Abstract

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory disease defined by damage to the myelin sheaths of neurons. MS is classified into different subtypes including relapsing–remitting MS, secondary progressive MS and primary progressive MS. The present study aimed to estimate the prevalence of different forms and clinical symptoms of MS among Iranian people using meta-analysis. We searched all available databanks, such as SID, Magiran, PubMed, Google scholar, Scopus and Science, directly to identify relevant evidence. All findings were reviewed and eligible articles were selected. The standard error of prevalence was calculated based on binomial distribution formula. The heterogeneity between the results of primary studies was detected using Cochrane (Q) and I2 indices. The primary results were combined according to a random effects model. The effect of related factors in heterogeneity was investigated using a meta-regression model. During the primary search, 17 352 articles were identified. After limiting the search strategy, and excluding duplicates and irrelevant papers, finally, 21 primary studies were entered into the final meta-analysis. The total prevalences of relapsing–remitting MS, primary progressive MS and secondary progressive MS types among Iranian people were estimated to be 69.7 (95 CI 63.7–75.8), 7.01 (95 CI 4.05–9.96) and 17.8 (95 CI 11.7–23.9) respectively. In addition, prevalences of fatigue and motor dysfunction were estimated to be 71.1 (95 CI 60.9–81.3) and 56.3 (95 CI 27.9–84.6), respectively. Our meta-analysis showed that relapsing–remitting MS is the most common type of MS, and fatigue is the most common clinical manifestation in patients. Motor dysfunction and balance disorder are the other common problems in patients. © 2018 Japanese Society for Neuroimmunology