Detecting Changes in Multiple Sclerosis

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Detecting Changes in Multiple Sclerosis

MONDAY, Feb. 2 (HealthDayNews) -- Genetic information from a simple blood

test may help doctors detect changes in people with multiple sclerosis (MS)

and improve diagnosis and treatment for these patients.

So says a study published Feb. 2 in the online edition of the ls of

Neurology.

American and Israeli scientists say their preliminary results indicate that

gene microarrays, which can measure the expression of thousands of genes at

once, can help identify different states of MS without the need to use more

invasive procedures such as spinal taps.

" Our study was not designed to study response to treatment and predict

course; however, it does provide support to the notion that microarray

results could be used to predict course of disease and, potentially,

therapeutic response, " researcher Dr. Naftali Kaminski, of the University of

Pittsburgh Medical Center, says in a prepared statement.

She and her colleagues found significant differences in more than 1,000

genes between control subjects and people with MS. The scientists identified

a different subset of more than 200 genes whose expression level changes --

becoming more or less active -- in people with flare-ups of MS.

More research is needed to determine whether gene array results can help

predict what type of disease course will be experienced by a person newly

diagnosed with MS or whether a person with MS in remission is likely to

experience a relapse.