Preliminary evidences of a NOS2A protective effect from relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.
The gene encoding the inducible form of Nitric Oxide Synthase (NOS2A) has been considered with interest in the evaluation of the genetic predisposition to Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The aim of the present study was to address the possible contribution of two microsatellites repeats of the NOS2A promoter region - (CCTTT)(n) and (AAAT)(n) - to MS susceptibility. One hundred and thirteen Italian patients with clinically definite RRMS and 237 age and sex matched healthy controls from Calabria (South Italy) were studied. The distribution analysis of the markers frequencies showed that the (CCTTT)(14) allele was found in 11.5% of the RRMS patients and in 25.3% of the healthy subjects, with a statistically significant difference (chi(2)=8.843, p=0.003). This data seems to confer a significant protection against MS (OR=0.348; 95% CI=0.174-0.693, corrected for age and gender). No association with MS susceptibility was observed for the bi-allelic (AAAT)(n) microsatellite. In conclusion, we found that the NOS2A (CCTTT)(14) allele was detected more frequently in the control group than in the RRMS patients, thus confirming the scientific interest on this marker.
Manna
Ida
I
Institute of Neurological Sciences, National Research Council, Contrada Burga 87050 Pianolago di Mangone (CS), Italy. i.manna@isn.cnr.it
Liguori
Maria
M
Valentino
Paola
P
Condino
Francesca
F
La Russa
Antonella
A
Clodomiro
Alessandra
A
Nisticò
Rita
R
Di Palma
Gemma
G
Quattrone
Aldo
A
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005819:Genetic Markers / Q000235:genetics; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D005820:Genetic Testing; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics*; D020529:Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D044465:White People
D005819:Genetic Markers; C496319:NOS2 protein, human; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II