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Multiple sclerosis in a migrant population: 2. Half-orientals immigrating in childhood
Annals of Neurology
|September 1, 1980
Summary
Migration in childhood from low- to high-risk regions may increase the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS). This study found higher MS prevalence rates in individuals of Vietnamese origin raised in France compared to expected rates in Vietnam.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Epidemiology
- Environmental Health
Background:
- Studied offspring of Vietnamese mothers and French fathers born in Vietnam and raised in France.
- Utilized background and neurological questionnaires for 3,451 individuals, with 3,379 completing them.
- Neurological examinations were performed on respondents with positive questionnaire answers.
Observation:
- Median birth year was 1948, median arrival in France was 1957, with a median 18-year residency before 1975 interview.
- Twenty-five individuals reported neurological symptoms; 6 reported seizures alone.
- Identified 16 seizure cases (7 infantile febrile fits, 9 afebrile seizure disorders).
Findings:
- Discovered 3 cases of exacerbating-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) and 3 suspected MS cases.
- Calculated a crude MS prevalence rate (18-year cumulative risk) of 89 per 100,000.
- Age-specific MS prevalence for ages 20-29 was 169 per 100,000, similar to Danish rates and exceeding Vietnamese expectations.
Implications:
- Results suggest childhood migration from low- to high-risk regions increases MS risk.
- Highlights the potential impact of environmental factors and migration on neurological disease development.
- Provides evidence supporting geographical variations in multiple sclerosis risk influenced by early life exposures.