title: Sex distribution, age of onset and HLA profiles in two types of multiple sclerosis. A role for sex hormones and microbial infections in the development of autoimmunity?
abstract: Fifty-four patients with clinically definite multiple sclerosis were typed for HLA-A, B, C, DR and DQ antigens. HLA-DQ was not a better disease marker than the previously described HLA-DR and B markers. The patients were subdivided according to the clinical evolution of their disease, age at onset and sex. HLA-DR2 was significantly associated with females having a relapsing-remitting course of the disease and HLA-B8 and B35 were significantly associated with males having a chronic-progressive course of the disease. A role is postulated for defects in the sex hormone balance in females and for microbial infections in males as dominant environmental triggers in the development of autoreactivity.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000502:physiology*; D006680:HLA Antigens; D015797:HLA-B35 Antigen; D015795:HLA-B8 Antigen; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D015802:HLA-DR2 Antigen; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000145:classification / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D006680:HLA Antigens; D015797:HLA-B35 Antigen; D015795:HLA-B8 Antigen; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D015802:HLA-DR2 Antigen