Vitamin B 12 Deficiency and Multiple Sclerosis; Is there Any Association?

Abstract

Background: Vitamin B 12 (Cobalamin) deficiency can result in some clinical and paraclinical characteristics similar to what is seen in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. This study aimed to evaluate the controversial association between vitamin B 12 deficiency and MS. Methods: We measured serum vitamin B 12 in 60 patients with MS and 38 healthy controls. Clinical disability was evaluated according to the Extended Disability Status Scale (EDSS). Serum B 12 concentration was measured with Radioimmunoassay Dual Isotope method. The cutoff value for low serum vitamin B 12 concentrations was 75 pg/mL. Patients were in remission at the time of blood draw. Results: There were 13 (21.6%) MS patients and 10 (26.3%) controls with low serum B 12 concentration with no significant difference between the groups; P>0.05. The mean serum vitamin B 12 concentration in MS patients (108.9±45.3 pg/mL) was not significantly different compared with controls (98.9±44.4 pg/mL); P=0.284. Likewise, there was no correlation between the concentration of serum vitamin B 12 and disease′ age of onset, duration, subtypes, or disability status. Conclusions: In contrast to some previous reports, our findings did not support any association between B 12 deficiency and MS.

Keywords

• Cobalamin
• multiple sclerosis
• vitamin B 12