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Interleukin 7 receptor α chain (IL7R) shows allelic and functional association with multiple sclerosis

  • Simon G. Gregory
  • , Silke Schmidt
  • , Puneet Seth
  • , Jorge R. Oksenberg
  • , John Hart
  • , Angela Prokop
  • , Stacy J. Caillier
  • , Maria Ban
  • , An Goris
  • , Lisa F. Barcellos
  • , Robin Lincoln
  • , Jacob L. McCauley
  • , Stephen J. Sawcer
  • , D. A.S. Compston
  • , Benedicte Dubois
  • , Stephen L. Hauser
  • , Mariano A. Garcia-Blanco
  • , Margaret A. Pericak-Vance
  • , Jonathan L. Haines

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis is a demyelinating neurodegenerative disease with a strong genetic component. Previous genetic risk studies have failed to identify consistently linked regions or genes outside of the major histocompatibility complex on chromosome 6p. We describe allelic association of a polymorphism in the gene encoding the interleukin 7 receptor α chain (IL7R) as a significant risk factor for multiple sclerosis in four independent family-based or case-control data sets (overall P = 2.9 × 10-7). Further, the likely causal SNP, rs6897932, located within the alternatively spliced exon 6 of IL7R, has a functional effect on gene expression. The SNP influences the amount of soluble and membrane-bound isoforms of the protein by putatively disrupting an exonic splicing silencer.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1083-1091
Number of pages9
JournalNature Genetics
Volume39
Issue number9
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2007
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Genetics

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