Role of ADA SNPs in Subjects With Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis (RMS)

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS), which is highly heterogeneous in terms of clinical symptoms, MS subtypes and treatment response. In each patient with MS, inflammatory, neurodegenerative and reparative processes are intermingled in different proportions, making the disease course unpredictable and the treatment approach challenging. Although MS etiology is still unclear, many studies have demonstrated that T and B cells are crucial cellular determinants of MS pathophysiological processes. Auto-reactive T lymphocytes have been also implicated in excitotoxic synaptopathy, an early hallmark of MS recently emerged to link inflammation and neurodegeneration in a complex and inter-regulated circuit. In addition, several reports published in the last few years show the presence of a link between metabolism and immune responses. Indeed, it is now clear that cell metabolism is able to control T cell survival, growth, activation and differentiation. It has been reported that distinct metabolic pathways are able to support specific T cell activities suggesting that the delicate balance among glycolysis, fatty acid oxidation (FAO) and mitochondrial respiration drives specific effector (Tconv) and regulatory T cell (Treg) differentiation and functions. The individual response to treatment varies widely and their use may be burdened by side effects and major adverse events. An explanation of the clinical and pharmacological individual variability can be sought in the pathological heterogeneity and in different genetic, immunological and metabolomics profiles. With this perspective, the lack of a single predictive or diagnostic test remains a great obstacle in the management of MS at most stages and in the choice of the therapy. Consequently, the availability of biomarkers that reliably capture the different aspects of the disease could be extremely useful.