This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Knowledge & Support Community

What do we think we know about "MS"?

--- It does not always strike at the same age, but usually between the ages of ?? and ?? years.
--- It affect women more than men, depending on how you also group the populations:
race? location? economic status? days of sunshine per year?
--- in varying female/male proportions from ?? to ??.
--- It is not an always-fatal disease, but generally shortens the lives of its victims by ?? years.
--- It has an (autoimmune? viral? fungal? bacterial? congenital? environmental? traumatic? diet-caused) etiology.
--- What do we know it is not? (carcinogenic? insect-borne? animal-carried? a disease of the heart? digestive system? liver? kidneys? heart? feet? fingernails?)
--- The world population of people who have been diagnosed with it is ??
--- The populations of Canada and the United States (Britain, Europe, Asia, China, Scandinavia, Africa, Russia?) who have been diagnosed with are ?? and ??
--- The precedence rate among these respective populations is ??... and averages to ??
--- The course can vary but it tends to affect people for larger and larger proportions of the time and have worsening disability, after their first sign of it, except for those for whom there are no remissions, and also those for whom there is only ever one attack, with a permanent remission. It varies between those two extremes. The most common case is relapsing-remitting, which tends to worsen to the point where no more remissions occur. Another way of looking at this is that disabilities become more and more permanent.

I'm sure there are many others. Can we agree on any "MS" facts?

1eye wrote:What do we think we know about "MS"?

--- It does not always strike at the same age, but usually between the ages of ?? and ?? years.

20 and 40

--- It affect women more than men, depending on how you also group the populations:
race? location? economic status? days of sunshine per year?

Previously believed more common in Caucausians but new research questions this.
Is it slightly more likely in upper economic statuses? Or is it indiscriminate that way?

--- in varying female/male proportions from ?? to ??.

2 to 1

--- It is not an always-fatal disease, but generally shortens the lives of its victims by ?? years.

Not sure. You'd have to separate RR/SP from PP, I think.

--- It has an (autoimmune? viral? fungal? bacterial? congenital? environmental? traumatic? diet-caused) etiology.

Multifactorial, with the possibility of congenital vascular malformations playing a very large role....

--- The world population of people who have been diagnosed with it is ??

Really high.

--- The populations of Canada and the United States (Britain, Europe, Asia, China, Scandinavia, Africa, Russia?) who have been diagnosed with are ?? and ??

The US is estimated at 500,000.
I've heard the stats for Canada but can't recall them.
Asia/China is exceedingly low.

--- The precedence rate among these respective populations is ??... and averages to ??
--- The course can vary but it tends to affect people for larger and larger proportions of the time and have worsening disability, after their first sign of it, except for those for whom there are no remissions, and also those for whom there is only ever one attack, with a permanent remission. It varies between those two extremes. The most common case is relapsing-remitting, which tends to worsen to the point where no more remissions occur. Another way of looking at this is that disabilities become more and more permanent.

I'm sure there are many others. Can we agree on any "MS" facts?

One fact everyone can agree on, MS is a terrible disease.
My answers are by memory and may be wrong....

Cece-regarding PML and the "rogue immune system" theory: not having a degree in virology, I can only guess, but since Tysabri only affects T cells, it could be that the JC virus is mediated more by T cells than B cells.

Rituxan, a drug that effectively eliminates a patient's B cells, has been in use for over 10 years as a treatment for non-Hodgkins lymphoma, and is now being used to treat autoimmune disorders. The rate of PML in Rituxan treated patients is infinitesimally smaller than that of patients treated with Tysabri. Incidentally, EBV takes up residence in B cells when it's dormant, and I've often wondered if perhaps this is one of the mechanisms that makes it effective in treating MS.

Furthermore, the vast majority of patients treated with Tysabri are RRMS patients. It hasn't been approved for use in SPMS patients, although I'm sure some are being treated with the stuff. I don't think there is any data on the type of MS patient struck with PML were suffering from. Would be interesting to find out…

Thanks, Marc. Such a complex disease. The tertiary lymphoid organ seems theory downright likely, since it happens in other disorders when an area is continually inflamed.

Just asking what evidence exists of immune system involvement? Just want to know since I had CIS of optic neuritis followed by 14 asymptomatic years, followed by slow progression, followed by a more rapid progression starting in 2009. Symptoms all related to motor skill function. Some neuropathic pain in calf muscles. CCSVI treatment gave me more energy. Still have the motor issues. Just confused. To my knowledge I've had no enhancing lesions on any of the MRIs I've had starting in 2006 and the ones I had at Stanford and more recently at Emory in Atlanta. Since I am SP I've been offered the option of Novantrone. I like my immune system. Is the treatment worse than the disease? We all have an expiration date. Why do we act like we don't? Maybe someone can enlighten me. I don't always stay up with things and am struggling more with that since the updates. I guess the learning curve was a little steep for me.