Breakthrough In National Diseases: Common Factor Behind Myocardial Infarction, Rheumatism And MS

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Source: Karolinska Institutet

Date: 2005-05-07

Breakthrough In National Diseases: Common Factor Behind Myocardial

Infarction, Rheumatism And MS

A common gene variant has been identified as the risk factor behind a

number of common diseases by research scientists at Karolinska

Institutet and the Centre for Molecular Medicine (CMM), Stockholm,

Sweden. Up to a quarter of the population could be affected.

Researchers in the fields of cardiovascular disease, rheumatism and MS

have together shown that there is a common risk factor for these

conditions. It is the first identified gene to link autoimmune diseases

with cardiovascular diseases.

" This gene variant can therefore be one of the single largest genetic

causes of complex diseases with inflammatory components, " says Fredrik

Piehl, associate professor at Karolinska Institutet and researcher at

the CMM. " There is also a chance that other diseases are also affected

by this gene variant. The discovery can now lead to more reliable

diagnostics and better treatments for a great number of patients. "

The gene variant was first identified in an animal model and then

studied in a number of patient groups to ascertain if there was a link

to human diseases. The researchers discovered that people with the

variant ran a 20-40 per cent greater risk of developing rheumatism, MS

or a myocardial infarction. The gene variant is also common: an

estimated 20-25 per cent of the population carry it.

The discovery reveals a new area of application for statins, drugs

usually taken to lower cholesterol levels. Statins have been shown to

reduce activity in this gene and thus produce anti-inflammatory

effects. Statins have now been tested on MS patients and have been

demonstrated to be beneficial in this very way.

The disease-associated gene variant leads to a reduction in the

production of a number of immune defence proteins. Some viruses and

bacteria have also been observed to influence the gene in an attempt to

evade the immune defence system, a strategy employed, for example, by

the viruses that cause AIDS, herpes and hepatitis.

The article, entitled " MHC2TA is associated with differential MHC

molecule expression and susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis,

multiple sclerosis and myocardial infarction " will be published on the

Nature Genetics website on Sunday 10 April at 1.00 p.m. (Eastern US

Time).