期刊
NEUROEPIDEMIOLOGY
卷 34, 期 4, 页码 238-244出版社
KARGER
DOI: 10.1159/000297749
关键词
Multiple sclerosis; Age at onset, MS; Solar radiation; Latitude
资金
- Bayer Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
- Department of Veteran Affairs, Veterans Heath Administration, Office of Research and Development, HSRD Service [05-205]
- VHA MS Center of Excellence-East
Backgrounds/Aim: Gestational and early life events have been suggested to contribute to multiple sclerosis (MS) susceptibility. We assessed the effects of time and place of birth on the age at onset of MS symptoms. Methods: We selected a national cohort of 967 veterans from the Multiple Sclerosis Surveillance Registry for whom month and season (time) of birth, and birthplace (city and state) were available. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to examine the association between time of birth, birthplace latitude and solar radiation, and the age at onset of MS symptoms among the study sample. Results: Patients with a relapsing form of the disease (R-MS), who were born in winter and whose birthplace was in low solar radiation areas, had disease symptom onset on average 2.8 years earlier than those born in seasons other than winter and in medium-and high-solar radiation areas (p = 0.02). Conclusions: These results suggest that exposure early in life to geographical and seasonal factors, possibly related to the protective effect of sunlight, and thus vitamin D, is associated with a delay in MS symptom onset. Other larger studies are required to examine the period-specific (from conception to adulthood) environmental factors that are associated with MS susceptibility. Copyright (C) 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel
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