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Multiple sclerosis and chronic inflammatory diseases. A case-control study.

R Midgard·M Grønning·T Riise·G Kvåle·H Nyland
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Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Disease associations may provide useful etiological leads in relation to diseases of unknown cause. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We conducted a hospital-based case-control study of 155 MS patients and 200 controls in Hordaland County, Norway to investigate the possible association between MS and autoimmune diseases. RESULTS: The MS patients had a statistically significant more frequent coexistence of rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and goitre when compared to the controls (OR = 2.96; 95% CI 1.23-7.66). This difference persisted when analysing the definite MS cases separately (OR = 2.90; 95% CI 1.10-7.96). The familial occurrence of chronic inflammatory diseases was not significantly different in cases and controls. A significant increased risk to develop MS occurred in first degree relatives of MS patients (OR = 12.58; 95% CI 1.73-552). CONCLUSION: Acknowledging the low figures, the uncertain estimates with large confidence intervals, and thus the obvious role of chance in this study, the results might indicate that a generalized, genetically controlled problem of the immune system could result in aggregates of the reported diseases, all of which are partly characterized by aberrations of the immune system.

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AdolescentAdultAge of OnsetAgedArthritis, RheumatoidCase-Control StudiesChildCohort StudiesDiabetes Mellitus, Type 1Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2FemaleGoiterHumansMaleMiddle AgedMultiple SclerosisPsoriasisRetrospective StudiesSurveys and QuestionnairesComparative StudyJournal ArticleResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

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R Midgard, M Grønning, T Riise, G Kvåle, H Nyland. 1996. Multiple sclerosis and chronic inflammatory diseases. A case-control study.. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0404.1996.tb00004.x

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