Haplotypes of the interleukin 7 receptor alpha gene are correlated with altered expression in whole blood cells in multiple sclerosis

Abstract

IL7 regulates T cell survival, differentiation and proliferation. The alpha chain of its receptor, CD127, is polymorphic, and its haplotypes are associated with recovery from transplantation and with the autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis (MS), especially primary progressive MS (PPMS). We demonstrate that two CD127 haplotypes are highly associated with the proportion of the mRNA encoding the soluble isoform of CD127 (P≤0.001). The soluble isoform is over-represented (P≤0.002) in PPMS peripheral blood, irrespective of haplotype, and the MS susceptibility haplotype produces more of the soluble isoform. CD127 mRNA is underexpressed (P≤0.001) in PPMS. Neutrophils, which produce very low level..