TAP-1 AND TAP-2 TRANSPORTER GENE POLYMORPHISMS IN MULTIPLE-SCLEROSIS - NO EVIDENCE FOR DISEASE ASSOCIATION WITH TAP

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is known to be associated with HLA-DR2, but it is possible that additional major histocompatibility complex (MHC) ge nes confer disease susceptibility. The most recent candidate genes for MHC-encoded susceptibility are the TAP genes, which are located betwe en the HLA-DQ and DP loci, and encode for proteins believed to transpo rt antigenic peptides from the cytoplasm into the endoplasmic reticulu m. We studied TAP 1 and TAP 2 gene polymorphisms in 65 chronic progres sive MS patients and 66 healthy subjects. No significant differences i n the frequencies of TAP polymorphisms were observed between both grou ps. These data suggest that TAP is not a susceptibility gene for MS an d that the disease-predisposing haplotype does not extend as far as TA P.