title: Frequency of viral infections and environmental factors in multiple sclerosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complicated disease which occurs due to relationship between genes and environmental factors that causes tissue damage by autoimmune mechanisms.We investigated and illustrated the hypotheses correlated to the evidence of several putative environmental risk factors for MS onset and progression in this part of Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  Univariate logistic regression was used to detect the effects of environmental factors on the risk of MS. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The childhood history of patients with rubella, measles and chickenpox increased the risk of MS significantly. Moreover, low consumption of dairy products, avoidance of seafood consumption, cigarette smoking and exposure to tobacco smoke, stress, anxiety disorders, depress and disturbing thoughts, negative and disturbing thoughts, developing a sudden shock upon hearing bad news, having obsessive-compulsive and being depressed increased the risk of MS significantly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the current research partially solved the puzzling question of complex interplay between environmental factors and MS disease in this part of Iran. Incorporating these factors enables more powerful and accurate detection of novel risk factors with diagnostic and prognostic methods.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Paramedicine, Research Center for Molecular Medicine, Neurophysiology Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Mahdi
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Eftekharian
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Molecular Medicine, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
authors.forename: Masoud Sabouri
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Ghannad
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medical Genetics, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taheri
authors.affiliation: Modeling of Noncommunicable Diseases Research Center, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
authors.forename: Ghodratollah
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Roshanaei
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mehrdokht
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mazdeh
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Paramedicine, Research Center for Molecular Medicine, Neurophysiology Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mehrnoosh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Musavi
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Paramedicine, Research Center for Molecular Medicine, Neurophysiology Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mona Bahmani
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Hormoz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000503:physiopathology; D015551:Autoimmunity; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002644:Chickenpox / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D003863:Depression / Q000503:physiopathology; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D059647:Gene-Environment Interaction; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008457:Measles / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D012008:Recurrence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012409:Rubella / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D012907:Smoking / Q000503:physiopathology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology
keywords: Multiple sclerosis; dairy products; environmental exposure; seafood; stress disorders