NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women are about twice as likely to develop multiple sclerosis (MS) as men and new research suggests that this may relate to variations in the gene for interferon (IFN)-gamma. “It’s a very promising lead about gender differences that may pertain to susceptibility to other disease too, such as rheumatoid arthritis,” Dr. Brian G. Weinshenker said in a statement.
IFN-gamma therapy is known to have an adverse effect on MS outcomes, and women are known to express more IFN-gamma than men. These observations led Dr. Weinshenker, from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and colleagues to evaluate the association between IFN-gamma gene variants and MS risk in a case-control study involving three different populations.
In US and Irish populations of men, gene variants resulting in increased IFN-gamma expression were tied to a heightened risk of MS, the researchers report in the January 27th online issue of Genes & Immunity.
A similar, but non-significant, trend was also observed among Belgian men.
So what does this have to do with the gender bias in MS? As it turns out, women are more likely to harbor these variants than men, the report indicates.
“Our finding isn’t the whole genetic cause,” Dr. Weinshenker said, “but it’s a helpful step that could lead us to a more complete understanding of MS -- and ultimately, effective treatment.”
Source: Genes Immun 2005. [ Google search on this article ]
Copyright © 2002 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.
