An Association Study of Genetic and Environmental Factors Affecting Multiple Sclerosis Incidence in Kuwait

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Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune neurodegenerative disorder that affects ~2.5 million individuals worldwide. MS is considered a debilitating life-altering disease with an unpredictable clinical course. MS patients suffer from sudden attacks with a wide spectrum of motor, sensory, cognitive, and psychological dysfunctions. MS etiologic evidence reported so far is inconsistent and does not fully explain the pathogenesis of MS. Several genetic and environmental factors have been shown to associate with MS susceptibility exhibiting regional/ethnic patterns. Recent reports indicate MS incidence in Kuwait is on the rise. To date, there are no studies that fully interrogate the genetic and environmental factors contributing to MS incidence in the Gulf region. We propose to conduct a study investigating genetic and environmental factors associated with MS incidence in the Kuwaiti population. Research plan involves a case-control study that includes 200 Kuwaiti MS patients of known clinical history. MS genetics will be analyzed through an exome sequencing and variant filtering study using next generation sequencing technology and analyses. Environmental factors will be assayed through a synthesized questionnaire to include known and possible environmental factors pertinent to the State of Kuwait. Significant associations will be sought at different levels, encompassing genetic and environmental parameters, in relation to disease clinical course, to garner as much information as possible to characterize the MS profile in Kuwait