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. 2013 May 6;13:41. doi: 10.1186/1471-2377-13-41

Table 1.

Characteristics of included studies

Author (year) Country
MS (n)
Control group (n)
F : M cases
Mean age at MS onset (years)
LAT
NOS Score
MS Dx criterion
Timing of surgery
Confounder variables
Exposure 1: Tonsil OR1
Exposure 2: Append OR1
Exposure 3: Adenoid OR1
Exposure 4: Other OR1
                    (95% CI) (95% CI) (95% CI) (95% CI)
Alonso (2011) Iran
394
394
3.70
24.9
32
6
M
Pre
Age, sex
0.92 (0.51-1.64)
1.07 (0.52-2.19)
--
--
Alter (1968) USA
36
72
 
 
45
4
N
Pre
Age, sex, age at onset
--
--
--
0.78 (0.33-1.81)
Anderson (1981) Denmark
92
276
1.42
42.4
56
8
A; after 1994, Mc
≤ 20 y
Age, sex, month of birth, years in school
0.73 (0.32-1.64)
0.81 (0.22-2.98)
1.08 (0.64-1.82)
--
Antonovsky (1965) Israel
241
964
1.10
 
31
5
N
≤ 15 y, > 15 y
Age, sex, age of onset, region of birth
--
--
--
NS2
Bansil (1997) India
56
147
1.67
28
24
3
P
Pre
Birth place, religion, residence
--
--
--
0.97 (0.49-1.91)
Berr (1989) France
63
63
2.70
30.8
42
5
P
Pre
Age, sex, residence
1.0 (0.38-2.60)
--
--
--
Bobowick (1978) USA
10
8
 
29.7
40
6
N
≤ 20 y
Age, sex
2.50 (0.37-16.89)
5.0 (0.21-120.4)
--
--
Broadley (2000) England
595
372
3.16
28
52
1
N
Pre
None stated
1.02 (0.77-1.34)
--
--
--
Casetta (1994) Italy
104
150
2.0
32.2
44
5
Mc
≤ 15 y, > 15 y
Age (> 3 y), sex, residence
1.04 (0.62-1.76)
--
--
--
Cendrowski (1969) Poland
300
300
 
31.9
52
3
N
≤ 15 y
None stated
0.74 (0.43-1.27)
--
--
--
Currier (1982) Canada & USA
40
40
1.0
30
49
5
A
Pre
Age, sex
--
--
--
2.22 (0.86-5.74)
Currier (1974) Ireland
60
60
1.4
26
53
3
A
≤ 20 y
Age, sex, social class, marital status
1.18 (0.53-2.61)
1.46 (0.54-3.93)
--
1.45 (0.62-3.41)
de Gennaro (2009) Italy & Serbia
104
150
2.06
28
44
3
M
≤ 15 y, > 15 y
Age, sex, residence
≤ 15 y: 2.50
< 15 y: 1.60
--
--
(1.42-4.41)*
(0.91-2.79)
> 15 y:
> 15 y:
2.20 (1.30-3.73)*
1.92 (1.09-3.41)*
da Silva (2009) Brazil
81
81
2.10
 
22
4
N
Pre
Age, sex, place of birth
--
--
--
1.82 (0.95-3.51)
Dolan (2003) USA
24
24
2.0
35.4
42
3
P
≤ 20 y
Age, sex
--
--
--
2.14 (0.63-7.33)
Dokuchaeva (2006) Russia
178
178
2.80
 
48
 
No data
≤ 15 y, > 15 y
Age, sex, ethnic origin
≤ 15 y: 1.61 (1.01-2.56)
--
--
--
> 15 y:
1.0 (0.64-1.56)
Gronning (1993) Norway
155
200
1.50
--
60
4
B
≤20 y
Age, sex, residence
1.90 (1.15-3.16)*
1.10 (0.53-2.28)
--
--
Gusev (1996) Russia
155
155
1.63
25.8
56
3
Mc
≤ 15 y, > 15 y
Age, sex, residence, and ethnicity
0.85 (0.38-1.89)
--
--
--
Hopkins (1991) USA
14
56
4.30
35.2
41
7
P
Pre
Age, sex, race
--
--
--
NS2
Koch (1974) USA
7
7
2.50
29.3
46
4
N
Pre
None stated
--
--
--
1.0 (0.12-8.31)
Koch-Henriksen (1989) Denmark
297
297
1.42
32
56
8
A
≤ 15 y, > 15 y
Age, sex
≤ 15 y:
≤ 15 y:
≤ 15 y:
--
0.89 (0.52-1.53)
2.19 (0.93-5.16)
0.85 (0.54-1.34)
> 15 y:
> 15 y:
1.49 (0.72-3.08)
1.24 (0.70-2.21)
Kurtzke (1997) Norway
23
127
1.55
30
62
5
Schumacher committee
Pre
Age, sex
--
--
--
1.19 (0.48-2.95)
Lamoureux (1976) Canada
23
23
1.09
 
 
5
N
Pre
Age, sex, place of origin
3.56 (1.05-12.05)
3.05 (0.78-11.96)
--
--
Lauer (1994) Germany
150
150
2.04
30.3
51
4
B
≤ 14 y
Age, sex, type of residence
--
NS2
--
0.53 (0.32-0.86)*
Martinez-Sobrepera (2001) Cuba
50
50
4.50
--
21
5
P
Pre
Age, gender, skin color
--
--
--
1.50 (0.68-3.29)
Poskanzer (1980) USA
77
77
2.04
31
42
4
N
Pre
None stated
NS2
--
--
NS2
Poskanzer (1965) Scotland
210
210
1.31
33.6
60
8
A
≤ 20 y
Age, sex, residence
1.69 (1.15-2.50)*
1.42 (0.86-2.35)
--
--
Roshanisefat (2011) Sweden
20,542
204,157
1.87
46.3
--
6
MS register
≤ 20 y, > 20 y
Age, sex, age at onset, region
--
≤ 20 y:
--
--
1.11 (0.94-1.31)
> 20 y:
1.02 (0.93-1.11)
Westlund (1953) Canada
112
123
1.43
30.3
49
5
N
Pre
Age, sex, age at onset
--
--
--
2.26 (1.24-4.15)*
YosefiPour (2002) Iran
149
100
1.19
--
32
4
N
Pre
Age, sex
--
--
--
3.93 (1.97-7.84)*
Zaadstra (2008) Netherlands
2,821
2,550
2.30
--
52
7
N
< 25 y
Age, sex, education, residence
1.25 (1.11-1.40)*
--
--
--
Zilber (1996) Israel
70
64
1.73
25.2
31
6
M
≤ 20 y, Pre
Age, sex
≤ 20 y:
--
< 10 y:
3.0 (0.77-11.62)
0.58 (0.29-1.17)
1.06 (0.47-2.39)
Pre: 0.96 (0.44-2.11)
Zorzon (2003) Italy 140 131 1.72 31.2 45 5 M Pre None stated -- -- -- 0.46 (0.28-0.76)*

1 Odds ratio for combined surgeries using a random effects model.

2 Reported as not statistically significant, no data provided.

* Indicates statistically significant results.

A = Allison & Miller criteria, Append = appendectomy, Adenoid = adenoidectomy, B = Bauer criteria, CI = confidence interval, Dx = diagnosis, LAT = latitude, Mc = McAlpine criteria, M = McDonald criteria, MS = multiple sclerosis, NOS = Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, N = neurologist diagnosed, NS = not significant, OR = odds ratio, P = Poser criteria, Pre: Premorbid, age not specified other than surgery occurring before MS diagnosis, Tonsil = tonsillectomy, Y = years.