[Familial cases of disseminated sclerosis]

The report contains a description of 3 families with disseminated sclerosis (2 siblings in each family). The detected changes in the immunological reactivity of these patients are correlated with the data of the previously studied 112 patients with disseminated sclerosis and speaks in favour of a neuroallergical reaction, the important role of which in the pathogenesis of disseminated sclerosis is at present generally acknowledged. Having in view the heredity of developing allergic reactions the authors suggest that there is a certain relation between the state of the immunocompetent systems and the predispositional factors in disseminated sclerosis. This serves as a basis for the assumption that disseminated sclerosis can be attributed to diseases with a hereditary predisposition where for the manifestation of the disease there should be an effect of exogenous (viral?) factors.