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Serious infections during adolescence can lead to an increased risk of getting MS later in life, according to a new study. “We are mainly talking about infections of the brain and spinal cord, but also infections of the respiratory tract,” explains Scott Montgomery, professor at the university of örebro.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological disease that attacks the central nervous system. The cause of MS is not fully recognized. Yet, hereditary genetic and personal traits and environmental exposure are believed to affect the risk of developing the disease.
In previous studies, Scott Montgomery, professor of clinical epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Örebro, found a link between concussions or pneumonia in adolescence and an increased risk of developing MS later in life. life.
The new study shows that infections of the brain and spinal cord during adolescence also increase the risk of developing MS by 180 percent.
An infection of the central nervous system seems to trigger an autoimmune response, attacking part of the body, which is also what happens in MS. “
Scott Montgomery, Professor of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of örebro
Adolescence – a sensitive period
Researchers have also found a link between severe respiratory infections in adolescence and MS. Adolescents hospitalized with a respiratory infection have a 51% increased risk of developing MS.
“It is important to stress that only a small minority of those who suffer from serious infections during adolescence can develop MS. But the study supports the theory that adolescence is a time of particular susceptibility to exposure related to the disease. risk of developing MS However, childhood infections – before the age of 11 – do not present an increased risk of developing the disease later in life, ”says Scott Montgomery.
The study is a collaboration between researchers from örebro University, Karolinska Institutet and University College London.
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