Further evidence of a possible association between house dogs and multiple sclerosis

Cook, Stuart D.; Natelson, Benjamin H.; Levin, Barry E.; Chavis, Pamela S.; Dowling, Peter C.

doi:10.1002/ana.410030209

Cited by 57 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…Our results give no clear support to earlier findings (12,(27)(28)(29)(30)34) that animal contact may be a risk factor for developing multiple sclerosis. In the pathogenetic discussion of multiple sclerosis, several infectious agents have been suggested as directly or indirectly inducing or precipitating the development of multiple sclerosis (6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15).…”

Section: Etiologic Aspectscontrasting

confidence: 99%

“…Many studies have shown that animal contacts could mean a higher risk (27)(28)(29)(30), but in a later review of the etiologic importance of such contacts the results have been ambiguous, with some of the nonp ositive studies bearin g more weight (3 1). Hence the pathogenesis is likely to be complex -both genetic and environmental factors may be invol ved and interact (32) .…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Multiple sclerosis and exposure to solvents, ionizing radiation and animals.

Landtblom¹,

Flodin²,

Karlsson³

et al. 1993

Scand J Work Environ Health

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Section: Etiologic Aspectscontrasting

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Multiple sclerosis and exposure to solvents, ionizing radiation and animals.

Landtblom¹,

Flodin²,

Karlsson³

et al. 1993

Scand J Work Environ Health

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“…It is of interest that sibs ofMS patients who do not have clinical signs ofMS also tend to have higher titers of measles antibody than do controls [17], but either genetic factors or common exposure to an etiologic agent could account for the familial aggregation of the measles titer elevation. CDV titers are allegedly increased in MS according to one group [21], but at least one attempt to confirm this result in a small series failed [30]. The higher CDV titer would fit with those reports which have described a higher exposure to small household dogs among MS patients than among controls.…”

supporting

confidence: 58%

“…The observations suggesting an association between occurrence of MS in the Faroes and occupation of these islands by British troops in World War II is relevant to the question of dog exposure and MS [21]. According to one report, dogs on the Faroes were not inoculated [19] against distemper, and an epizootic of canine distemper occurred in the Faroes after the British occupation because the British troops brought dogs with them.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Geographic Distribution of Multiple Sclerosis: New Concepts

Alter

1980

Progress in Multiple Sclerosis Research

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Investigations over more than four decades have established that multiple sclerosis (MS) has an unequal geographic distribution [36]. Such studies, while of some intrinsic interest, are valuable chiefly because of the light they may shed upon possible etiologies, risk factors, and the pathogenesis of the disease. Before examining the fruit of almost a half century of effort in this field, it is necessary to remind ourselves of the technical problems which had to be overcome in order that data on MS distribution would be meaningful. One such problem is diagnosis. As in any scientific study, we must be sure that the entity we are looking at is relatively "pure". For MS, the difficulties in designating the affected have been (and continue to be) the lack of an objective, pathognomonic test to support the clinical impression. The problem has been resolved (though certainly not solved) by using clinical criteria to define the individual case. These criteria include occurrence of remissions and exacerbations (time scattering) as well as evidence on examination or documented evidence of multiple lesions of central white matter (place scattering) [41]. Various investigators have modified these criteria somewhat to include an age-at-onset limitation [52], and a few recommend including elevation of gamma globulin [56] in the cerebrospinal fluid or oligoclonal banding [58]. However, it is reassuring, at least for the present, that experienced neurologists have a very high rate of agreement as to the "purity" of the entity for patients who fulfill the most stringent of these clinical diagnostic criteria. Of course, discovery of an objective test for MS may radically affect current concepts of MS distribution.Techniques of case ascertainment have evolved over the last several decades, but for the most part, data on MS distribution based on mortality data [35] have been supported by the more sophisticated morbidity data, which use living patients with MS to measure prevalence and incidence rates [24]. The morbidity data (Fig. 1) suggest a gradient of MS frequency strongly correlated with geographic latitude. The higher the latitude both north and south of the equator, the higher the apparent frequency of MS. Almost everyone agrees that this distribution is not a function of the availability of medical care facilities, though such facilities obviously influence the number of cases identified in a given area [59]. Therefore, one should not look to the absolute number of cases identified, but rather to whether the frequency in a given area is low, intermediate, or high. The cut-off limits for each of these areas is arbitrary, but most investigators agree that an area with less than ten living cases per 100,000 population at anyone time constitutes a low prevalence area; one with 10-35 cases, an intermediate area; and one with more than 35 cases per 100,000 population, a high MS prevalence area. Some areas, such as the Shetland and Orkney islands [49] and Denmark [37], allegedly have up to a hundred or more

