FOXP3 gene expression in the blood of Iranian multiple sclerosis patients

Abstract

INTRODUCTION:

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a heterogeneous disease with an unknown etiology. Both genetic and environmental factors lead to MS disease. Recent studies have revealed the inhibitory role of T regulatory cells in the MS disease. Forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) gene is a transcript of the CD4+CD25+FOXP3 and T regulatory cells that is recently introduced as a factor in determining the lineage of immune cells. Based on these assumptions we investigate the expression of this gene in the peripheral blood of fifty MS patients in comparison to fifty controls.

MATERIAL AND METHODS:

In this case-control study, we investigate the FOXP3 expression in fifty MS patients (30 females (60%) and 20 males (40%), mean age $\pm$ SD: 33.3 $\pm$ 5.4 years) in comparing to fifty healthy age and sex matched-controls (30 females (60%) and 20 males (40%), mean age $\pm$ SD: 34.2 $\pm$ 4.8) using real-time quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR) in order to explore any association between FOXP3 expression level and MS.

RESULTS:

The expression level of FOXP3 gene was not significantly different between MS patients and controls (p: 0.79). In addition the expression level of the gene was not significantly different between male and female (p: 0.8, p: 0.79, respectively).

CONCLUSION:

Although, the FOXP3 gene is one of the most important genes in the regulation of the immune cells, according to no significant results of this study it may concluded that the expression of the gene is not different between MS patients and healthy controls at least at mRNA level. So it seems that investigating the protein level of FOXP3, related LNCs and microRNAs could be useful to investigate the relation between this gene and the disease. However, the clinical relevance of FOXP3 in patients with regard to their therapy needs to be further explored by evaluation of genetic background in relation to immune responses in MS patients.