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A timing-of-birth effect on multiple sclerosis clinical phenotype

From the Department of Medical Genetics (A.D.S., I.M.L.Y.) and Faculty of Medicine, Division of Neurology (A.D.S.), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; Hopital Notre Dame (P.D.), Montreal, Quebec, Canada; and The Wellcome Trust Center for Human Genetics (B.H.) and the Department of Clinical Neurology University of Oxford (G.C.E.), Oxford, U.K.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr Sadovnick, G-920, Detwiller Pavilion, Vancouver Coastal Health Authority–UBC Hospital, 2211 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 2B5 sadovnik{at}infinet.net

Background: A month-of-birth (MOB) effect has been shown in multiple sclerosis (MS).

Methods: Our ² analyses looked at whether this MOB effect differed by MS phenotype ("bout onset," "primary progressive").

Results: The MOB effect was derived from "bout onset" MS patients (May/November ratio = 1.43; ² = 17.32, df = 1, p = 0.000032).

Conclusions: An unspecified environmental effect in early development can influence both multiple sclerosis susceptibility and phenotype.

Funded by the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada Scientific Research Foundation. Dr. Sadovnick is a Michael Smith Foundation Distinguished Scholar.

Disclosure: The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Received July 10, 2006. Accepted in final form February 12, 2007.

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				M Koch, J De Keyser, and H Tremlett Timing of birth and disease progression in multiple sclerosis Multiple Sclerosis, July 1, 2008; 14(6): 793 - 798. [Abstract] [PDF]