MS research update - 21 May 2010
Incidence of other autoimmune conditions in people with MS
MS is thought to be an autoimmune condition. In autoimmune conditions, the immune system turns on the body's own tissue and attacks it as if it were a foreign invader. This study investigated whether people with MS are more likely to have other autoimmune disorders - particularly prior to their diagnosis of MS.
The study was based on the medical records of 5,296 people with MS and 26,478 people without MS for comparison. Analysis of their records indicated that overall, people with MS are more likely to have been diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), uveitis, and Bell's palsy prior to being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. In addition, people with MS appear more likely to develop IBD, uveitis, Bell's palsy, Guillain-Barré syndrome and bullous pemphigoid during the course of their MS.
In contrast, people with MS were not more or less likely to have been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune thyroiditis, lupus, psoriasis, type I diabetes, asthma, or eczema when compared with people who do not have MS.
This study throws up some interesting insight into the potential interaction between different autoimmune conditions and MS.
Langer-Gould A, Albers K, Van Den Eden S, et al.
Autoimmune diseases prior to the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis: a population-based case-control study.
Multiple Sclerosis 2010; [Epub ahead of print].
Medline abstract
Role of vitamin D in MS
This paper is a review of all of the evidence supporting a link between MS susceptibility and vitamin D. The paper discusses the findings of studies that have investigated the relation between various measures of vitamin D: exposure to sunlight, dietary sources of vitamin D, and concentrations of vitamin D in the blood.
As well as a protective role, the authors also point to a potential role for vitamin D in modifying the course of MS - though concede that evidence for this mechanism is less compelling.
The authors call for a large-scale study to clarify the safety and effectiveness of vitamin D supplementation in preventing MS and other conditions that emerging evidence has linked to vitamin D deficiency.
Ascherio A, Munger KL, Simon C.
Vitamin D and multiple sclerosis
Lancet Neurology 2010; 9:599-612.
Article abstract