Free vitamin D and vitamin D binding protein in multiple sclerosis patients

Objective: In multiple sclerosis (MS), where low vitamin D level is a risk factor, there is no previous study evaluating the level of free vitamin D by direct measurement, and there is little information about vitamin D binding protein (DBP). This study assessed free vitamin D and DBP in patients with MS. Methods: The study subjects consisted of 43 MS patients and 25 controls. Free vitamin D and DBP levels were measured through an enzyme-linked immunosorbent (ELISA) kit. Results: The patient group had a mean age of 36.58 +/- 9.4 (19-60) and the control group had a mean age of 33.56 +/- 9.65 (24-52) years (p=0.210). The patient had free vitamin D level of 21.51 +/- 9.72 pg/ml and the free vitamin D level of the control group was 26.02 +/- 9.29 pg/ml. Free vitamin D levels did not significantly differ across the groups (p=0.065). The patient group (34.78 +/- 18.24 ng/ml) had a significantly higher DBP level than the control group (15.36 +/- 10.64 ng/ml) (p<0.001). Conclusion: MS patients have higher DBP than healthy control, while the free vitamin D levels of the patients tend to be lower.