Multiple sclerosis and autoimmune diseases - a case control study

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Immunology
• Genetics

Background:

• Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a prevalent autoimmune disease globally.
• Autoimmune comorbidities are frequently observed in MS patients.
• Understanding comorbidity prevalence is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of autoimmune disease comorbidity in Polish patients with MS.
• To investigate the occurrence of autoimmune diseases in relatives of MS patients.
• To identify specific autoimmune conditions frequently co-occurring with MS.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective multicenter study design.
• Inclusion of 381 MS patients and their relatives.
• Assessment for 11 specific autoimmune diseases, including Graves' disease, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, type 1 diabetes, and others.

Main Results:

• 7.09% of MS patients had at least one autoimmune comorbidity.
• Hashimoto's thyroiditis was the most frequent comorbidity (14 patients).
• 21.45% of MS patients had relatives with autoimmune diseases, most commonly Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

Conclusions:

• Autoimmune diseases show a higher probability of co-occurrence in MS patients and their relatives.
• Hashimoto's thyroiditis presents the greatest risk among observed autoimmune comorbidities.
• Findings suggest a potential shared predisposition for autoimmune conditions in the studied population.