title: Possible association between multiple sclerosis and the human T cell leukemia virus (HTLV)-related endogenous element, HRES-1.
abstract: In the present study we searched for an association between the human endogenous retroviral element HRES-1 and multiple sclerosis (MS). Fragments of this endogenous retrovirus were amplified for subsequent examination by single strand conformational analysis. We did not find HRES-1 markers exclusively linked with MS and only the two already known polymorphisms, which define three alleles of HRES-1, were detected. However, we found a significant difference in the distribution of these alleles between a group of 87 MS patients and a control group of 158 healthy individuals (P = 0.014). There were no differences in the distribution of the HRES-1 allelic forms between MS patients with a relapsing-remitting course and patients with chronic progressive MS. Our results provide evidence of an association between HRES-1 and MS. Possible explanations for this are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Life Sciences and Chemistry, Roskilde University, Denmark.
authors.forename: H B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Rasmussen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heltberg
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Christensen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Clausen
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D034961:Antigens, Nuclear; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000097:blood; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000235:genetics*; D017931:DNA Primers; D017977:Deltaretrovirus / Q000235:genetics*; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018807:Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational; D012191:Retroviridae Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D034961:Antigens, Nuclear; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D001324:Autoantigens; D017931:DNA Primers; C096557:HRES-1 p28 protein, human retroviral element; D012191:Retroviridae Proteins