Interleukin 32 gene promoter polymorphism: A genetic risk factor for multiple sclerosis in Kashmiri population

Objective: Although the exact cause of multiple sclerosis is not known, there are a number of factors involved mainly environmental and genetic factors. The present study was done to determine association between IL-32 gene promoter polymorphism and IL-32 levels with multiple sclerosis.

Methods: 48 relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis patients and 60 healthy controls were compared for IL-32 gene promoter polymorphism and IL-32 levels.

Results: There was no significant difference in genotype CT between the MS patients and healthy controls (p 0.130) where as a significant difference in genotype (CC) frequencies among MS patients and healthy controls (p 0.039) was observed. The difference in C allele frequency was also statistically significant between two study groups (p 0.01). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that the CC genotype might impact the risk of disease susceptibility up to 3.71 times and the presence of C allele might increase the risk of susceptibility to multiple sclerosis by 2.26 fold. The serum IL-32 levels were not statistically different multiple sclerosis patients and healthy controls and between wild and mutant genotypes.

Conclusions: IL-32 gene promoter polymorphism is a genetic risk factor for multiple sclerosis patients particularly women.