title: Paediatric UK demyelinating disease longitudinal study (PUDDLS).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is evidence that at least 5% of Multiple sclerosis (MS) cases manifest in childhood. Children with MS present with a demyelinating episode involving single or multiple symptoms prior to developing a second event (usually within two years) to then meet criteria for diagnosis. There is evidence from adult cohorts that the incidence and sex ratios of MS are changing and that children of immigrants have a higher risk for developing MS. A paediatric population should reflect the vanguard of such changes and may reflect trends yet to be observed in adult cohorts. Studying a paediatric population from the first demyelinating event will allow us to test these hypotheses, and may offer further valuable insights into the genetic and environmental interactions in the pathogenesis of MS.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Paediatric UK Demyelinating Disease Longitudinal Study (PUDDLS) is a prospective longitudinal observational study which aims to determine the natural history, predictors and outcomes of childhood CNS inflammatory demyelinating diseases. PUDDLS will involve centres in the UK, and will establish a cohort of children affected with a first CNS inflammatory demyelinating event for long-term follow up by recruiting for approximately 5 years. PUDDLS will also establish a biological sample archive (CSF, serum, and DNA), allowing future hypothesis driven research. For example, the future discovery of a biomarker will allow validation within this dataset for the evaluation of novel biomarkers. Patients will also be requested to consent to be contacted in the future. A secondary aim is to collaborate internationally with the International Paediatric Multiple Sclerosis Study Group when future collaborative studies are proposed, whilst sharing a minimal anonymised dataset. PUDDLS is the second of two jointly funded studies. The first (UCID-SS) is an epidemiological surveillance study that already received ethical approvals, and started on the 1st September 2009. There is no direct patient involvement, and UCID-SS aims to determine the UK and Ireland incidence of CNS inflammatory demyelinating disorders in children under 16 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A paediatric population should reflect the vanguard of MS epidemiological changes and may reflect trends yet to be observed in adult MS cohorts. The restricted window between clinical expression of disease and exposure to environmental factors in children offers a unique research opportunity. Studying a paediatric population from the first demyelinating event will allow us to investigate the changing epidemiology of MS, and may offer further valuable insights into the genetic and environmental interactions in the pathogenesis of MS.
authors.affiliation: School of Health & Population Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK. michaelabsoud@childdemyelination.org.uk
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Absoud
authors.forename: Carole
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cummins
authors.forename: Wui K
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Chong
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De Goede
authors.forename: Katharine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.forename: Roxanna
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gunny
authors.forename: Cheryl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hemingway
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jardine
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kneen
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Likeman
authors.forename: Ming J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Mike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pike
authors.forename: Naomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sibtain
authors.forename: William P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Whitehouse
authors.forename: Evangeline
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wassmer
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003711:Demyelinating Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D018450:Disease Progression; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers