Association between polymorphisms of a folate - homocysteine - methionine - SAM metabolising enzyme gene and multiple sclerosis in a Polish population

Neurol Neurochir Pol. 2019;53(3):194-198. doi: 10.5603/PJNNS.a2019.0019. Epub 2019 May 30.

Abstract

Background and objectives: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory, autoimmune disease with a still unknown aetiology. The main initial mechanism of demyelination and injury to the central nervous system (CNS) appears to be inflammation. Neurotoxicity induced by homocysteine (Hcy) may be a factor affecting this process. 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) is an essential enzyme involved in Hcy metabolism. It leads to Hcy remethylation to methionine. In the present study, we aimed to investigate a possible association between two variants of MTHFR gene in patients with MS in Poland and healthy individuals.

Methods: In this study, we genotyped 174 relapsing-remitting MS patients and 186 healthy controls using the TaqMan technique.

Results and conclusions: It was found that, regardless of the presence of a specific allele, the gender of MS patients affects age at the time of the clinical onset of the disease: in rs1801133 for the C allele and T, the average age was 35 years for women and 29 for men (p = 0.0004; p = 0.034 respectively). Similarly for the second polymorphism rs1801131 for the A allele and C, the average age was 35 years for women and 29 for men (p = 0.001; p = 0.01 respectively). No significant allelic / genotypic frequency differences have been observed between the studied groups (c.677C > T, CT/TT p = 0.719, p = 0.262; c.1298A > C, AC/CC of p = 0.686; p = 0.66). We found no association between polymorphisms of a folate-homocysteine-methionine-SAM metabolising gene enzyme and multiple sclerosis in a Polish population.

Keywords: MTHFR gene; folate; multiple sclerosis; polymorphism.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Female
  • Folic Acid
  • Gene Frequency
  • Genotype
  • Homocysteine
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Methionine
  • Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2)
  • Multiple Sclerosis*
  • Poland

Substances

  • Homocysteine
  • Folic Acid
  • Methionine
  • MTHFR protein, human
  • Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2)