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Familial clustering of multiple sclerosis in a Dutch genetic isolate

I A Hoppenbrouwers1, L M Pardo Cortes, Y S Aulchenko

  • 1Department of Neurology, MS Centre ErasMS, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam 3015 GD, The Netherlands.

Multiple Sclerosis (Houndmills, Basingstoke, England)
|February 14, 2007
PubMed

Insights

This study found that multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in a Dutch isolate show significant familial aggregation and inbreeding. This genetically isolated population is valuable for identifying new MS genes.

Area of Science:

  • Genetics
  • Neurology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Multiple sclerosis (MS) has a significant genetic component that remains incompletely understood.
  • Genetically isolated populations offer unique opportunities to study disease aggregation and genetic factors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the familial aggregation of multiple sclerosis (MS) within a genetically isolated population in The Netherlands.
  • To assess the degree of relatedness, inbreeding, and kinship among MS patients in this isolate.
  • To explore potential associations with other autoimmune diseases and HLA alleles.

Main Methods:

  • Identification of 48 MS patients from a Dutch isolate.
  • Pedigree analysis using municipal and church records to trace familial relationships.
  • Calculation of inbreeding and kinship coefficients for MS patients and a control group.
  • HLA typing for patients and controls.

Main Results:

  • A significant familial aggregation of MS was observed in the isolate.
  • MS patients exhibited higher rates of relatedness and inbreeding compared to controls.
  • No significant clustering of Type 1 diabetes or autoimmune thyroid diseases was found in MS families.
  • A non-significant trend towards increased prevalence of the HLA DRB1*15 allele in MS patients was noted.

Conclusions:

  • The study confirms familial aggregation of MS in this genetically isolated Dutch population.
  • The high inbreeding level in this isolate makes it a valuable resource for discovering novel genes implicated in MS pathogenesis.

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