Key result
Multiple sclerosis had a prevalence of 69 per 100,000 in Wellington, New Zealand, and was rare in Maoris, with genetic susceptibility potentially related to HLA A3, B7, and DR2 antigens.
Cross-Sectional (n=237)
The rarity of multiple sclerosis in the Maori population may be related to a lower frequency of susceptibility HLA antigens (A3, B7, DR2) compared to Europeans.
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May guide ethnic MS risk assessment in New Zealand; leaves open HLA A3/B7/DR2 validation in prospective cohorts.
A recent survey revealed 237 cases of multiple sclerosis in Wellington, New Zealand, giving an overall prevalence of 69 cases per 100,000. Two hundred and thirty-five were European with one Asian and only one Maori, confirming the rarity of the disease in Maoris. HLA A3, B7 and DR2 antigens were more frequent in multiple sclerosis patients compared with European controls. The same antigens were much less common in the Maori population. The results suggest that Maoris have a low susceptibility to multiple sclerosis despite living in a high risk area, and that genetic susceptibility may be related to the HLA system.
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Miller et al. (1986) conducted a cross-sectional in Multiple sclerosis (n=237). Maori ethnicity and HLA A3, B7, and DR2 antigens vs. European ethnicity and controls was evaluated on Multiple sclerosis prevalence and HLA antigen frequency. Multiple sclerosis had a prevalence of 69 per 100,000 in Wellington, New Zealand, and was rare in Maoris, with genetic susceptibility potentially related to HLA A3, B7, and DR2 antigens.
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