title: Review of the novelties presented at the 29th Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) (I).
abstract: The most relevant data presented at the 29th Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS), held in October 2013 in Denmark, were summarised at the sixth edition of the Post-ECTRIMS Expert Meeting, held in Madrid in October 2013, resulting in this review, to be published in three parts. This first part of the Post-ECTRIMS review presents an update on gender differences in multiple sclerosis (MS) as well as new evidence on the impact of sex hormones on the disease. We should consider that there is still much to discover with regard to the genetic components of the disease. Similarly, possible infections and lifestyle habits are added as triggers of the known environmental risk factors for MS. The interaction between genetics and the environment has been increasingly implicated as a cause of susceptibility to MS. With regard to the mechanisms of inflammation, axo-glial proteins, instead of myelin proteins, may be the early antigenic targets, and B cells have been implicated in the production of cytokines toxic to oligodendrocytes. Chitinase 3-like 1 (CHI3L1) is validated as a prognostic marker of conversion to MS, and immunoglobulin M oligoclonal bands and L-selectin could be incorporated as possible measures of the risk stratification strategy in patients treated with natalizumab.
authors.affiliation: Fundacion IMABIS, Hospital Universitario Carlos Haya, 29190 Malaga, Espana.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Fernandez
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Alvarez-Cermeno
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Arnal-Garcia
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Arroyo-Gonzalez
authors.forename: Ll
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Brieva
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Calles-Hernandez
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Casanova-Estruch
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Comabella
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Garcia-Merino
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Izquierdo
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Meca-Lallana
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Mendibe-Bilbao
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Munoz-Garcia
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Olascoaga
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Oliva-Nacarino
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Oreja-Guevara
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Prieto
authors.forename: Ll
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ramio-Torrenta
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Romero-Pinel
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saiz
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rodriguez-Antiguedad
authors.forename: Grupo Post-Ectrims
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Grupo Post-Ectrims
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D002648:Child; D003226:Congresses as Topic; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005260:Female; D059647:Gene-Environment Interaction; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000502:physiology; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D008297:Male; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D012737:Sex Factors; D035703:Therapies, Investigational; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000150:complications
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens