We have located links that may give you full text access.
COMPARATIVE STUDY
JOURNAL ARTICLE
Multiple sclerosis: relationship between seasonal variations of relapse and age of onset.
International Journal of Neuroscience 1993 July
The incidence of multiple sclerosis (MS) is age-dependent being rare prior to age 10, unusual prior to age 15, with a peak in the mid 20s. The manifestation of MS, therefore, appears to be dependent upon having passed through the pubertal period suggesting an endocrine influence on the timing of onset of the disease. Since pineal melatonin secretion progressively declines from childhood to puberty and as melatonin exerts an immunomodulating influence, we have proposed that the dramatic decline in melatonin secretion just prior to the onset of the clinical manifestations of puberty may lead to disruption of immune responses resulting in either reactivation of the infective agent or in an increased susceptibility to pubertal or post-pubertal infection. Melatonin secretion undergoes annual rhythms with a zenith in winter and declines to a nadir in the spring. Thus, the fall in melatonin secretion in the spring may account for epidemiological findings revealing a high incidence of relapse of MS in the spring. If the manifestations of MS are related to the fall in melatonin secretion in the post-pubertal period, then one would expect patients with a pubertal onset of the disease to have a higher incidence of relapses in spring than in winter. To test this hypothesis, we investigated in 51 patients the relationship between the seasonal occurrence of the last MS relapse with the age of onset of first manifestation of MS. While 9 of 22 patients (40.9%) who relapsed in spring (March-May) had the onset of MS prior to age 18, only 2 of 29 patients (6.9%) who relapsed in winter (November-February) experienced the onset of first symptoms prior to the age of 18 years (p < .005). These findings thus support the hypothesis implicating the pineal gland and melatonin secretion in the timing of onset of MS. Moreover, the findings may have clinical implications with respect to the prophylaxis of MS relapse in patients who experience seasonally-dependent exacerbation of symptoms.
Full text links
Related Resources
Trending Papers
Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: diagnosis, risk assessment, and treatment.Clinical Research in Cardiology : Official Journal of the German Cardiac Society 2024 April 12
Proximal versus distal diuretics in congestive heart failure.Nephrology, Dialysis, Transplantation 2024 Februrary 30
Efficacy and safety of pharmacotherapy in chronic insomnia: A review of clinical guidelines and case reports.Mental Health Clinician 2023 October
World Health Organization and International Consensus Classification of eosinophilic disorders: 2024 update on diagnosis, risk stratification, and management.American Journal of Hematology 2024 March 30
Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university
For the best experience, use the Read mobile app
All material on this website is protected by copyright, Copyright © 1994-2024 by WebMD LLC.
This website also contains material copyrighted by 3rd parties.
By using this service, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.
Your Privacy Choices
You can now claim free CME credits for this literature searchClaim now
Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university
For the best experience, use the Read mobile app