Sunlight exposure exerts immunomodulatory effects to reduce multiple sclerosis severity
Patrick Ostkamp, Anke Salmen, Béatrice Pignolet, Dennis Görlich, Till F. M. Andlauer, Andreas Schulte‐Mecklenbeck, Gabriel González‐Escamilla, Florence Bucciarelli, Isabelle Gennero, Johanna Breuer, Gisela Antony, Tilman Schneider‐Hohendorf, Nadine Mykicki, Antonios Bayas, Florian Then Bergh, Stefan Bittner, Hans‐Peter Hartung, Manuel A. Friese, Ralf A. Linker, Felix Luessi, Klaus Lehmann‐Horn, Mark Mühlau, Friedemann Paul, Martin Stangel, Björn Tackenberg, Hayrettin Tumani, Clemens Warnke, Frank Weber, Brigitte Wildemann, Uwe K. Zettl, Ulf Ziemann, Bertram Müller‐Myhsok, Tania Kümpfel, Luisa Klotz, Sven G. Meuth, Frauke Zipp, Bernhard Hemmer, Reinhard Hohlfeld, David Brassat, Ralf Gold, Catharina C. Groß, Carsten Lukas, Sergiu Groppa, Karin Loser, Heinz Wiendl, Nicholas Schwab, on behalf of the German Competence Network Multiple Sclerosis (KKNMS) and the BIONAT Network, Antonios Bayas, Susanne Rothacher, Stephanie Starke, Friedemann Paul, Judith Bellmann–Strobl, Janina Behrens, Jan-Markus Dörr, René M. Gieß, Joseph Kuchling, Ludwig Rasche, Ralf Gold, Andrew T. Chan, Gisa Ellrichmann, Anna Lena Fisse, Anna Gahlen, Thomas Grüter, Aiden Haghikia, Robert Hoepner, U.-V. Koc, Carsten Lukas, Jeremias Motte, Kalliopi Pitarokoili, Anke Salmen, Ruth Schneider, Joanna Schöllhammer, Christoph Schroeder, Björn Ambrosius, Seray Demir, Clemens Warnke, Thomas Dehmel, Kathleen Ingenhoven, Ralf A. Linker, De-Hyung Lee, Alexandra Lämmer, Eva Sauer, Christoph Heesen, Jan‐Patrick Stellmann, Martin Stangel, Lena Boenig, Stefan Gingele, Martin W. Hümmert, Philipp Schwenkenbecher, Thomas Skripuletz, Wolfram Suehs, Brigitte Wildemann, Mirjam Korporal‐Kuhnke, Hanna Oßwald, Alexander Schwarz, Andrea Viehöver, Volker Limmroth, Kathrin Gerbershagen, Florian Then Bergh, Barbara Ettrich
Abstract
:rs1805008(T), who reported increased sensitivity toward sunlight, lower latitude was associated with higher MRI activity, whereas for noncarriers there was less MRI activity at lower latitudes. In a further exploratory approach, the effect of ultraviolet (UV)-phototherapy on the transcriptome of immune cells of MS patients was assessed using samples from an earlier study. Phototherapy induced a vitD and type I IFN signature that was most apparent in monocytes but that could also be detected in B and T cells. In summary, our study suggests beneficial effects of sun exposure on established MS, as demonstrated by a correlative network between the three factors: Latitude, vitD, and disease severity. However, sun exposure might be detrimental for photosensitive patients. Furthermore, a direct induction of type I IFNs through sun exposure could be another mechanism of UV-mediated immune-modulation in MS.