title: Preliminary evidences of a NOS2A protective effect from relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurological Sciences, National Research Council, Contrada Burga 87050 Pianolago di Mangone (CS), Italy. i.manna@isn.cnr.it
authors.forename: Ida
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Manna
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liguori
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Valentino
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Condino
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: La Russa
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Clodomiro
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nisticò
authors.forename: Gemma
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Palma
authors.forename: Aldo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Quattrone
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers; C496319:NOS2 protein, human; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II