Interaction between genetic predisposition to obesity and dietary calcium in relation to subsequent change in body weight and waist circumference

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Sofus C; Angquist, Lars; Ahluwalia, Tarun Veer Singh

2014-01-01

Studies indicate an effect of dietary calcium on change in body weight (BW) and waist circumference (WC), but the results are inconsistent. Furthermore, a relation could depend on genetic predisposition to obesity.......Studies indicate an effect of dietary calcium on change in body weight (BW) and waist circumference (WC), but the results are inconsistent. Furthermore, a relation could depend on genetic predisposition to obesity....

Modelling the Interplay between Lifestyle Factors and Genetic Predisposition on Markers of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Risk.

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Celia G; Solis-Trapala, Ivonne; Holzapfel, Christina; Ambrosini, Gina L; Fuller, Nicholas R; Loos, Ruth J F; Hauner, Hans; Caterson, Ian D; Jebb, Susan A

2015-01-01

The risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is determined by a complex interplay involving lifestyle factors and genetic predisposition. Despite this, many studies do not consider the relative contributions of this complex array of factors to identify relationships which are important in progression or prevention of complex diseases. We aimed to describe the integrated effect of a number of lifestyle changes (weight, diet and physical activity) in the context of genetic susceptibility, on changes in glycaemic traits in overweight or obese participants following 12-months of a weight management programme. A sample of 353 participants from a behavioural weight management intervention were included in this study. A graphical Markov model was used to describe the impact of the intervention, by dividing the effects into various pathways comprising changes in proportion of dietary saturated fat, physical activity and weight loss, and a genetic predisposition score (T2DM-GPS), on changes in insulin sensitivity (HOMA-IR), insulin secretion (HOMA-B) and short and long term glycaemia (glucose and HbA1c). We demonstrated the use of graphical Markov modelling to identify the importance and interrelationships of a number of possible variables changed as a result of a lifestyle intervention, whilst considering fixed factors such as genetic predisposition, on changes in traits. Paths which led to weight loss and change in dietary saturated fat were important factors in the change of all glycaemic traits, whereas the T2DM-GPS only made a significant direct contribution to changes in HOMA-IR and plasma glucose after considering the effects of lifestyle factors. This analysis shows that modifiable factors relating to body weight, diet, and physical activity are more likely to impact on glycaemic traits than genetic predisposition during a behavioural intervention.

Colorectal cancer: genetic abnormalities, tumor progression, tumor heterogeneity, clonal evolution and tumor-initiating cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Testa, Ugo; Pelosi, Elvira; Castelli, Germana

2018-04-13

Colon cancer is the third most common cancer worldwide. Most colorectal cancer occurrences are sporadic, not related to genetic predisposition or family history; however, 20-30% of patients with colorectal cancer have a family history of colorectal cancer and 5% of these tumors arise in the setting of a Mendelian inheritance syndrome. In many patients, the development of a colorectal cancer is preceded by a benign neoplastic lesion: either an adenomatous polyp or a serrated polyp. Studies carried out in the last years have characterized the main molecular alterations occurring in colorectal cancers, showing that the tumor of each patient displays from two to eight driver mutations. The ensemble of molecular studies, including gene expression studies, has led to two proposed classifications of colorectal cancers, with the identification of four/five non-overlapping groups. The homeostasis of the rapidly renewing intestinal epithelium is ensured by few stem cells present at the level of the base of intestinal crypts. Various experimental evidence suggests that colorectal cancers may derive from the malignant transformation of intestinal stem cells or of intestinal cells that acquire stem cell properties following malignant transformation. Colon cancer stem cells seem to be involved in tumor chemoresistance, radioresistance and relapse.

Rare germline alterations in cancer-related genes associated with the risk of multiple primary tumor development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Villacis, Rolando A. R.; Basso, Tatiane R; Canto, Luisa M

2017-01-01

Multiple primary tumors (MPT) have been described in carriers of inherited cancer predisposition genes. However, the genetic etiology of a large proportion of MPT cases remains unclear. We reviewed 267 patients with hereditary cancer predisposition syndromes (HCPS) that underwent genetic counseli...

Familial Investigations of Childhood Cancer Predisposition

Science.gov (United States)

2018-01-03

Acute Leukemia; Adenomatous Polyposis; Adrenocortical Carcinoma; AML; BAP1 Tumor Predisposition Syndrome; Carney Complex; Choroid Plexus Carcinoma; Constitutional Mismatch Repair Deficiency Syndrome; Diamond-Blackfan Anemia; DICER1 Syndrome; Dyskeratosis Congenita; Emberger Syndrome; Familial Acute Myeloid Leukemia; Familial Adenomatous Polyposis; Fanconi Anemia; Familial Cancer; Familial Wilms Tumor; Familial Neuroblastoma; GIST; Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer; Hereditary Paraganglioma-Pheochromocytoma Syndrome; Hodgkin Lymphoma; Juvenile Polyposis; Li-Fraumeni Syndrome; Lynch Syndrome; MDS; Melanoma Syndrome; Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1; Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 2; Neuroblastoma; Neurofibromatosis Type 1; Neurofibromatosis Type II; Nevoid Basal Cell Carcinoma Syndrome; Non Hodgkin Lymphoma; Noonan Syndrome and Other Rasopathy; Overgrowth Syndromes; Pancreatic Cancer; Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome; Pheochromocytoma/Paraganglioma; PTEN Hamartoma Tumor Syndrome; Retinoblastoma; Rhabdoid Tumor Predisposition Syndrome; Rhabdomyosarcoma; Rothmund-Thomson Syndrome; Tuberous Sclerosis; Von Hippel-Lindau Disease

Rhabdoid tumor predisposition syndrome caused by SMARCB1 constitutional deletion: prenatal detection of new case of recurrence in siblings due to gonadal mosaicism.

Science.gov (United States)

Gigante, Laura; Paganini, Irene; Frontali, Marina; Ciabattoni, Serena; Sangiuolo, Federica Carla; Papi, Laura

2016-01-01

Rhabdoid tumors are aggressive malignancies that show loss-of-function mutations of SMARCB1 gene, a member of the SWI/SNF chromatin-remodeling complex controlling gene transcription. One-third of patients affected by rhabdoid tumor harbor a germ-line mutation of SMARCB1 defining a rhabdoid tumor predisposition syndrome. The occurrence of a second somatic mutation determines the development of neoplasia in a two-hit model. Most germ-line mutations occur de novo, and few cases of recurrence in a sibship have been described. Here we report on a new Italian family with recurrence of SMARCB1 germ-line deletion in two siblings due to gonadal mosaicism. The deletion was identified in the 9-month-old proband with malignant rhabdoid tumor of the right kidney and disseminated metastases. Testing of both parents confirmed the de novo origin of the mutation, but recurrence was then detected prenatally in a new pregnancy. This is the sixth family with malignant rhabdoid tumor predisposition syndrome with the recurrence of the same germ-line SMARCB1 mutation in the sibship but not in healthy parents, suggesting that gonadal mosaicism is a less rare event than supposed. The clinical outcome in our patient confirms previous data of poorer outcome in patients with rhabdoid tumor predisposition syndrome.

Epidemiology, major risk factors and genetic predisposition for breast cancer in the Pakistani population.

Science.gov (United States)

Shaukat, Uzma; Ismail, Muhammad; Mehmood, Nasir

2013-01-01

Occurrence of breast cancer is related to genetic as well as cultural, environmental and life-style factors. Variations in diversity of these factors among different ethnic groups and geographical areas emphasize the immense need for studies in all racial-ethnic populations. The incidence of breast cancer in Pakistan is highest in Asians after Jews in Israel and 2.5 times higher than that in neighboring countries like Iran and India, accounting for 34.6% of female cancers. The Pakistani population is deficient in information regarding breast cancer etiology and epidemiology, but efforts done so far had suggested consanguinity as a major risk factor for frequent mutations leading to breast cancer and has also shed light on genetic origins in different ethnic groups within Pakistan. World-wide research efforts on different ethnicities have enhanced our understanding of genetic predisposition to breast cancer but despite these discoveries, 75% of the familial risk of breast cancer remains unexplained, highlighting the fact that the majority of breast cancer susceptibility genes remain unidentified. For this purpose Pakistani population provides a strong genetic pool to elucidate the genetic etiology of breast cancer because of cousin marriages. In this review, we describe the known breast cancer predisposition factors found in the local Pakistani population and the epidemiological research work done to emphasize the importance of exploring factors/variants contributing to breast cance, in order to prevent, cure and decrease its incidence in our country.

The STAT4 gene influences the genetic predisposition to systemic sclerosis phenotype.

