title: HLA-DM polymorphisms do not associate with multiple sclerosis: an association study with analysis of myelin basic protein T cell specificity.
abstract: The MHC region on 6p harbors at least one susceptibility gene for multiple sclerosis (MS). Within this region, HLA-DM loci are of interest being involved in class II antigen processing. We investigated the association of HLA-DM polymorphisms with MS. Sixty-three patients with MS and 46 healthy controls from continental Italy were typed for HLA-DM polymorphisms and HLA-DRB1 alleles. Besides, among the donors characterized for the DM polymorphisms, we considered 6 MS patients previously studied for the fine specificity of their MBP-specific T lymphocyte lines (TLL). The frequencies of allelic variants at the DMA and DMB loci were similar between MS patients and controls, even when HLA-DRB1*1501 positive and negative donors were analyzed separately. Patients with predominant responses to different MBP epitopes did not differ for their HLA-DM haplotype while patients with predominant responses to the same MBP epitope could present different HLA-DM haplotypes. HLA-DM polymorphisms do not associate with MS and may not affect specific patterns of T cell responses to MBP.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Neurologiche, Università La Sapienza, Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ristori
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carcassi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fiori
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cacciani
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Floris
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Montesperelli
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Di Giovanni
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Buttinelli
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Contu
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pozzilli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salvetti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D000939:Epitopes / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D006681:HLA-D Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D006650:Histocompatibility Testing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000276:immunology*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000939:Epitopes; C416189:H2-M antigens; D006681:HLA-D Antigens; C084245:HLA-DM antigens; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein