Highlights
- •UVB may alter multiple sclerosis (MS) risk and possibly modify the age at onset.
- •3226 adult-onset MS patients’ places of residence from birth were geocoded.
- •cumulative ambient UVB from ages 0–18 years was assessed using NASA satellite data.
- •no associations were found between this early life ambient UVB and age at MS onset.
Abstract
Background
Studies have indicated an association between low Ultraviolet B (UVB) exposure and
an increased risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS). Few studies, however, have
explored whether UVB exposure is associated with the age at MS symptom onset.
Objective
We investigated the potential association between cumulative early life ambient UVB
exposure and age at MS onset, using satellite data to measure ambient UVB exposure.
Methods
Adult onset MS patients were selected from the University of British Columbia's MS
genetic database (1980–2005). Patients’ places of residence from birth to age 18 years
were geocoded (latitude and longitude) and assigned UVB values using NASA's Total
Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) dataset. Linear regression was used to explore the
relationship between cumulative UVB exposure (measured for age periods 0–6, 7–12,
13–18, 0–12, and 0–18) and age at MS onset.
Results
3226 patients were included in the analysis. Of these, 74% were female, with an overall
mean symptom onset age of 33.3 years. At onset, a total of 2944 (91%) had a relapsing-remitting
disease course, 254 (8%) had primary progressive and the disease course for 28 (1%)
was unknown. No significant associations between cumulative early life ambient UVB
exposure and age at MS onset were observed. Patient sex, MS phenotype, and immigration
to Canada after age 18 were significantly associated with age of onset (p < 0.01).
Conclusions
Early life ambient UVB, as measured by satellite imagery, was not significantly associated
with the age at MS onset.
Keywords
To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
Purchase one-time access:
Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online accessOne-time access price info
- For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
- For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'
Subscribe:
Subscribe to Multiple Sclerosis and Related DisordersAlready a print subscriber? Claim online access
Already an online subscriber? Sign in
Register: Create an account
Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect
References
- Environmental risk factors for multiple sclerosis. Part II: noninfectious factors.Ann. Neurol. 2007; 61: 504-513
- Explaining multiple sclerosis prevalence by ultraviolet exposure: a geospatial analysis.Mult. Scler. 2009; 15: 891-898
- Age at immigration to England of Asian and Caribbean immigrants and the risk of developing multiple sclerosis.J. Neurol., Neurosurg. Psychiatry. 1997; 63: 565-568
- Editorial regarding 'explaining multiple sclerosis prevalence by ultraviolet exposure: a geospatial analysis,' by Beretich and Beretich.Mult. Scler. 2009; 15: 889-890
- Confounding underlies the apparent month of birth effect in multiple sclerosis.Ann. Neurol. 2013; 73: 714-720
- Role of Ultraviolet B Irradiance and Vitamin D in prevention of ovarian cancer.Am. J. Prev. Med. 2006; 31: 512-514
- The age-range of risk of developing multiple sclerosis: evidence from a migrant population in Australia.Brain. 2000; 123: 968-974
- Geographic variation of MS incidence in two prospective studies of US women.Neurology. 1999; 53: 1711-1718
- Childhood sun exposure influences risk of multiple sclerosis in monozygotic twins.Neurology. 2007; 69: 381-388
- Outdoor activities and diet in childhood and adolescence relate to MS risk above the Arctic Circle.J. Neurol. 2007; 254: 471-477
- The changing demographic pattern of multiple sclerosis epidemiology.Lancet Neurol. 2010; 9: 520-532
- Geography in multiple sclerosis.J. Neurol. 1977; 215: 1-26
- Geographic distribution of multiple sclerosis: an update with special reference to Europe and the Mediterranean region.Acta Neurol. Scand. 1980; 62: 65-80
- Association between age at onset of multiple sclerosis and vitamin D level-related factors.Neurology. 2016; 86: 88
- Recommended diagnostic criteria for multiple sclerosis: guidelines from the International Panel on the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis.Ann. Neurol. 2001; 50: 121-127
- Time of birth, residential solar radiation and age at onset of multiple sclerosis.Neuroepidemiology. 2010; 34: 238-244
- Sun exposure, vitamin D and age at disease onset in relapsing multiple sclerosis.Neuroepidemiology. 2011; 36: 39-45
- Latitudinal variation in the prevalence of multiple sclerosis in Ireland, an effect of genetic diversity.J. Neurol., Neurosurg. Psychiatry. 2004; 75: 572-576
- Factors associated with onset, relapses or progression in multiple sclerosis: a systematic review.NeuroToxicology. 2016;
- Does immunosuppressive ultraviolet radiation explain the latitude gradient for multiple sclerosis?.Epidemiology. 1997; 8: 642-645
- Vitamin D intake and incidence of multiple sclerosis.Neurology. 2004; 62: 60-65
- Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin d levels and risk of multiple sclerosis.JAMA. 2006; 296: 2832-2838
NASA, 2013. NASA - Space-Based Measurements of Ozone and Air Quality in the Ultraviolet and Visible. 〈http://disc.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/data-holdings/PIP/erythemal_uv_irradiance.shtml〉 2013.
- New diagnostic criteria for multiple sclerosis: guidelines for research protocols.Ann. Neurol. 1983; 13: 227-231
- A proposed methodology to estimate the cumulative life-time UVB exposure using geographic information systems: an application to multiple sclerosis.Mult. Scler. Relat. Disord. 2013; 2: 29-35
- Latitude is significantly associated with the prevalence of multiple sclerosis: a meta-analysis.J. Neurol., Neurosurg. Psychiatry. 2011; 82: 1132-1141
- The relation of ultraviolet radiation and multiple sclerosis in Newfoundland.Can. J. Neurol. Sci. 2008; 35: 69-74
- Low maternal exposure to ultraviolet radiation in pregnancy, month of birth, and risk of multiple sclerosis in offspring: longitudinal analysis.BMJ. 2010; : 340
- Higher latitude is significantly associated with an earlier age of disease onset in multiple sclerosis.J. Neurol., Neurosurg. Psychiatry. 2016; 87: 1343-1349
- New perspectives in the natural history of multiple sclerosis.Neurology. 2010; 74: 2004-2015
- Past exposure to sun, skin phenotype, and risk of multiple sclerosis: case-control study.BMJ. 2003; 327: 316
- Regional variations in the prevalence of multiple sclerosis in French farmers.J. Neurol., Neurosurg. Psychiatry. 2007; 78: 707-709
Article info
Publication history
Published online: February 05, 2018
Accepted:
February 5,
2018
Received in revised form:
February 1,
2018
Received:
October 10,
2017
Identification
Copyright
© 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