Science.gov (United States)

Rueda, B; Broen, J; Simeon, C; Hesselstrand, R; Diaz, B; Suárez, H; Ortego-Centeno, N; Riemekasten, G; Fonollosa, V; Vonk, M C; van den Hoogen, F H J; Sanchez-Román, J; Aguirre-Zamorano, M A; García-Portales, R; Pros, A; Camps, M T; Gonzalez-Gay, M A; Coenen, M J H; Airo, P; Beretta, L; Scorza, R; van Laar, J; Gonzalez-Escribano, M F; Nelson, J L; Radstake, T R D J; Martin, J

2009-06-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the possible role of STAT4 gene in the genetic predisposition to systemic sclerosis (SSc) susceptibility or clinical phenotype. A total of 1317 SSc patients [896 with limited cutaneous SSc (lcSSc) and 421 with diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc)] and 3113 healthy controls, from an initial case-control set of Spanish Caucasian ancestry and five independent cohorts of European ancestry (The Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Italy and USA), were included in the study. The rs7574865 polymorphism was selected as STAT4 genetic marker. We observed that the rs7574865 T allele was significantly associated with susceptibility to lcSSc in the Spanish population [P = 1.9 x 10(-5) odds ratio (OR) 1.61 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.29-1.99], but not with dcSSc (P = 0.41 OR 0.84 95% CI 0.59-1.21). Additionally, a dosage effect was observed showing individuals with rs7574865 TT genotype higher risk for lcSSc (OR 3.34, P = 1.02 x 10(-7) 95% CI 2.11-5.31). The association of the rs7574865 T allele with lcSSc was confirmed in all the replication cohorts with different effect sizes (OR ranging between 1.15 and 1.86), as well as the lack of association of STAT4 with dcSSc. A meta-analysis to test the overall effect of the rs7574865 polymorphism showed a strong risk effect of the T allele for lcSSc susceptibility (pooled OR 1.54 95% CI 1.36-1.74; P < 0.0001). Our data show a strong and reproducible association of the STAT4 gene with the genetic predisposition to lcSSc suggesting that this gene seems to be one of the genetic markers influencing SSc phenotype.

Genetic predisposition to in situ and invasive lobular carcinoma of the breast.

Science.gov (United States)

Sawyer, Elinor; Roylance, Rebecca; Petridis, Christos; Brook, Mark N; Nowinski, Salpie; Papouli, Efterpi; Fletcher, Olivia; Pinder, Sarah; Hanby, Andrew; Kohut, Kelly; Gorman, Patricia; Caneppele, Michele; Peto, Julian; Dos Santos Silva, Isabel; Johnson, Nichola; Swann, Ruth; Dwek, Miriam; Perkins, Katherine-Anne; Gillett, Cheryl; Houlston, Richard; Ross, Gillian; De Ieso, Paolo; Southey, Melissa C; Hopper, John L; Provenzano, Elena; Apicella, Carmel; Wesseling, Jelle; Cornelissen, Sten; Keeman, Renske; Fasching, Peter A; Jud, Sebastian M; Ekici, Arif B; Beckmann, Matthias W; Kerin, Michael J; Marme, Federick; Schneeweiss, Andreas; Sohn, Christof; Burwinkel, Barbara; Guénel, Pascal; Truong, Therese; Laurent-Puig, Pierre; Kerbrat, Pierre; Bojesen, Stig E; Nordestgaard, Børge G; Nielsen, Sune F; Flyger, Henrik; Milne, Roger L; Perez, Jose Ignacio Arias; Menéndez, Primitiva; Benitez, Javier; Brenner, Hermann; Dieffenbach, Aida Karina; Arndt, Volker; Stegmaier, Christa; Meindl, Alfons; Lichtner, Peter; Schmutzler, Rita K; Lochmann, Magdalena; Brauch, Hiltrud; Fischer, Hans-Peter; Ko, Yon-Dschun; Nevanlinna, Heli; Muranen, Taru A; Aittomäki, Kristiina; Blomqvist, Carl; Bogdanova, Natalia V; Dörk, Thilo; Lindblom, Annika; Margolin, Sara; Mannermaa, Arto; Kataja, Vesa; Kosma, Veli-Matti; Hartikainen, Jaana M; Chenevix-Trench, Georgia; Investigators, Kconfab; Lambrechts, Diether; Weltens, Caroline; Van Limbergen, Erik; Hatse, Sigrid; Chang-Claude, Jenny; Rudolph, Anja; Seibold, Petra; Flesch-Janys, Dieter; Radice, Paolo; Peterlongo, Paolo; Bonanni, Bernardo; Volorio, Sara; Giles, Graham G; Severi, Gianluca; Baglietto, Laura; McLean, Catriona A; Haiman, Christopher A; Henderson, Brian E; Schumacher, Fredrick; Le Marchand, Loic; Simard, Jacques; Goldberg, Mark S; Labrèche, France; Dumont, Martine; Kristensen, Vessela; Winqvist, Robert; Pylkäs, Katri; Jukkola-Vuorinen, Arja; Kauppila, Saila; Andrulis, Irene L; Knight, Julia A; Glendon, Gord; Mulligan, Anna Marie; Devillee, Peter; Tollenaar, Rob A E M; Seynaeve, Caroline M; Kriege, Mieke; Figueroa, Jonine; Chanock, Stephen J; Sherman, Mark E; Hooning, Maartje J; Hollestelle, Antoinette; van den Ouweland, Ans M W; van Deurzen, Carolien H M; Li, Jingmei; Czene, Kamila; Humphreys, Keith; Cox, Angela; Cross, Simon S; Reed, Malcolm W R; Shah, Mitul; Jakubowska, Anna; Lubinski, Jan; Jaworska-Bieniek, Katarzyna; Durda, Katarzyna; Swerdlow, Anthony; Ashworth, Alan; Orr, Nicholas; Schoemaker, Minouk; Couch, Fergus J; Hallberg, Emily; González-Neira, Anna; Pita, Guillermo; Alonso, M Rosario; Tessier, Daniel C; Vincent, Daniel; Bacot, Francois; Bolla, Manjeet K; Wang, Qin; Dennis, Joe; Michailidou, Kyriaki; Dunning, Alison M; Hall, Per; Easton, Doug; Pharoah, Paul; Schmidt, Marjanka K; Tomlinson, Ian; Garcia-Closas, Montserrat

2014-04-01

Invasive lobular breast cancer (ILC) accounts for 10-15% of all invasive breast carcinomas. It is generally ER positive (ER+) and often associated with lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS). Genome-wide association studies have identified more than 70 common polymorphisms that predispose to breast cancer, but these studies included predominantly ductal (IDC) carcinomas. To identify novel common polymorphisms that predispose to ILC and LCIS, we pooled data from 6,023 cases (5,622 ILC, 401 pure LCIS) and 34,271 controls from 36 studies genotyped using the iCOGS chip. Six novel SNPs most strongly associated with ILC/LCIS in the pooled analysis were genotyped in a further 516 lobular cases (482 ILC, 36 LCIS) and 1,467 controls. These analyses identified a lobular-specific SNP at 7q34 (rs11977670, OR (95%CI) for ILC = 1.13 (1.09-1.18), P = 6.0 × 10(-10); P-het for ILC vs IDC ER+ tumors = 1.8 × 10(-4)). Of the 75 known breast cancer polymorphisms that were genotyped, 56 were associated with ILC and 15 with LCIS at Plobular breast cancer specific predisposition polymorphism at 7q34, and shown for the first time that common breast cancer polymorphisms predispose to LCIS. We have shown that many of the ER+ breast cancer predisposition loci also predispose to ILC, although there is some heterogeneity between ER+ lobular and ER+ IDC tumors. These data provide evidence for overlapping, but distinct etiological pathways within ER+ breast cancer between morphological subtypes.

