Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 9, 2026
08:44
Separation of Immune Cell Subpopulations in Peripheral Blood Samples from Children with Infectious Mononucleosis
Published on: September 7, 2022
Infectious mononucleosis-linked HLA class I single nucleotide polymorphism is associated with multiple sclerosis
Naghmeh Jafari1, Linda Broer, Ilse A Hoppenbrouwers
1Department of Neurology, ErasMS Centre, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Multiple Sclerosis (Houndmills, Basingstoke, England)
|August 26, 2010
Summary
A specific gene variant (rs6457110) in HLA class I is linked to both infectious mononucleosis and multiple sclerosis. This finding suggests shared genetic factors may underlie the connection between these conditions.
Area of Science:
- Immunogenetics
- Neuroimmunology
- Human Genetics
Background:
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease influenced by genetic and environmental factors.
- Infectious mononucleosis (IM) is a known environmental risk factor for MS.
- Recent studies identified an association between IM and a specific HLA class I polymorphism.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between the IM-linked HLA class I single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs6457110 and MS.
- To determine if this specific genetic marker contributes to MS susceptibility.
Main Methods:
- Genotyping of the HLA-A SNP rs6457110 was conducted using TaqMan assay.
- The study included 591 MS cases and 600 healthy controls.
- Logistic regression analysis, adjusted for age, sex, and HLA-DRB1*1501 status, was used to test the association.
Main Results:
- The minor allele (A) of HLA-A rs6457110 was significantly associated with an increased risk of MS (OR = 0.68; p = 4.08 × 10⁻⁵).
- Even after stratifying for the major MS risk allele HLA-DRB1*1501, the association between HLA-A rs6457110 and MS remained significant (OR = 0.70; p = 0.003).
Conclusions:
- The HLA class I SNP rs6457110 is associated with both infectious mononucleosis and multiple sclerosis.
- This association is independent of the major class II allele HLA-DRB1*1501.
- These findings support the hypothesis of shared genetic underpinnings contributing to the link between IM and MS.
Related Concept Videos
01:19Multiple Sclerosis l: Introduction
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that affects the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. It is an inflammatory demyelinating disorder and a leading cause of neurological disability in young adults.EpidemiologyMS commonly begins between 20 and 40 years of age and is twice as common in women. Its exact cause remains unclear, but genetic susceptibility contributes, with higher risk in first-degree relatives and identical twins. A greater...
01:05Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms-SNPs
A single nucleotide polymorphism or SNP is a single nucleotide variation at a specific genomic position in a large population. It is the most prevalent type of sequence variation found in the human genome. Point mutations that occur in more than 1% of the population qualify as SNPs. These are present once every 1000 nucleotides on an average in the human genome. Replacement of a purine with another purine (A/G) or a pyrimidine with another pyrimidine (C/T) is known as a transition. In contrast,...
01:27Cytomegalovirus Disease
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease is caused by human cytomegalovirus, a double-stranded DNA virus of the Herpesviridae family. While primary CMV infection is often asymptomatic in immunocompetent individuals, the virus can cause severe disease in neonates and immunocompromised patients. CMV is the most common cause of congenital viral infection in the United States, and a major pathogen in solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients.CMV is transmitted via bodily fluids, sexual...
01:11Genome-wide Association Studies-GWAS
Genome-wide association studies or GWAS are used to identify whether common SNPs are associated with certain diseases. Suppose specific SNPs are more frequently observed in individuals with a particular disease than those without the disease. In that case, those SNPs are said to be associated with the disease. Chi-square analysis is performed to check the probability of the allele likely to be associated with the disease.
GWAS does not require the identification of the target gene involved in...
GWAS does not require the identification of the target gene involved in...
03:18Non-LTR Retrotransposons
As the name suggests, non-LTR retrotransposons lack the long terminal repeats characteristic of the LTR retrotransposons. Additionally, both LTR and non-LTR retrotransposons use distinct mechanisms of mobilization. Non-LTR retrotransposons are further divided into two classes - Long interspersed nuclear elements (LINEs) and short interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs), both of which occur abundantly in most mammals, including humans. Some of the active non-LTR retrotransposons in humans are L1...
01:26Antigens Involved in Adaptive Immunity
An antigen is any substance the immune system identifies as foreign and potentially harmful to the body, prompting an immune response. Antigens have two functional properties: immunogenicity and reactivity. Immunogenicity is the ability of an antigen to stimulate a specific immune response. At the same time, reactivity describes the antigen's ability to react with the cells and antibodies produced in response to it.
Complete Antigens
Complete antigens possess both immunogenicity and reactivity.
Complete Antigens
Complete antigens possess both immunogenicity and reactivity.