Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a degenerative disease of the central nervous system which is characterised by ‘myelin loss, axonal pathology and progressive neurological dysfunction’ [1]. While there is no known cause for MS, both genetic and environmental aspects are recognised as having significant impact. The strongest impact on the genetic risk of acquiring MS is linked to an allelic variation within the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC ) Class II Region. Within the MHC, a region at or near the HLA-DRB1 locus impacts on the risk of MS with ‘the dominant haplotype (group of alleles or genes) of Northern Europe, marked by the presence of DRB1*1501, [increasing] the risk of Multiple Sclerosis by 3-fold’ [1].
Research has also revealed a significant correlation between geographic location and prevalence of MS which, in the Northern Hemisphere, shows a ‘north-south gradient, mirrored by a south-north gradient in the Southern Hemisphere’ [1]. This geographic distribution of the disease suggests that sunlight, through its role in producing vitamin D, is a key environmental factor associated with the risk of MS. Previous evidence of the roles that vitamin D has on the development and function of the immune and central nervous systems suggest how a lack of vitamin D could affect the risk of MS, yet no direct link had been established. This research discovered that vitamin D was directly related to the expression of the HLA-DRB1*1501 gene.
In conclusion, this study provides evidence to support previous beliefs that: sunlight and vitamin D are intrinsically related to the risk of MS, implying that the supplementation of vitamin D to individuals at specific times may be vital in the prevention of MS. Hence, this study has implications on research into the prevention of and efforts to find a cure for this disease.
Reference [1] :
Ramagopalan SV, Maugeri NJ, Handunnetthi L, Lincoln MR, Orton S-M, et al. (2009) Expression of the Multiple Sclerosis-Associated MHC Class II Allele HLA-DRB1*1501 Is Regulated by Vitamin D. PLoS Genet 5(2): e1000369. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1000369
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Posted by: Erica Ortt
Student #: 4202 6466
