Higher risk of Multiple Sclerosis based on IL-۴ Gene variations amongst some cohorts of Iranian patients

Background and Aim: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complex inflammatory disease of the central nervous system and characterized by chronic inflammation and axonal, oligodendrocytes injury. IL-۴, a B cell growth factor, plays a key role in the progress of inflammation and T cell differentiation into Th۲. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) can alter IL-۴ expression. The present study aims to evaluate the possible genetic association of functional IL-۴ polymorphic with MS disease in the West of IranMethods: In this case-control study, ۱۵۰ MS patients and ۱۲۰ healthy people were studied. DNA of all samples was extracted from peripheral blood. SNPs of C-۳۳T (rs۲۰۷۰۸۷۴) and C-۵۹۸T (rs۲۲۴۳۲۵۰) in the IL-۴ gene were genotyped using the PCR–RFLP assessment method. Allele and genotype frequencies of SNPs were determined, and the P-value was calculatedResults: Chi-square analysis suggest a significant association of rs۲۰۷۰۸۷۹ polymorphism of IL-۴ gene with MS (p = ۰.۰۰۱, OR= ۱.۷۹) and correlation between rs۲۲۴۳۲۵۰ in IL-۴ gene and MS (p = ۰.۰۳, OR= ۱.۶۶). The average T alleles associated with rs۲۰۷۰۸۷۹ variation was ۱۵.۵% for patients and۵.۶% for controls (P=۰.۰۰۴). Regarding the rs۲۲۴۳۲۵۰ polymorphism, average detected T alleles were ۱۸% for MS patients and ۱۲% for controls (P=۰.۰۵). No association was found between neither polymorphism nor EDSS and age Conclusion: Our results indicate that IL-۴ polymorphisms rs۲۰۷۰۸۷۴ and rs۲۲۴۳۲۵۰ appear to be involved in susceptibility to multiple sclerosis; hence, they can potentially be useful for determining the possible mechanism of the disease or helping preventative measures

Keywords:

Multiple Sclerosis , IL-۴ , genetic variation , risk