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28 January 2005
Genetic Variant In Women May Explain MS Vulnerability 
Physicians have wondered why women develop multiple sclerosis almost twice as often as men but now a Mayo Clinic led research team has identified a genetic variation that may explain it. The report, from researchers in Minnesota, Northern Ireland, Belgium and Italy, appears in the journal Genes & Immunity. MS is a complex neurological disease of the covering of the brain and spinal cord that disrupts nerve transmission. It is caused by a combination of genetic factors - there is not a single MS gene - and is also believed to be influenced by various factors in the environment. MS is diagnosed in an estimated 400,000 people a year in the United States. The hallmark of the disease is the emergence of multiple areas of inflammation and scarring of the protective myelin sheath that covers nerve fibers. Symptoms include fatigue, weakness, balance problems, numbness and vision problems if the optic nerve is affected. Though it often evolves into a progressive disease, its severity varies widely. Some patients have few discernable symptoms, while others steadily lose mobility and may require wheelchair assistance to move. Mayo Clinic neurologist Brian Weinshenker explained the findings. "In practical terms, this is what our findings suggest: How much of the protein known as 'interferon gamma' you produce appears to be a new key variable in understanding who gets MS and who doesn't, and especially why women develop MS more often than men. If you have a gene that produces high levels of interferon gamma, it may predispose you to developing MS. Under this scenario, men get MS less often because they have a lower frequency of a gene variant that is related to higher secretion of interferon gamma." Interferon gamma belongs to a group of proteins that communicate with cells. Research by scientists at the Cleveland Clinic has shown that women and men naturally express different levels of interferon gamma. Experiments elsewhere showed that high levels of interferon gamma could intensify the MS damage processes and make the disease worse. To researchers looking for a cure for MS, the finding is helpful for several reasons: it provides a target at which to direct future investigations into ways to stop MS, it gives clues on ways to improve treatments that can minimize the tissue and nerve damage the disease causes, and it may advance the search for new treatments for other diseases. "Our finding isn't the whole genetic cause, but it's a helpful step that could lead us to a more complete understanding of MS - and ultimately, effective treatment. It's also a very promising lead about gender differences that may pertain to susceptibility of other diseases, too, such as rheumatoid arthritis," said Weinshenker.
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