Physical activity attenuates the genetic predisposition to obesity in 20,000 men and women from EPIC-Norfolk prospective population study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shengxu Li

2010-08-01

Full Text Available We have previously shown that multiple genetic loci identified by genome-wide association studies (GWAS increase the susceptibility to obesity in a cumulative manner. It is, however, not known whether and to what extent this genetic susceptibility may be attenuated by a physically active lifestyle. We aimed to assess the influence of a physically active lifestyle on the genetic predisposition to obesity in a large population-based study.We genotyped 12 SNPs in obesity-susceptibility loci in a population-based sample of 20,430 individuals (aged 39-79 y from the European Prospective Investigation of Cancer (EPIC-Norfolk cohort with an average follow-up period of 3.6 y. A genetic predisposition score was calculated for each individual by adding the body mass index (BMI-increasing alleles across the 12 SNPs. Physical activity was assessed using a self-administered questionnaire. Linear and logistic regression models were used to examine main effects of the genetic predisposition score and its interaction with physical activity on BMI/obesity risk and BMI change over time, assuming an additive effect for each additional BMI-increasing allele carried. Each additional BMI-increasing allele was associated with 0.154 (standard error [SE] 0.012 kg/m(2 (p = 6.73 x 10(-37 increase in BMI (equivalent to 445 g in body weight for a person 1.70 m tall. This association was significantly (p(interaction = 0.005 more pronounced in inactive people (0.205 [SE 0.024] kg/m(2 [p = 3.62 x 10(-18; 592 g in weight] than in active people (0.131 [SE 0.014] kg/m(2 [p = 7.97 x 10(-21; 379 g in weight]. Similarly, each additional BMI-increasing allele increased the risk of obesity 1.116-fold (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.093-1.139, p = 3.37 x 10(-26 in the whole population, but significantly (p(interaction = 0.015 more in inactive individuals (odds ratio [OR] = 1.158 [95% CI 1.118-1.199; p = 1.93 x 10(-16] than in active individuals (OR = 1.095 (95% CI 1.068-1.123; p = 1

Television watching, leisure time physical activity, and the genetic predisposition in relation to body mass index in women and men.

Science.gov (United States)

Qi, Qibin; Li, Yanping; Chomistek, Andrea K; Kang, Jae H; Curhan, Gary C; Pasquale, Louis R; Willett, Walter C; Rimm, Eric B; Hu, Frank B; Qi, Lu

2012-10-09

Previous studies on gene-lifestyle interaction and obesity have focused mostly on the FTO gene and physical activity, whereas little attention has been paid to sedentary behavior as indicated by television (TV) watching. We analyzed interactions between TV watching, leisure time physical activity, and genetic predisposition in relation to body mass index (BMI) in 7740 women and 4564 men from 2 prospective cohorts: The Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Data on physical activity and TV watching were collected 2 years before assessment of BMI. A weighted genetic risk score was calculated on the basis of 32 established BMI-associated variants. In both women and men, the genetic associations with BMI strengthened with increased hours of TV watching. An increment of 10 points in the weighted genetic risk score was associated with 0.8 (SE, 0.4), 0.8 (SE, 0.2), 1.4 (SE, 0.2), 1.5 (SE, 0.2), and 3.4 (SE, 1.0) kg/m(2) higher BMI across the 5 categories of TV watching (0-1, 2-5, 6-20, 21-40, and >40 h/wk; P for interaction=0.001). In contrast, the genetic association with BMI weakened with increased levels of physical activity. An increment of 10 points in the weighted genetic risk score was associated with 1.5 (SE, 0.2), 1.3 (SE, 0.2), 1.2 (SE, 0.2), 1.2 (SE, 0.2), and 0.8 (SE, 0.2) kg/m(2) higher BMI across the quintiles of physical activity. The interactions of TV watching and physical activity with genetic predisposition in relation to BMI were independent of each other. A sedentary lifestyle, indicated by prolonged TV watching, may accentuate the predisposition to elevated adiposity, whereas greater leisure time physical activity may attenuate the genetic association.

Whole Exome Sequencing Reveals Genetic Predisposition in a Large Family with Retinitis Pigmentosa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan Wu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Next-generation sequencing has become more widely used to reveal genetic defect in monogenic disorders. Retinitis pigmentosa (RP, the leading cause of hereditary blindness worldwide, has been attributed to more than 67 disease-causing genes. Due to the extreme genetic heterogeneity, using general molecular screening alone is inadequate for identifying genetic predispositions in susceptible individuals. In order to identify underlying mutation rapidly, we utilized next-generation sequencing in a four-generation Chinese family with RP. Two affected patients and an unaffected sibling were subjected to whole exome sequencing. Through bioinformatics analysis and direct sequencing confirmation, we identified p.R135W transition in the rhodopsin gene. The mutation was subsequently confirmed to cosegregate with the disease in the family. In this study, our results suggest that whole exome sequencing is a robust method in diagnosing familial hereditary disease.

Clinical Assessment and Diagnosis of Germline Predisposition to Hematopoietic Malignancies: The University of Chicago Experience

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Ami V. Desai

2017-12-01

Full Text Available With the increasing use of clinical genomics to guide cancer treatment and management, there is a rise in the identification of germline cancer predisposition syndromes and a critical need for patients with germline findings to be referred for surveillance and care. The University of Chicago Hematopoietic Malignancies Cancer Risk Team has established a unique approach to patient care for individuals with hereditary hematologic malignancies through close communication and coordination between our pediatric and adult programs. Dedicated program members, including physicians, nurses, genetic counselors, and clinical research assistants, screen individuals for cancer predisposition at initial diagnosis through survivorship, in addition to testing individuals with an established family history of a cancer predisposition syndrome. Sample procurement, such as a skin biopsy at the time of bone marrow aspirate/biopsy in individuals with a positive screen, has facilitated timely identification of clinical germline findings or has served as a pipeline for translational research. Our integrated translational research program has led to the identification of novel syndromes in collaboration with other investigators, which have been incorporated iteratively into our clinical pipeline. Individuals are referred for clinical assessment based on personal and family history, identification of variants in susceptibility genes via molecular tumor testing, and during evaluation for matched related allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Upon referral, genetic counseling incorporates education with mindfulness of the psychosocial issues surrounding germline testing at different ages. The training and role of genetic counselors continues to grow, with the discovery of new predisposition syndromes, in the age of improved molecular diagnostics and new models for service delivery, such as telemedicine. With the identification of new syndromes that may predispose individuals

Genetic predisposition to obesity affects behavioural traits including food reward and anxiety-like behaviour in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Vogel, Heike; Kraemer, Maria; Rabasa, Cristina; Askevik, Kaisa; Adan, Roger A H; Dickson, Suzanne L

2017-06-15

Here we sought to define behavioural traits linked to anxiety, reward, and exploration in different strains of rats commonly used in obesity research. We hypothesized that genetic variance may contribute not only to their metabolic phenotype (that is well documented) but also to the expression of these behavioural traits. Rat strains that differ in their susceptibility to develop an obese phenotype (Sprague-Dawley, Obese Prone, Obese Resistant, and Zucker rats) were exposed to a number of behavioural tests starting at the age of 8 weeks. We found a similar phenotype in the obesity susceptible models, Obese Prone and Zucker rats, with a lower locomotor activity, exploratory activity, and higher level of anxiety-like behaviour in comparison to the leaner Obese Resistant strain. We did not find evidence that rat strains with a genetic predisposition to obesity differed in their ability to experience reward from chocolate (in a condition place preference task). However, Zucker rats show higher motivated behaviour for sucrose compared to Obese Resistant rats when the effort required to obtain palatable food is relatively low. Together our data demonstrate that rat strains that differ in their genetic predisposition to develop obesity also differ in their performance in behavioural tests linked to anxiety, exploration, and reward and that these differences are independent of body weight. We conclude that genetic variations which determine body weight and the aforementioned behaviours co-exist but that future studies are required to identify whether (and which) common genes are involved. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chromosomal radiosensitivity in breast cancer patients with a known or putative genetic predisposition.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Baeyens, A

2002-12-02

The chromosomal radiosensitivity of breast cancer patients with a known or putative genetic predisposition was investigated and compared to a group of healthy women. The chromosomal radiosensitivity was assessed with the G2 and the G0-micronucleus assay. For the G2 assay lymphocytes were irradiated in vitro with a dose of 0.4 Gy (60)Co gamma-rays after 71 h incubation, and chromatid breaks were scored in 50 metaphases. For the micronucleus assay lymphocytes were exposed in vitro to 3.5 Gy (60)Co gamma-rays at a high dose rate or low dose rate. 70 h post-irradiation cultures were arrested and micronuclei were scored in 1000 binucleate cells. The results demonstrated that the group of breast cancer patients with a known or putative genetic predisposition was on the average more radiosensitive than a population of healthy women, and this with the G2 as well as with the high dose rate and low dose rate micronucleus assay. With the G2 assay 43% of the patients were found to be radiosensitive. A higher proportion of the patients were radiosensitive with the micronucleus assay (45% with high dose rate and 61% with low dose rate). No correlation was found between the G2 and the G0-micronucleus chromosomal radiosensitivity. Out of the different subgroups considered, the group of the young breast cancer patients without family history showed the highest percentage of radiosensitive cases in the G2 (50%) as well as in the micronucleus assay (75-78%).

Significance of genetic predisposition and genomic instability for individual sensitivity to radiation. Implications for radiation protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heller, H.

2001-01-01

At its closed-door meeting on 20/21 January 2000 the Radiation Protection Committee dedicated much of its attention to the significance of genetic predisposition and genetic instability for individual radiation sensitivity and to the implication of this for radiation protection. The statements and contributions to the closing plenary discussion touched on many aspects of ethics, personal rights, occupational medicine and insurance issues relating to this subject, all of which extend far beyond the purely technical issues of radiation protection. The present volume contains the lecture manuscripts of the meeting as well as a summarising assessment by the Radiation Protection Committee [de

Testing positive for a genetic predisposition to depression magnifies retrospective memory for depressive symptoms.

