Investigation of interleukin-7 as a risk factor for incidence of Multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS), is characterized as an inflammatory demyelinating disease that the insulating covers of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord are damaged. Between genetic factors, differences in a group of genes on chromosome 6 that characterized as the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) have been repeatedly confirmed to be associated with multiple sclerosis. Cytokine IL-7 is a 25– kDaglycoprotein that has an important role in Lymphopoiesis. Interleukin VII receptor gene has been identified to be associated with multiple sclerosis, so its assessment is important Polymorphisms (single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)) in a number of non-HLA genes such as interleukin-7 receptor-α (IL-7Rα)/IL-7 pathway is associated with an increased risk to develop multiple sclerosis (MS). In this study we aimed to investgate the role of interleukin-7 receptor-α (IL-7Rα)/IL-7 as a risk factor for incidence of Multiple sclerosis.