TY - JOUR
T1 - Etiological research in pediatric multiple sclerosis
T2 - A tool to assess environmental exposures (PEDiatric Italian Genetic and enviRonment ExposurE Questionnaire)
AU - Pilotto, Silvy
AU - Gencarelli, Jessica
AU - Bova, Stefania
AU - Gerosa, Leonardo
AU - Baroncini, Damiano
AU - Olivotto, Sara
AU - Alfei, Enrico
AU - Zaffaroni, Mauro
AU - Suppiej, Agnese
AU - Cocco, Eleonora
AU - Trojano, Maria
AU - Amato, Maria Pia
AU - D'Alfonso, Sandra
AU - Martinelli-Boneschi, Filippo
AU - Waubant, Emmanuelle
AU - Ghezzi, Angelo
AU - Bergamaschi, Roberto
AU - Pugliatti, Maura
N1 - Funding Information:
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the Fondazione Italiana Sclerosi Multipla (grant N. 12/18/F14, P.I. Angelo Ghezzi, and grant N. 2019/PR-Single/024, P.I. Maura Pugliatti).
Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s), 2021.
PY - 2021/10
Y1 - 2021/10
N2 - Background: The etiology of pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis is unknown although putative genetic and environmental factors appear to be involved. Among children multiple sclerosis onset occurs closer to the susceptibility window thank in adults and the exposure to etiological environmental factors is more informative. An Italian multicentre case-control study (the PEDiatric Italian Genetic and enviRonment ExposurE, PEDIGREE study) was designed to investigate environmental exposures in pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis and their interaction with genetics. Objectives: To collect evidence on exposures to environmental risk factors in pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis, a questionnaire was developed for the Italian population (PEDIGREE Questionnaire) and is presented. Methods: PEDIGREE Questionnaire develops from an existing tool used in case-control studies on pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis in US Americans, and was translated, adapted and tested for the contents perceived relevance, acceptability, feasibility and reliability in a population of Italian pediatric subjects and their parents recruited from clinics and general population. Results: PEDIGREE Questionnaire contents were overall deemed relevant by the study population, acceptable for 100% participants and feasible for at least 98%. PEDIGREE Questionnaire degree of reliability ranged 56% to 72%. Conclusion: PEDIGREE Questionnaire proves to be an efficient tool to assess environmental exposures in the Italian pediatric population. We encourage the dissemination of population-specific questionnaires and shared methodology to optimize efforts in MS etiological research.
AB - Background: The etiology of pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis is unknown although putative genetic and environmental factors appear to be involved. Among children multiple sclerosis onset occurs closer to the susceptibility window thank in adults and the exposure to etiological environmental factors is more informative. An Italian multicentre case-control study (the PEDiatric Italian Genetic and enviRonment ExposurE, PEDIGREE study) was designed to investigate environmental exposures in pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis and their interaction with genetics. Objectives: To collect evidence on exposures to environmental risk factors in pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis, a questionnaire was developed for the Italian population (PEDIGREE Questionnaire) and is presented. Methods: PEDIGREE Questionnaire develops from an existing tool used in case-control studies on pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis in US Americans, and was translated, adapted and tested for the contents perceived relevance, acceptability, feasibility and reliability in a population of Italian pediatric subjects and their parents recruited from clinics and general population. Results: PEDIGREE Questionnaire contents were overall deemed relevant by the study population, acceptable for 100% participants and feasible for at least 98%. PEDIGREE Questionnaire degree of reliability ranged 56% to 72%. Conclusion: PEDIGREE Questionnaire proves to be an efficient tool to assess environmental exposures in the Italian pediatric population. We encourage the dissemination of population-specific questionnaires and shared methodology to optimize efforts in MS etiological research.
KW - demyelinating diseases
KW - environmental exposure
KW - multiple sclerosis
KW - pediatric onset
KW - questionnaires
KW - risk factors
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85120488006&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85120488006&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/20552173211059048
DO - 10.1177/20552173211059048
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85120488006
VL - 7
JO - Multiple Sclerosis Journal - Experimental, Translational and Clinical
JF - Multiple Sclerosis Journal - Experimental, Translational and Clinical
SN - 2055-2173
IS - 4
ER -