We found a match
Your institution may have rights to this item. Sign in to continue.
- Title
Allergy and multiple sclerosis: a population-based case-control study.
- Authors
Pedotti, R.; Farinotti, M.; Falcone, C.; Borgonovo, L.; Confalonieri, P.; Campanella, A.; Mantegazza, R.; Pastorello, E.; Filippini, G.
- Abstract
Background Epidemiological studies on the association between allergic disorders, T-helper type 2 (Th2) mediated, and multiple sclerosis (MS), a T-helper type 1 (Th1)/Th17-mediated disease, provided conflicting results. Objective The aim of this study was to further examine the association between allergic disorders and MS. Methods The association between MS and previous medical history of any type of allergy has been investigated in a population-based case-control study conducted in Northern Italy, based on telephone interviews to 423 cases and 643 population controls (refusal rates 3.7% and 9.4%, respectively). Controls were a random sample of the general population. Results A history of atopic allergies seems to confer protection against MS (odds ratio [OR], 0.58; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.38-0.89; P = 0.012). In particular, the prevalence of allergic asthma was 4.9% in people with MS and 12% in control subjects (OR = 0.38; 95% CI 0.22-0.66, P < 0.01). No association was found between MS and nonatopic allergies. Conclusions Our findings are confirmatory of the putative protective effect of Th2-mediated disorders on Th1 immune responses associated with MS. A unifying theory on the mechanisms by which previous history of atopic allergies may modify the risk of MS is still lacking.
- Subjects
NORTHERN Italy; MULTIPLE sclerosis; ALLERGIES; IMMUNOLOGIC diseases; IMMUNE response; SKIN inflammation; ATOPIC dermatitis; OBSTRUCTIVE lung diseases
- Publication
Multiple Sclerosis (13524585), 2009, Vol 15, Issue 8, p899
- ISSN
1352-4585
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1177/1352458509106211