[The VDR gene polymorphism in patients with multiple sclerosis].

Immune mechanisms play a pivotal role in the development of multiple sclerosis (MS). Vitamin D is an important biological immunoregulator acting through receptors of immunocompetent cells. Genotype and haplotype frequencies for VDR polymorphisms in a case-control study of MS have been investigated. Results have shown an association of the VDR T/t variant with the disease (p<0.05). This marker was also associated with the number of eosinophils in MS patients (p<0.05). Genetic variants B/b and F/f were associated with ESR and IgG levels and a number of CD16+ cells (p<0.05). An analysis of VDR haplotype frequencies and an association analysis between MS and VDR haplotypes have also been carried out. We demonstrated that carriers of the Bft haplotype were at higher risk for MS comparing to those with the btT variant. The data obtained suggest that the VDR t allele and the Bft haplotype could increase susceptibility to MS and have the influence on clinical manifestations of the disease.

[The 1188 A/C ILI2B gene polymorphism in patients with multiple sclerosis and in healthy subjects of Tomsk region].

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a multifactorial and polygenic disorder of the central nervous system, its development being under strong influence of T-helpers type I which produce anti-inflammation cytokines. Interleukin 12 (IL12) plays a key role in such polarization of the immune response. Genotyping for polymorphism of the IL12B gene in the 3'-untranslated region, coding for the p40(IL12B) subunit, has been carried out in 62 patients with MS and 129 healthy controls. The C/C genotype frequency was twice higher in patients as compared to the controls (33.9% and 17.4%, respectively). The allele C in patients was associated with shorter duration of the first remission (p = 0.028) which was 1.79 +/- 0.28 in those with the C allele and 3.27 +/- 0.68 in other patients. Mean rate of relapses per year was also higher (p = 0.079) in patients with the C allele (0.96 +/- 0.11) comparing with the A allele (0.72 +/- 0.11). During the treatment with copaxone, a trend towards increasing of the time before the first relapse was observed in patients with the C allele. An analysis of immunologic indices revealed that they changed in opposite directions depending on the gene variant. The C-allele is suggested to have relation both to liability to MS and to its pathogenesis.

[3-year results of clinical and immunological monitoring of patients with multiple sclerosis treated by copaxone].

Tipe 1 T-helper cells are of importance in development of multiple sclerosis (MS). Copaxone (TEVA, Israel) is one of the preventive drugs, which modifies T-helpers activity. Thirty-three patients with MS were treated by copaxone for 2 years and 13 patients--for 3 years. Clinical and immunological parameters were examined: amount of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD16+, CD22+, CD95+, CD25+ lymphocytes, HLA-D+ cells, IgG, IgA, IgM and phagocytosis. During the treatment course, mean rate of relapses decreased from the pretreatment value from 1.26 +/- 0.11 to 0.59 +/- 0.11 in the first year and 0.28 +/- 0.07 in the second one. After 3 years no relapses were observed in 13 patients. Relapse rate was the highest in the first 3-6 months. But after 3 months there was an increase of CD22+ cells that persisted for all the period of the study. After a year of the treatment, a level of IgM, IgG, IgA and CD95+ cells has raised significantly, with decreasing of a number of CD4+ and CD8+ cells. The authors suggest that immunological shift is related to mechanism of copaxone action determining its positive effect i.e. reducing of frequency of MS relapses.