Science.gov (United States)

Lebowitz, Matthew S; Ahn, Woo-Kyoung

2017-11-01

Depression, like other mental disorders and health conditions generally, is increasingly construed as genetically based. This research sought to determine whether merely telling people that they have a genetic predisposition to depression can cause them to retroactively remember having experienced it. U.S. adults (men and women) were recruited online to participate (Experiment 1: N = 288; Experiment 2: N = 599). After conducting a test disguised as genetic screening, we randomly assigned some participants to be told that they carried elevated genetic susceptibility to depression, whereas others were told that they did not carry this genetic liability or were told that they carried elevated susceptibility to a different disorder. Participants then rated their experience of depressive symptoms over the prior 2 weeks on a modified version of the Beck Depression Inventory-II. Participants who were told that their genes predisposed them to depression generally reported higher levels of depressive symptomatology over the previous 2 weeks, compared to those who did not receive this feedback. Given the central role of self-report in psychiatric diagnosis, these findings highlight potentially harmful consequences of personalized genetic testing in mental health. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Surveillance Recommendations for Children with Overgrowth Syndromes and Predisposition to Wilms Tumors and Hepatoblastoma

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kalish, Jennifer M.; Doros, Leslie; Helman, Lee J.; Hennekam, Raoul C.; Kuiper, Roland P.; Maas, Saskia M.; Maher, Eamonn R.; Nichols, Kim E.; Plon, Sharon E.; Porter, Christopher C.; Rednam, Surya; Schultz, Kris Ann P.; States, Lisa J.; Tomlinson, Gail E.; Zelley, Kristin; Druley, Todd E.

2017-01-01

A number of genetic syndromes have been linked to increased risk for Wilms tumor (WT), hepatoblastoma (HB), and other embryonal tumors. Here, we outline these rare syndromes with at least a 1% risk to develop these tumors and recommend uniform tumor screening recommendations for North America.

Genetic predisposition to ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petridis, Christos; Brook, Mark N; Shah, Vandna

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is a non-invasive form of breast cancer. It is often associated with invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), and is considered to be a non-obligate precursor of IDC. It is not clear to what extent these two forms of cancer share low-risk susceptibility loci...... %) of the 76 known breast cancer predisposition loci showed an association with DCIS in the same direction as previously reported for invasive breast cancer. Case-only analysis showed no evidence for differences between associations for IDC and DCIS after considering multiple testing. Analysis by estrogen......, or whether there are differences in the strength of association for shared loci. METHODS: To identify genetic polymorphisms that predispose to DCIS, we pooled data from 38 studies comprising 5,067 cases of DCIS, 24,584 cases of IDC and 37,467 controls, all genotyped using the iCOGS chip. RESULTS: Most (67...

Gene-Specific-Candidate-Driven Study to decipher Genetic Predisposition to Rotavirus Infection

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Kshitija Rane-Yadav

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Recent report of WHO shows 113000 children in India succumb to death due to Rotavirus diarrhea. Lack of knowledge about pathogenesis of virus has led to lack of therapy for severely infected patients. Previous studies have found that, animal rotavirus requires sialyl glycan moieties on cell surface for pathogenesis. Present study states that human rotaviruses also follows same path and this specificity of virus leads to host genetic predisposition for the infection as well as the disease. Two hundred children less than 5 years of age clinically suspected of viral diarrhea were screened for rotavirus infection. EDTA blood was processed for analyzing DNA sequences of various fucosyltransferase genes. Lewis antigens which are secretory form of ABO Histo Blood Group Antigens were correlated with the genotype of patient. Genetics of HBGA secretion, particularly, basis of Leb expression manifested by fucosyltransferase-2 enzyme was studied in healthy individuals and was compared in cases of rotavirus positive and negative diarrhea. Positive clinical isolates with various genotypes were purified from stool samples and gene for VP4 - surface spike protein was sequenced. Using Bioinformatics interphase, three dimensional protein structures were modeled and their functional domains were analyzed. All these modeled proteins were docked with Leb HBGA (Lewis-b Histo Blood Group Antigens using molecular docking software. In present study, to investigate possible association of the rotavirus with host genome, we screened highly suspected genes involved in expression of glycoproteins on enterocytes. This study performed for prevalent Indian strains of rotaviruses provides possible evidence that, VP8 domain of VP4 spike protein utilizes Leb surface antigen for attachment and entry to enterocytes in the intestine. The FUT2 and FUT3 gene has been found to show significant association with the rotavirus infection hence can serve as a biomarker for genetic

Population-genetic approach to standardization of radiation and non-radiation factors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Telnov, I.

2006-01-01

population level. Of 65 analyses of association between diseases and unfavorable effects and various genetic polymorphic systems, 27 had negative results. Other 38 had significant, i.e. positive results. Respective G.S.R.R. varied accordingly in the range from 1.2 to 2.5. Averaged G.S.R.R. for some genetic systems ranged from 1.4 to 1.9. More stable and closer values of averaged G.S.R.R. calculated for various categories of effects: pathologies due to radiation and non-radiation factors - 1.51; non-tumor (1,47) and tumor (1,54) diseases; average life expectancy - 1.34. Population-averaged or integral value of G.S.R.R. was about 1.5. This value can be used as genetic predisposition coefficient (C.G.P.) for correction in averaging of environmental population level factors. Such correction can be done by decreasing of permissible standard value by the value of C.G.P. to calculate population-genetic standard. It should be noted that population-genetic standards decrease risk of development of unfavorable consequences due to effect of environmental factors in individuals with genetic predisposition to the general population level. An important advantage of this approach is that there is no need to account for all existing variations of genetic predisposition to multiform unfavorable environmental factors

Genetic predisposition to in situ and invasive lobular carcinoma of the breast.

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Elinor Sawyer

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Invasive lobular breast cancer (ILC accounts for 10-15% of all invasive breast carcinomas. It is generally ER positive (ER+ and often associated with lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS. Genome-wide association studies have identified more than 70 common polymorphisms that predispose to breast cancer, but these studies included predominantly ductal (IDC carcinomas. To identify novel common polymorphisms that predispose to ILC and LCIS, we pooled data from 6,023 cases (5,622 ILC, 401 pure LCIS and 34,271 controls from 36 studies genotyped using the iCOGS chip. Six novel SNPs most strongly associated with ILC/LCIS in the pooled analysis were genotyped in a further 516 lobular cases (482 ILC, 36 LCIS and 1,467 controls. These analyses identified a lobular-specific SNP at 7q34 (rs11977670, OR (95%CI for ILC = 1.13 (1.09-1.18, P = 6.0 × 10(-10; P-het for ILC vs IDC ER+ tumors = 1.8 × 10(-4. Of the 75 known breast cancer polymorphisms that were genotyped, 56 were associated with ILC and 15 with LCIS at P<0.05. Two SNPs showed significantly stronger associations for ILC than LCIS (rs2981579/10q26/FGFR2, P-het = 0.04 and rs889312/5q11/MAP3K1, P-het = 0.03; and two showed stronger associations for LCIS than ILC (rs6678914/1q32/LGR6, P-het = 0.001 and rs1752911/6q14, P-het = 0.04. In addition, seven of the 75 known loci showed significant differences between ER+ tumors with IDC and ILC histology, three of these showing stronger associations for ILC (rs11249433/1p11, rs2981579/10q26/FGFR2 and rs10995190/10q21/ZNF365 and four associated only with IDC (5p12/rs10941679; rs2588809/14q24/RAD51L1, rs6472903/8q21 and rs1550623/2q31/CDCA7. In conclusion, we have identified one novel lobular breast cancer specific predisposition polymorphism at 7q34, and shown for the first time that common breast cancer polymorphisms predispose to LCIS. We have shown that many of the ER+ breast cancer predisposition loci also predispose to ILC, although there is some heterogeneity

Local-regional control in breast cancer patients with a possible genetic predisposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Freedman, Laura M.; Buchholz, Thomas A.; Thames, Howard D.; Strom, Eric A.; McNeese, Marsha D.; Hortobagyi, Gabriel N.; Singletary, S. Eva; Heaton, Keith M.; Hunt, Kelly K.

2000-01-01

%, respectively. Conclusions: Patients with a possible genetic predisposition to breast cancer had low 5-year rates of local recurrence when treated with breast conserving surgery and radiation, but the local failure rate exceeded 50% when radiation was omitted. Our data are consistent with the hypothesis that patients with an underlying genetic predisposition develop cancers with radiosensitive phenotypes

Methylation of Breast Cancer Predisposition Genes in Early-Onset Breast Cancer: Australian Breast Cancer Family Registry.

