Vitamin D Serum Levels in Argentinian myasthenia gravis Patients - A Hospital Based Study

AGUIRRE F; JUSTO ME; ALDECOA M; CORES V; LEONI J; VILLA A; PAZ ML

Congreso; International Congress of Neuromuscular Diseases; 2021

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) caused by antibodies, whose production is T cell dependent. Regulation of autoreactive T cells depends on regulatory T lymphocytes (Treg), which have been shown functionally defectives in MG patients. Vitamin D (VitD) has immunomodulatory effects, stimulating Treg and inhibiting effector T cells. Previous studies have shown that vitamin D levels are low in patients with autoimmune diseases. However, few studies have studied levels of vitamin D in autoimmune neuromuscular disorders.The aim of this study was to evaluate serum levels of 25(OH)VitD in patients with MG and healthy controls (hc) and the association of vitamin D levels with clinical severity of the disease.25-OH-VitD serum levels were evaluated in 66 MG patients and 25 age- and sex- matched healthy volunteers (hv), at the Ramos Mejia Hospital in Buenos Aires, Argentina. 25(OH)D levels were measured with chemiluminescence, samples were collected equally distributed through the year in both groups. The clinical status and MG severity were determined using ADL (Activities of Daily Living) and MG composite (MGC) scales. Sun exposure and vitamin D dietary intake have been assessed by locally adapted questionaires based on OPTIFORD project.Vitamin D deficiency (25(OH)D (