Multiple sclerosis in diverse populations: characteristics in distinct Arab ethnicities in Israel.

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) prevalence and genetic susceptibility varies among the different ethnic groups of Jews and Arabs in Israel.

Objective: Characterization of MS disease course in Christian, Muslim and Druze Arabs in Israel.

Methods: Historical cohort and three-year follow-up cohort analyses based on interviews and clinical charts of 149 Arab MS patients (78 Muslims, 49 Christians and 22 Druze) from three MS centers in Israel.