Epidemiology of familial multiple sclerosis and its comparison to sporadic form in Markazi Province, Iran

Fardin Faraji; Pegah Mohaghegh; Afsoon Talaie

doi:10.1016/j.msard.2022.104231

Epidemiology of familial multiple sclerosis and its comparison to sporadic form in Markazi Province, Iran

Mult Scler Relat Disord. 2022 Dec:68:104231. doi: 10.1016/j.msard.2022.104231. Epub 2022 Oct 8.

Authors

Fardin Faraji¹, Pegah Mohaghegh², Afsoon Talaie³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran; Traditional and Complementary Medicine Research Center, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran; Applied Neuroscience Research Center, Arak branch, Islamic Azad University, Arak, Iran.
² Department of Community Medicine, School of Medicine, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran. Electronic address: pmohaghegh@arakmu.ac.ir.
³ Health Department, Arak Branch, Islamic Azad University, Arak, Iran.

PMID: 36270251
DOI: 10.1016/j.msard.2022.104231

Abstract

Background: Limited data have been published about the epidemiology of familial multiple sclerosis (FMS) and its comparison to the sporadic form. Additionally, the epidemiology of FMS varies significantly in numerous provinces of Iran.

Objectives: The current study aimed to establish the epidemiology and clinical presentations of FMS and compare this form of the disease to sporadic multiple sclerosis (SMS) in Markazi province, Iran.

Methods: In this cross-sectional registry-based study, the data were collected by the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society of Markazi province within 2012-2021. The demographic and clinical characteristics, diagnosis, and treatment of the MS patients living in the province were registered in this system.

Results: A total of 924 MS cases who completed the data about the familial history of MS participated in this study. Based on the results, the female/male ratios were equal to 3.11 and 3.96 in FMS and SMS groups, respectively. Furthermore, 29.4% of the individuals had a history of the disease in their first- to third-degree relatives. The prevalence of primary-progressive multiple sclerosis was higher among the FMS patients (8.5%) than in the SMS patients (4.6%). Along with motor, sphincter, cognitive, and brain stem signs as the onset symptoms, the FMS group experienced a higher rate of polysymptomatic onset (P = 0.000). Moreover, significantly more autoimmune diseases and consanguineous marriages (P = 0.000) were observed in the FMS group than in the SMS group. The individuals with FMS reported a higher mean number of recurrences and higher Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores (P = 0.000).

Conclusion: The results showed a significant prevalence of FMS in Markazi province. The FMS and SMS patients were significantly different regarding first presentations, onset symptoms, MS clinical characteristics, and EDSS scores. Finally, consanguineous marriage was significantly more common in the FMS group than in the SMS group.

Keywords: Familial multiple sclerosis; Multiple sclerosis; Sporadic multiple sclerosis.

MeSH terms

Brain Stem
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Humans
Iran / epidemiology
Male
Multiple Sclerosis* / diagnosis
Multiple Sclerosis* / epidemiology
Multiple Sclerosis* / genetics
Prevalence
Registries