Blood marker predicts multiple sclerosis risk – 2024-05-06 01:50:33

A blood marker could help doctors diagnose patients at risk of developing multiple sclerosis, according to a study published in the journal Nature.

In one in ten cases of the disease, the body starts producing antibodies years before the symptoms of multiple sclerosis appear. These antibodies are 100% predictive of the diagnosis. Any patient who shows their presence in his blood will get sick. According to scientists, one day this marker could become the basis for blood screening.

In recent decades, there have been advances in early treatment and increasingly aggressive medications and new therapies, said lead study author Dr. Michael Wilson, a neuroscientist at the University of California, San Francisco. Earlier intervention enables better lives for patients, he added.

Autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis are thought to result from a rare immune response to common infections. In multiple sclerosis patients, the immune system attacks the central nervous system, destroying myelin.

For the current study, scientists worked with data from 250 sick patients. The blood samples whose results were used were taken both before and after diagnosis. The data were compared with samples from healthy people. All study participants were US military personnel. The blood tests were part of the required tests to join the US military.

The researchers expected a “surge” in antibodies around the time patients began to show symptoms of the disease. In fact, 10% of those subsequently diagnosed had high levels of antibodies in their blood even before they developed symptoms.

Imagine being able to diagnose the disease before patients ever see a doctor, said neurologist Steven Hauser. This would increase the chances of developing medicine in this direction – from suppression to treatment.

Read our forum rules.

You must be logged in to comment. If you don’t have an account, you can register.