Genetic basis for relapse rate in multiple sclerosis: Association with LRP2 genetic variation

In contrast to successes for multiple sclerosis (MS) susceptibility, the genetic basis for clinical heterogeneity remains largely unresolved.

We investigate the first reported genetic association with relapse rate.

We genotyped variant rs12988804 in LRP2 in a homogeneous study population of 527 Belgian MS patients with 970 documented relapses.

The rs12988804*T allele is associated with a 1.16-fold increased hazard rate for a relapse occurring ( P = 0.0078) and a higher baseline relapse rate prior to immunomodulatory treatment ( P = 0.044).

Variant rs12988804 in LRP2, the first example of a genome-wide significant association with relapse rate in MS, is replicated in an independent study.