Top

Published in:

01-09-2015 | Review Article

Association between alcohol consumption and multiple sclerosis: a meta-analysis of observational studies

Authors: Tiantian Zhu, Xiaofei Ye, Tianyi Zhang, Zhiyong Lin, Wentao Shi, Xin Wei, Yuzhou Liu, Jia He

Published in: Neurological Sciences | Issue 9/2015

Abstract

To investigate the association between alcohol consumption and multiple sclerosis risk, we performed a systematic literature search of PubMed, EmBase and Web of Science databases for all relevant articles regarding alcohol and multiple sclerosis. Our meta-analysis consisted of 10 studies, including nine case–controls and one cohort study. The odds ratios (OR) of the association between alcohol consumption and multiple sclerosis were 0.92 [95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.73–1.17] overall, 0.91 (95 % CI 0.39–2.41) for prospective study, and 0.92 (95 % CI 0.72–1.19) for retrospective studies. In addition, neither subgroup analyses nor sensitivity analyses showed a substantially change in the pooled OR and 95 % CI. Meta-analysis showed that there is no evidence that alcohol consumption is associated with an increased risk of multiple sclerosis. There may be a potential protective effect of alcohol consumption on MS incidence, however, this trend may not be obvious and should be validated by further research.

Koch MW, Metz LM, Agrawal SM, Yong VW (2013) Environmental factors and their regulation of immunity in multiple sclerosis. J Neurol Sci 324(1–2):10–16CrossRefPubMed

Hauser SL, Oksenberg JR (2006) The neurobiology of multiple sclerosis: genes, inflammation, and neurodegeneration. Neuron 52(1):61–76CrossRefPubMed

Buljevac D, van Doornum GJ, Flach HZ, Groen J, Osterhaus AD, Hop W, van Doorn PA, van der Meche FG, Hintzen RQ (2005) Epstein-Barr virus and disease activity in multiple sclerosis. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 76(10):1377–1381PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed

Handel AE, Williamson AJ, Disanto G, Handunnetthi L, Giovannoni G, Ramagopalan SV (2010) An updated meta-analysis of risk of multiple sclerosis following infectious mononucleosis. PloS One. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0012496

Farrell RA, Antony D, Wall GR, Clark DA, Fisniku L, Swanton J, Khaleeli Z, Schmierer K, Miller DH, Giovannoni G (2009) Humoral immune response to EBV in multiple sclerosis is associated with disease activity on MRI. Neurology 73(1):32–38PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed

Thacker EL, Mirzaei F, Ascherio A (2006) Infectious mononucleosis and risk for multiple sclerosis: a meta-analysis. Ann Neurol 59(3):499–503CrossRefPubMed

Harandi AA, Harandi AA, Pakdaman H, Sahraian MA (2014) Vitamin D and multiple sclerosis. Iran J Neurol 13(1):1–6PubMedCentralPubMed

Ramagopalan SV, Dobson R, Meier UC, Giovannoni G (2010) Multiple sclerosis: risk factors, prodromes, and potential causal pathways. Lancet Neurol 9(7):727–739CrossRefPubMed

Handel AE, Williamson AJ, Disanto G, Dobson R, Giovannoni G, Ramagopalan SV (2011) Smoking and multiple sclerosis: an updated meta-analysis. PLoS ONE 6(1):e16149PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed

10.

Hedstrom AK, Baarnhielm M, Olsson T, Alfredsson L (2009) Tobacco smoking, but not Swedish snuff use, increases the risk of multiple sclerosis. Neurology 73(9):696–701CrossRefPubMed

11.

Romeo J, Warnberg J, Nova E, Diaz LE, Gomez-Martinez S, Marcos A (2007) Moderate alcohol consumption and the immune system: a review. Br J Nutr 98(Suppl 1):S111–S115PubMed

12.

Massa J, O’Reilly EJ, Munger KL, Ascherio A (2013) Caffeine and alcohol intakes have no association with risk of multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis 19(1):53–58PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed

13.

Nortvedt MW, Riise T, Maeland JG (2005) Multiple sclerosis and lifestyle factors: the Hordaland Health Study. Neurol Sci Off J Italian Neurol Soc Italian Soc Clin Neurophysiol 26(5):334–339

14.

Hawkes CH (2005) Are multiple sclerosis patients risk-takers? QJM Month J Assoc Phys 98(12):895–911

15.

Ghadirian P, Jain M, Ducic S, Shatenstein B, Morisset R (1998) Nutritional factors in the aetiology of multiple sclerosis: a case-control study in Montreal. Canada Int J Epidemiol 27(5):845–852CrossRefPubMed

16.

Hawkes CH, Boniface D (2013) Risk-associated behaviour in multiple sclerosis: a case control study. J Neurol 260:S178–S179

17.

Brosseau L, Philippe P, Methot G, Duquette P, Haraoui B (1993) Drug abuse as a risk factor of multiple sclerosis: case-control analysis and a study of heterogeneity. Neuroepidemiology 12(1):6–14CrossRefPubMed

18.

Hedstrom AK, Hillert J, Olsson T, Alfredsson L (2014) Alcohol as a modifiable lifestyle factor affecting multiple sclerosis risk. JAMA Neurol 71(3):300–305CrossRefPubMed

19.

Ivashynka A, Leone M, Lucenti A, Naldi P, Raymkulova O, Ruggerone S (2012) Are smoking and alcohol use related to multiple sclerosis severity? A case–control study. Neuroepidemiology 39(3–4):245

20.

Wells GA, Shea B, O’Connell D, et al (2001) The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) for assessing the quality of nonrandomized studies in meta-analyses. Department of Epidemiology and Community Medicine, University of Ottawa, Canada[J]. Available at: http://www.ohri.ca/programs/clinical_epidemiology/oxford.htm. Accessed 16 Dec 2009

21.

