Histamine-N-methyl transferase polymorphism and risk for multiple sclerosis
E García-Martín1, C Martínez, J Benito-León
1Biochemistry-Molecular Biology Department, University of Extremadura, Badajoz, Spain.
European Journal of Neurology
|June 23, 2009
Summary
The histamine N-methyltransferase (HNMT) gene polymorphism does not appear to increase the risk for developing multiple sclerosis (MS). This study found no significant association between HNMT variants and MS susceptibility or disease characteristics.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Genetics
- Immunology
Background:
- Histamine N-methyltransferase (HNMT) is crucial for histamine metabolism in the central nervous system (CNS).
- Histamine is an inflammatory mediator implicated in multiple sclerosis (MS) pathogenesis.
- A specific HNMT single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) results in reduced enzyme activity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between the HNMT Thr105Ile polymorphism and the risk of developing MS.
- To determine if this HNMT variant influences MS onset, gender distribution, or disease progression.
Main Methods:
- Genotyping of HNMT variants in 228 MS patients and 295 healthy controls.
- Utilized Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RLFP) for genotyping.
- Analyzed genotype and allelic variant frequencies.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in HNMT genotype or allelic variant frequencies were observed between MS patients and controls.
- The HNMT polymorphism showed no association with age of MS onset, gender, or disease course.
- The Thr105Ile substitution in HNMT did not correlate with MS risk.
Conclusions:
- The studied HNMT polymorphism is not a risk factor for multiple sclerosis.
- Genetic variations in HNMT do not appear to play a significant role in MS susceptibility or its clinical presentation.
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