title: Multiple sclerosis progression is not associated with birth timing in Italy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Month of birth has been associated in some studies with the susceptibility to develop Multiple Sclerosis (MS). However, only few studies have evaluated whether birth timing also affects disease progression.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess whether season and month of birth are associated with disease progression in a large cohort of Italian patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Quantile regression was used to analyze the impact of each month and season of birth with all the others combined on the median Multiple Sclerosis Severity Score of 1866 MS patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant temporal trend was found after adjustment for multiple comparisons.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Birth timing showed no association with MS progression in Italian patients.
authors.affiliation: MS Centre, SCDU Neurology, Head and Neck Department, AOU "Maggiore della Carità", Corso Mazzini 18, 28100 Novara, Italy; Department of Health Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Via Pergolesi 33, 20900 Monza, Italy. Electronic address: ilia.lucenti@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ausiliatrice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lucenti
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Via Pergolesi 33, 20900 Monza, Italy. Electronic address: stefania.galimberti@unimib.it.
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Galimberti
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Piedmont, Via Solaroli 17, 28100 Novara, Italy; Interdisciplinary Research Center of Autoimmune Diseases IRCAD, University of Eastern Piedmont, Via Solaroli 17, 28100 Novara, Italy. Electronic address: nadia.barizzone@med.unipmn.it.
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Barizzone
authors.affiliation: MS Centre, SCDU Neurology, Head and Neck Department, AOU "Maggiore della Carità", Corso Mazzini 18, 28100 Novara, Italy. Electronic address: pnaldi@inwind.it.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Naldi
authors.affiliation: Scientific Institute University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Via Olgettina 60, 20132 Milan, Italy. Electronic address: comi.giancarlo@hsr.it.
authors.forename: Giancarlo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Comi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology & Laboratory of Neurogenetics of Complex Disease, CNS Inflammatory Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology, Scientific Institute San Raffaele, Via Olgettina 60, 20132 Milan, Italy. Electronic address: martinelli.filippo@hsr.it.
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Martinelli Boneschi
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Piedmont, Via Solaroli 17, 28100 Novara, Italy; Interdisciplinary Research Center of Autoimmune Diseases IRCAD, University of Eastern Piedmont, Via Solaroli 17, 28100 Novara, Italy. Electronic address: dalfonso@med.unipmn.it.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: D'Alfonso
authors.affiliation: MS Centre, SCDU Neurology, Head and Neck Department, AOU "Maggiore della Carità", Corso Mazzini 18, 28100 Novara, Italy; Interdisciplinary Research Center of Autoimmune Diseases IRCAD, University of Eastern Piedmont, Via Solaroli 17, 28100 Novara, Italy. Electronic address: maurizio.leone@maggioreosp.novara.it.
authors.forename: Maurizio A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Leone
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012621:Seasons
keywords: Month of birth; Multiple sclerosis; Progression; Season