Interdependency of gene expression and polymorphism with susceptibility and response to interferon beta in patients with multiple sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a multifactorial inflammatory and autoimmune condition that lead to chronic neurodegeneration and central nervous system (CNS) demyelination that mainly affects young adults. The incidence and prevalence rate of MS considerably vary in ethnicities and geographic regions and affecting women more than men. Interferon-β (IFN-β) is the first-line disease management for MS, while the majority of affected members does not respond to the IFN-β. Numerous recent studies shown a significant relationship between genetic variations and responsiveness to the IFN-β. Therefore, determining the genetic differences in the drug response could help determine precise treatment strategies.

METHODS

The genotyping of the rs7298096 polymorphism (SNP) and gene expression were assessed in 99 responders and 106 non-responder patients with IFN-β treated RRMS.

RESULTS

The distribution of rs7298096 SNP was significantly different in the responders and non-responder patients and the gene expression considerably increased in the non-responder patients compare to the responders. The gene expression level in the AA genotype of the non-responder group was higher than to the other genotypes of both groups.

CONCLUSION

Our results showed that the gene expression level and rs7298096 genotype possibly affect the response to the IFN-β in patients with RRMS.