[A control and case study of multiple sclerosis in the Alicante and Villajoyosa areas]. / Estudio de casos y controles sobre la esclerosis múltiple en las áreas de Alicante y Villajoyosa.

INTRODUCTION: Three studies have been carried out in the area of Alcoy (Spain) which show an association between contact with dogs and multiple sclerosis. We present a control and case study conducted in a different geographical area, the area of Alicante. AIMS. To examine environmental factors linked with multiple sclerosis in the health care district of Alicante, and to compare findings with those from the health care district of Alcoy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A study of cases and controls was conducted with 47 patients, each of which was paired with four controls according to gender, age and place of residence. All the cases fulfilled criteria of defined multiple sclerosis. The controls were obtained from the Emergency and Casualty Services at different hospitals in the area. Each of the environmental factors studied was stratified by genders. RESULTS: A total of 47 patients and 188 controls were analysed. A statistically significant association was found between the disease and smoking, a low educational level, a social level 2 on the classification developed by Koch Henriksen, having had measles before the age of 15 and contact with dogs. The fact of being the third, or later, child in a family and a family history of cephalea were more frequent among controls than among cases. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple sclerosis in the Alicante area is related with contact with dogs, smoking, a low educational level, a high social level and measles before the age of 15. Since an association between contact with dogs and multiple sclerosis has been shown repeatedly in other previous studies conducted in the town of Alcoy, we are now in a position to state that this factor is indeed linked with the appearance of multiple sclerosis.

[The epidemiology of multiples sclerosis in Alcoi. Analytical data]. / Epidemiología de la esclerosis múltiple en Alcoi. Datos analíticos.

INTRODUCTION: The epidemiology of multiple sclerosis (ME) in the Alcoi area has been studied by our groups for many years. When studying the factors linked to ME in this area initially we observed that migration, contact with dogs and the textile industry were associated with the disorder. A later study, in which the migration factor was controlled, still showed a significant association with contact with dogs and the textile industry. OBJECTIVE: To make an analytical study avoiding the possible confusing effect of contact with the textile industry, since this may be associated with other factors. We also compared the results of previous studies. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We made a case control study in which each case was paired with four controls for age, sex and having worked or not worked in the textile industry. The cases fulfilled the criteria for diagnosis of ME. The control patients came from the Emergency and Trauma Departments of Alcoi hospital. RESULTS. We analyzed 37 patients and 148 controls. Significant values were obtained for smoking, low social class, chickenpox and measles infections when aged under 15 years, pneumonia when aged over 15 years and contact with dogs, sheep and dissolvents. CONCLUSIONS: Contact with dogs was associated with multiple sclerosis in all the studies carried out in the Alcoi area to date. This is therefore a risk factor for the disorder in the Alcoi population.

Estudio de casos y controles sobre la esclerosis múltiple en las áreas de Alicante y Villajoyosa / A control and case study of multiple sclerosis in the Alicante and Villajoyosa areas

Introducción. Existen tres estudios realizados en el área de Alcoy que demuestran una asociación entre el contacto con perros y la esclerosis múltiple. Presentamos un estudio de casos y controles realizado en una zona geográfica distinta, el área de Alicante. Objetivo. Estudiar los factores ambientales asociados a la esclerosis múltiple en el área sanitaria de Alicante, y comparar los hallazgos en esta área con los del área sanitaria de Alcoy. Pacientes y métodos. Se realizó un estudio de casos y controles con 47 pacientes, y se apareó cada uno de ellos con cuatro controles según el sexo, la edad y el lugar de residencia. Todos los casos cumplían criterios de esclerosis múltiple definida. Obtuvimos los controles de los Servicios de Urgencias y Traumatología de varios hospitales del área. Cada uno de los factores ambientales estudiados se estratificó por sexos. Resultados. Se analizaron 47 pacientes y 188 controles. Se encontró asociación estadísticamente significativa de la enfermedad con el consumo de tabaco, el nivel de educación bajo, el nivel social 2 de la clasificación de Koch-Henriksen, haber padecido el sarampión antes de los 15 años y el contacto con perros. El hecho de ser el tercero o más de los hermanos y los antecedentes familiares de cefalea fueron más frecuentes entre los controles que entre los casos. Conclusiones. La esclerosis múltiple en el área de Alicante se relaciona con el contacto con perros, el consumo de tabaco, el nivel de educación bajo, el nivel social alto y el sarampión antes de los 15 años. Al haber demostrado previamente una asociación del contacto con perros y la enfermedad, de forma reiterada, en otros estudios realizados sobre la población de Alcoy, afirmamos que dicho factor se relaciona con la aparición de esclerosis múltiple (AU)