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The
role of HLA-DRB1 alleles on susceptibility and outcome of a Portuguese
Multiple Sclerosis population.
Silva
AM, Pereira
C, Bettencourt
A, Carvalho
C, Couto
AR, Leite
MI, Marta
M, Freijo
M, Costa
PP, Mendonca
D, Monteiro
L, Armas
JB, Martins
B.
Department
of Neurology, Hospital Santo Antonio, Porto, 4005-001 Porto, Portugal.
BACKGROUND:
The association between susceptibility to multiple sclerosis (MS) and
HLA-DRB1()15 has been reported in various European populations.
OBJECTIVE:
To investigate the relationship between MS, HLA-DRB1()15 and other DRB1
alleles in a Portuguese population and their association with clinical
course of MS.
METHODS:
The HLA-DRB1 alleles were analyzed by PCR-SSP in 248 MS patients and 282
healthy controls. In order to relate HLA-DRB1 alleles to disease
aggressiveness, patients with relapsing remitting MS and secondary
progressive MS were subdivided into 3 groups: 'benign' MS patients who
maintain an Extended Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score of </=3 at
least 10 years after disease onset; non-benign MS patients with EDSS>3
after the same period and 'aggressive' MS those with EDSS>/=6 within
15 years of disease onset.
RESULTS:
As expected, a higher frequency of HLA-DRB1()15 was found in MS patients
(29.8% vs 19.9%, odds ratio (OR)=1.72, 95% CI=1.15-2.56, p=0.008). The
HLA-DRB1()03 allele was positively associated with MS in the overall
patient population (22.6% vs 15.6%, OR=1.58, 95% CI=1.02-2.45).
Concerning disease aggressiveness, HLA-DRB1()15 occurred more frequently
in the group with benign disease (42.6% vs 19.9%, OR=2.99, 95%
CI=1.56-5.72) and in the group with non-benign disease (34.1% vs 19.9%,
OR=2.09, 95% CI=1.05-4.16) compared with controls. When time to reach an
EDSS=3 or EDSS=6 was considered as end point, HLA-DRB1()15 negative
patients were found to have a worse prognosis.
CONCLUSIONS:
In this population of Portuguese MS patients, the HLA-DRB1()15 allele is
established as a genetic marker for susceptibility to MS and is also
associated with a better outcome.
PMID:
17412364 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=17412364&itool=pubmed_DocSum |
