A rare functional variant within the TYK2 gene (rs34536443) has been reported as protective in multiple sclerosis (MS) in recent studies. However, because of the low frequency of the minor allele ...(minor allele frequency=0.04), genome-wide significant association has been hard to establish. We genotyped 5429 Nordic MS cases and 6167 healthy controls for this TYK2 non-synonymous single-nucleotide polymorphism (ns-SNP), and combined the Nordic genotype data with raw genotypes from previous studies. The combined Nordic analysis showed significant association with MS (P=5 x 10(-4), odds ratio (OR) 0.78), and by mega-analysis of 10 642 MS patients, 10 620 controls and 2110 MS trios, the association at genome-wide significance level (P=5.08 x 10(-9), OR 0.77) was shown.
Association studies have greatly refined the understanding of how variation within the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes influences risk of multiple sclerosis. However, the extent to which major ...effects are modulated by interactions is poorly characterized. We analyzed high-density SNP data on 17,465 cases and 30,385 controls from 11 cohorts of European ancestry, in combination with imputation of classical HLA alleles, to build a high-resolution map of HLA genetic risk and assess the evidence for interactions involving classical HLA alleles. Among new and previously identified class II risk alleles (HLA-DRB1*15:01, HLA-DRB1*13:03, HLA-DRB1*03:01, HLA-DRB1*08:01 and HLA-DQB1*03:02) and class I protective alleles (HLA-A*02:01, HLA-B*44:02, HLA-B*38:01 and HLA-B*55:01), we find evidence for two interactions involving pairs of class II alleles: HLA-DQA1*01:01-HLA-DRB1*15:01 and HLA-DQB1*03:01-HLA-DQB1*03:02. We find no evidence for interactions between classical HLA alleles and non-HLA risk-associated variants and estimate a minimal effect of polygenic epistasis in modulating major risk alleles.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBMB, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Background
Multiple sclerosis-associated genetic variants indicate that the adaptive immune system plays an important role in the risk of developing multiple sclerosis. It is currently not well ...understood how these multiple sclerosis-associated genetic variants contribute to multiple sclerosis risk. CD4+ T cells are suggested to be involved in multiple sclerosis disease processes.
Objective
We aim to identify CD4+ T cell differential gene expression between multiple sclerosis patients and healthy controls in order to understand better the role of these cells in multiple sclerosis.
Methods
We applied RNA sequencing on CD4+ T cells from multiple sclerosis patients and healthy controls.
Results
We did not identify significantly differentially expressed genes in CD4+ T cells from multiple sclerosis patients. Furthermore, pathway analyses did not identify enrichment for specific pathways in multiple sclerosis. When we investigated genes near multiple sclerosis-associated genetic variants, we did not observe significant enrichment of differentially expressed genes.
Conclusion
We conclude that CD4+ T cells from multiple sclerosis patients do not show significant differential gene expression. Therefore, gene expression studies of all circulating CD4+ T cells may not result in viable biomarkers. Gene expression studies of more specific subsets of CD4+ T cells remain justified to understand better which CD4+ T cell subsets contribute to multiple sclerosis pathology.
Fatigue is a frequent symptom in multiple sclerosis (MS) and often interrelated with depression and sleep disorders making symptomatic treatment decisions difficult. In the single-arm, observational ...phase IV TYNERGY study, relapsing-remitting MS patients showed a clinically meaningful decrease in fatigue over 1 year of treatment with natalizumab.
To evaluate whether fatigue improvement might be directly linked to improved depression and day-time sleepiness.
Patients were assessed regarding fatigue, depression, and day-time sleepiness. The relation between changes of the two latter symptoms and changes in fatigue was analyzed.
After 1 year of natalizumab treatment, the majority of patients (>92%) remained stable or improved in total, motor, and cognitive fatigue. Proportion of patients without depression increased by 17% while proportions of mildly depressed patients or patients with potential major depression decreased by 5 and 12%, respectively. Proportion of patients classified as not being sleepy increased by 13% while proportions of sleepy and very sleepy patients decreased by 11 and 2%, respectively. Most importantly, improved depression and sleepiness were significantly related to improved fatigue.
Our findings highlight the importance of patient-reported outcomes in identifying potential benefits of drug treatment beyond its well-established effects on disease activity and disability progression.
► 19 SNPs on DPP6 were genotyped in 244 Italian PrMS patients and 225 controls. ► 5 SNPs resulted significantly associated with PrMS in the Italian sample. ► These 5 SNPs have been tested and not ...replicated in 197 PPMS cases from Northern Europe. ► Meta-analysis approach has been used confirming association for 1 SNP (p=2.5×10−3). ► Expression level of DPP6 were different between Italian PrMs cases and controls.
In this study, we investigated the role of the dipeptidyl-peptidase-6 (DPP6) gene in the etiopathogenesis of progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (PrMS).
This gene emerged as a candidate gene in a genome-wide association study (GWAS) performed in an Italian sample of PrMS and controls in which two SNPs located in the gene (rs6956703 and rs11767658) showed evidence of association (nominal p-value<10−4) (Martinelli-Boneschi et al.) 18. Moreover, the gene is highly expressed in the central nervous system, and it has been found to be associated with sporadic cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis which shares some feature with PrMS.
We genotyped 19 SNPs selected using a direct and tagging approach in 244 Italian PrMS and 225 controls, and we measured the expression levels of the gene in 13 PrMS cases and 25 controls.
