On the Risk of Multiple Sclerosis According to Age at Immigration to South Africa

Dean, Geoffrey; Kurtzke, John F.

doi:10.1136/bmj.3.5777.725

Cited by 279 publications

(122 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…Studies of monozygotic twins, of case clusters, and of MHC types document that individuals who develop MS must have an appropriate immunogenetic background influenced by several MHC genes likely involved in presenting a limited number of "self" myelin Ags (39 -44). However, the discordance among monozygotic twins (39,45), the epidemiologic studies of susceptibility or resistance to MS in individuals migrating to areas with high or low incidence of disease before their 15th year of age (46), the association of MS with viral infections (47,48), as well as outbreaks of MS in the Faroe Islands (49) indicate that environmental factors, presumably infections, are also important for disease pathogenesis. Hence, it is important to know about all molecules involved in MS. Our data links MOBP with MS.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Myelin-Associated Oligodendrocytic Basic Protein: Identification of an Encephalitogenic Epitope and Association with Multiple Sclerosis

Holz

Bielekova

Martin

et al. 2000

The Journal of Immunology

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Myelin-associated oligodendrocytic basic protein (MOBP) is an abundant myelin constituent expressed exclusively by oligodendrocytes, the myelin-forming cells of the CNS. We report that MOBP causes experimental allergic encephalomyelitis and is associated with multiple sclerosis. First, we note that purified recombinant MOBP inoculated into SJL/J mice produces CNS disease. Tests of overlapping peptides spanning the murine MOBP molecule map the encephalitogenic site to amino acids 37–60. MOBP-induced experimental allergic encephalomyelitis shows a severe clinical course and is characterized by a prominent CD4+ T lymphocyte infiltration and a lesser presence of CD8+ T cells and microglia/macrophages around vessels and in the white matter of the CNS. Second, PBL obtained from patients with relapsing/remitting multiple sclerosis mount a proliferative response to human MOBP, especially at amino acids 21–39. This response equals or exceeds the response to myelin basic protein and an influenza virus hemagglutinin peptide, both serving as internal controls. Thus, a novel myelin Ag, MOBP aa 37–60, plays a role in rodent autoimmune CNS disease, and its human MOBP counterpart is associated with the human demyelinating disease multiple sclerosis.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Myelin-Associated Oligodendrocytic Basic Protein: Identification of an Encephalitogenic Epitope and Association with Multiple Sclerosis

Holz

Bielekova

Martin

et al. 2000

The Journal of Immunology

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“…5 Moreover migration studies indicated that exposure to environmental conditions are most effective if encountered before the age of 15 years. 6 A pathogen was never identified but the characteristics of acute MS lesions are suggestive of slow…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The interferon gene cluster: a candidate region for MS predisposition?

et al. 1999

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The clinical benefits of interferon (IFN) ␤ therapy in some multiple sclerosis (MS) patients are still unexplained, raising the question whether polymorphism within the IFNB gene itself would provide an explanation. Screening the IFNB gene by single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis and sequencing, a single nucleotide polymorphism was identified. Both alleles were distributed with similar frequencies in MS patients and controls.

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“…This is supported by evidence that solar radiation can influence the human genome [27]. Another hypothesis is that exposure during childhood may affect the risk of MS, as people who migrate to higher latitudes after adolescence maintain the risk of MS related to their lower latitude country of origin [28]. Examining exposure in childhood differs from the purpose of previous studies on the topic that examined the relationships among MS incidence or prevalence and geomagnetic latitudes or indices [7,8].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Relationship between Geomagnetic Disturbances and Multiple Sclerosis at the Edge of the Auroral Zone

Janzen

Warren²,

Hector³

et al. 2014

Epidemiol

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Objective: The impact of geomagnetic disturbances at the earth's surface is greatest at higher geomagnetic latitudes, particularly between 60-75°C. The prevalence of multiple sclerosis (MS) also has a latitudinal gradient. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the hypothesis that geomagnetic disturbances may have a role in the development of multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods:A retrospective design was used to examine the correlations between the birth rate of MS patients and two geomagnetic indices, sunspots and the A-index. Birth rate data was derived from a clinical database of patients residing in a region near 60° N geomagnetic latitude from 1920-1980. Results:Results indicated that the intensity of geomagnetic disturbances, as measured by the A-index, had a stronger relationship to MS birth rate than the count of sunspots. Overall, the A-indices had small to moderate correlations with MS birth rates, combined (r=0.31-0.50) and by sex (male r=0.28-0.43; female r=0.24-0.50), over 60 years. Correlations were stronger as the length of exposure increased. That is, exposure in early childhood (birth year+3 years) and throughout childhood (birth year+12 years) exhibited generally higher correlations (early r=0.28-0.49; throughout r=0.24-0.50) than exposure during birth year alone (r=0.30-0.39). Conclusion:The results of this study indicate that geomagnetic disturbances may be a risk factor in the development of MS. The cumulative effect of exposure may be of importance. The advantages of examining exposure in utero and childhood are that birth cohorts can examine risk factors occurring early in life, can reduce the impact of period effects, and can meet the assumption of order-effect as we search for causal factors contributing to MS. The mechanism whereby geomagnetic disturbances may affect disease is unknown and warrants further exploration.

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On the Risk of Multiple Sclerosis According to Age at Immigration to South Africa

Cited by 279 publications

References 6 publications

Myelin-Associated Oligodendrocytic Basic Protein: Identification of an Encephalitogenic Epitope and Association with Multiple Sclerosis

Myelin-Associated Oligodendrocytic Basic Protein: Identification of an Encephalitogenic Epitope and Association with Multiple Sclerosis

The interferon gene cluster: a candidate region for MS predisposition?

The Relationship between Geomagnetic Disturbances and Multiple Sclerosis at the Edge of the Auroral Zone

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