Vitamin D helps control MS genes

Hello, maybe it is too late for many of you here to know that but I think this is an important finding.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7871598.stm

Engineer,

[biowham]

Just came on here to post this. There's a news release here....http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-02/plos-gss020209.php (or just Google Genetic study shows direct link between vitamin D and MS susceptibility 'gene' and you'll get it). Also, this is in a PLOS journal (PLOS Genetics), an "open-access" journal, which means that you can go read the entire paper for free, the way it should be with taxpayer-funded research (which almost all research is). You can find the entire paper here: http://www.plosgenetics.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pgen.1000369 (or go to the PLOS Genetics site and search "Expression of the Multiple Sclerosis-Associated MHC Class II Allele HLA-DRB1*1501 Is Regulated by Vitamin D".

Interesting stuff.

Bio

[biowham]

And all I can think about is (1) my grandmother has PPMS; (2) my mother is a pale redhead who detests milk and always wore hats in the sun; and (3) I was born in late April. Hmmmm....

Bio

[biowham]

OK....I've read the paper, and here it is in a "nutshell."

There are proteins involved in distinguishing "self" from "foreign." Obviously, if they don't do this right and mistake "self" for "foreign," the body attacks itself and you have an autoimmune disorder.  

The genes that carry the code for these proteins have a special section where different molecules stick to them and turn them on. Research has shown that these "turn on" sections in many people with MS are a little different.

Among the molecules that turn on these sections are proteins that bind to vitamin D. Theoretically, vitamin D would bind its protein, and then that protein would go and stick to the "turn-on" section, turning it on. This research shows that there is this link between vitamin D and "turning on" this gene for a "self" protein.

As we grow into our teens, our body is busy making immune cells in the thymus. As our body makes these cells that to attack invaders, each cell is supposed to go through a "vetting" process, a test. The body presents different "self" molecules to each cell to see if it attacks "self" by mistake. If the body's tests show that a cell is prone to attacking "self" rather than "foreign," that cell is supposed to be sifted out and not used.  

Vitamin D may be necessary for the body to make one kind of these "self" molecules used in the test. If there is no vitamin D, then that part of the test never gets conducted, and a "self"-attacking cell is released by accident. If you live somewhere with diminished sunlight or experience vitamin D shortage in utero or during the years that your body is vetting these cells (into the teens), then your body may be letting cells through that it shouldn't. It needs vit D to make the molecule to perform the test. Without it, cells don't get tested with that molecule, and cells prone to attacking "self" "pass" the test when they shouldn't.

They then go an wander around our bodies, attacking "self." The result? Autoimmune disorder. MS.

Anyway...that's what these researchers speculate, and there are good indications that they're right.

Bio

[sllowe]

Excellent interp Bio!

Ok, so there has been no "MS Gene" discovery then - right?

I bathed in the sun, always throughout my life.  

I do believe the data on this, but I moreso just look forward to more concrete evidence of those things that predispose us to develop MS.

Hoping Elaine will add more to what Bio and Engineer started here...

ttys,
Shell

[biowham]

Well, Shell...the article says that there is this specific region of an immunity gene (it's called a promoter; it turns the gene "on"), and among people with MS, there are sequence differences that many of them share. So...it's kind of an MS gene, or part of one. Also, the paper says that twin studies show a 25% concordance between identical twins; the implication is about a quarter attributable to your genes and 75% to environment. This vit D thing would definitely qualify as environmental...if it's not there, a protein used in "self" testing doesn't get made, and T cells that attack self get to pass the test inappropriately.

This is fairly concrete for where things are right now with MS research. It helps explain why moves from the equator to higher latitudes before adolescence make your risk the same as if you'd lived in cold your whole life, while moves after adolescence leave you with the lower equatorial risk...the place where this testing occurs---the thymus--is usually gone by adolescence.

And your having bathed your whole life in the sun might not have mattered if your mother stayed out of the sun during your in utero development...at least, that's one of the factors they're positing to explain why being born in spring carries a stronger association...your mom was indoors during the fall and winter while you gestated.

