WASHINGTON, Jan. 17 (UPI) -- Oddly enough, being infested with parasites might lessen the symptoms of multiple sclerosis, researchers reported in January's Annals of Neurology. Scientists at the Raul Carrea Institute for Neurological Research in Buenos Aires found support for the theory that the autoimmune response from a parasitic infection can weaken the inflammatory reaction that sparks MS symptoms.
The researchers studied 12 patients with MS who had parasitic infections, 12 patients with MS who were not infected and 12 healthy individuals. The patients underwent a neurological exam every three months and a brain MRI every six months; immunologic evaluations were done between the last 12 to 18 months of the study, which lasted nearly five years.
During the study there were only three MS relapses in the infected group, compared to 56 relapses in the uninfected group.
It's possible parasites may spur growth of regulatory T-cell numbers or activity by generating or activating new cells, the authors wrote.
Since intestinal parasites inhabit their hosts for long periods of time, in order to enhance their survival they may develop molecules that prevent inflammation. The authors note more research is needed to find out which molecules dampen these inflammatory reactions.
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Scientists announced a new set of screening guidelines that may decrease the risk of stroke for high-risk patients, according to a study in January's Journal of Neuroimaging. Dr. Adnan I. Qureshi, lead author of the study and a professor at the University of Minnesota, together with a committee of neurologists and surgeons, have created methods to more quickly identify carotid stenosis, the thickening of the blood vessel that supplies blood to the brain. Carotid stenosis is the leading cause of stroke. About 2 million people in North America and Europe could benefit from such screening procedures. The guidelines are best for high-risk patients, such as those undergoing open-heart surgery or those with peripheral vascular diseases.
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Researchers report in the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry that previously married mothers have higher rates of mental illness than currently married mothers. The researchers studied single and married mothers for a year to better understand the relationship between family structure and psychiatric outcomes. The study was inspired partly by the explosion of single-family households in Canada over the past half-century. A link between a higher risk for psychiatric disorders and single mothers is already well-established, but these results go a step further by implying that divorced or separated women with children are at a greater risk for psychiatric and substance-abuse disorders, said Dr. John Cairney, a research scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto.
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A high proportion of kids undergoing surgery are overweight or obese, which in turn can create more complications during their procedures, according to a study in the January issue of the Journal of the National Medical Association. Researchers at the University of Michigan studied 6,017 pediatric surgeries at the university's hospital between 2000 and 2004 and found 31.5 percent of the patients were overweight or obese. Overweight or obese children also may require more surgery than non-obese youth, including tonsil removals, procedures to assist with breathing problems such as sleep apnea and orthopedic surgeries to fix broken bones. Michigan ranks among the highest states in terms of obesity.
