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Autoimmune diseases in families of French patients with multiple sclerosis

O Heinzlef1, S Alamowitch, V Sazdovitch

  • 1Department of Neurology, Hospital Tenon, Paris, France.

Acta Neurologica Scandinavica
|February 5, 2000
PubMed

Insights

This study found that 15.4% of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients have first-degree relatives with MS or other autoimmune disorders (AIDs). These families may help identify shared genetic factors for MS and AIDs.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Immunology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disorder.
  • MS patients often have co-occurring autoimmune disorders (AIDs).
  • Familial clustering of MS and AIDs is suggested but not systematically studied.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the occurrence of AIDs in first-degree relatives of MS patients.
  • To identify families with both MS and other AIDs (multiplex families).

Main Methods:

  • Standardized interviews were used to collect family histories of AIDs.
  • 357 consecutive MS patients and 1971 first-degree relatives were analyzed.

Main Results:

  • 15.4% of MS patients had relatives with MS or another AID.
  • 22 relatives had MS, 30 had another AID, and 3 had both.
  • 16 families (4.5%) had at least 3 relatives with MS or AIDs.
  • Common AIDs included Grave's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, vitiligo, type 1 diabetes, and uveitis.

Conclusions:

  • A significant proportion of MS patients have a familial history of MS or other AIDs.
  • Multiplex families are valuable for identifying shared genetic susceptibilities between MS and AIDs.

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