Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory
disorder of the central nervous system, with a complex
etiology that includes a strong genetic component. The
contribution of the major histocompatibility complex
(MHC) has been established in numerous genetic
linkage and association studies. In addition to the
MHC, the chromosome 19q13 region surrounding the
apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene has shown consistent
evidence of involvement in MS. In a cross-sectional
study, to show differences in APOE allele frequencies
in multiple sclerosis compared with controls, we genotyped
polymorphisms in four alleles namely; ε2, ε3 and
e4 alleles. This study was carried out on 81 patients
with clinically definite MS and 93 asymptomatic,
randomly selected elderly volunteers. A significant
difference was observed in the distribution of e4 allele
between patients with MS and controls (9.3% vs. 0.5%;
χ2=15.2; df=2; p<0.001). This provides strong support
for the association of MS with APOE ε4 allele.
کلید واژگان :
Multiple Sclerosis, Apolipoprotein E, Polymorphism, Iran.
