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Family characteristics and multiple sclerosis

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There is some evidence that multiple sclerosis (MS) may be a genetic disorder.

  • MS tends to run in families. About 15 out of 100 people who have MS have a relative with MS, most often a brother or a sister.1
  • Certain genetic characteristics associated with the immune system appear more frequently in people who have MS. These features may indicate that there are one or more genes that may increase the chance of developing MS.

References

Citations

  1. Ropper AH, Brown RH (2005). Multiple sclerosis and allied demyelinative diseases. In Adams and Victor's Principles of Neurology, 8th ed., pp. 771–796. New York: McGraw-Hill.

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Last Updated: February 28, 2008
Author:
Monica Rhodes
Medical Review:
Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine

Colin Chalk, MD, CM, FRCPC - Neurology


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