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Autoimmunity in multiple sclerosis
1Department of Neurology, National Hospital for Nervous Diseases, London, UK.
Abstract:
Multiple sclerosis reportedly coexists with disorders of autoimmune origin. The prevalence with which such disorders occur in the MS population has not been adequately investigated. We reviewed the medical records of 828 patients with definite MS and found that 4.8% had a past or present associated disorder in which autoimmune mechanisms presumably play a role. The cumulative prevalence of these disorders was no higher than that estimated for the general population. Serum from 105 patients, without clinical evidence of an associated autoimmune disorder, was tested for the presence of antinuclear, thyroid, parietal cell, smooth muscle, and mitochondrial antibodies. A significantly higher prevalence (p less than 0.01) of generally low titers of one or more autoantibodies was found in serum from the MS group, compared with a control group of 105 patients with other neurologic disorders. The increased frequency of serum autoantibodies probably reflects the existence of a nonspecific B cell overactivity in MS.
Insights
Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients do not have a higher prevalence of autoimmune disorders. However, MS patients showed increased autoantibodies, suggesting a nonspecific B cell overactivity in this condition.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Immunology
- Autoimmune Diseases
Background:
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) is often associated with autoimmune disorders.
- The actual prevalence of these coexisting conditions in MS patients requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence of autoimmune disorders in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).
- To determine if MS patients exhibit a higher frequency of autoantibodies compared to controls.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of medical records for 828 patients with definite MS.
- Analysis of autoimmune disorder prevalence in the MS cohort.
- Serum autoantibody testing (antinuclear, thyroid, parietal cell, smooth muscle, mitochondrial) in 105 MS patients and 105 controls with other neurologic disorders.
Main Results:
- 4.8% of MS patients had a history of autoimmune disorders, a prevalence similar to the general population.
- MS patients without clinical autoimmune disorders showed a significantly higher prevalence of low-titer autoantibodies compared to controls (p < 0.01).
Conclusions:
- The co-occurrence of diagnosed autoimmune disorders is not elevated in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.
- Elevated autoantibody levels in MS patients may indicate a general B cell hyperactivity, rather than specific autoimmune conditions.