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. 2018 Aug 14:9:68.
doi: 10.4103/ijpvm.IJPVM_45_16. eCollection 2018.

Association between Sun Exposure, Vitamin D Intake, Serum Vitamin D Level, and Immunoglobulin G Level in Patients with Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder

Vahid Shaygannejad  1 , Mohammad Bagher Maljaei  1   2   3 , Sahar Saraf Bank  2 , Omid Mirmosayyeb  1   4 , Mohammad Reza Maracy  5 , Gholamreza Askari  2
Affiliations

Association between Sun Exposure, Vitamin D Intake, Serum Vitamin D Level, and Immunoglobulin G Level in Patients with Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder

Vahid Shaygannejad et al. Int J Prev Med. .

Abstract

Background: Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is a central nervous system inflammatory disorder in which immunoglobulin G (IgG) autoantibodies possibly play a pathogenic role against the aquaporin-4 water channel protein. Vitamin D may modulate B-cell function and decrease the IgG synthesis and may play a role in NMOSD as a crucial factor. The aim of this study was to investigate the relation between Vitamin D intakes from food, Vitamin D intake from sunlight exposure, blood Vitamin D levels, and IgG-neuromyelitis optica (NMO) level in serum of patients with NMOSD and NMO.

Method: In this cross-sectional study, food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQ) and Sun Exposure Questionnaire (SEQ) were completed to evaluate of vitamin D intakes from food and sun light exposure. Moreover, serum levels of 25(OH) vitamin D3 and IgG-NMO were assessed in patients with NMOSD and NMO.

Results: We assessed IgG-NMO levels in 29 patients with NMOSD that nine patients (n = 31%) were positive and for the rest it was negative. Sunlight exposure scale (P = 0.01) and 25(OH) D3 (P = 0.04) in IgG-NMO-negative patients were significantly more than patients with positive IgG-NMO. Age, gender, and latitude were not confounder variables. A positive significant correlation was observed between the sun exposure scale and serum levels of 25(OH) D3 in all participants (r = 0.747, P ≤ 0.001).

Conclusions: Physiological variation in Vitamin D may apply a significant effect on IgG-NMO synthesis in patients with NMO. Vitamin D may have significant role in pathogenesis of NMOSD and NMO.

Keywords: Immunoglobulin G; Vitamin D; neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder.

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Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflicts of interest.

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