Nature Communications (Jun 2018)

DNA methylation as a mediator of HLA-DRB1*15:01 and a protective variant in multiple sclerosis

  • Lara Kular,
  • Yun Liu,
  • Sabrina Ruhrmann,
  • Galina Zheleznyakova,
  • Francesco Marabita,
  • David Gomez-Cabrero,
  • Tojo James,
  • Ewoud Ewing,
  • Magdalena Lindén,
  • Bartosz Górnikiewicz,
  • Shahin Aeinehband,
  • Pernilla Stridh,
  • Jenny Link,
  • Till F. M. Andlauer,
  • Christiane Gasperi,
  • Heinz Wiendl,
  • Frauke Zipp,
  • Ralf Gold,
  • Björn Tackenberg,
  • Frank Weber,
  • Bernhard Hemmer,
  • Konstantin Strauch,
  • Stefanie Heilmann-Heimbach,
  • Rajesh Rawal,
  • Ulf Schminke,
  • Carsten O. Schmidt,
  • Tim Kacprowski,
  • Andre Franke,
  • Matthias Laudes,
  • Alexander T. Dilthey,
  • Elisabeth G. Celius,
  • Helle B. Søndergaard,
  • Jesper Tegnér,
  • Hanne F. Harbo,
  • Annette B. Oturai,
  • Sigurgeir Olafsson,
  • Hannes P. Eggertsson,
  • Bjarni V. Halldorsson,
  • Haukur Hjaltason,
  • Elias Olafsson,
  • Ingileif Jonsdottir,
  • Kari Stefansson,
  • Tomas Olsson,
  • Fredrik Piehl,
  • Tomas J. Ekström,
  • Ingrid Kockum,
  • Andrew P. Feinberg,
  • Maja Jagodic

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-04732-5
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9, no. 1
pp. 1 – 15

Abstract

Read online

The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) haplotype DRB1*15:01 is the major risk factor for multiple sclerosis (MS). Here the authors find that DNA methylation at HLA-DRB1 gene mediates the effect of DRB1*15:01 and of a protective HLA variant on HLA-DRB1 expression and the risk of MS.