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A vulnerability locus to multiple sclerosis maps to 7p15 in a region syntenic to an EAE locus in the rat

Genes & Immunity volume 5, pages 72–75 (2004)Cite this article

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic immune-mediated demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. Evidence from family studies indicates a strong genetic component. Despite many studies of candidate genes, only an association with the HLA-DRB1*1501-DQB1*0602 haplotype has been generally detected, and HLA linkage established by transmission disequilibrium testing. A genome-wide scan revealed suggestive linkage of MS with markers on chromosome 7p15 in HLA-DR15-nonsharing British families, in a region syntenic to a locus predisposing to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in the rat. We therefore tested the 7p15 region as a candidate region for genetic susceptibility to MS in 104 French families with at least two affected siblings. We found evidence suggestive of a predisposing locus in families in which only one affected sibling or none of them carry the HLA-DR15 allele. Comparison of the results of the British and French groups suggests that the region of interest can be narrowed to a 2.45-cM interval.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the patients and their families, without whom this study would not have been possible. This work was supported by grants from ARSEP, LFSEP, AFM, and FRM (Programme Action Recherche Santé 2000).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unité de Physiopathologie Cellulaire et Moléculaire, Toulouse, France

    H Coppin, M-T Ribouchon & M-P Roth

  2. Fédération de Neurologie et INSERM U 546, Paris, France

    B Fontaine

  3. Service de Neurologie, CHU Pontchaillou, Rennes, France

    G Edan

  4. Fédération de Neurologie, CHU Purpan, Toulouse, France

    M Clanet

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  1. H Coppin
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  5. M Clanet
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  6. M-P Roth
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for the French Multiple Sclerosis Genetics Group

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Correspondence to M-P Roth.

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Coppin, H., Ribouchon, MT., Fontaine, B. et al. A vulnerability locus to multiple sclerosis maps to 7p15 in a region syntenic to an EAE locus in the rat. Genes Immun 5, 72–75 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.gene.6364038

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