HLA COMPLEMENT GENE POLYMORPHISMS IN MULTIPLE-SCLEROSIS - A STUDY ON 80 ITALIAN PATIENTS

We studied C4A, C4B, and Bf complement gene polymorphisms in 80 Italia n patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). We observed a significantly h igher frequency of C4AQ0 allele in patients with the relapsing-remitti ng form of MS than in ethnically homogeneous controls. Restriction fra gment length polymorphism analysis by Southern blotting of the C4/CYP2 1 gene complex showed that a structural gene deletion was present in 4 5% of patients with the C4AQ0 allele. Our data support the hypothesis that relapsing-remitting MS and primarily chronic progressive MS are i mmunogenetically distinct diseases; further, complement factor abnorma lities typical of autoimmune diseases could influence the pathogenesis of MS.