PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The cause of multiple sclerosis remains elusive. We review recent epidemiological studies of genetic and environmental factors that influence susceptibility to the disease and its clinical course. RECENT FINDINGS: Genetic advances strengthen the association of multiple sclerosis with the human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DRB1 allele and interferon-gamma polymorphisms and suggest that apolipoprotein E alleles play an important role. In the environmental realm, nested case-control studies show that prior Epstein-Barr virus exposure is overrepresented in multiple sclerosis. Smoking has been associated with both risk of multiple sclerosis and progressive disease. Vitamin D deficiency might tie together environmental clues with higher multiple sclerosis prevalence rates; dietary vitamin supplementation is also associated with reduced multiple sclerosis risk. Natural history studies demonstrated dissociation between relapses and disease progression, facilitated the ability to distinguish neuromyelitis optica and related syndromes from typical multiple sclerosis, and spawned the exploration of large datasets to model long-term disease activity. SUMMARY: Our understanding of the contributions of specific genetic and environmental factors that contribute to multiple sclerosis has improved. Further refinements will eventually allow powerful longitudinal studies to assess genetic and environmental interactions with implications for prediction of individual disease susceptibility, clinical course, and response to therapy.
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The cause of multiple sclerosis remains elusive. We review recent epidemiological studies of genetic and environmental factors that influence susceptibility to the disease and its clinical course. RECENT FINDINGS: Genetic advances strengthen the association of multiple sclerosis with the humanleukocyte antigen (HLA)-DRB1 allele and interferon-gamma polymorphisms and suggest that apolipoprotein E alleles play an important role. In the environmental realm, nested case-control studies show that prior Epstein-Barr virus exposure is overrepresented in multiple sclerosis. Smoking has been associated with both risk of multiple sclerosis and progressive disease. Vitamin D deficiency might tie together environmental clues with higher multiple sclerosis prevalence rates; dietary vitamin supplementation is also associated with reduced multiple sclerosis risk. Natural history studies demonstrated dissociation between relapses and disease progression, facilitated the ability to distinguish neuromyelitis optica and related syndromes from typical multiple sclerosis, and spawned the exploration of large datasets to model long-term disease activity. SUMMARY: Our understanding of the contributions of specific genetic and environmental factors that contribute to multiple sclerosis has improved. Further refinements will eventually allow powerful longitudinal studies to assess genetic and environmental interactions with implications for prediction of individual disease susceptibility, clinical course, and response to therapy.
Authors: Alexander Rae-Grant; Amy Bennett; Amy E Sanders; Michael Phipps; Eric Cheng; Christopher Bever Journal: Neurology Date: 2015-09-02 Impact factor: 9.910
Authors: Tzu-Yun McDowell; Sania Amr; Patricia Langenberg; Walter Royal; Christopher Bever; William J Culpepper; Douglas D Bradham Journal: Neuroepidemiology Date: 2010-03-18 Impact factor: 3.282
Authors: Jose Avila-Ornelas; Mirla Avila; Milena Stosic; Liliana Robles; Pilar Guillermo Prieto; George J Hutton; Victor M Rivera Journal: Int J MS Care Date: 2011
Authors: Shien Guo; Duygu Bozkaya; Alexandra Ward; Judith A O'Brien; Khajak Ishak; Randy Bennett; Ahmad Al-Sabbagh; Dennis M Meletiche Journal: Pharmacoeconomics Date: 2009 Impact factor: 4.981