Linkage disequilibrium screening for multiple sclerosis implicates JAG1 and POU2AF1 as susceptibility genes in Europeans.

By combining all the data available from the Genetic Analysis of Multiple sclerosis in EuropeanS (GAMES) project, we have been able to identify 17 microsatellite markers showing consistent evidence for apparent association. As might be expected five of these markers map within the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) and are in LD with HLA-DRB1. Individual genotyping of the 12 non-MHC markers confirmed association for three of them--D11S1986, D19S552 and D20S894.

Association of a common polymorphism in the promoter of UCP2 with susceptibility to multiple sclerosis.

Uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) is a member of the mitochondrial proton transport family that uncouples proton entry to the mitochondria from ATP synthesis. UCP2 expression levels have been linked to predisposition to diabetes and obesity. In addition, UCP2 prevents neuronal death and injury.

A genome screen for linkage disequilibrium in HLA-DRB1*15-positive Germans with multiple sclerosis based on 4666 microsatellite markers.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating disorder of the central nervous system with putative autoimmune aetiology and complex genetic background. Here, we report the results of a genome screen for linkage disequilibrium (LD) by using 6000 microsatellite markers in 198 HLA-DRB1*15-positive MS patients and 198 unrelated controls (pooled DNA); 4666 analysed markers could be included in the resulting association map, from which 87 revealed significant differences between MS cases and controls.