Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease of the central nervous system (CNS) characterized by inflammation, demyelination and axonal loss. This disease typically strikes young adults, especially women. There are four types of MS according to their relapsing or progressive pattern that include relapsing-remitting (RRMS), secondary progressive (SPMS), primary progressive (PPMS), and progressive relapsing (PRMS). In most patients, the disease has a relapsing-remitting course during the first years. Within 10 years, approximately 50% of patients progress to SPMS. The aetiology of MS is not well understood, but it is likely multifactorial, combining both genetic and environmental factors. Recently, the literature on the risk factors for MS has grown substantially. They indicate that a combination of a genetic predisposition, exposure to Epstein-Barr virus, cigarette smoking, and reduced sunlight exposure/vitamin D levels is involved. Authorized first-line treatments are considered equally effective, and include interferon beta and glatiramer acetate. They are primarily directed against inflammation, and might fail to adequately control disease activity in some patients. In that case, it has been recommended to switch these patients early to a therapy of higher efficacy. Currently, 13 different drugs with ten different active components are licensed in the European Union (EU) and the United States (US) for the treatment of MS.
Category
Immune system disease
Brite
Human diseases in ICD-11 classification [BR:br08403]
08 Diseases of the nervous system
Multiple sclerosis or other white matter disorders
8A40 Multiple sclerosis
H01490 Multiple sclerosis
Pathway-based classification of diseases [BR:br08402]
Signal transduction
nt06516 TNF signaling
H01490 Multiple sclerosis
Cellular process
nt06527 Necroptosis
H01490 Multiple sclerosis
Immune system
nt06537 TCR/BCR signaling
H01490 Multiple sclerosis
Oksenberg JR, Barcellos LF, Cree BA, Baranzini SE, Bugawan TL, Khan O, Lincoln RR, Swerdlin A, Mignot E, Lin L, Goodin D, Erlich HA, Schmidt S, Thomson G, Reich DE, Pericak-Vance MA, Haines JL, Hauser SL
Title
Mapping multiple sclerosis susceptibility to the HLA-DR locus in African Americans.
