Ethnic Factors in Multiple Sclerosis: A Review and Critique of the Epidemiological Literature

Abstract

A review of the international epidemiological literature is undertaken with the view of identifying the main demographic and sociocultural features of MS as they apply to ethnic groups. Ethnic groups are differentiated principally in terms of three variables: race, religion, and nationality. Although MS is present in the three principal racial groups in the world (white, oriental, and black), it tends to be unequally distributed. Four hypotheses are formulated regarding the unequal susceptibility of the races to MS. Hypothesis 1. Whereas the highest MS rates are found in regions of the world inhabited largely by white populations, the lowest rates tend to be found in those areas where non-whites live. Hypothesis 2. Racially different groups living in the same geographical area tend to have different MS rates, although there is tendency for whites to experience MS more often than non-whites. The data associated with hypotheses 1 and 2 support a uniformly higher and lower risk for MS among respectively whites and non-whites. If these findings are valid, these studies indicate that racial (genetic) factors may play an important role in the distribution of this disease. Hypothesis 3. Data from this hypothesis confirm the proposition that the risk of MS among white and non-white populations tends to be variable, with variability in susceptibility being especially prominent among whites. Hypothesis 4. The prevalence data, plus the geographical distributions, in the US serve to support the firmly established interpretation that prevalence in all three racial groups tends to increase in frequency with increasing geographical latitude.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Multiple Sclerosis in Galion, Ohio: Prevalence and Results of a Case-Control Study

“…These results were as ex pected for a community in Ohio. As has been observed in other studies [4,5], cases tended to have higher titers to measles virus and to the chickenpox virus than controls.…”

Correlation between Milk and Dairy Product Consumption and Multiple Sclerosis Prevalence: A Worldwide Study

“…For example, the American official rate, given by health autho rities is 67.7 per 105 inhabitants; if we calcu late the theoretical MS prevalence rate with our formula, we find: y = 66. 22.…”

“…Many authors agree with the fact that dif ferent cofactors play a role in MS: genetic fac tors including major histocompatibility com plex genes [19][20][21], ethnic [22], environmen tal, geographical [23][24][25], traumatic [26] and dietary factors. The latter include meat pres ervation techniques [27], fatty acid consump tion [28][29][30], and heavy metals in drinking water [31].…”

Parental Ancestry and Risk of Multiple Sclerosis in Alberta, Canada

“…The strong negative correlation for North American natives found in this study supports a genetic contribution based on parental ancestry. Interestingly, Lowis [14] has suggested that ethnie heterogene ity may be a risk factor for MS, noting low MS rates among Spanish-speaking groups in the US and Mexico and commenting that this group tends to be particularly homogeneous both in terms of genetics and life-style. The lowest single ancestry group in our study was female MS patients.…”