Autoimmune comorbidities in multiple sclerosis. A population-based study using artificial intelligence

The prevalence of autoimmune comorbidities in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) has been the subject of numerous epidemiological studies. Due to the presence of biases and the heterogeneity of the publications, this association has not been firmly demonstrated. The aim of our study is to establish the prevalence of autoimmune diseases in MS patients from our region (Castilla-La Mancha, Spain) and to compare it with the prevalence of autoimmune diseases in a non-MS population, in order to strengthen the evidence for an association between MS and other autoimmune conditions.

We conducted a retrospective, non-interventional, multicenter study analyzing the electronic medical records of 3,309,298 patients in the Castilla-La Mancha area (Spain) using an artificial intelligence system.

22.5% of MS patients had at least one other autoimmune disease. Hypothyroidism, followed by type 1 diabetes mellitus and psoriasis, were the three most frequent autoimmune diseases in the MS cohort.

In the present study, we observed an association between most of the autoimmune diseases studied and MS when comparing their prevalence in the MS population versus the non-MS population. Confirmation of these findings could lead to changes in preventive strategies, diagnostic protocols, and therapeutic approaches for MS patients. Large-scale data analysis using artificial intelligence may help resolve epidemiological questions that remain unanswered to date.