Genes Immun. 2003 Oct;4(7):518-23
Cournu-Rebeix I, Genin E, Lesca G, Azoulay-Cayla A, Tubridy N, Noe
E, Clanet M, Edan G, Clerget-Darpoux F, Semana G, Fontaine B.
Laboratoire des affections de la myeline et des canaux ioniques musculaires-INSERM
U546, Faculte de Medecine Pitie-Salpetriere, Paris, France.
Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and its receptors are adhesion molecules that play a key role in the transmigration of inflammatory cells through the blood-brain barrier, one of the earliest events in multiple sclerosis (MS), which leads to demyelination in the central nervous system.
To investigate the role of genes encoding ICAM-1 and its receptors, we used a strategy of genetic linkage and association in 439 case-parent MS families of French origin, well characterized according to HLA status and severity.
We demonstrate that the genes encoding ICAM-1 receptors do not influence MS susceptibility or severity.
ICAM-1 had a modest, but significant effect on MS genetic susceptibility, independent of HLA and disease severity.
We observed a rare, and an as yet unreported, ICAM-1 gene haplotype defined by amino acids K469 and R241 that was never transmitted to patients suggesting a protective effect against MS in our population.