Abstract
Background and objectives:
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a common inflammatory disease of the central nervous system. A contribution from complement has long been suspected. We investigated the association of complement factor H (CFH) Tyr402 His gene polymorphism and serum level in Egyptian patients with MS to examine whether complement might identify or predict specific pathological processes and outcomes in MS.
Design and setting:
This case-control study was performed during 2013 on MS subjects who attended the Department of Neurology, Cairo University Teaching Hospital.
Patients and methods:
The study included 86 subjects with MS and 74 healthy controls (HC). They were divided into two sets of patients: we measured serum CFH level in 42 patients and 34 HC, and CFH Tyr402 His gene polymorphism in 44 MS patients and 40 HC. Serum CFH was measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Complement factor H Tyr402 His gene polymorphism was detected using polymerase chain reaction followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis.
Results:
Serum CFH levels were significantly higher in the MS group and subgroups (P < 0.05) than those in the control group. There was no significant difference in the frequency of CFH Tyr402 His genotypes and alleles between MS patients and healthy controls.
Conclusion:
There was evidence that serum CFH level may be associated with disease risk. There was no evidence that CFH Tyr402 His gene polymorphism is associated with disease risk.