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Cameron M Scott

Full Text Available DNA methylation can mimic the effects of both germline and somatic mutations for cancer predisposition genes such as BRCA1 and p16INK4a. Constitutional DNA methylation of the BRCA1 promoter has been well described and is associated with an increased risk of early-onset breast cancers that have BRCA1-mutation associated histological features. The role of methylation in the context of other breast cancer predisposition genes has been less well studied and often with conflicting or ambiguous outcomes. We examined the role of methylation in known breast cancer susceptibility genes in breast cancer predisposition and tumor development. We applied the Infinium HumanMethylation450 Beadchip (HM450K array to blood and tumor-derived DNA from 43 women diagnosed with breast cancer before the age of 40 years and measured the methylation profiles across promoter regions of BRCA1, BRCA2, ATM, PALB2, CDH1, TP53, FANCM, CHEK2, MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 and PMS2. Prior genetic testing had demonstrated that these women did not carry a germline mutation in BRCA1, ATM, CHEK2, PALB2, TP53, BRCA2, CDH1 or FANCM. In addition to the BRCA1 promoter region, this work identified regions with variable methylation at multiple breast cancer susceptibility genes including PALB2 and MLH1. Methylation at the region of MLH1 in these breast cancers was not associated with microsatellite instability. This work informs future studies of the role of methylation in breast cancer susceptibility gene silencing.

Simultaneous occurrence of a supra- and an infratentorial glioma in a patient with Ollier's disease : more evidence for non-mesodermal tumor predisposition in multiple enchondromatosis

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Heeg, M; Klein, JP; Krikke, AP

1998-01-01

A case is presented in which two neuro-ectodermal tumors, an infra- and a supratentorial glioma, developed in a young man with multiple enchondromatosis of Ollier's disease. This is the third such case of multifocal low-grade glioma in Ollier's disease, suggesting a predisposition for non-mesodermal

Molecular biology of testicular germ cell tumors.

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Gonzalez-Exposito, R; Merino, M; Aguayo, C

2016-06-01

Testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs) are the most common solid tumors in young adult men. They constitute a unique pathology because of their embryonic and germ origin and their special behavior. Genetic predisposition, environmental factors involved in their development and genetic aberrations have been under study in many works throughout the last years trying to explain the susceptibility and the transformation mechanism of TGCTs. Despite the high rate of cure in this type of tumors because its particular sensitivity to cisplatin, there are tumors resistant to chemotherapy for which it is needed to find new therapies. In the present work, it has been carried out a literature review on the most important molecular aspects involved in the onset and development of such tumors, as well as a review of the major developments regarding prognostic factors, new prognostic biomarkers and the possibility of new targeted therapies.

Early environmental exposures influence schizophrenia expression even in the presence of strong genetic predisposition.

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Husted, Janice A; Ahmed, Rashid; Chow, Eva W C; Brzustowicz, Linda M; Bassett, Anne S

2012-05-01

There are few studies of environmental factors in familial forms of schizophrenia. We investigated whether childhood adversity or environmental factors were associated with schizophrenia in a familial sample where schizophrenia is associated with the NOSA1P gene. We found that a cumulative adversity index including childhood illness, family instability and cannabis use was significantly associated with narrow schizophrenia, independent of NOSA1P risk genotype, previously measured childhood trauma, covariates and familial clustering (adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval)=1.55 (1.01, 2.38)). The results provide further support that early environmental exposures influence schizophrenia expression even in the presence of strong genetic predisposition. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Genetic and environmental interactions

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Strong, L.C.

1977-01-01

Cancer may result from a multistage process occurring over a long period of time. Presumably, initial and progressive stages of carcinogenesis may be modified by both genetic and environmental factors. Theoretically, genetic factors may alter susceptibility to the carcinogenic effects of an environmental agent at the initial exposure due to variation in metabolism of the carcinogen or variation in specific target cell response to the active carcinogen, or during the latent phase due to numerous factors that might increase the probability of tumor expression, including growth-promoting factors or immunodeficiency states. Observed genetic and environmental interactions in carcinogenesis include an association between genetically determined inducibility of aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase and smoking-related cancers, familial susceptibility to certain environmental carcinogens, an association between hereditary disorders of mutagenesis and carcinogenesis, and enhancement of tissue-specific, dominantly inherited tumor predisposition by radiation. Multiple primary tumors occur frequently in genetically predisposed individuals. Specific markers for susceptibility must be sought in order that high-risk individuals be identified and appropriate measures taken for early cancer detection or prevention. Study of the nature of the genetically determined susceptibility and interactions with environmental agents may be revealing in the understanding of carcinogenesis in general

Genetics of Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome-associated tumors: common genetic pathways

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Steenman, M.; Westerveld, A.; Mannens, M.

2000-01-01

A specific subset of solid childhood tumors-Wilms' tumor, adrenocortical carcinoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, and hepatoblastoma-is characterized by its association with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome. Genetic abnormalities found in these tumors affect the same chromosome region (11p15), which has been

Genetic predisposition of donors affects the allograft outcome in kidney transplantation; polymorphisms of stromal-derived factor-1 and CXC receptor 4.

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Jung Pyo Lee

Full Text Available Genetic interaction between donor and recipient may dictate the impending responses after transplantation. In this study, we evaluated the role of the genetic predispositions of stromal-derived factor-1 (SDF1 [rs1801157 (G>A] and CXC receptor 4 (CXCR4 [rs2228014 (C>T] on renal allograft outcomes. A total of 335 pairs of recipients and donors were enrolled. Biopsy-proven acute rejection (BPAR and long-term graft survival were traced. Despite similar allele frequencies between donors and recipients, minor allele of SDF1 rs1801157 (GA+AA from donor, not from recipients, has a protective effect on the development of BPAR compared to wild type donor (GG (P  = 0.005. Adjustment for multiple covariates did not affect this result (odds ratio 0.39, 95% C.I 0.20-0.76, P = 0.006. CXCR4 rs2228014 polymorphisms from donor or recipient did not affect the incidence of acute rejection. SDF1 was differentially expressed in renal tubular epithelium with acute rejection according to genetic variations of donor rs1801157 showing higher expressions in the grafts from GG donors. Contrary to the development of BPAR, the presence of minor allele rs1801157 A, especially homozygocity, predisposed poor graft survival (P = 0.001. This association was significant after adjusting for several risk factors (hazard ratio 3.01; 95% C.I = 1.19-7.60; P = 0.020. The allelic variation of recipients, however, was not associated with graft loss. A donor-derived genetic polymorphism of SDF1 has influenced the graft outcome. Thus, the genetic predisposition of donor should be carefully considered in transplantation.

Constitutional aneuploidy and cancer predisposition.

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Ganmore, Ithamar; Smooha, Gil; Izraeli, Shai

2009-04-15

Constitutional aneuploidies are rare syndromes associated with multiple developmental abnormalities and the alterations in the risk for specific cancers. Acquired somatic chromosomal aneuploidies are the most common genetic aberrations in sporadic cancers. Thus studies of these rare constitutional aneuploidy syndromes are important not only for patient counseling and clinical management, but also for deciphering the mechanisms by which chromosomal aneuploidy affect cancer initiation and progression. Here we review the major constitutional aneuploidy syndromes and suggest some general mechanisms for the associated cancer predisposition.

The Impact of Familial Predisposition to Obesity and Cardiovascular Disease on Childhood Obesity

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Louise Aas Nielsen

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The prevalence of childhood obesity has reached alarming rates world-wide. The aetiology seems to be an interplay between genetic and environmental factors, and a surrogate measure of this complex interaction is suggested as familial predisposition. Familial predisposition to obesity and related cardiovascular disease (CVD complications constitute the presence of obesity and/or obesity-related complications in primarily blood-related family members. The approaches of its measurement and applicability vary, and the evidence especially of its influence on obesity and obesity treatment in childhood is limited. Studies have linked a familial predisposition of obesity, CVD (hypertension, dyslipidaemia and thromboembolic events, and type 2 diabetes mellitus to BMI as well as other adiposity measures in children, suggesting degrees of familial aggregation of metabolic derangements. A pattern of predispositions arising from mothers, parents or grandparents as being most influential have been found, but further comprehensive studies are needed in order to specify the exact implications of familial predisposition. In the scope of childhood obesity this article reviews the current literature regarding familial predisposition to obesity and obesity-related complications, and how these familial predispositions may impact obesity in the offspring.

