Systemic inflammation and risk of multiple sclerosis - A presymptomatic case-control study

Viktor Grut; Martin Biström; Jonatan Salzer; Pernilla Stridh; Anna Lindam; Lucia Alonso-Magdalena; Oluf Andersen; Daniel Jons; Martin Gunnarsson; Magnus Vrethem; Johan Hultdin; Peter Sundström

doi:10.1177/20552173221139768

Systemic inflammation and risk of multiple sclerosis - A presymptomatic case-control study

Mult Scler J Exp Transl Clin. 2022 Nov 22;8(4):20552173221139768. doi: 10.1177/20552173221139768. eCollection 2022 Oct-Dec.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Clinical Science, Neurosciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
² Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
³ Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
⁴ Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Unit of Research, Education and Development Östersund Hospital, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
⁵ Department of Neurology, Skåne University Hospital and Department of Clinical Sciences, Neurology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
⁶ Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
⁷ Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden.
⁸ Department of Neurology and Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences (BKV), Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
⁹ Department of Medical Biosciences, Clinical Chemistry, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.

Abstract

Background: C-reactive protein (CRP) is a marker of systemic inflammation. Increased levels of CRP in young persons have been suggested to decrease the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS).

Objectives: To assess CRP as a risk factor for MS.

Methods: Levels of CRP were measured with a high-sensitive immunoassay in biobank samples from 837 individuals who later developed MS and 984 matched controls. The risk of developing MS was analysed by conditional logistic regression on z-scored CRP values.

Results: Levels of CRP were not associated with MS risk.

Conclusions: We found no association between CRP levels and risk of MS development.

Keywords: C-reactive protein; Case-control studies; multiple sclerosis; systemic inflammation.