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Familial History of Autoimmune Disorders Among Patients With Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis
Benjamin M Greenberg1, Theron Charles Casper2, Soe S Mar2
1From the University of Texas Southwestern (B.M.G.), Department of Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Dallas; Data Coordinating and Analysis Center (T.C.C., S.S.R., K.D.), University of Utah, Salt Lake City; Washington University (S.S.M.), St. Louis, MO; University of Alabama Birmingham (J.M.N.); The University of Texas Southwestern (P.P.), Department of Neurology, Dallas; Department of Radiology (S.L., M.G.), Washington University in St. Louis, MO; Jacobs Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Center (B.W.-G.), State University of New York at Buffalo, NY; Mayo Clinic Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Center (M.R., J.-M.T.), Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN; Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Center (G.S.A.), Loma Linda University Children's Hospital, CA; Lourie Center for Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis (A.B.), Stony Brook University Hospital, NY; Epidemiology (L.F.B.), University of California, Berkeley; Department of Neurology (J.W.R.), University of Utah, Salt Lake City; Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders Program (M.P.G., L.A.B.), Boston Children's Hospital, MA; Primary Children's Hospital (M.C.), University of Utah, Salt Lake City; Partners Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Center (T.C.), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; Center for Pediatric-Onset Demyelinating Disease (Y.C.H.), Children's Hospital of Alabama, University of Alabama, Birmingham; Children's National Medical Center (I.L.K.), Washington, DC; Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Center (J.H.), University of California San Francisco; The Blue Bird Circle Clinic for Multiple Sclerosis (T.E.L.), Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston; Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis (M.R.), Cleveland Clinic, OH; Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago (J.P.R.), IL; Rocky Mountain Multiple Sclerosis Center (T.L.S.), Children's Hospital Colorado, University of Colorado at Denver, Aurora; Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (A.T.W.), PA; Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Center (L.K.), New York University; Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Center (J.G.), University of California San Diego; and Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Center (E.W.), University of California San Francisco. benjamin.greenberg@utsouthwestern.edu.
Insights
Family members of children with pediatric multiple sclerosis (MS) have higher rates of autoimmune conditions. This suggests potential shared genetic factors contributing to MS development in families.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Genetics
- Immunology
Background:
- Pediatric multiple sclerosis (MS) is a rare but serious autoimmune condition affecting children.
- Understanding familial risk factors for pediatric MS is crucial for early detection and prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence of autoimmune conditions in family members of pediatric MS patients.
- To determine if there is an increased risk of autoimmune diseases within families affected by pediatric MS.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study design was employed.
- Data on autoimmune diseases in family members were collected during a pediatric MS risk factor study.
- The frequency of autoimmune disorders was compared between families of pediatric MS cases and control families.
Main Results:
- Family members of pediatric MS cases showed a significantly increased rate of autoimmune diseases compared to controls (OR = 2.27).
- An elevated rate of MS was observed in second-degree relatives of pediatric MS cases (OR = 3.47).
- Specific increases in MS risk were noted in maternal (OR = 2.64) and paternal (OR = 6.37) relatives.
Conclusions:
- The findings indicate a higher burden of autoimmune disorders, including MS, within families of children diagnosed with MS.
- These results suggest the presence of shared genetic predispositions that increase susceptibility to autoimmune conditions in these families.
- Further research into familial genetic factors is warranted to understand the etiology of pediatric MS.
Background And Objective:
The objective of this study was to determine whether family members of patients with pediatric multiple sclerosis (MS) have an increased prevalence of autoimmune conditions compared with controls.
Methods:
Data collected during a pediatric MS case-control study of risk factors included information about various autoimmune diseases in family members. The frequency of these disorders was compared between cases and controls.
Results:
There was an increased rate of autoimmune diseases among family members of pediatric MS cases compared with controls with first-degree history of MS excluded (OR = 2.27, 95% CI 1.71-3.01, p < 0.001). There was an increased rate of MS among second-degree relatives of pediatric MS cases compared with controls (OR = 3.47, 95% CI 1.36-8.86, p = 0.009). The OR for MS was 2.64 when restricted to maternal relatives and 6.37 when restricted to paternal relatives.
Discussion:
The increased rates of autoimmune disorders, including thyroid disorders and MS among families of patients with pediatric MS, suggest shared genetic factors among families with children diagnosed with pediatric MS.
