Affiliations: [a] Faculty of Paramedicine, Research Center for Molecular Medicine, Neurophysiology Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran | [b] Research Center for Molecular Medicine, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran | [c] Departments of Medical Genetics, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran | [d] Modeling of Noncommunicable Diseases Research Center, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran | [e] Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Masoud Sabouri Ghannad, Research Center for Molecular Medicine, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Post code: 6517838736, Iran. Tel.: +98 8138380160; Fax: +98 8138380208; E-mail:sabouri@umsha.ac.ir
Abstract: OBJECTIVES: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complicated disease which
occurs due to relationship between genes and environmental factors that
causes tissue damage by autoimmune mechanisms.We investigated and illustrated the hypotheses correlated to the evidence of
several putative environmental risk factors for MS onset and progression in
this part of Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Univariate logistic regression was used to
detect the effects of environmental factors on the risk of MS. Data were
analyzed using SPSS version 16. RESULTS: The childhood history of patients with rubella, measles
and chickenpox increased the risk of MS significantly. Moreover, low
consumption of dairy products, avoidance of seafood consumption, cigarette
smoking and exposure to tobacco smoke, stress, anxiety disorders, depress
and disturbing thoughts, negative and disturbing thoughts, developing a
sudden shock upon hearing bad news, having obsessive-compulsive and being
depressed increased the risk of MS significantly. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the current research partially solved
the puzzling question of complex interplay between environmental factors and
MS disease in this part of Iran. Incorporating these factors enables more
powerful and accurate detection of novel risk factors with diagnostic and
prognostic methods.
