Prevalence of autoimmune diseases in MS patients and their relatives in Kerman

Abstract Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease. The etiology of MS is still unknown. Several studies were done to investigate the association between MS and autoimmune diseases, each of them had different result. Objective: This study tried to assess the prevalence of autoimmune disease among patients with multiple sclerosis and their relatives in kerman province. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out from January to June 2002 on 50 definit MS patients ( based on clinical and paraclinical criteria ) who refer to shafa hospital MS clinic and neurologic ward and 200 controls group matched for sex and age . Samples succecively arrived to study. Data were analyzed with chi-square and fischer exact tests. Findings: There was no meaningful difference between MS and autoimmune diseases in case and control groups (6% in case, 1% in control group, P<0.19). There was meaningful association between MS disease in patients and autoimmune diseases (regarding MS) in first – degree relatives ( 22% in case , 0% in control group, P<0.001) and second–degree relatives (12% in case, 2% in control group, P<0.002). There was a meaningful relation between MS in patients and autoimmune diseases ( without MS) in first –degree relatives ( 4% in case , 0% in control group, P <0.04) but no relation was seen in second –degree relatives ( 2% in case , 2% in control group, P<0.37) . There was a meaningful difference between MS in patient and in the first–degree relatives (12% in case, 0% in control group, P<0.001), and second- degree relatives (P<0.001, a=0.05) of cases and controls. Conclusion: This findings emphesize more attention in family of MS patients.