Wednesday, July 15, 2009
To all,
I have a question that I cannot find the answer to. Both my parents have been diagnosed with MS within the last ten years. I know mt chances are the same as anyone else to get it but what about my kids?
- Resources
Both Parents have MS
7/18/09 11:30am
Hi,
The question of increased risk in siblings, children, or grandchildren of those who have MS is one which comes up regularly. The following is part of an answer I gave to someone who was concerned about a grandchild's risk......
The direct cause of MS is unknown and there are many theories involving viral exposure, environmental factors, and hereditary markers.
Just two years ago, the NMSS stated that the average person in the US has a 1 in 750 chance of developing MS. If the same person has a parent with MS, the risk increases to about 1 in 40. It was not stated what the risk was for a person with a grandparent with MS.
I remember reading that about 5% of people with MS have a brother or sister who is affected and about 15% have a close relative who is affected. So it does seem that heredity plays a role, but it also means that 85% of people with MS have no close relatives who are similarly affected.
There is important research ongoing which seeks to identify genes and genetic markers which help to regulate the immune system. Just one year ago, researchers part of the International Multiple Sclerosis Genetics Consortium announced that they had uncovered new genetic variations associated with MS.
However, even the lead researcher pointed out that "in MS, each gene contributes only a small amount of risk. The big question is, how do they interact with each other, and are they in common pathways?"
I find this research very interesting for a similar reason for your question. I have one first-degree relative with an autoimmune disease (not MS) and she has three siblings who have developed other autoimmune diseases. I also have Rheumatoid Arthritis and am told that two of my great-grandmothers had RA.
Personally, I do believe there must be a genetic factor which contributes to the susceptibility of developing an autoimmune disease. But as heredity is not the only factor, it is hard to predict with accuracy what anyone's risk is.
I do wish you the best. I hope this helps.
Lisa
By hailestrm86— Last Modified: 10/26/11, First Published: 07/15/09
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I'm not an expert, but I found an answer to a similar question and shared it recently. I found a study that claims that there is about a 1 in 100 chance that a child of someone with MS will develop the disease. There's about a 1 in 750 chance that someone with no known relatives with MS will develop the disease. I couldn't find any figures for grandchildren of those with MS, or what the odds might be with two parents/grandparents having the disease.
There seem to be gender, ethnic, and geographic factors that play a role in all this too. Women display symptoms of MS much more than men, people of Northern European ancestry are more prone to it, and the further people live from the equator the more likely they are to have it. In North America MS is more prevalent in Canada and the states of North Dakota, Montana, and Minnesota.
No one really knows what causes MS, and these statistics may just be coincidences, so I would say try not too worry about it too much. It might be interesting to take a poll on this site to see if there's any kind of pattern as far as heredity, race/ethnicity, gender, or geography within our group.