Tehran University of Medical Sciences Journal of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics 4 1 2018 01 30 227 227 EN Meysam Zarezadeh Department of Cellular and Molecular Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Mina Abdolahi Department of Cellular and Molecular Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Ali Akbar Saboor Yaraghi Department of Immunology, School of Public Health , Tehran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran Sama Bitarafan Iranian Centre of Neurological Research, Neurosciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Fariba Koohdani Department of Cellular and Molecular Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Mohammad Hossein Harrirchian Iranian Centre of Neurological Research, Neurosciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Mohammad Ali Sahraian Department of Neurology, Sina Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Niaz Mohammadzadeh Honarvar Department of Cellular and Molecular Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 2018 06 27 2018 07 27 Objective: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory central nervous system disease. It has been shown that Th2 cells can induce anti-inflammatory properties that can have a role in treatment of inflammatory disease through overexpression of GATA3 and IL4 genes. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of vitamin A upplementation on GATA3 and IL-4 genes expression in TCD4+ cell culture in MS patients. Methods: This study was a double-blind placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial of a 6-month duration. Thirty-six MS patients were enrolled and randomly divided into a vitamin A group (n=19, receiving daily 25000IU vitamin A in the form of retinyl palmitate) and a placebo group (n=17). After the intervention the gene expression pattern of Th2-related cytokines was determined by real-time PCR. Results: There was no significant difference in vitamin A intake, age or BMI of the participants at the baseline. Vitamin A supplementation significantly increased GATA3 and IL-4 gene expression in cell cultures treated with MOG (P<0.001 and P=0.004, respectively) and non-stimulated cells as compared with placebo group (P<0.001 and P=0.001, respectively). Conclusion: Supplementation with vitamin A can be beneficial in slowing disease progression through overexpression of anti-inflammatory cytokines. It is recommended to investigate RXRs and RARs genes expression and their polymorphisms in future studies https://jnsd.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jnsd/article/view/227 https://jnsd.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jnsd/article/download/227/200