TY - JOUR
T1 - Apolipoprotein E polymorphism interacts with cigarette smoking in progression of multiple sclerosis.
AU - Morais, Maria da Graça de Sousa Leitão de
AU - Roque, Rafael Valente Fidalgo Ramos
AU - Cascais, Maria João Coelho de Melo
AU - Sena, Armando José Nunes Harrington
PY - 2009/1/1
Y1 - 2009/1/1
N2 - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The influence of apolipoprotein E (ApoE) polymorphism on clinical severity of multiple sclerosis (MS) is still controversial. Cigarette smoking has been suggested to influence the progression of disability in these patients. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether an interaction of smoking with the ApoE polymorphism influences the progression of disability in MS patients. METHODS Smoking history from 205 female patients with MS was obtained. Clinical data collected include age at onset, disease duration, annual relapse rate, the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and the Multiple Sclerosis Severity Score (MSSS). ApoE polymorphism was examined in all patients and stratified according to smoking status and associations with the clinical data investigated. RESULTS There were no significant associations between cigarette smoking and any of the clinical characteristics in the whole group of patients. In women carrying the ApoE E4 isoform, smokers had a lower EDSS (P = 0.033) and MSSS (P = 0.023) in comparison with non-smokers. CONCLUSION Our data suggest that in women with MS carrying the ApoE E4 isoform, cigarette smoking may have a protective influence on disease progression and accumulation of disability. These findings need to be confirmed by future large longitudinal studies.
AB - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The influence of apolipoprotein E (ApoE) polymorphism on clinical severity of multiple sclerosis (MS) is still controversial. Cigarette smoking has been suggested to influence the progression of disability in these patients. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether an interaction of smoking with the ApoE polymorphism influences the progression of disability in MS patients. METHODS Smoking history from 205 female patients with MS was obtained. Clinical data collected include age at onset, disease duration, annual relapse rate, the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and the Multiple Sclerosis Severity Score (MSSS). ApoE polymorphism was examined in all patients and stratified according to smoking status and associations with the clinical data investigated. RESULTS There were no significant associations between cigarette smoking and any of the clinical characteristics in the whole group of patients. In women carrying the ApoE E4 isoform, smokers had a lower EDSS (P = 0.033) and MSSS (P = 0.023) in comparison with non-smokers. CONCLUSION Our data suggest that in women with MS carrying the ApoE E4 isoform, cigarette smoking may have a protective influence on disease progression and accumulation of disability. These findings need to be confirmed by future large longitudinal studies.
U2 - 10.1111/j.1468-1331.2009.02603.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1468-1331.2009.02603.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 19473356
SN - 1351-5101
VL - 16
SP - 832
EP - 837
JO - European Journal of Neurology
JF - European Journal of Neurology
IS - 7
ER -