Association of Serum Levels of Vitamins D and E with Markers of NLRP3-inflammasome Pathway in Multiple Sclerosis.

OBJECTIVES

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system. It is suggested that mechanisms of many diseases involve 'sterile inflammation' triggered by oxidative stress in the absence of infection. Inflammasomes regulate such inflammatory processes. Antioxidants can counter oxidative stress, but their exact relationship with inflammasome activity in MS is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between inflammasome markers and antioxidant vitamins D and E in Jordanian patients with MS.

METHODS

We enrolled 100 patients with MS and 100 healthy controls. Their blood samples were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for levels of interleukin-18 (IL-18), IL-1 beta (IL-1β), nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain, leucine-rich repeat, and pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3), and vitamins D and E.

RESULTS

Patients with MS had significantly higher serum levels of IL-18 (p =0.020), IL-1 β (p <0.001), and NLRP3 (p =0.040) compared with the controls. Serum NLRP3 had an inverse correlation with vitamin D (r = -0.20; p =0.020). Moreover, a significant negative correlation existed between IL-1 β and vitamin E (r = -0.14; p =0.040).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that inflammasome activation in MS is linked to decreased levels of antioxidant vitamins. Hence, inflammasome marker levels may serve as future potential biomarkers of disease activity and progression in MS.