title: Fcγ receptors in Norwegian multiple sclerosis patients and healthy controls.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated disease of the central nervous system in genetically susceptible persons. Fcγ receptors (FcγR) are involved in autoimmune diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixteen Norwegian patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) were studied to see whether treatment with either interferon-beta (INF-β) or glatiramer acetate (GA) influenced the proportion of FcγR1a, FcγR2a, and FcγR3b positive monocytes, granulocytes, or lymphocytes or FcγR1a, FcγR2a, and FcγR2b mRNA levels in leukocytes. One hundred and twenty-seven patients with RRMS and 54 Norwegian healthy blood donors were also analyzed for FcγR2b polymorphisms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Interferon-beta or GA treatment initiated an increase in the proportion of FcγR positive lymphocytes, but did not cause major influence of the long-term proportion of FcγR positive leukocytes or their FcγR mRNA levels. No significant differences were observed between RRMS patients and healthy controls for the genotype and allele frequencies of FcγR2b polymorphisms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  INF-β or GA treatment probably has no major role in the regulation of FcγRs on immune cells in RRMS. Furthermore, polymorphisms of the inhibitory FcγR2b do not seem to influence the susceptibility for MS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gavasso
authors.forename: Ø
authors.initials: Ø
authors.lastname: Torkildsen
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Marøy
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ulvestad
authors.forename: K-M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Myhr
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Vedeler
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D000068717:Glatiramer Acetate; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000276:immunology; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D009664:Norway; D010455:Peptides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D017452:Receptors, IgG / Q000276:immunology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D010455:Peptides; D017452:Receptors, IgG; D000068717:Glatiramer Acetate; D016899:Interferon-beta