WINETECH Technical Yearbook 2019

Our hypothesis is that a nutritional element is involved in MS disability, rather than an autoimmune-driven process. Our study shows that at the time of diagnosis patients often follow a deficient lifestyle and diet and that their outcome improves when these factors are remedied. The original diagnosis may therefore possibly have been correct, with the outcome having been remedied through adjustments in lifestyle. It is an exciting study and we look forward to interesting results. REFERENCES Van Rensburg, S.J., Peeters, A.V., Van Toorn, R., Schoeman, J., Moremi, K.E., Van Heerden, C.J., Kotze, M.J. 2019. Identification of an iron-responsive subtype in two children diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis using whole exome sequencing. Mo l ecu l ar Genet i cs and Metabo l i sm Repo r t s 19 : 100465 . do i : 10 . 1016/ j . ymgmr.2019.100465. eCollection 2019 Jun.

Hohlfeld, R. 2009. ‘Gimme five’: future challenges in multiple sclerosis. ECTRIMS Lecture. Multiple Sclerosis 16:3-14. doi: 10.1177/1352458509357355. Polman, C.H. et al . 2011. Diagnostic criteria for multiple sclerosis: 2010 Revisions to the McDonald criteria. Annals of Neurology 69(2): 292–302. doi: 10.1002/ana.22366. Tremlett, H., Zhu, F., Petkau, J., Oger, J., Zhao, Y. 2012. BC MS Clinic Neurologists. Natural, innate improvements in multiple sclerosis disability. Multiple Sclerosis 18(10):1412-21. Bartzokis, G. 2011. Neuroglialpharmacology: wh i te matter pathophys i o l og i es and psych i at r i c t reatment s . Front i e r s i n Bioscience (Landmark Ed). 16:2695-733. Herbert, E., Engel-Hills, P., Hattingh, C., Fouche, J.P., Kidd, M., Lochner, C., Kotze, M.J., Van Rensburg, S.J. 2018. Fractional anisotropy of white matter, disability and blood iron parameters in multiple sclerosis.

Metabolic Brain Disease 33(2):545-557. doi: 10.1007/s11011-017-0171-5. Van Rensburg, S.J., Kotze, M.J., Hon, D., Haug, P., Kuyler, J., Hendricks, M., Botha, J., Potocnik, F.C.V., Matsha, T. & Erasmus, R. 2006. Iron and the Folate-Vitamin B12- Methylation Pathway in Multiple Sclerosis. Metabolic Brain Disease 21:121-137. Davis, W., Van Rensburg, S.J., Cronje, F.J., Whati, L., Fisher, L.R., Van der Merwe, L., Geiger, D., Hassan, M.S., Matsha, T., Erasmus, R.T., Kotze, M.J. 2014. The fat mass and obesity-associated FTO rs9939609 polymorphism is associated with elevated homocysteine levels in patients with multiple sclerosis screened for vascular risk factors. Metabolic Brain Disease 29(2):409-419. Kurtzke, J.F. 1983. Rating neurologic impairment in multiple sclerosis an expanded disability status scale (EDSS). Neurology 33:1444-1452.

Van Rensburg, S.J., Davis, W., Geiger, D., Whati, L., Kidd, M., Kotze, M.J. 2016. Effects of diet, smoking and alcohol consumption on disability (EDSS) in people diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Invited oral presentation at the SA Society for Enology and Viticulture Conference. Kaisey, M., Solomon, A.J., Luu, M., Giesser, B.S., Sicotte, N.L. 2019. Incidence of multiple sclerosis misdiagnosis in referrals to two academic centers. Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders 30:51-56. doi: 10.1016/j. msard.2019.01.048. Nelson, M.C., Isaacs, F., Hassan, M.S., Kidd, M., Cronje, F.J., Van Rensburg, S.J. 2014. Prevalence of abnormal bloodflow patterns and effects of biochemistry and lifestyle factors on the major neck vessels in patients with Multiple Sclerosis in the Western Cape, South Africa. Medical Technology SA 28 (1):26-33.

– For more information, contact Prof. Susan Janse van Rensburg at sjvr@sun.ac.za.