Department of Neurosciences, University of Padua, via Giustiniani 5, 35128, Padua, Italy.
Multiple Sclerosis Centre, University Hospital of Padua, via Giustiniani 5, 35128, Padua, Italy.
J Neurol. 2022 Apr;269(4):1817-1824. doi: 10.1007/s00415-021-10782-5. Epub 2021 Sep 27.
Italy is definitely a high-risk country for multiple sclerosis (MS). Over the last 50 years, several epidemiological studies, including longitudinal surveys, have disclosed that MS incidence and prevalence in Italy mainland and Islands (Sardinia and Sicily) have progressively increased, picturing a semi-parabolic curve. Based on the comprehensive scrutiny of 58 papers, we conclude that the latitude risk gradient does not fit to the Italian map of MS. The genetic heterogeneity of the Italian ethnicities, that likely forms the basis of MS predisposition, does not account for the dramatic increase of MS incidence and prevalence observed in Italy over the last half century that, rather, seems better explained by the effect of environmental factors.
意大利绝对是多发性硬化症（MS）的高风险国家。在过去的 50 年中，包括纵向调查在内的几项流行病学研究表明，意大利大陆和岛屿（撒丁岛和西西里岛）的 MS 发病率和患病率呈逐渐上升趋势，呈现出半抛物线曲线。通过对 58 篇论文的综合审查，我们得出结论，纬度风险梯度与意大利多发性硬化症的分布情况并不吻合。意大利种族的遗传异质性可能是多发性硬化症易感性的基础，但无法解释过去半个世纪意大利多发性硬化症发病率和患病率的急剧上升，而这种上升现象更可能是由环境因素的影响所致。
