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56 days to go until the first World MS Day on 27 May 2009

Have you registered with the World MS Day website to show you are part of the global MS movement yet?

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Fatigue edition of MS in focus now in Arabic!

We are delighted to launch our first edition of MS in focus in Arabic, and hope this will be a useful resource for Arabic-speaking people with MS around the globe.

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Profile of the Month : January 2010

Ahmed Darwish

Country: Egypt
Age: 47
Type of MS: Secondary progressive MS
Year of Diagnosis: 1992

There is a quote by Gandhi that inspires me, "Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." I always have that quote in my mind and try to live by it.

Deutsch English Español Français Italiano Русский

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The clinical effect of neutralizing antibodies against interferon-beta is independent of the type of interferon-beta used for patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis

Interferon beta (IFN-b) has been proven to be effective in MS. However, when this treatment is given for a certain amount of time, neutralising antibodies (Nabs) may appear and clinical effect of IFN-b may be reduced. In this study the authors aimed to investigate whether the reduced clinical effect of the IFN-b when Nabs are present depends on the type of IFN-b used. The authors confirmed that once the Nabs appeared the clinical effect of the IFN-b was reduced, but this detrimental clinical effect was not dependent on the type of IFN-b used.

authors: Koch-Henriksen N, Sorensen P, Bendtzen K, Flachs E

source: Mult Scler. 2009 Mar 19

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Depressive symptoms and coping in newly diagnosed patients with multiple sclerosis

The aims of this study were to investigate the coping strategies in newly diagnosed people with MS compared with controls and to examine whether depressive symptoms can explain the presence of different coping strategies. The authors found that people with MS used less frequently active coping strategies than controls. Moreover, people with MS had more depressive symptoms than controls. However, this fact did not explain differences in coping styles. Further studies are then needed to investigate why coping strategies are different in people with MS.

authors: Lode K, Bru E, Klevan G, Myhr K, Nyland H, Larsen J

source: Mult Scler. 2009 Mar 19

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Immunomodulatory effects of Vitamin D in multiple sclerosis

Based on the evidence that vitamin D seems to have a protective effect in MS, the authors of this work aimed to investigate the role of vitamin D as an immune modulator. For this purpose, they compared the levels of vitamin D between a group of people with MS and a group of controls. They also looked at the direct effects of vitamin D on laboratory T cells. The authors found that not only were vitamin D levels lower in people with MS than in controls, but also that vitamin D levels were lower in people with relapse-remitting MS, especially if they were experiencing a relapse. From the laboratory point of view, vitamin D seems to promote the development of regulatory T cells. All these findings suggest that vitamin D has an important role in the pathogenesis of MS, and that it could be used as a treatment in future.

authors: Correale J, Ysrraelit MC, Gaitán MI

source: Brain. 2009 Mar 24

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The efficacy of natalizumab in patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis: subgroup analyses of AFFIRM and SENTINEL

In this study the authors aimed to investigate whether the effects of natalizumab differ on the basis of the level of disease activity (i.e. number of relapses and active lesions) before starting the treatment. The authors used for this purpose the data from the 2 main clinical trials with natalizumab (SENTINEL and AFFIRM). They concluded that natalizumab treatment was effective not only in reducing the number of relapses, but also in reducing the progression of disability, especially in this subgroup of people with highly active multiple sclerosis.

authors: Hutchinson M, Kappos L, Calabresi PA, Confavreux C, Giovannoni G, Galetta SL, Havrdova E, Lublin FD, Miller DH, O'Connor PW, Phillips JT, Polman CH, Radue EW, Rudick RA, Stuart WH, Wajgt A, Weinstock-Guttman B, Wynn DR, Lynn F, Panzara MA; for the AFFIRM and SENTINEL Investigators

source: J Neurol. 2009 Mar 18

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Epidemiological characteristics of pregnancy, delivery, and birth outcome in women with multiple sclerosis in Argentina (EMEMAR study)

Very often MS affects young women of childbearing age. For this reason the authors of this study aimed to investigate possible pregnancy complications and birth outcomes in women with MS, the impact of IFN or Glatimer Acetate on pregnancy outcomes and the course of MS during pregnancy and postpartum. Results suggest that pregnancies often occur in women who are on disease modifying treatment. The authors also observed a higher rate of birth defects among infants exposed to immunomodulators in utero than those not exposed. There was also a reduction in MS relapses during 2nd and 3rd trimester of pregnancy and an increase in relapse rate during postpartum, which was consistent with previous reports.

authors: Fernández Liguori N, Klajn D, Acion L, Cáceres F, Calle A, Carrá A, Cristiano E, Deri N, Garcea O, Jaureguiberry A, Onaha P, Patrucco L, Riccio P, Rotta Escalante R, Saladino M, Sinay V, Tarulla A, Villa A

source: Mult Scler. 2009 Mar 19

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The MS Trust has signed up for World MS Day - have you?

source: UK MS Trust

On World MS Day, 27 May 2009, the UK’s MS Trust will launch their new website StayingSmart.

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New study reports reduced overall cancer risk in people with MS

source: US National MS Society

Swedish researchers report that risk for several types of cancers was reduced in people with MS, but that the risk for brain tumours and urinary cancer was increased.

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Inauguratation of new MS Society of India chapter in Mangalore

source: MS Society of India

The MS Society of India’s ninth Chapter was formally inaugurated at Mangalore on 12 March 2009.

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Biogen tests malaria drug as cure for Tysabri brain infection

source: UK MS Trust

A malaria pill is being tested on patients with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, the brain disorder known as PML.

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