Scan0027 (13)

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while larger display tendency to be deposited under the endothe-lial cells. Some complexes may damage the blood-brain barrier, and permeate across it. Undoubtedly, due to the latter situation, they may be responsiblie for the formation of pathomorphological changes (pfaąues) being characteristic of MS, and for such changes as appear in post-vaccinal encephalitis, and similar pathological conditions [5, 8, 9].

I feel that much evidence renders support to the view that immune complexes play a role of an important causat.ive factor also in vari-ous other pathological processes — and as concerns the nervous system disorder — also e.g. in sclerosis lateralis amyotrophica or in Guillan-Barre-Strohl (polymyeloradiculo-gangłio-neu-ronitis).

Accepting this as a starting viewpoint (ascribing significant role to the immune complexes in etiology and pathogenesis) with regard to different diseases, primarily demyelinating ones, like MS, it is ap-parent that the conseąuences of this standpoint with respect to pro-phylaxis, diagnostics and therapy sliould be kept in mind.

Thus, in prophylaxis of various diseases, particularly MS, it is necessary to endeavour to eliminate different factors in the form of sources of antigens, to which the respective person is or may be susceptible. In compliance with what has been presented above, what matters here are various substances, prevalently of plants, anima.1 and human origin.

A paramount role, with regard to mentioned substances (human origin) and for the purpose of establishing correct diagnosis, may be played by serological tests, therein the studies involving the feature of secreting group antigens of ABH system (Sese).

Staying in the fresh air or adeąuate and freąuent ventilations of pcrmises sliould be incorpora.ted into recommendations and hygienic indications, the latter being of outstanding value. It is known that among Gypsy population MS is recorded extremely seldom. That can be explained by the fact that they live exclusively outdoors.

Here it is of value to direct our attention to the work of a Dan-

0.6. Demyelinating Diseases — a New Presentation

53

ish author Bisgard of 1990 [10] who studied the seasonal appearence of MS in 45 patients. It was seen that 76% of exacerbations oc-cured in winter months. The author links the finding with the environmental factors. In my opinion this is connected strongly with -ioinebody’s remaining in winter primarily in closed rooms. A similar L*xplanation can be offered to previously discussed correlation of inci-dence ratę of MS with the geographic latitude. Morever, the staying in groups in closed premises exerts a favourable influence upon the inorbidity and exacerbation of the disease.

The age at which the disease becomes overt bears its own brunt. In generał MS affects young people during heyday of their lives, it means the period of life wlien the people choose their spouses, when they begin their marital co-existence. There are reported cases of •nich couples, where both partners are extremely dear to one another and mutually attached to eacli other, however it turns out that one of them feels distinctly uncomfortable during the marital contacts, dotecting obvious symptoms of ailment, as headaches, vertigo and cven faintness. Dispile the mutual attachment they finally reach the conclusion, e.g. that one of the persons feels much better, when — following the physician’s advice — they are going to live in sep-nrate rooms, and sleep alone. Sometimes after the death of one person — the other remains alive and discloses, surprisingly to Diieself, that the painful and other pathological symptoms gradually disappear or regress rapidly. In these instances it may be found out occasionally that — on the basis of the results of serological tests

the undoubtful cause of the events is lying in the serological incompatibility (which could have led to the inception of immune complexes).

Thus, the taking into account that there is a possibility for im-mune complexes to be formed, may give rise to a new viewpoint on the problem of etiology and pathogenesis of sonie diseases, particularly l liose being associated with the formation, in the nervous system, of demyelinating foci, for example, multiple sclerosis.