Five out of 19 SNPs were found to be associated with the disease (adjusted p<0.05), and they have been tested in an independent sample of 179 primary progressive MS and 198 controls from Northern Europe. None of the SNPs was replicated, but combined analysis confirmed the presence of association for rs2046748 (p=2.5×10−3,OR=1.82, 95%CI=1.24–2.69).
These results, inflated by the limited sample size determined by the rarity of this condition, suggest a possible role of this gene in the susceptibility to PrMS, at least in Southern Europeans. Moreover, DPP6 was over-expressed in PrMS patients compared to controls.
Abstract Objective The risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) is influenced by HLA-DRB1, while protective effects have been proposed for HLA-A*02 and HLA-C*05 . Our aim was to further understand the role of ...HLA class I in MS through a comprehensive investigation. Methods 1529 MS patients and 1814 controls from Sweden and Norway were genotyped for HLA-DRB1 , HLA-A , and HLA-C . Simultaneous analysis of all alleles while adjusting for confounding was achieved using logistic regression. Results We observed independent effects of all three genes. We confirm the HLA-A*02 (OR = 0.73, p = 9.2 × 10 − 4 ) association and report a novel effect of HLA-C*08 (OR = 1.85, p = 0.0093). Conclusions The HLA class I region contains two factors modulating MS risk, characterized by independent associations with HLA-A and HLA-C.
Individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) spasticity present with a range of symptoms and disability levels that are frequently challenging to manage. Summary : Clinical case reviews in ...treatment-resistant MS spasticity were presented in five country-specific sessions conducted in parallel at the MS Experts Summit. Attendees at the Norwegian session discussed early response to new treatments for severe spasticity and highlighted the importance of titrating THC:CBD oromucosal spray (Sativex®) when adding it to baclofen. The French group focussed on MS symptoms and patient characteristics that interact with spasticity and agreed on a list of minimum ratings for diagnosis of MS spasticity symptoms. Attendees at the Spanish session concurred that THC:CBD oromucosal spray is effective and well tolerated as add-on therapy in treatment-resistant MS spasticity, particularly for pain, spasms and gait disturbances. The Italian group discussed the use of add-on THC:CBD oromucosal spray and other possible combination therapies for treatment-resistant MS spasticity. Attendees at the German session highlighted the need to address trigger factors for MS spasticity to reduce the potential for impact on activities of daily living (ADL) and quality of life (QoL). Three innovative studies of MS spasticity from the poster session were selected for closer review. The MOVE 1 EU epidemiological study indicated that, across western Europe, patients with MS spasticity continue to have unmet management needs. A literature review demonstrated that symptomatic relief of MS spasticity in patients who respond to THC:CBD oromucosal spray translates into sustainable improvements in ADL and QoL. Enriched-design studies of medications targeting the endocannabinoid system require careful interpretation due to possible pharmacodynamic 'priming', i.e. carry-over effects of successful active treatment during the enrichment phase. Key Messages: Sharing experiences of clinical practice, including experience with the use of THC:CBD oromucosal spray, may be useful to overcome some of the challenges in the overall management of patients with moderate to severe treatment-resistant MS spasticity.
Abstract Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory, demyelinating disease affecting the central nervous system. MS-associated variants have been reported at both HLA and non-HLA loci, the latter ...including chromosome 13q31–32 and the Glypican-5 and Glypican-6 genes. In order to further explore the 13q31–32 region in MS, we genotyped 33 SNPs in 1355 Norwegian MS patients and 1446 Norwegian controls. An intronic SNP in the Glypican-5 gene (rs9523787) showed association with MS (pcorr = 0.006). Thus, this study supports that MS susceptibility at 13q31–32 may localize to the Glypican-5 gene, which should lead to further fine-mapping, replication and functional studies of this gene.
Abstract Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients have been reported to have different HLA class II allele profiles depending on oligoclonal bands (OCBs) in the cerebrospinal fluid, but HLA class I alleles ...and killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) ligands have not been studied. We investigated the association of HLA alleles and KIR ligands according to OCB status in MS patients (n = 3876). Specific KIR ligands were associated with patients when compared to controls (n = 3148), supporting a role for NK cells in MS pathogenesis. HLA class I alleles and KIR ligands did not differ between OCB phenotypes, but HLA class II associations were convincingly replicated.
The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) haplotype DRB1*15:01 is the major risk factor for multiple sclerosis (MS). Here, we find that DRB1*15:01 is hypomethylated and predominantly expressed in monocytes ...among carriers of DRB1*15:01. A differentially methylated region (DMR) encompassing HLA-DRB1 exon 2 is particularly affected and displays methylation-sensitive regulatory properties in vitro. Causal inference and Mendelian randomization provide evidence that HLA variants mediate risk for MS via changes in the HLA-DRB1 DMR that modify HLA-DRB1 expression. Meta-analysis of 14,259 cases and 171,347 controls confirms that these variants confer risk from DRB1*15:01 and also identifies a protective variant (rs9267649, p < 3.32 × 10−8, odds ratio = 0.86) after conditioning for all MS-associated variants in the region. rs9267649 is associated with increased DNA methylation at the HLA-DRB1 DMR and reduced expression of HLA-DRB1, suggesting a modulation of the DRB1*15:01 effect. Our integrative approach provides insights into the molecular mechanisms of MS susceptibility and suggests putative therapeutic strategies targeting a methylation-mediated regulation of the major risk gene.