Multiple sclerosis and genetic polymorphisms in fibrinogen-mediated hemostatic pathways: a case-control study

Blood coagulation constituents might exert immunomodulatory functions in the CNS and may trigger neuroinflammation and demyelination. We evaluated whether particular single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), thought to be involved in fibrinogen-mediated hemostatic pathways, are overrepresented in patients with MS compared with controls.

The case-control study consisted of 119 MS patients recruited consecutively at our clinic, and 68 healthy controls. Afterwards, we created a cumulative genetic risk score (CGRS) which included the 5 selected hemostatic risk alleles (Beta-Fibrinogen 455G/A, Glycoprotein IIIa P1A2, Factor V Leiden, Factor V H2R, and Prothrombin 20210G/A). Multivariate ordinal logistic regression and multivariate multinomial logistic regression were applied to evaluate the effect of CGRS on MS susceptibility.

The FGB 455 G/A and Factor V H1299R variants might be associated with MS status, in the recessive and dominant model, respectively. A cumulative association of the five SNPs investigated with the disease was observed.

We found that MS patients carried more pro-hemostatic variants than healthy controls. An increasing number of unfavorable alleles might increase the likelihood of being in the MS group, in the cumulative analysis. Our findings encourage to evaluating these variants in a larger population-based cohort.