Association between LAG3/CD4 Genes Variants and Risk for Multiple Sclerosis

Several recent works have raised the possibility of the contribution of the lymphocyte activation gene 3 (LAG3) protein in the inflammatory processes of multiple sclerosis (MS). Results of studies on the possible association between gene variants and the risk of MS have been inconclusive. In this study, we tried to show the possible association between the most common single nucleotide variants (SNVs) in the and genes (these two genes are closely related) and the risk of MS in the Caucasian Spanish population. We studied the genotypes and allelic variants , , and in 300 patients diagnosed with MS and 400 healthy patients using specific -based qPCR assays. We analyzed the possible influence of the genotype frequency on age at the onset of MS, the severity of MS, clinical evolutive subtypes of MS, and the genotype. The frequencies of the , , and genotypes and allelic variants were not associated with the risk of MS and were unrelated to gender, age at onset and severity of MS, the clinical subtype of MS, and genotype. The results of the current study showed a lack of association between the , , and SNVs and the risk of developing MS in the Caucasian Spanish population.