Toward further mapping of the association between the IL2RA locus and type 1 diabetes
DIABETES
Authors: Qu, Hui-Qi; Montpetit, Alexander; Ge, Bing; Hudson, Thomas J.; Polychronakos, Constantin
Abstract
A novel type I diabetes locus was mapped to the interleukin-2 receptor et gene (IL2RA) on chromosome 10p15.1, encoding an important modulator of immunity. The aim of the current study was to confirm the association of IL2RA with type 1 diabetes and to attempt further mapping of the genetic effect with a new set of 12 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). We genotyped 949 nuclear family trios with one type 1 diabetes-affected offspring and two parents (2,847 individuals). Two of the 12 IL2RA SNPs genotyped (rs706778 and rs3118470) had statistically significant type 1 diabetes association (P = 6.96 x 10(-4) and 8.63 x 10(-4), respectively). Both SNPs are located in the 5' end of the long intron 1 within 3 kb of each other and are in high linkage disequilibrium (D' = 0.997, r(2) = 0.613). The A-C haplotype (frequency = 0.331) was associated with increased type I diabetes risk (P = 3.02 x 10(-4)). Our study identifies two markers in the IL2RA gene that are significantly associated with type I diabetes, supporting IL2RA as a promising candidate gene for type 1 diabetes and suggesting a potential role of IL2R alpha in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes, likely involving regulatory T-cells.
No influence on disease progression of non-HLA susceptibility genes in MS
JOURNAL OF NEUROIMMUNOLOGY
Authors: Lundstrom, Wangko; Greiner, Eva; Lundmark, Frida; Westerlind, Helga; Smestad, Cathrine; Lorentzen, Aslaug R.; Kockum, Ingrid; Link, Jenny; Brynedal, Boel; Celius, Elisabeth G.; Harbo, Hanne F.; Masterman, Thomas; Hillert, Jan
Abstract
Recently, several non-HLA loci have been shown to be convincingly associated with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) susceptibility, assumingly indicating important pathways in the pathogenesis. A genotype influence on disease outcome measures by these genes would support a role of these pathways in ongoing tissue damage. Here, however, we report a consistent dissociation between causation and progression for five non-HLA genotypes (IL7R, IL2RA, CLEC16A, CD226 and SH2B3) in 1776 Scandinavian MS patients. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.