS and 18 healthy controls (HCs) who were recruited from the Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University from February 2021 to September 2021. The University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT) was used to test the patients’ sense of smell, and the level of serum 25-hydroxyethylene polyprotein D was measured. Results Serum vitamin D levels and UPSIT scores were significantly different between the MS group and the control group (both p < 0.001). Moreover, a significant positive correlation emerged between vitamin D levels and UPSIT scores in MS patients (r = 0.537, p = 0.021). Conclusions The serum vitamin D level may be involved in the regulation of olfactory dysfunction in MS patients in Guizhou, China.