The Impact of Familial Predisposition to Obesity and Cardiovascular Disease on Childhood Obesity

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Nielsen, Louise Aas; Nielsen, Tenna Ruest Haarmark; Holm, Jens-Christian

2015-01-01

The prevalence of childhood obesity has reached alarming rates world-wide. The aetiology seems to be an interplay between genetic and environmental factors, and a surrogate measure of this complex interaction is suggested as familial predisposition. Familial predisposition to obesity and related cardiovascular disease (CVD) complications constitute the presence of obesity and/or obesity-related complications in primarily blood-related family members. The approaches of its measurement and applicability vary, and the evidence especially of its influence on obesity and obesity treatment in childhood is limited. Studies have linked a familial predisposition of obesity, CVD (hypertension, dyslipidaemia and thromboembolic events), and type 2 diabetes mellitus to BMI as well as other adiposity measures in children, suggesting degrees of familial aggregation of metabolic derangements. A pattern of predispositions arising from mothers, parents or grandparents as being most influential have been found, but further comprehensive studies are needed in order to specify the exact implications of familial predisposition. In the scope of childhood obesity this article reviews the current literature regarding familial predisposition to obesity and obesity-related complications, and how these familial predispositions may impact obesity in the offspring. PMID:26465142

Effects of early life trauma are dependent on genetic predisposition: a rat study

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Russell Vivienne A

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Trauma experienced early in life increases the risk of developing a number of psychological and/or behavioural disorders. It is unclear, however, how genetic predisposition to a behavioural disorder, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD, modifies the long-term effects of early life trauma. There is substantial evidence from family and twin studies for susceptibility to ADHD being inherited, implying a strong genetic component to the disorder. In the present study we used an inbred animal model of ADHD, the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR, to investigate the long-term consequences of early life trauma on emotional behaviour in individuals predisposed to developing ADHD-like behaviour. Methods We applied a rodent model of early life trauma, maternal separation, to SHR and Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY, the normotensive control strain from which SHR were originally derived. The effects of maternal separation (removal of pups from dam for 3 h/day during the first 2 weeks of life on anxiety-like behaviour (elevated-plus maze and depressive-like behaviour (forced swim test were assessed in prepubescent rats (postnatal day 28 and 31. Basal levels of plasma corticosterone were measured using radioimmunoassay. Results The effect of maternal separation on SHR and WKY differed in a number of behavioural measures. Similar to its reported effect in other rat strains, maternal separation increased the anxiety-like behaviour of WKY (decreased open arm entries but not SHR. Maternal separation increased the activity of SHR in the novel environment of the elevated plus-maze, while it decreased that of WKY. Overall, SHR showed a more active response in the elevated plus-maze and forced swim test than WKY, regardless of treatment, and were also found to have higher basal plasma corticosterone compared to WKY. Maternal separation increased basal levels of plasma corticosterone in SHR females only, possibly through adaptive

Genetic predisposition to hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis: Report on 500 patients from the Italian registry.

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Cetica, Valentina; Sieni, Elena; Pende, Daniela; Danesino, Cesare; De Fusco, Carmen; Locatelli, Franco; Micalizzi, Concetta; Putti, Maria Caterina; Biondi, Andrea; Fagioli, Franca; Moretta, Lorenzo; Griffiths, Gillian M; Luzzatto, Lucio; Aricò, Maurizio

2016-01-01

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rare life-threatening disease affecting mostly children but also adults and characterized by hyperinflammatory features. A subset of patients, referred to as having familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (FHL), have various underlying genetic abnormalities, the frequencies of which have not been systematically determined previously. This work aims to further our understanding of the pathogenic bases of this rare condition based on an analysis of our 25 years of experience. From our registry, we have analyzed a total of 500 unselected patients with HLH. Biallelic pathogenic mutations defining FHL were found in 171 (34%) patients; the proportion of FHL was much higher (64%) in patients given a diagnosis during the first year of life. Taken together, mutations of the genes PRF1 (FHL2) and UNC13D (FHL3) accounted for 70% of cases of FHL. Overall, a genetic diagnosis was possible in more than 90% of our patients with FHL. Perforin expression and the extent of degranulation have been more useful for diagnosing FHL than hemophagocytosis and the cytotoxicity assay. Of 281 (56%) patients classified as having "sporadic" HLH, 43 had monoallelic mutations in one of the FHL-defining genes. Given this gene dosage effect, FHL is not strictly recessive. We suggest that the clinical syndrome HLH generally results from the combined effects of an exogenous trigger and genetic predisposition. Within this combination, different weights of exogenous and genetic factors account for the wide disease spectrum that ranges from HLH secondary to severe infection to FHL. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Nutritional habits, lifestyle, and genetic predisposition in cardiovascular and metabolic traits in Turkish population.

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Karaca, Sefayet; Erge, Sema; Cesuroglu, Tomris; Polimanti, Renato

2016-06-01

Cardiovascular and metabolic traits (CMT) are influenced by complex interactive processes including diet, lifestyle, and genetic predisposition. The present study investigated the interactions of these risk factors in relation to CMTs in the Turkish population. We applied bootstrap agglomerative hierarchical clustering and Bayesian network learning algorithms to identify the causative relationships among genes involved in different biological mechanisms (i.e., lipid metabolism, hormone metabolism, cellular detoxification, aging, and energy metabolism), lifestyle (i.e., physical activity, smoking behavior, and metropolitan residency), anthropometric traits (i.e., body mass index, body fat ratio, and waist-to-hip ratio), and dietary habits (i.e., daily intakes of macro- and micronutrients) in relation to CMTs (i.e., health conditions and blood parameters). We identified significant correlations between dietary habits (soybean and vitamin B12 intakes) and different cardiometabolic diseases that were confirmed by the Bayesian network-learning algorithm. Genetic factors contributed to these disease risks also through the pleiotropy of some genetic variants (i.e., F5 rs6025 and MTR rs180508). However, we also observed that certain genetic associations are indirect since they are due to the causative relationships among the CMTs (e.g., APOC3 rs5128 is associated with low-density lipoproteins cholesterol and, by extension, total cholesterol). Our study applied a novel approach to integrate various sources of information and dissect the complex interactive processes related to CMTs. Our data indicated that complex causative networks are present: causative relationships exist among CMTs and are affected by genetic factors (with pleiotropic and non-pleiotropic effects) and dietary habits. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Genetic predispositions and parental bonding interact to shape adults’ physiological responses to social distress

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Esposito, Gianluca; Truzzi, Anna; Setoh, Peipei; Putnick, Diane L.; Shinohara, Kazuyuki; Bornstein, Marc H.

2018-01-01

Parental bonding and oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene genotype each influences social abilities in adulthood. Here, we hypothesized an interaction between the two – environmental experience (parental bonding history) and genetic factors (OXTR gene genotype) – in shaping adults’ social sensitivity (physiological response to distress). We assessed heart rate and peripheral temperature (tip of the nose) in 42 male adults during presentation of distress vocalizations (distress cries belonging to female human infants and adults as well as bonobo). The two physiological responses index, respectively, state of arousal and readiness to action. Participants’ parental bonding in childhood was assessed through the self-report Parental Bonding Instrument. To assess participants’ genetic predispositions, buccal mucosa cell samples were collected, and region rs2254298 of the oxytocin receptor gene was analyzed: previous OXTR gene findings point to associations between the G allele and better sociality (protective factor) and the A allele and poorer sociality (risk factor). We found a gene * environment interaction for susceptibility to social distress: Participants with a genetic risk factor (A carriers) with a history of high paternal overprotection showed higher heart rate increase than those without this risk factor (G/G genotype) to social distress. Also, a significant effect of the interaction between paternal care and genotype on nose temperature changes was found. This susceptibility appears to represent an indirect pathway through which genes and experiences interact to shape mature social sensitivity in males. PMID:27343933

Breed-Predispositions to Cancer in Pedigree Dogs

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Dobson, Jane M.

2013-01-01

Cancer is a common problem in dogs and although all breeds of dog and crossbred dogs may be affected, it is notable that some breeds of pedigree dogs appear to be at increased risk of certain types of cancer suggesting underlying genetic predisposition to cancer susceptibility. Although the aetiology of most cancers is likely to be multifactorial, the limited genetic diversity seen in purebred dogs facilitates genetic linkage or association studies on relatively small populations as compared to humans, and by using newly developed resources, genome-wide association studies in dog breeds are proving to be a powerful tool for unravelling complex disorders. This paper will review the literature on canine breed susceptibility to histiocytic sarcoma, osteosarcoma, haemangiosarcoma, mast cell tumours, lymphoma, melanoma, and mammary tumours including the recent advances in knowledge through molecular genetic, cytogenetic, and genome wide association studies. PMID:23738139

Diagnosis of genetic predisposition for lactose intolerance by high resolution melting analysis.

