Multiple sclerosis: individualized disease susceptibility and therapy response

Association of matrix metalloproteinase-7A-181G variants with the risk of multiple sclerosis

Aim: To investigate the influence of matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7) A-181G on the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) and neurological disability. Patients & methods: The variants of MMP-7 were studied in 126 MS patients and 190 healthy controls. Results: The MMP-7 G allele and AG+GG genotype significantly increased the risk of MS in females (odds ratio: 1.59; p = 0.011) and patients with the age at disease onset of ≤19 years (odds ratio: 8.77; p = 0.038), respectively. Patients with clinical course of secondary progressive MS carriers of AG genotype had higher mean Expanded Disability Status Scale (4.9 ± 0.85; p = 0.01) compared with carriers of AA genotype (3.75 ± 0.41). Conclusion: The MMP-7 A-181G polymorphism might be associated with susceptibility to MS in females and individuals with the age at disease onset of ≤19 years and with neurological disability in secondary progressive MS.

Diffusion Tensor Imaging in NAWM and NADGM in MS and CIS: Association with Candidate Biomarkers in Sera

The aim of this study was to evaluate diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) indices in the corpus callosum and pyramidal tract in normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) and the caudate nucleus and thalamus in deep grey matter (NADGM) in all MS subtypes and clinically isolated syndrome (CIS). Furthermore, it was determined whether these metrics are associated with clinical measures and the serum levels of candidate immune biomarkers. Apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC) values were significantly higher than in controls in all six studied NAWM regions in SPMS, 4/6 regions in RRMS and PPMS and 2/6 regions in CIS. In contrast, decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) values in comparison to controls were detected in 2/6 NAWM regions in SPMS and 1/6 in RRMS and PPMS. In RRMS, the level of neurological disability correlated with thalamic FA values (r = 0.479, P = 0.004). In chronic progressive subtypes and CIS, ADC values of NAWM and NADGM were associated with the levels of MIF, sFas, and sTNF-α. Our data indicate that DTI may be useful in detecting pathological changes in NAWM and NADGM in MS patients and that these changes are related to neurological disability.