Based on deep sequencing of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes, which encode a key component of the immune system, from approximately 1,600 Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and 1,600 controls, researchers report specific variations in HLA associated with increased or decreased risk of PD, and that a history of cigarette smoking modified the strength of the associations, suggesting a possible explanation for the apparent protective effect of smoking in PD.
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Article #18-21778: "A specific amino acid motif of HLA-DRB1 mediates risk and interacts with smoking history in Parkinson's disease," by Jill A. Hollenbach et al.
MEDIA CONTACT: Jill Hollenbach, University of California, San Francisco, CA; tel: 510-207-5361; e-mail: < Jill.Hollenbach@ucsf.edu >
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences