This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Knowledge & Support Community

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Yes, kunte kinte may well have carried the genetic variant that was, millennia later, to become known as,"the Viking gene". He didn't get it from anybody he passed it on to some of his descendants, some of whom found themselves living in Northern Europe in a small, interbred community whose isolation was perfect for distilling an occasional variation into a more commonplace one.
I'm quite sure that other descendants populated all points of the compass and some of them also carried this variant, but less commonly, into possibly every group of humans in the world.
As Cheerleader said, this gene codes for collagen type iv, which is a major component of the basement membrane supporting endothelial cells and nerve cells, among others. I'm guessing this is why the links with MS were first considered.
So, all human populations may contain this gene to a greater lesser extent, and it may give rise to MS when combined with environmental conditions such as, " modern", lifestyles. (See, we're saying the same thing, although I think finding the environmental factor will be almost as hard as discovering genes). In my view, the genetic variation which, when " triggered" by external factors can give rise to a disease is, almost by definition, a predisposition.

As for geneticists, I think finding and tracing genes is the easy part (!), it's what they do and their myriad interactions that's the complicated bit.

PS if you don't write me into your will immediately I'm not playing any more.

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Bob, I think our wires may have become crossed with the, "Kunte Kinte", thing: I had assumed you were making a sardonic reference to early humans coming out of Africa, but if you were talking literally about slaves from only a few hundred years ago then of course there is no way they could have an effect on the gene pool developing 1000 years earlier!

I'm pleased to hear your personal fortune is in the negative. Mine is as well, and since two negatives make a positive, when I he inherit yours, I'll be rich!

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Hells Bells, after pages of heated debate, we are back to the genetic predisposition with environmental trigger....

Seriously guys, as always it is a pleasure to read the debates and discussions - some interesting points made.

Dom you are quite right, 2 negatives do make a positive (in maths anyway, if not finance) and Bob, all the best to your wife.

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Hey, hey

I was being totally neutral (like Switzerland!)
Seriously, I get your point - I just watched a programme that (on Nat Geo) that proclaimed it could trace man (not woman) back to the 'original' Adam, and that he came from Africa - they made some suppositions genetically, but it seemed plausible. So, if one accepts that theory, then the so-called 'Viking' gene probably did come from Africa when people started moving northward, industrialisation (or whatever other environmental trigger one proposes) occurred, voila, MS!


So there are some very interesting theories out there and I don't discount any of them, nor do I have a personal favourite (except maybe an infective environmental trigger for someone who is genetically predisposed?).
It makes logical sense to me that folks with ms have something in them (probably genetic, given the propensity for familial clustering) and that something happens to them to 'activate' this/these gene(s), and the whole ms inflammatory mechanism begins to cascade.
Unless we (or the researchers, rather) are going to go down the genetic engineering path, it doesn't much matter which gene - maybe the trigger needs more focus, and probably, there is more than one trigger! I know I am just repeating what much cleverer people than me have said (all the folks here, you too Bob) - and all I am really doing is reiterating the suggestion that the viking gene originated in Africa as did early man, and only became the viking gene when it was first associated with ms in the northern hemisphere, following some environmental trigger. It also makes sense that any genetic link would be to a recessive gene, otherwise, ms would be a truly inherited disease, even with a trigger needed, the familial correlation would be so much stronger.

Great chatting to you, again best to Jamie.

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Halo to all of you,.....

I am from Europa, Slovenia. I am 33 years old. My English language is not very good.
Becouse I search for anything about Tysabri, I catch this side. I wish to tell you, that in Slovenia are 2000 registrated patients with MS, but just 2 of them have Tysabri, becouse in our country is not allowed, I dont know why.....
hat I have dark brown hair, and also my parents and old paents were dark......So, I dont think there is a connection between colour of hair and MS......

Sorry if I was boring and if you didnt understand me......Just to know, that someone far away from there is also "one of you".

Best regards, Anita

Anita welcome, and don't worry love, we can understand your English which is quite good

Hey Anita

Your English is just fine - no problem understanding you at all - we don't have Tsybari here in my country at all - just got Copaxone about 2 months ago!
I agree, hair colour is probably irrelevent, we were just messing around with some ideas - feel free to chat whenever you feel like it, there will always be someone here to respond.
Hope you get some information from the site.

Take care.

Hi Alli and Nenu, I am werry, werry happy that you reply. I am also glad that I can talk to you people from "all over the world".... And I also find one of Slovenia in your site (hope also to hear from her again...).
Till now I didnt introduce myself and I will do it now....So, I am Anita, 33 years old, I am living with douthter which is 11. I work in cour of justice as administrator, and I am studying.............have now 5 exams till the end

So this is me, I hope we stay in contact and best regards to you all,
your friend from Slovenia

Busy girl! 11 year old, work and study, wow!

I'm close to your age, 31 years here

Hi again Nenu,

Yes, I must be bussy , living alone with daughter in age of 11 (you know age of puberty .....