Grant: China-Canada Joint Health Research Initiative

MS is caused by a combination of environmental and genetic factors. While MS was long considered a disease primarily of Caucasians of northern and central European ancestry, it is now being increasingly recognized in immigrants from low risk to high risk regions. 15% of the population of British Columbia is Chinese descent (Canadian Asians), and with over 500,000 individuals, we can look at rates of MS in this important population. This will give us an opportunity to study environmental differences between China and Canada, and potential genetic factors that can influence the overall risk of MS. The knowledge gained from this study could help us to better understand the possible causes of complex autoimmune diseases. Neurologists at our MS center have reported that Canadian Asians often have a worse prognosis compared to the general population. It will be important to try and identify genetic factors that can predict future disability. This could guide doctors to choosing the best therapy as early as possible for all patients with MS in Canada and in China. This is the first systematic characterization of MS in patients with at least 50% Chinese ancestry in Canada. What we learn from this study, we can apply to other ethnic groups in Canada to better understand how to better treat MS within our diverse country.