Family Members With MS

[Deb61]

How many of you (limbo or diagnosed) have close family members (sibling, parent, aunt, uncle, or grandparent) with MS?  My neuro told me when I was diagnosed it was just about as common as being struck by lightning.

Diagnosed 2008
Sister diagnosed 2006

[essdipity]

Although the poll response thus far is interesting, we really can draw no conclusions from it. Those who have family with MS are much more likely to read the thread and vote than others would be.

ess

[Lulu54]

I'm late to this one - my mother's sister lived with MS for about 50 years.  I have 4 sisters, we grew up in the same household, same diet, same environment, and I  am the only one dx'd with this MySterious disease.  

One another branch of the family (grandmother's cousin) there is at least one confirmed MS patient for 3 generations so far.  

If the odds are as great as your neuro purported, I think I should buy some lottery tickets.... maybe my "luck" will continue.  LOL

-Lulu  

[Quixotic1]

I got to say - sontent-driven advertising, like they have here, is often funny.  Right after I wrote my post for this topic, I there was an "Ancestry.com" ad.  Another time some doctor was refered to as a jerk.  Immediately there appeared an ad for a recipe site with a recipe for Jerk Chicken.

q

[Quixotic1]

Genetics play a definite, but not total role in MS.  However, there are known families where the genetic link is VERY high and they study the beejeebers out of them.  They have identified at least 15 genes that seem to be involved and it may be that which of combination of these genes are inherited may play a role in who gets it.

As for identical twins raised identically, the odds rise to 1 in 3 or 1 in 4 (I think).  If it were a pure genetic problem the ration would be 1 in 1.  Also, we must explain the majority of pwms (people with ms) who do not have a close relative.

Also, within families with more than one with MS, the type, the aggressiveness and the eventual age at disability do not follow, so all of that is determined by something else.

Of interest are the groups who have NEVER been observed to develop MS, like Hungarian gypsies and a couple tribes of (??) Inuit Eskimos.  Do they have a genetic protection?  MS is uncommon, tho not impossible in those of African descent and in Native Americans.  Latinos are affected less, even when they live in the higher lattitudes.

It's a pretty puzzle and the number of studies involving genetic studies is HUGE!

Quix

[Deb61]

I sometimes wonder if genetics play more of a role in the development of MS.  I would love to see a more comprehensive study including as many people in the nation as possible with MS participating.  

My hunch is that genetics do play more of a role.  I suspect that of the people with no family members with MS that there is a great number of this population that has a family history of autoimmune disease.  In the past, these disease weren't diagnosed because of the technology of the time.

The environment of people with a gentic link of autoimmune disease or MS could also play a major factor, of course.  Two sisters living in the same place have the environment in common as well.  They typically share the same diet, the same amount of sunshine, the same exposure to chemicals/smoke, share the same childhood diseases, etc.  Perhaps the environment triggers the immune response.  Maybe it's even more of a problem when you're genetically predisposed.

If it's found that there is more of a genetic piece to the puzzle, this will give researchers more of a focal point in coming up with the cause, then the effective treatment, and possibly even a cure (which is a pretty far-fetched idea, I know).

I hope and pray that researchers and doctors continue to work as hard as the possibly can to find a cure.  I know I sound like an ad, but seeing my sister suffer with this amount of pain and being unable to walk has me going.

Thanks to people like J.K. Rowling who gave 15.4 million dollars to MS research!   We need more people like her.  That's a huge chunk of change--even for someone that is a millionaire!  

[Ndobbins]

I had a cousin & she passed on last year.