title: Single nucleotide polymorphisms in multiple sclerosis: disease susceptibility and treatment response biomarkers.
abstract: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating and neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system characterized by unpredictable and variable clinical course. Etiology of MS involves both genetic and environmental factors. New technologies identified genetic polymorphisms associated with MS susceptibility among which immunologically relevant genes are significantly overrepresented. Although individual genes contribute only a small part to MS susceptibility, they might be used as biomarkers, thus helping to identify accurate diagnosis, predict clinical disease course and response to therapy. This review focuses on recent progress in research on MS genetics with special emphasis on the possibility to use single nucleotide polymorphism of candidate genes as biomarkers of susceptibility to disease and response to therapy.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Belgrade School of Medicine, Dr Subotica 1, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia. pravica@med.bg.ac.rs
authors.forename: Vera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pravica
authors.forename: Dusan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Popadic
authors.forename: Emina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Savic
authors.forename: Milos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Markovic
authors.forename: Jelena
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Drulovic
authors.forename: Marija
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mostarica-Stojkovic
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000473:pathology*; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D005819:Genetic Markers; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000378:metabolism; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D005819:Genetic Markers; D020381:Interleukin-17; D007371:Interferon-gamma