E. Kahana et al., MULTIPLE-SCLEROSIS - GENETIC VERSUS ENVIRONMENTAL ETIOLOGY - EPIDEMIOLOGY IN ISRAEL UPDATED, Journal of neurology, 241(5), 1994, pp. 341-346
The incidence and prevalence of multiple sclerosis (MS) were compared,
controlling for age, in native-born Israelis of different origins and
in immigrants to Israel. This comparison was carried out in two popul
ations, countrywide and in Jerusalem. In the countrywide population, a
scertainment was based mainly on hospitalizations; it included 252 pat
ients who were native-born and 150 who had immigrated from Africa-Asia
(AA immigrants). The 89 MS patients of Jerusalem also included patien
ts diagnosed in outpatient clinics. In native-born Israelis whose fath
er was born in Europe-America (I-EA), the incidence and prevalence of
MS were found to be as high as or even higher than that found previous
ly in immigrants from Europe-America. Among native-born Israelis whose
father was born in Africa or Asia (I-AA), the yearly age-adjusted inc
idence and prevalence rates were found to be 1.4- to 1.8-fold higher t
han among AA immigrants, pointing to environmental factors. The incide
nce and prevalence rates in the I-EA were 1.2- to 1.6-fold higher than
in the I-AA, pointing to genetic factors. These results seem to point
to both environmental and genetic factors in the aetiology of MS. Fur
ther research is needed, however, to disentangle the genetic factors f
rom possible environmental differences in the two ethnic groups.