Preliminary Study on the Role of TMEM39A Gene in Multiple Sclerosis

Abstract

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified hundreds of new potential genetic risk loci associated with numerous complex diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). Genes which have been discovered by GWAS are now the focus of numerous ongoing studies. The goal of this study was to confirm and understand the potential role of one of such genes—transmembrane protein 39A gene (TMEM39A)—in multiple sclerosis. We showed the difference in TMEM39A messenger RNA (mRNA) expression between MS patients and controls (T22;74 = 5.429; p = 0.0063). In our study, the lower mRNA expression of TMEM39A gene in patients did not correlate with a higher methylation level of the TMEM39A promoter. Moreover, a decreased level of TMEM39A mRNA was associated neither with rs1132200 nor with rs17281647. Additionally, we did not find an association between these two TMEM39A polymorphisms and the risk and progression of multiple sclerosis. Our investigation is the first which indicates that TMEM39A mRNA expression may be associated with the development and/or course of multiple sclerosis.