Molecular Psychiatry - Gestational vitamin D deficiency and autism-related traits: the Generation R Study

 There is intense interest in identifying modifiable risk factors associated with autism-spectrum disorders (ASD). Autism-related traits, which can be assessed in a continuous fashion, share risk factors with ASD, and thus can serve as informative phenotypes in population-based cohort studies. Based on the growing body of research linking gestational vitamin D deficiency with altered brain development, this common exposure is a candidate modifiable risk factor for ASD and autism-related traits. The association between gestational vitamin D deficiency and a continuous measure of autism-related traits at ~6 years (Social Responsiveness Scale; SRS) was determined in a large population-based cohort of mothers and their children (n=4229). 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) was assessed from maternal mid-gestation sera and from neonatal sera (collected from cord blood). Vitamin D deficiency was defined as 25OHD concentrations less than 25 nmol l−1. Compared with the 25OHD sufficient group (25OHD>50 nmol l−1), those who were 25OHD deficient had significantly higher (more abnormal) SRS scores (mid-gestation n=2866, β=0.06, P<0.001; cord blood n=1712, β=0.03, P=0.01). The findings persisted (a) when we restricted the models to offspring with European ancestry, (b) when we adjusted for sample structure using genetic data, (c) when 25OHD was entered as a continuous measure in the models and (d) when we corrected for the effect of season of blood sampling. Gestational vitamin D deficiency was associated with autism-related traits in a large population-based sample. Because gestational vitamin D deficiency is readily preventable with safe, cheap and accessible supplements, this candidate risk factor warrants closer scrutiny."



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Environmental risk factors for dementia: a systematic review | BMC Geriatrics | Full Text

Dementia risk reduction is a major and growing public health priority. While certain modifiable risk factors for dementia have been identified, there remains a substantial proportion of unexplained risk. There is evidence that environmental risk factors may explain some of this risk. Thus, we present the first comprehensive systematic review of environmental risk factors for dementia.

Methods 

We searched the PubMed and Web of Science databases from their inception to January 2016, bibliographies of review articles, and articles related to publically available environmental data. Articles were included if they examined the association between an environmental risk factor and dementia. Studies with another outcome (for example, cognition), a physiological measure of the exposure, case studies, animal studies, and studies of nutrition were excluded. Data were extracted from individual studies which were, in turn, appraised for methodological quality. The strength and consistency of the overall evidence for each risk factor identified was assessed.

Results

We screened 4784 studies and included 60 in the review. Risk factors were considered in six categories: air quality, toxic heavy metals, other metals, other trace elements, occupational-related exposures, and miscellaneous environmental factors. Few studies took a life course approach. There is at least moderate evidence implicating the following risk factors: air pollution; aluminium; silicon; selenium; pesticides; vitamin D deficiency; and electric and magnetic fields.

 Conclusions

Studies varied widely in size and quality and therefore we must be circumspect in our conclusions. Nevertheless, this extensive review suggests that future research could focus on a short list of environmental risk factors for dementia. Furthermore, further robust, longitudinal studies with repeated measures of environmental exposures are required to confirm these associations."

Chemical exposure linked to lower vitamin D levels

 Exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) and other endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) may reduce levels of vitamin D in the bloodstream, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

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The beneficial effects of vitamin D3 on reducing antibody titers against Epstein-Barr virus in multiple sclerosis patients. - PubMed - NCBI

Recently, the relationship between immunoreactivity to Epstein-Barr
virus (EBV) and hypo-vitamin D in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients has
been described. The aim of this study was to investigate whether vitamin
D3 supplementation in MS patients could influence the immune response
against latent EBV infection. Forty MS patients were recruited in this
study. Twenty-seven patients were supplemented with 50,000 IU/week of
vitamin D3 for 6 months and thirteen enrolled as controls.
25-Hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) levels and IgG titers against EBNA1 and VCA
were determined pre- and post-supplementation. All the patients were
seropositive for EBV prior to vitamin D supplementation. In this cohort,
22.5% and 47.5% of the MS patients had deficient and insufficient
levels of 25OHD, respectively. Our findings confirm that antibody titers
against EBV in MS patients rise after the onset of the disease and
indicate that vitamin D3 supplementation could limit augmentation of
these titers in MS patients.

Pancreatic cancer risk linked to weak sunlight: Harm may come from low vitamin D -- ScienceDaily

Writing in the April 30 online issue of the Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology,
researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine
report pancreatic cancer rates are highest in countries with the least
amount of sunlight. Low sunlight levels were due to a combination of
heavy cloud cover and high latitude.

