Adolescent sleep patterns, genetic predisposition, and risk of multiple sclerosis

Shift work, insufficient sleep, and poor sleep quality at young age have been associated with increased risk of multiple sclerosis (MS). This study aimed to investigate the potential interaction between aspects of inadequate sleep (short sleep, phase shift, and poor sleep quality) during adolescence and HLA-DRB1*15:01 in relation to MS risk.

We used a Swedish population-based case-control study (1253 cases and 1766 controls). Participants with different sleep patterns during adolescence and HLA-DRB1*15:01 status were compared regarding MS risk by calculating odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals (CI) using logistic regression models. Additive interaction between aspects of inadequate sleep and HLA-DRB1*15:01 status was assessed by calculating the attributable proportion due to interaction (AP) with 95% CI.

Short sleep duration (<7 hours/night) during adolescence acted synergistically with HLA-DRB1*15:01, increasing the risk of MS (AP 0.38, 95% CI: 0.01 to 0.75, p = .04). Similarly, subjective low sleep quality during adolescence interacted with HLA-DRB1*15:01 regarding risk of MS (AP 0.30, 95% CI: 0.06 to 0.56, p = .03), whereas phase shift did not significantly influence the risk of the disease, irrespective of HLA-DRB1*15:01 status.

Our findings underscore the importance of addressing inadequate sleep during adolescence, particularly in the context of the HLA-DRB1*15:01 allele, as it appears to amplify the risk of subsequently developing MS.