Narcolepsy is an incurable sleep disorder.  Did you know that approximately 1 in 2000 people have narcolepsy? Late last year, scientists had discovered the first genetic link to narcolepsy.  If a person has a certain genetic gene, they increase a person’s susceptibility by 79%.  In the latest study (May 2009 Nature Genetics), there may be a second potential link.  Researchers found that there were many genetic markers associated with narcolepsy map to a gene important for turning immature immune T cells into microbe killers.

The second link belongs to HLA-DQB1*0602 which encodes HLA proteins that mark the surface of the body’s cells and help the immune system identify foreign protein.  When a person has an autoimmune disease, certain cells may run amok, mistakenly attacking the body’s own, healthy cells.

“The link between narcolepsy and autoimmunity was proposed decades ago, but efforts to verify it have failed repeatedly. Current findings leave little doubt that autoimmunity plays a role,” Nature Gentics cited Dr Merrill Mitler, a program director with the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).

It is important to note that genetic and environmental triggers and risk factors remain to be found for narcolepsy.  Nonetheless, it is considered an advancement in narcolepsy and autoimmune research because it starts to provide an outline in the interaction between the brain and immune system that leads to narcolepsy.

Sources: http://www.nature.com/ng/journal/vaop/ncurrent/abs/ng.372.html