Early Detection

My grandmother and my mother both have MS. What are the odds that this is going to be something that I will be diagnosed with? Is there any early testing for the gene such as with Alzheimers or Huntingtons?

[supermum_ms]

Hi Stephie,

From memory there is only a slightly higher % than someone with no family with MS, its something like 5 or 15%, sorry the exact number is not coming to me but its one of those. There is a thought that MS has a genetic connection but that is not confirmed, so there is no gene tests for MS. At this stage the cause of MS is still unknown, the research is mamoth but no one so far can pin it down.

Anyway welcome to our little corner of the web, great place to land! I can understand your worry but try not to let your self focus on something that may never happen, the odds are quite low in the overal scheme of things.

Cheers...........JJ

PS. you might like to read our health pages, top right of your screen, yellow icon.

[Sumanadevii]

There is a one in fifty chance of you having MS when a first degree relative (your mother) has it.  There is a one in eight hundred chance in the general population.  Different websites give different numbers but these are close enough.

[supermum_ms]

Sumanadevii, i have no clue where you got the one in fifty number but that number is so different to any of the research. See below.......

"The genetic factor
MS  is not a hereditary disease, in the sense that parents ‘pass on’ the illness through their genes. However, there may be a hereditary ‘receptivity’ to MS, with the disease often occurring in members of the same family. Evidence suggests that this occurs more frequently than can be put down to mere coincidence1.

Although this indicates a genetic linkage, it is worth remembering that most family members share a similar environment and lifestyle, and this may also contribute to the causes of the disease. That said, the risk of children and brothers and sisters of someone with MS developing the disease is still very low, with a 96 – 98% probability that a direct relation will not be affected by MS.

Many people with MS are naturally concerned about the chances of the disease being experienced by other family members and children. Unfortunately genetic counselling and genetic screening are difficult to provide due to the lack of definitive knowledge regarding the genetic control of the disease. However, if you have MS, it is important to be aware that the risk for first-degree relatives of people with MS is greater than the risk to second-degree relatives. The risk of family members of an MS sufferer developing has been studied and is reportedly2:

4.4% for a sister;
3.2% for a brother;
2.1% for a parent; and
1.8% for a child – if both parents have MS this risk increases to approximately 20%.  

MS and studies of twins
A number of studies examining the incidence of MS among twins add further evidence for the lack of a direct genetic link in MS. If genes were solely responsible for the development of the disease, then the presence of MS in one monozygotic (identical) twin would produce a 100% risk for development in the other twin. However, a study performed in Canada has revealed that the risk among monozygotic twins is approximately 30%3. Additionally, dizygotic (non-identical) twins, the risk of occurrence in the second twin is approximately the same as for non-twin siblings, being 4.7%.

Recent studies
In 2005, researchers at the Serono Genetics Institute (SGI) achieved a major milestone in identifying and creating a register of genes involved in Multiple Sclerosis (MS). For the first time in this disease area, researchers identified 80 genes involved in the inflammatory and neuro-degenerative pathways of MS, based on a 40% genome scan comparing the genetic profile of a total of 1,800 people with MS and healthy individuals in different populations. Knowledge of genetics in MS may provide a basis for designing safer and more effective drugs, enabling physicians in the future, to address unmet needs and potentially better match treatments to the individual patient.



References

1. Ebers and Sadovnick, 1994; The role of genetic factors in Multiple Sclerosis susceptibility. J Neuroimmunol 1994; 54: 1―17., Robertson et al., 1996, Age-adjusted recurrence risks for relatives of patients with Multiple Sclerosis. Brain 1996; 119: 449―55.

2. Robertson et al., 1996, Age-adjusted recurrence risks for relatives of patients with Multiple Sclerosis. Brain 1996; 119: 449―55.

3. Sadovnick et al. 1993, The geographic distribution of Multiple Sclerosis: a review. Neuroepidemiology 1993; 12: 1–5."

I'll have to get back to you with which organisation i've got that from, but can you see the odds are still only in single didgets and no where near a 50 50 chance. I seriously hope no one has pannicked from seeing that high a stat.

JJ

[Sumanadevii]

Well, I don't have time to search but I got those numbers from this site.  Here is where Quix says l in 50 ...

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Multiple-Sclerosis/Genetics/show/1105806

[supermum_ms]

I think you might be reading it out of contex, her full reply was.....

"You know that having MS as a parent statistically only gives your children a 1 in 50 chance.  Therefore, 98% of people with MS will not see it in their children.

Quix"

We have 2 genetic pools, father/mother which is the 1 in 50 chance, you get the point, you could take after one or the other so its 50/50.

It's the 98% of people with MS will NOT see it in their children so therefore giving 2% of parents that will, that 2% Quix noted corrolates to the research on the genetic factors I listed above.

I honestly hope someone reading this thread doesn't get scared off and asks clarrifying questions, and others put in what they know to be right too.

Cheers.........JJ

[Sumanadevii]

I doubt anyone is going to get scared reading facts.  

This is from the MS Society website

"While the average person in the United States has about 1 chance in 750 of developing MS, the risk for a person who has a parent with MS increases to about 1 in 40. Thus, the risk increases significantly for a person whose parent has MS, but still remains relatively low."

Note it states "A" parent not parents with the chances of one in forty.

http://www.nationalmssociety.org/news/news-detail/index.aspx?nid=90

[StephieTX]

Well thanks guys for even trying. I appreciate the time you all took. You are right Sumanadevii, I am not frightened by reading facts. The truth is my mom is kind of the most medically cursed person, having Type 1 diabetes, CHF, COPD, MS, Thyroid Cancer, RA, and GERD, that I am just glad I have made it thus far being healthy.