Multiple sclerosis and common viral infections in Iceland.
Sero-epidemiological studies on a few common virus infections, including measles, rubella, mumps and varicella-zoster, were carried out on patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and controls matched for age, sex, and residences since birth. The frequency of antibodies against measles was significantly higher in the MS patients. Where measles preceded the onset of MS, the time interval varied from 3 to 32 years. In two cases, known MS patients contracted measles 9 and 3 years after their onset of MS. Furthermore, three MS patients were vaccinated against measles as adults. Two of these took part in a WHO measles vaccine trial in 1962, 18 and 6 years after the onset of MS. Both of them were seronegative prior to vaccination.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D002644:Chickenpox / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003168:Complement Fixation Tests; D005260:Female; D006385:Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests; D006801:Humans; D007055:Iceland; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008457:Measles / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D009107:Mumps / Q000453:epidemiology; D012409:Rubella / Q000453:epidemiology; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*
D000914:Antibodies, Viral