Cellular radiosensitivity: expression of an MS susceptibility gene?

As a group, of 40 MS patients exhibited significantly more cellular sensitivity to ionizing (gamma) radiation than 30 age- and sex-matched controls (p less than 0.0001), as measured by radiation-induced chromosome aberrations. Studies of phytohemagglutinin-stimulated T lymphocytes, B lymphoblastoid cell lines, and fibroblasts indicated that the cellular radiosensitivity was a general property of the cells of an individual. Patterns of cellular radiosensitivity among the unaffected first-degree relatives of some MS patients suggested autosomal dominant inheritance. Cellular radiosensitivity may be due to mutations of DNA-processing that predispose to MS.