title: IFNAR1 expression level in Iranian multiple sclerosis patients treated with IFN-B.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Multiple sclerosis (MS) as an auto-immune disease is an inflammatory, demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. Certain genes have shown to be involved in the initiation of MS but the specific role of some of them, e.g. IFNAR1 has not been identified in certain populations yet.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The IFNAR1 as a type I membrane protein shapes one of the two chains of a receptor for interferons alpha and beta.
  
  
  METHODS
  To find out how IFNAR1 functions in the Iranian population, the researchers compared the expression level of this gene in relapsing-remitting MS (RR-MS) samples with normal individuals. RNA from the whole blood of 50 RR-MS patients and 50 normal controls were extracted. All patients were HLA-DRB1*15 negative and were responders to interferon-beta with a normal vitamin D level. The level of IFNAR1 gene expression was measured using quantitative RT-PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  According to the results the RR-MS patients manifested a statistically higher expression level of IFNAR1 than their normal counterparts (p= 0.012). Age-wise, females between the ages, 30 to 40 had a significant increase (p= 0.046) but males under 30 showed a statistically meaningful decrease in the expression level (p= 0.04). In terms of sex, only the female patients manifested a statistically significant increase in IFNAR1 (p= 0.004).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The overall results show an increase in IFNAR1 level in MS patients treated with IFN-B.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Arezou
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sayad
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohsen Khakzad
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Kelarijani
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, School of Paramedical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Elham
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sajjadi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.|Urogenital Stem Cell Research, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taheri
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020529:Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D053633:Receptor, Interferon alpha-beta / Q000819:agonists / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: C507964:IFNAR1 protein, human; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D014807:Vitamin D; D053633:Receptor, Interferon alpha-beta; D016899:Interferon-beta
keywords: IFNAR1; expression; multiple sclerosis; real time PCR