ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Co-occurrence of multiple sclerosis (MS) and neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is rare. CASE REPORTS: In this study, we describe the clinical and neuroimaging features of seven patients with NF1 and MS. In our patients, six patients with MS were women, in all of them history of NF1 existed. Three of our patients had primary progressive, one had secondary progressive MS, and three relapsing-remitting MS. Optic neuritis as presenting symptoms was seen in three patients, and motor manifestation as presenting symptom was observed in three patients. The risk of having both NF1 and MS seemed to be higher than would be expected based on the prevalence rates of the two diseases in the general population. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study suggest a possible casual relationship between MS and NF1, indicating higher risk of MS among patients with NF1.
Subject(s)
Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Progressive/epidemiology , Neurofibromatosis 1/epidemiology , Adolescent , Adult , Brain/pathology , Female , Humans , Iran/epidemiology , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Male , Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Progressive/immunology , Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Progressive/pathology , Neurofibromatosis 1/immunology , Neurofibromatosis 1/pathology , Prevalence , Risk Factors , Young AdultABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Vitamin D deficiency is one of the major health problems and unexpectedly has a high prevalence in sunny countries (e.g. Middle East). In this study we determined the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women and their newborns in Isfahan, a sunny city in Iran. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study, 88 newborns born in Beheshty hospital, affiliated to Isfahan University of Medical Sciences (August-September, 2005) and their mothers were studied. Their data were collected by questionnaires and blood sampling was done to measure serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP), calcium, phosphorus, 25 (OH) vitamin D and parathormone (PTH). Vitamin D deficiency defined as levels of 25 (OH) D < 20 and < 12.5 ng/ml for mothers and newborns, respectively and local cut-offs defined as levels in which mean serum PTH started to increase. RESULTS: The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency according to 25 (OH) D < 20 ng/ml in mothers and < 12.5 ng/ml in newborns was 5.7% and 4.5%, respectively. According to local cut-offs (35 ng/ml for mothers and 26 ng/ml for newborns) 26.1% of mothers and 53.4% of newborns were vitamin D deficient. CONCLUSION: According to local definition, vitamin D deficiency is a health problem in pregnant women and their newborns in this sunny city.
