Early B-cell Factor gene association with multiple sclerosis in the Spanish population.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The etiology of multiple sclerosis (MS) is at present not fully elucidated, although it is considered to result from the interaction of environmental and genetic susceptibility factors. In this work we aimed at testing the Early B-cell Factor (EBF1) gene as a functional and positional candidate risk factor for this neurological disease. Axonal damage is a hallmark for multiple sclerosis clinical disability and EBF plays an evolutionarily conserved role in the expression of proteins essential for axonal pathfinding. Failure of B-cell differentiation was found in EBF-deficient mice and involvement of B-lymphocytes in MS has been suggested from their presence in cerebrospinal fluid and lesions of patients.

Methods

The role of the EBF1 gene in multiple sclerosis susce

SUBMITTER: Martinez A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1291372 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature