Link Between IL7R Polymorphisms and MS Reaffirmed

Although one single nucleotide polymorphism generally is associated with slightly increased multiple sclerosis risk, IL7R’s most common haplotype confers protection.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) has a concordance rate of nearly 30% in identical twins, indicating a strong genetic component to this disease. The single strongest genetic factor influencing susceptibility to MS is the HLA-DRB1 gene, and until recently, no finding of genetic association beyond the HLA region has been replicated. Two recent reports establish and replicate associations among polymorphisms in interleukin-7 receptor (IL7R) and MS.

Gregory and colleagues used genomic convergence, a technique that requires multiple sources and types of positive evidence to implicate a candidate gene. They analyzed 760 U.S. families of European descent, including 1055 people with MS, and identified a significant association with MS susceptibility for only…

Reviewing Author

Samia J. Khoury, MD