by Veronica Hackethal, MD
Aug 13, 2018
“How this cocktail of MS genes, organic solvents and smoking contributes so significantly to MS risk warrants investigation,” Gabriele C. DeLuca, MD, DPhil, and Jack Bell, BM, BCh, both of John Radcliffe Hospital (Oxford, UK), wrote in an accompanying editorial.[3] “In the meantime, avoiding cigarette smoke and unnecessary exposure to organic solvents, particularly in combination with each other, would seem reasonable lifestyle changes people can take to reduce the risk of MS, especially in people with a family history of the disease.” The authors mentioned several potential limitations, including self-reported exposure. Some participants may not have correctly remembered their exposures, which could have biased results.
References
1. Hedström AK, Hössjer O, Katsoulis M, et al. Organic solvents and MS susceptibility: Interaction with MS risk HLA genes. Neurology. 2018;91:e455-e462.
2. Barragán-Martínez C, Speck-Hernández CA, Montoya-Ortiz G, et al. Organic solvents as risk factor for autoimmune diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2012;7):e51506. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0051506.
3. Bell JS, DeLuca GC. Genes, smoking, and organic solvent exposure: An alarming cocktail for MS risk. Neurology. 2018;91:199-200.