Abstract

The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) haplotype DRB1*15:01 is the major risk factor for multiple sclerosis (MS). Here, we find that DRB1*15:01 is hypomethylated and predominantly expressed in monocytes among carriers of DRB1*15:01. A differentially methylated region (DMR) encompassing HLA-DRB1 exon 2 is particularly affected and displays methylation-sensitive regulatory properties in vitro. Causal inference and Mendelian randomization provide evidence that HLA variants mediate risk for MS via changes in the HLA-DRB1 DMR that modify HLA-DRB1 expression. Meta-analysis of 14,259 cases and 171,347 controls confirms that these variants confer risk from DRB1*15:01 and also identifies a protective variant (rs9267649, p < 3.32 × 10−8, odds ratio = 0.86) after conditioning for all MS-associated variants in the region. rs9267649 is associated with increased DNA methylation at the HLA-DRB1 DMR and reduced expression of HLA-DRB1, suggesting a modulation of the DRB1*15:01 effect. Our integrative approach provides insights into the molecular mechanisms of MS susceptibility and suggests putative therapeutic strategies targeting a methylation-mediated regulation of the major risk gene.

Details

Title
DNA methylation as a mediator of HLA-DRB1*15:01 and a protective variant in multiple sclerosis
Author
Kular, Lara 1 ; Liu, Yun 2 ; Ruhrmann, Sabrina 1 ; Zheleznyakova, Galina 1 ; Marabita, Francesco 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Gomez-Cabrero, David 3 ; Tojo, James 1 ; Ewing, Ewoud 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Lindén, Magdalena 1 ; Górnikiewicz, Bartosz 1 ; Aeinehband, Shahin 1 ; Stridh, Pernilla 1 ; Link, Jenny 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Andlauer, Till F M 4   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Gasperi, Christiane 5 ; Wiendl, Heinz 6 ; Zipp, Frauke 7   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Gold, Ralf 8 ; Tackenberg, Björn 9 ; Weber, Frank 10 ; Hemmer, Bernhard 11 ; Strauch, Konstantin 12 ; Heilmann-Heimbach, Stefanie 13 ; Rawal, Rajesh 14 ; Schminke, Ulf 15 ; Schmidt, Carsten O 16 ; Kacprowski, Tim 17   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Franke, Andre 18   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Laudes, Matthias 19 ; Dilthey, Alexander T 20 ; Celius, Elisabeth G 21 ; Søndergaard, Helle B 22 ; Tegnér, Jesper 23 ; Harbo, Hanne F 24 ; Oturai, Annette B 22 ; Olafsson, Sigurgeir 25 ; Eggertsson, Hannes P 25   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Halldorsson, Bjarni V 26   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Hjaltason, Haukur 27 ; Olafsson, Elias 27 ; Jonsdottir, Ingileif 28 ; Stefansson, Kari 29 ; Olsson, Tomas 1 ; Piehl, Fredrik 1 ; Ekström, Tomas J 1 ; Kockum, Ingrid 1 ; Feinberg, Andrew P 30   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Jagodic, Maja 1 

 Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden 
 Center for Epigenetics, and Departments of Medicine, Biomedical Engineering and Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Ministry of Education; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, China 
 Unit of Computational Medicine, Department of Medicine, Solna, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden 
 Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany; Department of Neurology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany; German Competence Network Multiple Sclerosis (KKNMS), Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany 
 Department of Neurology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany; German Competence Network Multiple Sclerosis (KKNMS), Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany 
 German Competence Network Multiple Sclerosis (KKNMS), Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany; Department of Neurology with Institute of Translational Neurology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany 
 German Competence Network Multiple Sclerosis (KKNMS), Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany; Department of Neurology, University Medicine Mainz, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany 
 German Competence Network Multiple Sclerosis (KKNMS), Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany; Department of Neurology, St. Josef-Hospital, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany 
 German Competence Network Multiple Sclerosis (KKNMS), Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany; Neuroimmunology Center, Marburg University, Marburg, Germany 
10  Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany; German Competence Network Multiple Sclerosis (KKNMS), Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany 
11  Department of Neurology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany; German Competence Network Multiple Sclerosis (KKNMS), Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany; Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany 
12  Institute of Genetic Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany and Institute of Medical Informatics, Biometry, and Epidemiology, Chair of Genetic Epidemiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany 
13  Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Bonn and Division of Genomics, Life & Brain Research Centre, University of Bonn School of Medicine, Bonn, Germany 
14  Institute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, University of Münster, Münster, Germany 
15  Department of Neurology, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany 
16  Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany 
17  Interfaculty Institute for Genetics and Functional Genomics, Ernst Moritz Arndt University and University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany 
18  Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany 
19  Department I of Internal Medicine, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany 
20  Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hospital Hygiene Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany 
21  Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Institute of Health and Society, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Olso, Norway 
22  Danish Multiple Sclerosis Center, Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark 
23  Unit of Computational Medicine, Department of Medicine, Solna, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division, Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia 
24  Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway 
25  deCODE genetics/Amgen Inc, Reykjavik, Iceland 
26  deCODE genetics/Amgen Inc, Reykjavik, Iceland; School of Science and Engineering, Reykjavik University, Reykjavik, Iceland 
27  Department of Neurology, Landspitali, The National University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland; Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland 
28  deCODE genetics/Amgen Inc, Reykjavik, Iceland; Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland; Department of Immunology, Landspitali, The National University Hospital of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland 
29  deCODE genetics/Amgen Inc, Reykjavik, Iceland; Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland 
30  Center for Epigenetics, and Departments of Medicine, Biomedical Engineering and Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA 
Pages
1-15
Publication year
2018
Publication date
Jun 2018
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20411723
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2057096280
Copyright
© 2018. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.