Methods: Using two microarray platforms, we identify HLA-DRB5 as the most highly
expressed gene in MS compared to healthy subjects.
Results: As expected, HLA-DRB5
expression was associated with the HLA-DRB1*1501 MS susceptibility
allele. Besides HLA-DRB5, there were 1219 differentially expressed exons
(p<0.01, fold change (FC) >1.2) that differed between
HLA-DRB1*1501 Positive multiple sclerosis subjects (MSP) compared to HLA-DRB1*1501 negative multiple sclerosis
subjects (MSN). Analysis of the regulated genes revealed significantly
different immune signaling pathways including IL-4 and IL-17 in these
two MS genotypes.
Conclusions: Different risk alleles appear to be associated with
different patterns of gene expression that may reflect differences in
pathophysiology of these two MS subtypes. These preliminary data will
need to be confirmed in future studies.
We have talkd about the HLA-DR before. The gene most associated with susceptibility to Ms is HLA-DRB1*1501, whcih is common in Northern Europeans. This gene is associated with the differnt expression of about a thousand genes, some of which are associated with T cell function. However the signficance of this is not currently clear to me. Maybe others are more enlightened