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Delacour, Hervé; Leduc, Amandine; Louçano-Perdriat, Andréa; Plantamura, Julie; Ceppa, Franck

2017-02-01

Lactose, the principle sugar in milk, is a disaccharide hydrolyzed by intestinal lactase into glucose and galactose, which are absorbed directly by diffusion in the intestine. The decline of lactase expression (or hypolactasia) in intestinal microvilli after weaning is a normal phenomenon in mammals known as lactase deficiency. It is observed in nearly 75% of the world population and is an inherited autosomal recessive trait with incomplete penetrance. It is caused by SNPs in a regulatory element for lactase gene. In Indo-European, lactase deficiency is associated with rs4982235 SNP (or -13910C>T). The aim of this study is to describe a method based on high resolution melting for rapidly detecting genetic predisposition to lactose intolerance. Analytical performance of the assay was assessed by evaluating within and betwwen-run precision and by comparing the results (n = 50 patients) obtained with the HRM assay to those obtained with the gold standard (Sanger sequencing of the region of interest). In silico prediction of HRM curves was performed to evaluate the potential impact of the other SNPs described within the PCR product on the HRM analytical performances. The assay has good performance (CV lactose intolerance.

Germline Mutations in Cancer Predisposition Genes are Frequent in Sporadic Sarcomas

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Chan, Sock Hoai; Lim, Weng Khong; Ishak, Nur Diana Binte; Li, Shao-Tzu; Goh, Wei Lin; Tan, Gek San; Lim, Kiat Hon; Teo, Melissa; Young, Cedric Ng Chuan; Malik, Simeen; Tan, Mann Hong; Teh, Jonathan Yi Hui; Chin, Francis Kuok Choon; Kesavan, Sittampalam; Selvarajan, Sathiyamoorthy

2017-01-01

Associations of sarcoma with inherited cancer syndromes implicate genetic predisposition in sarcoma development. However, due to the apparently sporadic nature of sarcomas, little attention has been paid to the role genetic susceptibility in sporadic sarcoma. To address this, we performed targeted-genomic sequencing to investigate the prevalence of germline mutations in known cancer-associated genes within an Asian cohort of sporadic sarcoma patients younger than 50 years old. We observed 13....

Intra-Tumor Genetic Heterogeneity in Wilms Tumor: Clonal Evolution and Clinical Implications

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George D. Cresswell

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The evolution of pediatric solid tumors is poorly understood. There is conflicting evidence of intra-tumor genetic homogeneity vs. heterogeneity (ITGH in a small number of studies in pediatric solid tumors. A number of copy number aberrations (CNA are proposed as prognostic biomarkers to stratify patients, for example 1q+ in Wilms tumor (WT; current clinical trials use only one sample per tumor to profile this genetic biomarker. We multisampled 20 WT cases and assessed genome-wide allele-specific CNA and loss of heterozygosity, and inferred tumor evolution, using Illumina CytoSNP12v2.1 arrays, a custom analysis pipeline, and the MEDICC algorithm. We found remarkable diversity of ITGH and evolutionary trajectories in WT. 1q+ is heterogeneous in the majority of tumors with this change, with variable evolutionary timing. We estimate that at least three samples per tumor are needed to detect >95% of cases with 1q+. In contrast, somatic 11p15 LOH is uniformly an early event in WT development. We find evidence of two separate tumor origins in unilateral disease with divergent histology, and in bilateral WT. We also show subclonal changes related to differential response to chemotherapy. Rational trial design to include biomarkers in risk stratification requires tumor multisampling and reliable delineation of ITGH and tumor evolution.

Evidence for a heritable predisposition to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

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Bateman Lucinda

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS came to attention in the 1980s, but initial investigations did not find organic causes. Now decades later, the etiology of CFS has yet to be understood, and the role of genetic predisposition in CFS remains controversial. Recent reports of CFS association with the retrovirus xenotropic murine leukemic virus-related virus (XMRV or other murine leukemia related retroviruses (MLV might also suggest underlying genetic implications within the host immune system. Methods We present analyses of familial clustering of CFS in a computerized genealogical resource linking multiple generations of genealogy data with medical diagnosis data of a large Utah health care system. We compare pair-wise relatedness among cases to expected relatedness in the Utah population, and we estimate risk for CFS for first, second, and third degree relatives of CFS cases. Results We observed significant excess relatedness of CFS cases compared to that expected in this population. Significant excess relatedness was observed for both close (p Conclusions These analyses provide strong support for a heritable contribution to predisposition to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. A population of high-risk CFS pedigrees has been identified, the study of which may provide additional understanding.

Myc contribution to γ-ray induced thymic lymphomas in mice of different genetic predispositions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sato, Toshihiro

2008-01-01

Myc gene has been suggested to be one of radiation targets in early genesis of γ ray-induced thymic lymphoma where Myc trisomy often occurs, and Myc activation results in p53 activation and apoptosis. The purpose of this study is to see the effects of radiation and mutation on Myc activation in the mouse. The lymphoma was induced by a single exposure of 3 Gy γ ray in BALB/c Bcl11b/Rit+/- and MSM p53-/- mice at 4 weeks after birth and by 4 weekly exposures of 2.5 Gy in p53+/- mouse. Genetic allele analysis for trisomy identification in the lymphoma was done by quantitative PCR using brain DNA as a control. Myc trisomy was found in the lymphoma of p53+/- mouse in 62% (23/37 animals) and of p53+/+, 66% (23/25), a similar frequency, suggesting that the target of radiation was not only the Myc activation. In addition, Myc trisomy frequency was 15% (4/27) in the lymphoma of Bcl11b+/+p53+/- and 36% (9/25), in heterozygote Bcl11b+/-. This finding suggested that the functional failure of Bcl11b reduced the contribution of Myc trisomy to the genesis. It was concluded that contribution of Myc trisomy to genesis of the lymphoma was dependent on genetic predisposition, and Myc-activated-, Bcl11b/Rit1-signal pathways played a parallel role in the genesis. (R.T.)

Nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome. Profile of genetic and environmental factors in oncogenesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Howell, J.B.

1984-01-01

Nevoid basal cell carcinomas (NBCCs) are a prototype of a genetic form of basal cell carcinoma. These basal cell cancers, rather than being caused by genetic factors alone, are most likely the product of genetic and environmental factors. The NBCC syndrome provides a model for studying tumors induced by ionizing radiation and for viewing carcinogenesis as a multistage process explainable by a minimum of two steps. The interaction of genetic and environmental factors in producing tumors to which an individual is predisposed can be studied in patients with the NBCC syndrome and childhood medulloblastoma that was treated by radiation therapy. Individuals with the NBCC syndrome represent a special subgroup with a hereditary predisposition to basal cell carcinoma in whom ionizing radiation may supply the subsequent mutation necessary for tumor development. The genetically altered epidermis underlying the palm and sole pits found in patients with the syndrome represents basal cell carcinoma in situ from which basal cell carcinomas develop, albeit infrequently. The restrained biologic behavior of most of these tumors contrasts with the usual destructive behavior of the NBCCs of the head and neck in the same patient

The role of UV induced lesions in skin carcinogenesis: an overview of oncogene and tumor suppressor gene modifications in xeroderma pigmentosum skin tumors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daya-Grosjean, Leela; Sarasin, Alain

2005-01-01

Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), a rare hereditary syndrome, is characterized by a hypersensitivity to solar irradiation due to a defect in nucleotide excision repair resulting in a predisposition to squamous and basal cell carcinomas as well as malignant melanomas appearing at a very early age. The mutator phenotype of XP cells is evident by the higher levels of UV specific modifications found in key regulatory genes in XP skin tumors compared to those in the same tumor types from the normal population. Thus, XP provides a unique model for the study of unrepaired DNA lesions, mutations and skin carcinogenesis. The high level of ras oncogene activation, Ink4a-Arf and p53 tumor suppressor gene modifications as well as alterations of the different partners of the mitogenic sonic hedgehog signaling pathway (patched, smoothened and sonic hedgehog), characterized in XP skin tumors have clearly demonstrated the major role of the UV component of sunlight in the development of skin tumors. The majority of the mutations are C to T or tandem CC to TT UV signature transitions, occurring at bipyrimidine sequences, the specific targets of UV induced lesions. These characteristics are also found in the same genes modified in sporadic skin cancers but with lower frequencies confirming the validity of studying the XP model. The knowledge gained by studying XP tumors has given us a greater perception of the contribution of genetic predisposition to cancer as well as the consequences of the many alterations which modulate the activities of different genes affecting crucial pathways vital for maintaining cell homeostasis

