One of the many frustrating things about multiple sclerosis is that a diagnosis doesn't tell patient or doctor anything about the possible course of the disease. This
Times OnLine article describes the problem:
"After a first attack of MS-type symptoms, the disease can develop in several ways. A small proportion do not have more attacks, while most start with the relapsing-remitting form of MS, with attacks followed by periods of recovery. Most of these go on to develop secondary progressive MS within 10 to 15 years of diagnosis, in which symptoms worsen over time. About 10 to 15 per cent of patients have primary progressive MS, in which symptoms worsen steadily from the start, without periods of remission."
Researcher Rachel Farrell and her team at the Institute of Neurology at University College London think they may have found a way to make some predictions which would help determine how aggressively to treat MS right at the start. They are developing a simple blood test to look for antibodies to Epstein-Barr Virus, now believed to be associated in some yet unclear way with multiple sclerosis. The article does a great job of explaining how all this works and the reasoning behind this useful new tool.
Researcher Rachel Farrell and her team at the Institute of Neurology at University College London think they may have found a way to make some predictions which would help determine how aggressively to treat MS right at the start. They are developing a simple blood test to look for antibodies to Epstein-Barr Virus, now believed to be associated in some yet unclear way with multiple sclerosis. The article does a great job of explaining how all this works and the reasoning behind this useful new tool.