Higgins JPT, Green S (2011) Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions Version 5.1.0. The Cochrane Collaboration. Available at: www.cochrane-handbook.org. Accessed Mar 2011

22.

Paras ML, Murad MH, Chen LP, Goranson EN, Sattler AL, Colbenson KM, Elamin MB, Seime RJ, Prokop LJ, Zirakzadeh A (2009) Sexual abuse and lifetime diagnosis of somatic disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA 302(5):550–561CrossRefPubMed

23.

Higgins JP, Thompson SG, Deeks JJ, Altman DG (2003) Measuring inconsistency in meta-analyses. BMJ 327(7414):557–560PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed

24.

Egger M (1997) Davey Smith G, Schneider M, Minder C: bias in meta-analysis detected by a simple, graphical test. BMJ 315(7109):629–634PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed

25.

Begg CB, Mazumdar M (1994) Operating characteristics of a rank correlation test for publication bias. Biometrics 50(4):1088–1101CrossRefPubMed

26.

Duval S, Tweedie R (1998) Practical estimates of the effect of publication bias in meta-analysis[J]. Aust Epidemiol 5(4):14

27.

Kotzamani D, Panou T, Mastorodemos V, Tzagournissakis M, Nikolakaki H, Spanaki C, Plaitakis A (2012) Rising incidence of multiple sclerosis in females associated with urbanization. Neurology 78(22):1728–1735CrossRefPubMed

28.

Pekmezovic T, Drulovic J, Milenkovic M, Jarebinski M, Stojsavljevic N, Mesaros S, Kisic D, Kostic J (2006) Lifestyle factors and multiple sclerosis: a case–control study in Belgrade. Neuroepidemiology 27(4):212–216CrossRefPubMed

29.

Goral J, Karavitis J, Kovacs EJ (2008) Exposure-dependent effects of ethanol on the innate immune system. Alcohol 42(4):237–247PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed

30.

Mann CJ (2003) Observational research methods. Research design II: cohort, cross sectional, and case-control studies. EMJ 20(1):54–60PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed

31.

Carle A, Pedersen IB, Knudsen N, Perrild H, Ovesen L, Rasmussen LB, Jorgensen T, Laurberg P (2012) Moderate alcohol consumption may protect against overt autoimmune hypothyroidism: a population-based case–control study. Eur J Endocrinol Eur Fed Endocr Soc 167(4):483–490CrossRef

32.

Pan HF, Leng RX, Wang J, Li XP, Ye DQ (2010) Protective role of moderate alcohol drinking in systemic lupus erythematosus. Clin Rheumatol 29(3):337CrossRefPubMed

33.

Di Giuseppe D, Alfredsson L, Bottai M, Askling J, Wolk A (2012) Long term alcohol intake and risk of rheumatoid arthritis in women: a population based cohort study. Br Med J. doi:10.1136/bmj.e4230

34.

Kallberg H, Jacobsen S, Bengtsson C, Pedersen M, Padyukov L, Garred P, Frisch M, Karlson EW, Klareskog L, Alfredsson L (2009) Alcohol consumption is associated with decreased risk of rheumatoid arthritis: results from two Scandinavian case–control studies. Ann Rheum Dis 68(2):222–227PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed

35.

Liao KP, Alfredsson L, Karlson EW (2009) Environmental influences on risk for rheumatoid arthritis. Curr Opin Rheumatol 21(3):279–283PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed

36.

Mandrekar P, Catalano D, White B, Szabo G (2006) Moderate alcohol intake in humans attenuates monocyte inflammatory responses: inhibition of nuclear regulatory factor kappa B and induction of interleukin 10. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 30(1):135–139CrossRefPubMed

37.

Imhof A, Woodward M, Doering A, Helbecque N, Loewel H, Amouyel P, Lowe GD, Koenig W (2004) Overall alcohol intake, beer, wine, and systemic markers of inflammation in western Europe: results from three MONICA samples (Augsburg, Glasgow, Lille). Eur Heart J 25(23):2092–2100CrossRefPubMed

38.

Steinman L (2001) Myelin-specific CD8 T cells in the pathogenesis of experimental allergic encephalitis and multiple sclerosis. J Exp Med 194(5):F27–F30PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed

39.

Kuchroo VK, Martin CA, Greer JM, Ju ST, Sobel RA, Dorf ME (1993) Cytokines and adhesion molecules contribute to the ability of myelin proteolipid protein-specific T cell clones to mediate experimental allergic encephalomyelitis. J Immunol 151(8):4371–4382PubMed

Title: Association between alcohol consumption and multiple sclerosis: a meta-analysis of observational studies
Authors: Tiantian Zhu
Xiaofei Ye
Tianyi Zhang
Zhiyong Lin
Wentao Shi
Xin Wei
Yuzhou Liu
Jia He
Publication date: 01-09-2015
Publisher: Springer Milan
Published in: Neurological Sciences / Issue 9/2015
Print ISSN: 1590-1874
Electronic ISSN: 1590-3478
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-015-2326-7

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Association between alcohol consumption and multiple sclerosis: a meta-analysis of observational studies

Abstract

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 9/2015

Somatosensory evoked potentials and blood lactate levels

Homotaurine in Parkinson’s disease

The diagnostic value of minor salivary gland biopsy in clinically diagnosed patients with Parkinson’s disease: comparison with DAT PET scans

Brainstem glioblastoma in a patient with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis

Hirayama disease: the importance of adequate flexion MRI for diagnosis

Tourette syndrome and socioeconomic status