Journal
BMC MEDICINE
Volume 10, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
BMC
DOI: 10.1186/1741-7015-10-69
Keywords
-
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Funding
- FISM-Fondazione Italiana Sclerosi Multipla-Cod. [2010/B/5]
- Medical Research Council [G0801976]
- Wellcome Trust [090532/Z/09/Z]
- MS Society of Australia
- Bayer Schering Pharma
- Biogen Idec
- Merck Serono
- Novartis
- UCB
- Merz Pharmaceuticals, LLC
- Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd-sanofiaventis
- GW Pharma
- Ironwood
- MRC
- NHS Executive
- sanofiaventis
- Roche
- Multiple Sclerosis Society of the United Kingdom
- Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada Scientific Research Foundation
- Medical Research Council [G0801976, G0400546B, G0400546, G0801975] Funding Source: researchfish
- National Institute for Health Research [PHCS/C4/4/016] Funding Source: researchfish
- MRC [G0801975, G0400546, G0801976] Funding Source: UKRI
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Background: A season of birth effect in immune-mediated diseases (ID) such as multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes has been consistently reported. We aimed to investigate whether season of birth influences the risk of rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis and systemic lupus erythematosus in addition to multiple sclerosis, and to explore the correlation between the risk of ID and predicted ultraviolet B (UVB) light exposure and vitamin D status during gestation. Methods: The monthly distribution of births of patients with ID from the UK (n = 115,172) was compared to that of the general population using the Cosinor test. Predicted UVB radiation and vitamin D status in different time windows during pregnancy were calculated for each month of birth and correlated with risk of ID using the Spearman's correlation coefficient. Results: The distributions of ID births significantly differed from that of the general population (P = 5e(-12)) with a peak in April (odds ratio = 1.045, 95% confidence interval = 1.024, 1.067, P < 0.0001) and a trough in October (odds ratio = 0.945, 95% confidence interval = 0.925, 0.966, P < 0.0001). Stratification by disease subtype showed seasonality in all ID but Crohn's disease. The risk of ID was inversely correlated with predicted second trimester UVB exposure (Spearman's rho = -0.49, P = 0.00005) and third trimester vitamin D status (Spearman's rho = -0.44, P = 0.0003). Conclusions: The risk of different ID in the UK is significantly influenced by the season of birth, suggesting the presence of a shared seasonal risk factor or factors predisposing to ID. Gestational UVB and vitamin D exposure may be implicated in the aetiology of ID.
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