Dementia rates higher for people in the north than the south - Medical News Today

How far north a person lives could influence their risk of developing dementia, a study suggests.
Researchers say that a higher occurrence of dementia among people living in northern parts of Scotland and Sweden suggests that environmental factors - such as levels of sunlight - may influence adults' risk of developing the disease.
Scientists say that the finding could help halve rates of dementia, which affects 850,000 people in the UK and 36 million worldwide.
Researchers from the University of Edinburgh carried out two studies mapping the disease - one in Scotland among people born in 1921 and the other, in Swedish twins.
In Sweden, the further north people lived, the greater their risk of dementia.
Researchers found that twins living in the north were two or three times more likely to develop dementia compared with those in the south, after they accounted for factors such as age, gender, and genes.
In Scotland, the study revealed a substantial change in disease risk depending on where people lived as an adult. There was no change in risk linked to where people lived as children.

Experts say that this variation is likely to be caused by common environmental factors that affect people in adulthood - such as lack of sunlight exposure and Vitamin D, which has been linked to healthy brain function and dementia."

Beyond Reasonable Doubt: The vitamin D piece of the MS puzzle | Multiple Sclerosis Discovery Forum

Last summer, MSDF reported a dramatic study demonstrating that vitamin D supplementation could reverse paralysis in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) mice and prevent relapse. It’s easy to hope for something similar in human MS patients. Indeed, everyone is waiting for the results of various trials of vitamin D in humans. But those results could be months or years away. The
arguments for vitamin D being an effective treatment in MS patients remain tenuous. Yet, as a previous MSDF News Synthesis demonstrated, the evidence for vitamin D deficiency being a major element in the etiology of MS is robust.

Much more in this article .....................

Causal link found between vitamin D, serotonin synthesis and autism in new study -- ScienceDaily

Serotonin and vitamin D have been proposed to play a role in autism,
however, no causal mechanism has been established. Now, researchers show
that serotonin, oxytocin, and vasopressin, three brain hormones that
affect social behavior related to autism, are all activated by vitamin D
hormone. Supplementation with vitamin D and tryptophan would be a
practical and affordable solution to help prevent autism and possibly
ameliorate some symptoms of the disorder.

Vitamin D3 Blocks T Helper Cells From Entering the CNS | Multiple Sclerosis Discovery Forum

Vitamin D₃ selectively and reversibly inhibits the migration of T helper cells into the central nervous system (CNS), according to findings from a new study. The authors said the findings could have significant implications for the use of vitamin D as an adjunctive therapy for immune-mediated diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). 

The study appeared online December 9 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and was authored by Anne R. Gocke, Ph.D., an assistant professor of neurology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, along with colleagues (Grishkan et al., 2013). The authors described their study as "a systematic evaluation of the vitamin D effects on T lymphocytes at each step of their journey to the CNS."

Based mostly on epidemiologic and animal studies, it has been suspected for some time that high-dose vitamin D supplementation might have positive effects on the course of disease in patients with MS. In fact, a clinical study is currently underway at Johns Hopkins looking more closely at that hypothesis. 

Low vitamin D causes brain damage

"In addition to being essential for maintaining bone health, newer evidence shows that vitamin D serves important roles in other organs and tissue, including the brain. Published in Free Radical Biology and Medicine, the UK study showed that middle-aged rats that were fed a diet low in vitamin D for several months developed free radical damage to the brain, and many different brain proteins were damaged as identified by redox proteomics. These rats also showed a significant decrease in cognitive performance on tests of learning and memory."

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BBC News - Sunshine vitamin D 'may treat asthma'

The amount of time asthma patients spend soaking up the sun may have an impact on the illness, researchers have suggested. A team at King's College London said low levels of vitamin D, which is made by the body in sunlight, was linked to a worsening of symptoms. Its latest research shows the vitamin calms an over-active part of the immune system in asthma.

Immune System Development and Vitamin D levels Influenced By Birth Month

MNT: Newborn babies' immune systems and vitamin D levels vary, depending on which month of the year they were born. The study gives a possible biological platform as to why a person's risk of developing muliple sclerosis is impacted by the month they were born in. Additionally, it identifies the need for more research into the possible advantages of vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy.

Maternal obesity and vitamin D sufficiency are associated with cord blood vitamin D insufficiency.

An inverse relationship between total serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OH D) and increased adiposity has been established in children, adolescents, and adults. However, the relationship between neonatal adiposity and vitamin D status has not been reported. Both maternal obesity and vitamin D deficiency in pregnancy are common and are associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes.

OBJECTIVE:

The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between vitamin D levels in mothers and newborns, as influenced by maternal obesity, and evaluate these associations with neonatal adiposity.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS:

Sixty-one maternal-neonatal pairs participated in this cross-sectional study at an academic medical center. Mothers had a prepregnancy body mass index that was normal or obese.

OUTCOME MEASURES:

Maternal and cord blood sera were assayed for 25-OH D, and neonatal body composition was measured by air displacement plethysmography.

RESULTS:

Mothers had similar and sufficient levels of 25-OH D when measured at 36-38 wk gestation, irrespective of body mass index category (normal weight, 46.05, vs. obese, 49.84 ng/ml; P = not significant). However, cord blood 25-OH D was higher in neonates of normal-weight mothers compared to neonates of obese mothers (27.45 vs. 20.81 ng/ml; P = 0.02). The variance in cord blood 25-OH D was explained by four factors: maternal 25-OH D level, the presence of maternal obesity, maternal age, and neonatal adiposity (r(2) = 0.66).

CONCLUSION:

Obese women transfer less 25-OH D to offspring than normal-weight women, despite similar serum levels. Cord blood 25-OH D levels directly correlate to neonatal percentage body fat. These novel findings underscore the evolving relationships between maternal obesity, vitamin D nutritional status, and adiposity in the neonatal period that may influence subsequent childhood and adulthood vitamin D-dependent processes.

The month of birth effect in multiple sclerosis: systematic review, meta-analysis and effect of latitude --

Month of birth has previously been described as a risk factor for multiple sclerosis (MS). This has been hypothesised to be related to maternal vitamin D levels during pregnancy, although conclusive evidence to support this is lacking. To date, no large studies of latitudinal variation in the month of birth effect have been performed to advance this hypothesis.

Methods Previously published data on month of birth from 151 978 MS patients were compared to expected birth rates. A linear regression model was used to assess the relationship between latitude and observed:expected birth ratio of MS patients for each month.

Results Analysis of all reported data demonstrated a significant excess of MS risk in those born in April (observed:expected 1.05, p=0.05) and reduction in risk in those born in October (0.95, p=0.04) and November (0.92 p=0.01). A conservative analysis of 78 488 patients revealed an excess MS risk in those born in April (1.07, p=0.002) and May (1.11, p=0.0006), and a reduced risk in those born in October (ratio 0.94, p=0.004) and November (0.88, p=0.0002). A significant relationship between latitude and observed:expected ratio was demonstrated in December, and borderline significant relationships in May and August.

Conclusions Month of birth has a significant effect on subsequent MS risk. This is likely to be due to ultraviolet light exposure and maternal vitamin D levels, as demonstrated by the relationship between risk and latitude.

Vitamin D, omega-3 may help clear amyloid plaques found in Alzheimer's / UCLA Newsroom

A team of academic researchers has pinpointed how vitamin D3 and omega-3 fatty acids may enhance the immune system's ability to clear the brain of amyloid plaques, one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease.

In a small pilot study published in the Feb. 5 issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, the scientists identified key genes and signaling networks regulated by vitamin D3 and the omega-3 fatty acid DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) that may help control inflammation and improve plaque clearance.

Month of birth effect: Give pregnant women vitamin D supplements to ward off multiple sclerosis, say researchers

ScienceDaily (Nov. 14, 2012) — The risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) is highest in the month of April, and lowest in October, indicates an analysis of the available evidence, published online in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.The findings, which include several populations at latitudes greater than 52 degrees from the equator for the first time, strongly implicate maternal exposure to vitamin D during pregnancy.

Vitamin D deficiency linked to type 1 diabetes

ScienceDaily (Nov. 15, 2012) — A study led by researchers from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine has found a correlation between vitamin D3 serum levels and subsequent incidence of Type 1 diabetes. The six-year study of blood levels of nearly 2,000 individuals suggests a preventive role for vitamin D3 in this disease. The research appears the December issue ofDiabetologia, a publication of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD).

Genetic variation may modify associations between low vitamin D levels and adverse health outcomes

ScienceDaily (Nov. 13, 2012) — Findings from a study suggest that certain variations in vitamin D metabolism genes may modify the association of low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations with health outcomes such as hip fracture, heart attack, cancer, and death, according to a study appearing in the November 14 issue of JAMA.

Vitamin D could hold vital key to arresting development of Alzheimer’s disease

Lead researcher Professor Declan Naughton, from Kingston University's School of Life Sciences, said the results had revealed some important facts. Alzheimer's patients who were not using medication had very poor stores of vitamin D2 -- the type originating from food such as oily fish, rather than that obtained from exposure to the sun. "The vitamin was either non-existent or in such low quantities that it could barely be measured," he explained. "In comparison, people in the study who were either being treated with drugs to control their Alzheimer's or who didn't have the condition at all showed far higher levels."

Vitamin D supplements may benefit lupus patients

A new clinical study published in BioMedCentral's open access journal Arthritis Research and Therapy provides preliminary evidence that vitamin D supplementation could be considered an immunomodulatory agent for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a debilitating autoimmune disease characterized not only by skin, joint, neurological and renal symptoms, but also by inflammation of tissue linings in the body.