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	Summaries of new MSIF activities, events, projects, programmes, resources, publications and more.

MSIF seeks consultant for MS in China feasibility study

MSIF seeks a consultant to assist in establishing the best way for MSIF to further engage with China.

Research News


	Summaries of all the latest research findings on MS selected by a team based at the Institute of Neurology, London.

Geography of hospital admissions for multiple sclerosis in England and comparison with the geography of hospital admissions for infectious mononucleosis: a descriptive study

Epstein Barr virus (EBV) is one of several infective agents that have been suggested to be linked with MS. This study explores the geographical incidence of hospital admissions for infectious mononucleosis (IM), which is caused by EBV and compares the incidence to that of admissions for MS.

The study supports existing data that a significant geographical variance in incidence of MS exists and correlates with the degree of latitude. This correlation remained after adjustment for deprivation and UK birthplace. Furthermore the authors found the geographical distributions of IM and MS were significantly correlated. The authors suggest these results may have implications for defining disease causality and for disease prevention.

authors: Ramagopalan SV, Hoang U, Seagroatt V, Handel A, Ebers GC, Giovannoni G, Goldacre MJ.

source: J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2011 Jan 6. [Epub ahead of print]

Staphylococcus aureus harbouring Enterotoxin A as a possible risk factor for multiple sclerosis exacerbations

The authors studied the possible link between the S. Aureus superantigens; sea, seb, and tsst-1 with MS exacerbations. Standard laboratory PCR was used to detect superantigens from nasal swab samples taken from healthy controls, patients with stable MS and patients within 30 days of an MS relapse.

27.0% of patients were found to be colonized with S. aureus with no significant differences identified between study groups, although amongst individuals colonized with S. aureus, the prevalence of sea was significantly greater in the MS exacerbation versus non-MS study group.

The authors have suggested that the ability to rapidly screen patients for the presence of S. aureus producing sea may serve as a useful marker of MS exacerbation.

authors: Mulvey MR, Doupe M, Prout M, Leong C, Hizon R, Grossberndt A, Klowak M, Gupta A, Melanson M, Gomori A, Esfahani F, Klassen L, Frost EE, Namaka M.

source: Mult Scler. 2011 Jan 6. [Epub ahead of print]

Osteopontin concentrations are increased in cerebrospinal fluid during attacks of multiple sclerosis

The authors conducted a cross sectional study to investigate the possible contribution of the cytokine osteopontin (OPN) to the immunopathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS) and its role as a possible biomarker for disease activity.

OPN concentrations were found to be significantly increased in the CSF of patients with CIS and RRMS during exacerbation compared to patients with other neurological diseases, and increased levels of OPN were associated with high values of other biomarkers of inflammation. OPN concentrations in the CSF had decreased significantly from baseline at 3 weeks independently of treatment with placebo or methylprednisolone.

Patients with PPMS had increased OPN levels in the CSF and high CSF levels of OPN were associated with high degrees of disability.

The authors suggest that OPN may be useful dynamic biomarker for disease activity in RRMS.

authors: Börnsen L, Khademi M, Olsson T, Sørensen PS, Sellebjerg F.

source: Mult Scler. 2011 Jan;17(1):32-42

Multiple sclerosis and epileptic seizures

The authors examined the frequency of epileptic seizures in 5041 MS patients. 102 (2%) patients were found to have epileptic seizures. In 67 patients (1.3%), epileptic seizure could not be explained by any cause other than MS.

Interestingly, epilepsy was the initial clinical manifestation of MS in seven patients. The majority of patients (92.5%) presented with only a few seizures but 18 patients (27%) presented with at least one episode of status epilepticus, which was fatal in two cases.

Gender, MS type and time of onset of MS to disease progression did not predict epilepsy. However the median age of MS onset was lower in patients who later developed epilepsy.

The study provides useful data on status epilepticus and seizure frequency in MS.

authors: Catenoix H, Marignier R, Ritleng C, Dufour M, Mauguière F, Confavreux C, Vukusic S.

source: Mult Scler. 2011 Jan;17(1):96-102.

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