title: [Epidemiology of multiple sclerosis: environmental factors versus genetic factors].
abstract: Although the mechanism of multiple sclerosis (MS) remains elusive, it is generally hypothesized to be an autoimmune disease targeting the central nervous system (CNS) myelin. Extensive epidemiological and genetic surveys indicate that MS is caused by an interplay between the environment and genetic traits determined by normal polymorphisms in multiple genes. In Japanese, epidemiological surveys gave the prevalence rates of 0.7 to 8.9/100,000. There is a small but significant north-to-south gradient of MS prevalence rates in Japan, suggesting that environmental factors varying with latitude also play a role in developing MS even in the low prevalence areas. Conventional MS in Japanese is, like MS in Caucasians, associated with HLA-DRB1*1501 whereas opticospinal MS is associated with HLA-DPB1*0501. The ratio of conventional to opticospinal MS has increased rapidly in Japanese born after 1960s, suggesting that the modernization occurred after 1960s in Japan has modifying effects on MS susceptibility and phenotypes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University.
authors.forename: Jun-ichi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kira
mesh_terms: D004200:Diseases in Twins; D004777:Environment; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005843:Geography; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D010641:Phenotype; D044469:Racial Groups; D013997:Time Factors; D014171:Transients and Migrants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018433:Twin Studies as Topic; D014427:Twins
chemical_list: D006680:HLA Antigens