Immune cells, believed to drive autoimmunity, are selectively increased in the gut of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), along with lower numbers of cells controlling inflammation, suggesting that immune processes in the gut impact MS disease mechanisms.
The study, “The role of gut immunity in multiple sclerosis patients,” was presented at the Young Scientific Investigators’ Session 2 of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) 2016 Congress Sept. 14-17 in London.
Today, few researchers doubt that gut immune processes impact immune mechanisms in the rest of the body, and may contribute to autoimmunity. A common theory is that environmental factors, such as diet and microbes, increase the risk of developing an autoimmune disease in people who carry a genetic risk by changing intestinal immunity.
Many studies have been performed in animal models of MS concerning the role of gut microbiota, but the research team from San Raffaele Hospital in Italy chose to investigate patients directly.
The team recruited 23 relapsing-remitting MS patients and 16 control individuals who underwent an endoscopy for diagnostic purposes. The team analyzed the immune cells found in the gut mucosa and in the blood of these individuals. None of the MS patients had been treated with corticosteroids in the previous six months, and antibiotics in the previous four weeks, as these treatments are known to impact the gut microbiota... [Read More]
Multiple Sclerosis is an increasingly prevalent disease in the U.S. today, with at least 300,000 diagnosed with one of its four forms. It is estimated that the patient population could be as large as 400,000 in the U.S., due to the fact that diagnoses of the disease are not well-documented by the CD ando other public health monitors. Multiple Sclerosis News Today is the only online digital publication that seeks to cover the entirely of multiple sclerosis-related science and research news in a 24-hour news cycle format for MS patients and their families. Our team of editorial staff is composed of scientists, researchers, nurses, and journalists — all of whom are committed to sourcing the latest MS news and presenting it in such a way that patients can stay informed about the newest scientific breakthroughs, therapies, and treatment options for living with the disease.
No other science or research-related publication on the web is producing news on a daily basis for multiple sclerosis patients. Multiple Sclerosis News Today seeks to fill an unmet need in healthcare news journalism by providing patients and their families with a reliable news journal on MS that they can engage with on a daily basis for the latest news and MS resources.
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