No linkage or association of the nitric oxide synthase genes to multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central ne rvous system (CNS) of unknown etiology. Nitric oxide (NO) is a free radical that participates in a variety of biological processes. It is an important mediator in the immune response. Several studies indicate involvement of N O in the pathogenesis of MS. We studied five markers within the three NO synthase genes with regards to susceptibility and disease course in 156 affected sib-pairs and in 96 "beni gn" and 96 "severe" definite MS patients and 148 controls. We found no significant association or evidence for linkage in our data set s. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.