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Genetics of Multiple Sclerosis

Last post Mon, May 05 2008 3:12 PM by Michele McHenry. 3 replies.

• squiffy2

  Posts: 68

  • Genetics of Multiple Sclerosis
  • Posted: Mon, Apr 28 2008 10:49 AM

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  • Introduction
    Evidence supports a genetic predisposition to MS. There is excess occurrence in Northern Europeans relative to indigenous populations from the same geographic location, a familial aggregation (MS is 20 to 40 times more common in first-degree relatives with rapid drop-off with degree of relatedness), and lack of excess of MS despite the shared environment in adopted relatives of patients with MS Based on the monozygotic twin studies, the genetic risk of MS can be estimated to be 25 to 30%. This drops to 3 to 5% in dizygotic twins, thereby supporting the "complex" susceptibility to MS with a significant environmental-physiological contribution to susceptibility risk.
    
    From a practical perspective, the risk of MS in a first-degree relative of a patient with established MS, corrected for the population risk, is on average 2 to 4%. This varies with incidence-prevalence figures for the population at large from which the individual is drawn. In families with MS, fathers with MS have almost twice the possibility of passing MS to their children than mothers with MS. This excess inheritance from fathers with MS ultimately balances the expected disease excess in children of mothers with MS because women have almost a twofold greater incidence of MS than men; therefore, the greater chance of inheritance from fathers does not change the way a physician should counsel MS patients. Other studies suggested a possible increase in maternal risk of inheritance of MS, or no parent-of-origin effect at all. This parent-of-origin effect is independent of a child's sex and cannot be explained by classical gender-dependent inheritance patterns such as X-linked or mitochondrial inheritance...............
    
    For the full article please go to MSRC: MS Research News : MS and Genetics Research

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  • The Multiple Sclerosis Resource Centre - http://www.msrc.co.uk
  Filed under: multiple sclerosis, ms, MS Multiple_Sclerosis, genetics
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• gdamon

  Posts: 2

  • Re: Genetics of Multiple Sclerosis
  • Posted: Tue, Apr 29 2008 11:17 AM

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  • I am African-American and I am assuming that my ehtnic group was not inluded in the research. I was diagnosed 23 years ago. "The research was interesting but was not useful to me. Thanks!

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  • Genevieve Damon
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• cheesenwine

  Posts: 1

  • Re: Genetics of Multiple Sclerosis
  • Posted: Sun, May 04 2008 8:49 PM

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  • I was diagnosed in May of 2003. Since you've had MS for 23 years, you probably know a lot more than I do but I am hoping I can help you in some way. I originally tried taking Avonex which made me so sick I decided the disease was not as miserable and I quit taking it. Even while I was on Avonex I continued to deteriorate. Then I tried a drug called LDN - Low Dose Naltrexone which a friend, who also has MS, suggested. It works by tricking your body into making extra endorphins. It is a little tricky adjusting the dosage but it saved my life. I am doing better now than after my first execerbation. I still have to be careful not to overdo it but I haven't had an execerbation since Feb of 2004. My flare ups appear to be directly related to how much stress and or fatigue I'm experiencing.

    In my opinion, statistics aren't much help because in order to get the right answers you have to ask the right questions. Scientists have been heading down the autoimmune disease path for some time and although I think there is an autoimmune factor, I believe it is mearly a part of the puzzle. Autoimmune disease is a symptom of the actual cause. I say this because taking LDN, I watched my immune system slowly improve and stop attacking my brain. The more fatigued I get, the more likely I am to have a flare up because my immune system will again malfunction. I have not been dealing with this as long as you but I wonder if fatigue is your main problem as well.

    I just wanted to share that with you. I hope I have helped you in some way.

    Penny 

     

     

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• Michele McHenry

  Posts: 18

  • Re: Genetics of Multiple Sclerosis
  • Posted: Mon, May 05 2008 3:12 PM

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  • gdamon:

    I am African-American and I am assuming that my ehtnic group was not inluded in the research. I was diagnosed 23 years ago. "The research was interesting but was not useful to me. Thanks!

    Looks like there are trials done for your ethnic group as well as other ethnic groups. IMHO, it make no sense to do a trial on only one ethnic group when it affects all races. But, it seems other ethnic groups such as AA seem to suffer more severe symptoms. 

    The abnormal immune response that leads to multiple sclerosis, or MS, is stronger in African Americans than in whites with the disease, new research indicates. This may partly explain why blacks often experience greater disability.

    http://www.msrc.co.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=show&pageid=1852&CFID=6609579&CFTOKEN=43940595

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  • Michele McHenry
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