title: Respiratory tract rather than cutaneous atopic allergy inversely associate with multiple sclerosis: a case-control study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It has been previously shown that genetic or environmental factors, which promote susceptibility to allergic conditions, prevent the development of Th1-mediated inflammatory disease of multiple sclerosis (MS). To investigate the prediction value of lifetime atopic allergy in development of the future MS, a case-control study was designed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cases and controls were interviewed between December 2007 and April 2008 and they were asked if they had symptoms or diagnosis of allergies (including respiratory tract allergy, RTA; coetaneous allergy, CA; food/drug allergy, FDA) before MS diagnosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 390 participants (195 controls and 195 cases), 125 healthy controls (64.1%) and 105 cases (53.8%) reported history of at least one type of atopic allergy (P=0.04). A positive history of RTA (OR 0.43; 95% CI 0.28-0.66) or FDA (OR 0.24; 95% CI 0.13-0.43) was inversely associated with the risk of MS. No statistically significant association was found between the history of CA and MS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a significant inverse association between RTA and MS that is compatible with a Th1/Th2 imbalance. History of RTA can be considered as a clinically useful risk reducing factor of MS.
authors: Sina MS Research Center, Sina Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences(TUMS), Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: msahrai@sina.tums.ac.ir.
authors: Mohammad Ali
authors: MA
authors: Sahraian
authors: Sirous
authors: S
authors: Jafarian
authors: Sara
authors: S
authors: Sheikhbahaei
authors: Farinaz
authors: F
authors: Safavi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000485:Allergens; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D007372:Interferons / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D012130:Respiratory Hypersensitivity / Q000150:complications*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D007372:Interferons
keywords: Atopic hypersensitivity; Eczema; Food hypersensitivity; Multiple sclerosis; Respiratory hypersensitivity