Context: The active metabolite of vitamin D, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)(2)D], is a potent modulator of immune cells in vitro.
Objective: Our objective was to determine whether the sun-dependent nutrient, cholecalciferol, can alter disease-associated cellular immune abnormalities in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).
Design: This was an open-label, 12-month, randomized controlled trial.
Background: Vitamin D3 may have therapeutic potential in several diseases, including multiple sclerosis. High doses of vitamin D(3) may be required for therapeutic efficacy, and yet tolerability--in the present context, defined as the serum concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] that does not cause hypercalcemia--remains poorly characterized.
Objective: The objective of the study was to characterize the calcemic response to specific serum 25(OH)D concentrations.