Introduction: The aim of the study was to investigate whether there is
any effect of smoking status or passive exposure on different subtypes of
multiple sclerosis (MS) and their association with the IL17 & IL23 levels.
Methods: Blood samples were obtained from patients diagnosed with
clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), relapsing remitting MS (RRMS),
primary progressive MS (PPMS), secondary progressive MS (SPMS) and
healthy controls. Smoking habits and passive exposure were questioned
via a specifically created questionnaire. Patients and controls were
grouped into three subgroups according to smoking status as active
smokers, former smokers and never smokers.
Results: There were 60 patients and 20 age and sex-matched healthy
controls. Active smoking was associated with a higher relapse rate
per year. Smoking was inversely proportional to IL23 levels. Passive
smoking was associated with atrophy in the follow-up cranial MRI. In
utero exposure was associated with a polysymptomatic disease onset.
The onset symptoms differed between patients whose mothers smoked
during their childhood.
Conclusıon: This study shows the effects of smoking and passive smoking
on the presenting symptoms and course of MS. The relationship between
these adverse effects and the Th17 pathway is not clear. It is evident that
MS patients should be advised against smoking and should be directed
to programs for quitting smoking.
Keywords: Childhood exposure, disease onset, IL17, IL23, maternal
smoking, multiple sclerosis, onset symptoms, passive smoking