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“…We are not certain of the origin of the previously demonstrated increases in CK-MB and CK-MM activity in some patients with cerebrovascular accidents as described in the work of Dub0 et al [2]. It is known from previous experiments that release of CK-MB from the heart m a y occur with stimulation of certain portions of the brain.…”

mentioning

confidence: 77%

Multiple sclerosis and dogs: A closer look

Haile

Sullivan

Greeland

1978

Annals of Neurology

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reactivity does not seem to occur as rapidly. and one would expect to be able to continue to measure immune reactivity at times when enzyme activity is reduced or even possibly absent. Thus, since this radioimmunoassay is more sensitive than standard elecuophotometric and fluoromemc measurements of enzyme activity, and since measurements of enzyme activity may in some circumstances be misleading, we do not agree with D r s Moore and Norris that "measurement of enzyme activity should take preeminence, especially in such heterogeneous systems as the biological fluids"; in fact, we believe that a radioimmunoassay measurement of the isoenzymes is both quantitative and more accurate. This same reasoning has been applied to the quantificarion of many hormones and other substances in biological fluids.Regarding the m o u n t of CK-B isoenzyme chat can be detected with this radioimmunoassay, we do state in the legend to Figure 1 on page 53 [l] that "as little as 0.2 ng of CK-BB isoenzyme CM be recognized using this technique." The data for this statement are shown in Figure 1, where it is apparent that the addition of as little as 0.2 ng of unlabeled CK-BB isoenzyme results in a reduction in the amount of antibody bound to labeled CK-BB isoenzyme. This is tested in an assay volume of 0.6 ml. The assay is capable of detecting as little as 1 ng of CK-B per milliliter.We are not certain of the origin of the previously demonstrated increases in CK-MB and CK-MM activity in some patients with cerebrovascular accidents as described in the work of Dub0 et al [2]. It is known from previous experiments that release of CK-MB from the heart m a y occur with stimulation of certain portions of the brain.CK-MM could be released in any circumstance in which skeletal muxle doccurs, or even with seizures which might themselves be associated with cerebrovascular accidents. Thus, either explanation might account for increases in these isoenzymes in patients with neurological diseases.W e cannot categorically exclude the possibility that stimulation or irritation of certain portions of the brain in patients with cerebrovascular accidents might have resulted in some release of CK-MB from the heart, and that a portion of the CK-B activity detected in our study [I] might not have occurred as a consequence of this phenomenon. We believe it more likely, however, that actual release of CK-BB in patients with cerebrovascular accidents was primarily responsible for the increased serum CK-B levels that we measured. As newer quantitative radioimmunoassays become available that are tissue specific for various types of organ injury, additional examination of this problem would seem warranted. References

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Further evidence of a possible association between house dogs and multiple sclerosis

Cited by 57 publications

References 6 publications

Multiple sclerosis and exposure to solvents, ionizing radiation and animals.

Multiple sclerosis and exposure to solvents, ionizing radiation and animals.

The Geographic Distribution of Multiple Sclerosis: New Concepts

Multiple sclerosis and dogs: A closer look

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