Bio

[Rena705]

VERY interesting...I am adopted but I do know that my birth mother had "striking" red hair and "creamy pale complexion" that would have been very susceptible to the sun.  I was born with red hair and have a very pale complexion as well.  I was born in October which would have meant my mother probably avoided the sun at all cost during the summer that she carried me.  I have a half sister that was born in April and while she has pale skin she has dark brown hair and no incidence of MS or any other auto-immune disease (knock on wood) thus far.  Does make ya wonder doesn't it?

Lots of Hugs,
Rena

[sllowe]

Good stuff.  I can't thank you enough for the putting this in laymens terms too.  I will read it.  But today, I know nothing much will sink in this coup.

I'm glad they are studying it more in depth. Maybe this too will encourage more to participate in the studies.

thanks again,
Shell

[GrannyJo6]

This is all so very interesting. I think I mentioned before that I am of northern european descent, had strawberry blonde hair as a child and was born in Seattle in February! I, too, was adopted, Rena and I know my birth father was a redhead with a ruddy complexion and green eyes. My birth mother (I found her later in life) lived in Seattle her whole life and went to Spokane (a really high incidence of MS there!) while she carried me! I, too, have a half-sister who has dark hair and darker complexion and aside from asthma like me, hasn't any s/s of MS. Yes, it does make you wonder.

BTW, I am off to my nurse practitioner to get results from my last Vitamin D blood draw!
I'll let you know what I found out!

Thanks for the good info and all the research on the internet you guys do!

[jensequitur]

"vitamin D deficiency in mothers or even in a previous generation may lead to altered expression of DRB1*1501 in offspring."

I thought that was interesting.  I grew up in southeast Texas, where there's plenty of environmental toxins, but also lots of sun.  So if Mom didn't get enough vitamin D when she was pregnant with me, that's one cause.  But my relatives on one side of the family are from Washington State, where there's a high incidence of MS, and low sunshine, so perhaps Grandma passed her vitamin D deficiency on to Mom.

This goes a long way toward explaining why people with one immune problem can develop others.  I've had vitiligo since I was 16 - a very mild form of immune disease where the t-cells attack the melanin in my skin cells.  It's only in patches on my face.  I know other people have Chrohn's, or myasthenia gravis, or PCOS, and I feel lucky!

[monotreme]

Thanks bio, for the excellent article reference and the explanation. I really appreciate it so I can show it to Craig tonight.   I came across a reference to this article last night but was looking for Hashimoto's info so it was something I was going to go back to.

Do you want to know something that I found out last night??  I have had autoimmune thyroid disease since 2001, but my severe B12 deficiency and D3 deficiency (7) was discovered in Nov. 2007.  I have been taking B12 shots and D3 supplements (20,000 units a day) and last night I picked up my lab tests.  

Well, my TSH was down at 0.19.   When I had the vitamin deficiencies, I couldn't get my TSH below 3.  (A good TSH is between 1.5 and 3).  Well, I read that adequate D3 can actually keep your thyroid healthy and make it so that you need less thyroid medication.  So now, I can actually reduce my dose thanks to the D3 level going up.  I want a TSH at 1 or 1.5, so I am not reducing it that much, but for the first time since 2001, it is actually a good TSH level.

I think D3 is more important than anyone ever realized.

Elaine

[biowham]

It is very important undoubtedly.

Elaine...before I had my thyroid removed, I had a routine panel done in my pregnancy with our third son. It came back with nonexistent TSH. It was just simply below detection levels...and I didn't even know it. Had no idea, no symptoms of which I was aware.

Jen...I think that thyroid problem was a very sudden onset autoimmune problem..my TPOs were quite high, no cancer. Several large nodules, some bigger than 1.5 inches. Just suddenly. I also grew up in TX...

Bio

[jensequitur]

Bio, where'd you grow up?  Turns out that the school I went to was very high in environmental toxins - the 4th worst in the nation.

[biowham]

Waco. No, I am not a Branch Davidian. ;)

Lived in central TX most of my life except for 2 years in SF, CA.

Of course, if I have primary lateral sclerosis and not MS...then I guess this vit D stuff doesn't "count" for me, unless there's a link btw vit D and motor neuron diseases.

Bio