title: Association of CCR5 delta32 deletion with early death in multiple sclerosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The interaction between chemokines and their receptors is extremely important in controlling T cell migration into sites of CNS inflammation. Because trafficking of inflammatory T cells into the central nervous system (CNS) is a key player in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS), we investigated the possible association of CCR5 delta32 deletion in this disorder.
  
  
  METHODS
  DNA isolated from postmortem brain tissue samples of 132 patients with MS and from blood tissue samples of 163 gender and ethnicity-matched healthy controls was used to screen for the CCR5 delta32 deletion allele.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An increased frequency of 32-bp deletion allele was found to be associated with early death (P = 0.00005) and with a progressive reduction in the years of survival (onset to death). The death hazard ratio of CCR5 with deletion versus no deletion was 2.12, suggesting that MS patients with the 32-bp deletion have twice the mortality rate of patients with the normal genotype. This effect was more significant in females (hazard ratio 3.58).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A strong association of the CCR5delta32 deletion with early death could serve as a prognostic marker for MS.
authors.affiliation: Genetic Research Institute of the Desert, Eisenhower Medical Center, Rancho Mirage, California 92270, USA.
authors.forename: Radhika
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gade-Andavolu
authors.forename: David E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Comings
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: MacMurray
authors.forename: Masoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rostamkhani
authors.forename: Li S-C
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Wallace W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Tourtellotte
authors.forename: Lawrence A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Cone
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D019713:Receptors, CCR5 / Q000235:genetics*; D017384:Sequence Deletion / Q000235:genetics*; D015996:Survival Rate; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D019713:Receptors, CCR5