Morganti G, Naccarato S, Elian M, Ferrari P, Kelly R, Karhausen L, Dean G
J Epidemiol Community Health. 1984 Mar;38(1):23-8. doi: 10.1136/jech.38.1.23.
Previous studies on the prevalence of multiple sclerosis in Italy have grossly underestimated the prevalence of the disease. The prevalence in the Republic of San Marino (near Rimini), in Sicily, and no doubt in the rest of Italy, is of the same order of magnitude as in Europe--that is, 40-60/100 000. The contrast of this with the very low prevalence in Malta (only 60 miles (96 km) away from Sicily) of 4/100 000 should provide a clue to the genetic and environmental factors responsible for multiple sclerosis.
此前关于意大利多发性硬化症患病率的研究严重低估了该病的患病率。圣马力诺共和国(靠近里米尼)、西西里岛以及意大利其他地区的患病率与欧洲处于同一数量级,即每10万人中有40 - 60例。这与距离西西里岛仅60英里(96公里)的马耳他极低的患病率(每10万人中仅4例)形成对比,这应该能为导致多发性硬化症的遗传和环境因素提供线索。