HFE gene polymorphisms and severity in Portuguese patients with multiple sclerosis.
BACKGROUND
High iron concentrations have been reported in oligodendrocytes, myelin and macrophages in multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions. It has been proposed that HFE gene polymorphisms could have a role in MS.


METHODS
The C282Y and H63D HFE variants frequencies were determined in 373 patients with MS and compared with a normal population.


RESULTS
No significant association was found between HFE polymorphisms and disease susceptibility. An analysis of the association of genotypes with disease severity was performed, and the C282Y allele was more frequent in the aggressive group.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients carrying the C282Y variant seem to have a worse prognosis.
Bettencourt
A
A
UMIB - Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS-UP), Porto, Portugal. ambettencourt@icbas.up.pt
Silva
A M
AM
Santos
E
E
Gomes
S
S
Mendonça
D
D
Costa
P P
PP
Faustino
P
P
Silva
B M
BM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D000071020:Hemochromatosis Protein; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011174:Portugal; D011379:Prognosis; D055815:Young Adult
C103673:HFE protein, human; D000071020:Hemochromatosis Protein; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D008565:Membrane Proteins