Ultraviolet radiation, vitamin D and multiple sclerosis.
Neurodegener Dis Manag. 2015 Oct;5(5):413-24. doi: 10.2217/nmt.15.33. Epub 2015 Oct 19.
Lucas RM 1,2, Byrne SN 3, Correale J 4, Ilschner S 5, Hart PH2.
1National Centre for Epidemiology & Population Health, Research School of Population Health, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.
2Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
3Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
4Department of Neurology, Raul Carrea Institute for Neurological Research, FLENI, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
5Independent researcher.
- Overview MS and vitamin D
- Multiple Sclerosis and (lots of) Vitamin D - book by patient on Coimbra protocol - Feb 2016
- Anti-inflamatory cytokines increased when vitamin D levels were raised above 30 ng – RCT Feb 2015
- Pro-inflammatory cytokines cause the 74 percent drop in vitamin D after knee arthroplasty – Feb 2014
- The sun provides more health benefit than vitamin D – Dr. Lucas podcast – May 2015
The items in both categories MS and UV are listed here:
- Multiple Sclerosis treated equally by UVB and weekly 50,000 IU of Vitamin D – RCT July 2023
- Mutiple Sclerosis half as likely in children spending 30 to 60 minutes per day in the sun – Dec 2021
- Sun reduces risk of Multiple Sclerosis via both Vitamin D and another way – Dec 2019
- UV helped EAE mice (MS) designed to not respond to Vitamin D – Oct 2019
- Multiple Sclerosis 2X more likely if low winter UV – June 2018
- Multiple Sclerosis half as likely if get plenty of sunshine (not a news item) – March 2018
- Clinically Isolated Syndrome progresses to Multiple Sclerosis, unless UVB treatments – RCT Dec 2017
- Vitamin D and Sun conference – Germany June 2017
- Multiple Sclerosis suppressed by an Ultraviolet wavelength not associated with Vitamin D (mice) – Nov 2016
- Multiple Sclerosis helped by UV – possibly via cytokines, etc. – Oct 2015
- Hypothesis – Multiple Sclerosis risk increases with low UV, viral infections, and antibiotics in childhood – March 2015
- How UVB reduces autoimmune diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis – April 2014
- UV decreases Multiple Sclerosis via cis-urocanic acid (and via vitamin D) – June 2013
- MS prevention by UV is 2X better than prevention by vitamin D levels – Jan 2012
- There is more in UV than vitamin D which suppresses MS in mice – April 2010
- UV produces more than vitamin D – Aug 2011
- Lack of UV 20X more associated with MS than any other variable – Dec 2010
- Hypothesis - more in sunshine than vitamin D to reduce MS – Feb 2010
- MS UV and Vitamin D – 2009
- Lack of UV increased offspring MS - April 2010
- Mouse MS: UVB but not Vitamin D reduced incidence - April 2010
The items in both categories MS and Inflammation are listed here:
 Download the PDF from VitaminDWiki
There is compelling epidemiological evidence that the risk of developing multiple sclerosis is increased in association with low levels of sun exposure, possibly because this is associated with low vitamin D status. Recent work highlights both vitamin D and non-vitamin D effects on cellular immunity that suggests that higher levels of sun exposure and/or vitamin D status are beneficial for both MS risk and in ameliorating disease progression.
Here we review this recent evidence, focusing on regulatory cells, dendritic cells, and chemokines and cytokines released from the skin following exposure to ultraviolet radiation.
KEYWORDS: B regulatory cells; cis-urocanic acid; dendritic cells; multiple sclerosis; ultraviolet radiation; vitamin D
PMID: 26477548 DOI: 10.2217/nmt.15.33
Table 2. Uv-regulated cytokines and their possible role in multiple sclerosis. | |||
Cytokine |
Uv-induced trigger |
Main cutaneous source |
Possible role in MS |
Upregulated | |||
IL-10 |
DNAdamage |
Epithelial cells |
Anti-inflammatory |
Vitamin D |
Dendritic cells |
Lowers TNF | |
Mast cells |
Increases T„ [117] | ||
IL-1P |
ATP? Caspase? [118] |
Macrophages |
Proinflammatory |
Keratinocytes |
Increases permeability of the blood-brain barrier [119] | ||
IL-6 |
DNA damage |
Keratinocytes [120] |
Proinflammatory |
T-cells Macrophages Fibroblasts |
Increases Th17 [121] | ||
IL-8 |
UV-B |
Fibroblasts [122] |
Reduced by IFN-P treatment [123] |
Topical 1,25(OH)D inhibits release [124] |
Keratinocytes Mast cells | ||
GM-CSF |
DNA damage |
T cells Macrophages Keratinocytes [126] |
Associated with relapses [125] |
TNF |
IL-1 |
Macrophages Mast cells T cells Keratinocytes [127] |
Proinflammatory |
IL-33 |
Platelet activating factor |
Fibroblasts [114] |
Paradoxically elevated in MS patients [128] |
Keratinocytes [114] |
Attenuates EAE by suppressing IL-17 and IFN [129] | ||
Downregulated | |||
IFN-y |
Cytokine signaling molecules 1 and 3 [130] |
Keratinocytes |
Macrophage/microglia stimulation |
Il-17/23 |
Transcriptional modulation, IL-6 [118] |
Th 17 cells |
Expressed in brain lesions of MS patients; induces expression of inflammatory genes in astrocytes [131] |
Keratinocytes | |||
DC: Dendritic cell; MS: Multiple sclerosis. |