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[Apolipoprotein E polymorphism as a predictor of progression of multiple sclerosis]
A L Guerrero1, V Bueno, M T Hernández
1Unidad de Neurología, Hospital Río Carrión, Palencia, Spain. aguerrerop@medynet.com
Introduction:
During recent years, different studies have proposed that apolipoprotein E e4 can be a predictor of progression in multiple sclerosis. We aim to evaluate these findings in our country.
Patients And Methods:
We studied 42 patients with relapsing remitting or secondary progressive multiple sclerosis, and a disease duration of at least 2 years. We correlated the presence or absence of e4 allele with markers of progression such as age of onset and diagnosis, disease duration, number of relapses, EDSS at 1, 2, 5 and 10 years, progression index and relapse rate.
Results:
None of the parameters evaluated significantly correlate with e4 allele of the APOE.
Conclusions:
In spite of the limitation due to the small number of patients studied, we cannot confirm that APOE e4 allele is a predictor of progression of disability in multiple sclerosis.
Insights
The apolipoprotein E e4 allele does not predict multiple sclerosis progression. This study found no significant correlation between the e4 allele and disease markers in patients with multiple sclerosis.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimmunology
- Genetics
- Neurology
Context:
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease affecting the central nervous system.
- The apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene, particularly the e4 allele, has been investigated as a potential predictor of disease progression in MS.
Purpose:
- To investigate the association between the apolipoprotein E e4 allele and markers of disability progression in patients with multiple sclerosis.
Summary:
- This study analyzed 42 patients with relapsing-remitting or secondary progressive multiple sclerosis.
- Correlations between the APOE e4 allele and various progression markers (age of onset, disease duration, relapses, EDSS, progression index, relapse rate) were assessed.
- No statistically significant correlation was found between the presence of the APOE e4 allele and any of the evaluated progression parameters.
Impact:
- The findings suggest that APOE e4 may not be a reliable predictor of multiple sclerosis progression in the studied cohort.
- Further research with larger sample sizes is needed to definitively confirm or refute this association.