Season of birth and not vitamin D receptor promoter polymorphisms is a risk factor for multiple sclerosis

• Published in: Multiple sclerosis Vol. 15; no. 10; pp. 1146 - 1152
• Main Authors: de Abreu, DA Fernandes, Babron I, MC, Rebeix, C., Fontenille, J., Yaouanq, D., Brassat, B., Fontaine, F., Clerget-Darpoux, F., Jehan, F., Feron
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.10.2009; Sage Publications; Sage Publications Ltd
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Degenerative and inherited degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Leukodystrophies. Prion diseases; France - epidemiology; Gene Frequency; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Genotype; Humans; Incidence; Medical sciences; Multiple Sclerosis - epidemiology; Multiple Sclerosis - etiology; Multiple Sclerosis - genetics; Multiple sclerosis and variants. Guillain barré syndrome and other inflammatory polyneuropathies. Leukoencephalitis; Neurology; Parents; Parturition; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Promoter Regions, Genetic; Prospective Studies; Receptors, Calcitriol - genetics; Risk; Risk Factors; Seasons; France; association study %TIM; season of birth; vitamin D receptor; polymorphisms; human; multiple sclerosis; Human; Nervous system diseases; Multiple sclerosis; Inflammatory disease; Vitamin D; Central nervous system disease; Risk factor; Degenerative disease; Season; Polymorphism; Biological receptor
• ISSN: 1352-4585; 1477-0970
• DOI: 10.1177/1352458509106780

Both genetic and environmental factors contribute to multiple sclerosis, the most common neurodegenerative disorder with onset in young adults. The objective of the current study is, based on the hypothesis that environmentally predisposed individuals are at risk for multiple sclerosis, to investigate whether they also carry genetic variants within the vitamin D machinery. Using medical files and DNA samples from 583 trios (a patient and both parents) of the French Multiple Sclerosis Genetics Group as well as data from the French Statistics Bureau, we aimed to assess whether: (1) a seasonality of birth was observed in French multiple sclerosis patients; (2) three single nucleotide polymorphisms within the promoter region of the vitamin D receptor were associated with multiple sclerosis susceptibility; and (3) the combination of a high risk month of birth and vitamin D receptor polymorphisms were correlated to multiple sclerosis incidence. We observed a significantly reduced number of individuals born in November who were later diagnosed as multiple sclerosis patients. However, we found no association between the three studied vitamin D receptor polymorphisms and multiple sclerosis. In conclusion, our data suggest that high levels of vitamin D during the third trimester of pregnancy could be a protective factor for multiple sclerosis.