SELPLG and SELP single-nucleotide polymorphisms in multiple sclerosis

P-Selectin (SELP) and P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (SELPLG) constitute a receptor/ligand complex involved in the recruitment of activated lymphocytes, a crit. event in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). In order to det. whether genetic variation in these pivotal mols. influences susceptibility to MS, we genotyped 214 Italian patients compared with 220 Italian controls for three single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs): SELPLG Met62Ile, SELP C-2123G and SELP Thr715Pro. No significant differences in both SELP SNPs were found between patients and controls, whereas a decreased frequency of the Met62Ile SNP was found in patients vs. controls in the Italian population (P= 0.025). To confirm these preliminary findings, the Met62Ile SNP was analyzed in 938 UK trio families. This SNP did not show evidence for assocn. with susceptibility to MS in the larger UK cohort. Therefore, none of the SNPs investigated is assocd. with MS, although this anal. does not conclusively exclude SELPLG and SELP as genetic risk factors for MS as much variation remains untested. [on SciFinder (R)]