Different B lymphocyte alloantigens associated with multiple sclerosis in Arabs and North Europeans

The frequencies of HLA and B-lymphocyte alloantigens were investigated in 32 Arab patients with clinically definite or early probable multiple sclerosis (M.S.) and compared with those found in 43 healthy Arab controls. A significant association was found between M.S. and the B-lymphocyte alloantigen, BT 102; this contrasts with previous findings of an association between the B-lymphocyte alloantigen BT 101 and M.S. in North Europeans. It is suggested that this difference is due to the involvement of different environmental agents, possibly viruses, in the pathogenesis of M.S. in these populations.