A pilot study shows that taking a high dose of vitamin D3 is safe for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and may help regulate the body's hyperactive immune response.
Low levels of vitamin D in the blood are linked to an increased risk of developing MS. People who have MS and low levels of vitamin D tend to have more severe disability and more disease activity.
In the research, 40 people with relapsing-remitting MS received either 10,400 international units or 800 international units of vitamin D3 supplements per day for six months. Patients with severe vitamin D deficiency were not included in the study. The current recommended daily allowance of vitamin D3 is 600 international units. Blood tests at the start of the study and again at three and six months measured the amount of vitamin D in the blood and the response in the immune system's T cells, which play a crucial role in MS.
When investigators are still identifying the optimal level of vitamin D in the blood for people with MS, a suggested range of 40 to 60 nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml) has been proposed as a target. Participants taking the high dose of vitamin D reached levels within the proposed target, while those taking the low dose did not reach the target.
Side effects from the vitamin treatments were minor and were not different between the people taking the high dose and those taking the low dose. One person in each group relapsed.
Participants taking the high dose had a reduction in the percentage of inflammatory T cells related to MS severity, specifically IL-17+CD4+ and CD161+CD4+ cells. When the increase in levels of vitamin D in the blood over base line levels was greater than 18 ng/ml, every additional 5 ng/ml increase in vitamin D led to a 1 percent decrease in the percentage of IL-17+CD4+ T cells in the blood. These changes in inflammatory T cell responses may translate to a reduced severity of disease. Those taking the low dose didn't have any noticeable changes in the percentages of inflammatory T cells related to MS severity.
The findings are significant, because vitamin D may become an cheap, safe and convenient treatment for MS. More study is needed to confirm these findings with larger groups of people and to help identify the mechanisms for these effects.
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