Mult Scler Relat Disord. 2024 Feb 10:84:105493. doi: 10.1016/j.msard.2024.105493.Online ahead of print.

Amnon Sonnenberg ¹

Author information

¹Section of Gastroenterology, Portland VA Medical Center, P3-GI, Portland, OR 97239, United States; Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States. Electronic address: sonnenbe@ohsu.edu.

Abstract

Background: Previous epidemiologic studies have suggested a linkage between the occurrence of multiple sclerosis (MS), Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), Crohn's disease (CD), and ulcerative colitis (UC). It was hypothesized that the 4 diagnoses would be characterized by similar geographic distributions within the United States.

Aims: To compare the US geographic distributions of these 4 diagnoses in a cross-sectional study.

Methods: Using the US vital statistics, state-specific death rates and age-specific proportional mortality ratios (PMR) were calculated for each diagnosis. Similarities in the geographic distributions of the 4 diagnoses were tested by linear and Poisson regression analyses. The PMR values from different states were correlated among pairs of consecutive age-groups.

Results: The 6 linear correlation coefficients (r) among the geographic distributions of the 4 diseases were as follows: HL vs. MS (r = 0.28), HL vs. CD (r = 0.74), HL vs. UC (r = 0.64); MS vs. CD (r = 0.18), MS vs. UC (r = 0.66); CD vs. UC (r = 0.58). Using Poisson regression, the geographic distributions of MS, HL, CD, and UC were all found to be significantly correlated with each other. In MS, significant correlations between the PMR values of each two consecutive age-groups started with the age-group 25-44 years. In HL, such significant correlations started at age 10-14, in CD at age 20-24, and in UC at age 20-24 years.

Conclusions: Within the United States, mortality from MS, HL, CD, and UC are characterized by similar geographic distributions. The environmental influences responsible for these resembling geographic distributions start exerting their influence during early lifetime.