Multiple Sclerosis--from food allergies to socio-economic Conditions

Like many other medical conditions, mechanisms of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) remains a puzzle. Especially the question of which consist of genetic factors and complex environment. An important piece of this puzzle is the immune system which is also responsible for organizing many of the physiological phenomena (and pathologically) other-including allergies.

Although previous research that investigates the relationship between MS and allergies have produced mixed results, a team of researchers at Brigham and women's Hospital are trying to uncover a new link between MS and allergies. The team found new evidence linking the food allergies and recurrence of multiple sclerosis.

Multiple Sclerosis--from food allergies to socio-economic Conditions

"Some patients multiple sclerosis with significant allergies will complain of frequent relapses associated with the period of their allergies, " says Tanuja Chitnis, MD, senior author and neurologist at the Partners MS Center at Brigham, "we felt that the mechanisms that most likely related to allergy and its effect on MS will be associated with inflammatory activity. "

Chitnis and his colleagues examined the relationship between the activity of inflammatory disease and allergy history on a group of patients who are enrolled in a large study known as the Longitudinal Comprehensive Investigation against Multiple Sclerosis at a hospital Brigham (CLIMB).

As much as the study participants completed a questionnaire 1,349 given own outlining food allergy, environmental and/or drugs. The activity of disease assessed by evaluating the number of cumulative attacks over the course of the disease and lesions that increase gadolinium (Gad), as detected by MRI.

Interestingly, the only participants in the groups food allergies which shows the cumulative attack rate were significantly higher and increase the likelihood of new lesions Gad compared to participants who are not reported to have food allergies. These effects remained significant even when adjusted for potential perancu such as gender, age, time of early diagnosis of symptoms, and the disease category. No significant effects were observed for allergy and environmental medicine after the customized analysis.

The relationship between food allergy and MS disease activity highlights the important role of potential elements in immunity and inflammation of the intestine.

"It is interesting that these relationships are only found with food allergies and other allergic type not that might be expected if this is only a problem of immune deviation, " said Chitnis, "the presence of food allergy and its related mechanisms with food allergies can increase the rate of recurrence of inflammatory activity and MS patients. There may be a common mechanism here, or other mechanisms that can cause relapse in people with MS who have tendency. "

Currently, Chitnis and his partner working to uncover more of the immune mechanisms of disregulasi at allergy and described how the impact on the disregulasi activity of inflammatory MS. Given the nature of the correlative study, researchers be careful to highlight the limited clinical action of their findings. However, Chitnis optimistic about the potential significance of translation from work and highlighted the importance of tackling food allergies in the MS patient care.