The role of UV induced lesions in skin carcinogenesis: an overview of oncogene and tumor suppressor gene modifications in xeroderma pigmentosum skin tumors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Daya-Grosjean, Leela [Laboratory of Genetic Instability and Cancer, UPR2169 CNRS, IFR 54, Institut Gustave Roussy, 39, rue Camille Desmoulins, 94805 Villejuif Cedex (France)]. E-mail: daya@igr.fr; Sarasin, Alain [Laboratory of Genetic Instability and Cancer, UPR2169 CNRS, IFR 54, Institut Gustave Roussy, 39, rue Camille Desmoulins, 94805 Villejuif Cedex (France)

2005-04-01

Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), a rare hereditary syndrome, is characterized by a hypersensitivity to solar irradiation due to a defect in nucleotide excision repair resulting in a predisposition to squamous and basal cell carcinomas as well as malignant melanomas appearing at a very early age. The mutator phenotype of XP cells is evident by the higher levels of UV specific modifications found in key regulatory genes in XP skin tumors compared to those in the same tumor types from the normal population. Thus, XP provides a unique model for the study of unrepaired DNA lesions, mutations and skin carcinogenesis. The high level of ras oncogene activation, Ink4a-Arf and p53 tumor suppressor gene modifications as well as alterations of the different partners of the mitogenic sonic hedgehog signaling pathway (patched, smoothened and sonic hedgehog), characterized in XP skin tumors have clearly demonstrated the major role of the UV component of sunlight in the development of skin tumors. The majority of the mutations are C to T or tandem CC to TT UV signature transitions, occurring at bipyrimidine sequences, the specific targets of UV induced lesions. These characteristics are also found in the same genes modified in sporadic skin cancers but with lower frequencies confirming the validity of studying the XP model. The knowledge gained by studying XP tumors has given us a greater perception of the contribution of genetic predisposition to cancer as well as the consequences of the many alterations which modulate the activities of different genes affecting crucial pathways vital for maintaining cell homeostasis.

Primary cardiac tumors associated with genetic syndromes. A comprehensive review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Elizabeth; Agarwal, Prachi P.; Mahani, Maryam Ghadimi; Lu, Jimmy C.; Dorfman, Adam L.; Srinivasan, Ashok

2018-01-01

Various cardiac tumors occur in the setting of a genetic syndrome such as myxomas in Carney complex and rhabdomyomas in tuberous sclerosis. Tumor biology can be different in syndromic forms, and on imaging children sometimes demonstrate additional manifestations of the underlying syndrome. We discuss the imaging appearance of cardiac tumors occurring in the framework of a genetic syndrome, the findings that suggest an underlying syndrome, and the impact on management. (orig.)

Primary cardiac tumors associated with genetic syndromes. A comprehensive review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Elizabeth; Agarwal, Prachi P. [University of Michigan Health System, University Hospital Division of Cardiothoracic Radiology, Department of Radiology, Ann Arbor, MI (United States); Mahani, Maryam Ghadimi [University of Michigan Health System, University Hospital Division of Cardiothoracic Radiology, Department of Radiology, Ann Arbor, MI (United States); University of Michigan Health System, Section of Pediatric Radiology, C.S. Mott Children' s Hospital, Department of Radiology, Ann Arbor, MI (United States); Lu, Jimmy C.; Dorfman, Adam L. [University of Michigan Health System, Section of Pediatric Radiology, C.S. Mott Children' s Hospital, Department of Radiology, Ann Arbor, MI (United States); C.S. Mott Children' s Hospital, University of Michigan Health System, Section of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Ann Arbor, MI (United States); Srinivasan, Ashok [University of Michigan Health System, Division of Neuroradiology, Department of Radiology, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)

2018-02-15

Various cardiac tumors occur in the setting of a genetic syndrome such as myxomas in Carney complex and rhabdomyomas in tuberous sclerosis. Tumor biology can be different in syndromic forms, and on imaging children sometimes demonstrate additional manifestations of the underlying syndrome. We discuss the imaging appearance of cardiac tumors occurring in the framework of a genetic syndrome, the findings that suggest an underlying syndrome, and the impact on management. (orig.)

A deficiency in chromatin repair, genetic instability, and predisposition to cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanford, K.K.; Parshad, R.; Gantt, R.R.; Tarone, R.E.

1989-01-01

This review traces steps leading to malignant neoplastic transformation of rodent and human cells in culture and in vivo. Emphasis is placed on an abnormal response characterized by persistent chromatid damage following irradiation of cells in culture with X-rays or fluorescent light during G2 phase of the cell cycle. Evidence is presented that deficient or unbalanced DNA repair during G2 accounts for the abnormal response. This G2 repair deficiency can be inherited or acquired by normal tissue cells during the process of or following attainment of infinite lifespan. It appears as an early, possibly initiating step in neoplastic transformation. It characterizes all human tumor cells examined irrespective of histopathology or tissue of origin. It has a genetic basis. In an animal model, the BALB/c mouse, this phenotype is associated with genes on chromosomes 1 and 4. It characterizes skin fibroblasts and blood lymphocytes from individuals with genetic or familial conditions predisposing to cancer and can be used to identify clinically normal family members carrying a gene(s) for any one of the three cancer-prone genetic disorders studied to date. Furthermore, it can provide the basis of a test for carriers of genes predisposing to a high risk of cancer. We conclude that the G2 repair deficiency, whether inherited or acquired, is a prerequisite for cancer development and that it accounts for the genetic instability of the cancer cell. 167 refs

The McGill Interactive Pediatric OncoGenetic Guidelines: An approach to identifying pediatric oncology patients most likely to benefit from a genetic evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Goudie, Catherine; Coltin, Hallie; Witkowski, Leora; Mourad, Stephanie; Malkin, David; Foulkes, William D

2017-08-01

Identifying cancer predisposition syndromes in children with tumors is crucial, yet few clinical guidelines exist to identify children at high risk of having germline mutations. The McGill Interactive Pediatric OncoGenetic Guidelines project aims to create a validated pediatric guideline in the form of a smartphone/tablet application using algorithms to process clinical data and help determine whether to refer a child for genetic assessment. This paper discusses the initial stages of the project, focusing on its overall structure, the methodology underpinning the algorithms, and the upcoming algorithm validation process. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Adrenocortical tumors in children

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R.C. Ribeiro

2000-10-01

Full Text Available Childhood adrenocortical tumors (ACT are rare. In the USA, only about 25 new cases occur each year. In Southern Brazil, however, approximately 10 times that many cases are diagnosed each year. Most cases occur in the contiguous states of São Paulo and Paraná. The cause of this higher rate has not been identified. Familial genetic predisposition to cancer (p53 mutations and selected genetic syndromes (Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome have been associated with childhood ACT in general but not with the Brazilian counterpart. Most of the affected children are young girls with classic endocrine syndromes (virilizing and/or Cushing. Levels of urinary 17-ketosteroids and plasma dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S, which are abnormal in approximately 90% of the cases, provide the pivotal clue to a diagnosis of ACT. Typical imaging findings of pediatric ACT consist of a large, well-defined suprarenal tumor containing calcifications with a thin capsule and central necrosis or hemorrhage. The pathologic classification of pediatric ACT is troublesome. Even an experienced pathologist can find it difficult to differentiate carcinoma from adenoma. Surgery is the single most important procedure in the successful treatment of ACT. The role of chemotherapy in the management of childhood ACT has not been established although occasional tumors are responsive to mitotane or cisplatin-containing regimens. Because of the heterogeneity and rarity of the disease, prognostic factors have been difficult to establish in pediatric ACT. Patients with incomplete tumor resection or with metastatic disease at diagnosis have a dismal prognosis. In patients with localized and completely resected tumors, the size of the tumor has predictive value. Patients with large tumors have a much higher relapse rate than those with small tumors.

Prostate-specific antigen velocity in a prospective prostate cancer screening study of men with genetic predisposition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mikropoulos, Christos; Selkirk, Christina G Hutten; Saya, Sibel

2018-01-01

BACKGROUND: Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and PSA-velocity (PSAV) have been used to identify men at risk of prostate cancer (PrCa). The IMPACT study is evaluating PSA screening in men with a known genetic predisposition to PrCa due to BRCA1/2 mutations. This analysis evaluates the utility of PSA...... and PSAV for identifying PrCa and high-grade disease in this cohort. METHODS: PSAV was calculated using logistic regression to determine if PSA or PSAV predicted the result of prostate biopsy (PB) in men with elevated PSA values. Cox regression was used to determine whether PSA or PSAV predicted PSA...... elevation in men with low PSAs. Interaction terms were included in the models to determine whether BRCA status influenced the predictiveness of PSA or PSAV. RESULTS: 1634 participants had ⩾3 PSA readings of whom 174 underwent PB and 45 PrCas diagnosed. In men with PSA >3.0 ng ml-l, PSAV...

Applications of Genomic Sequencing in Pediatric CNS Tumors.

Science.gov (United States)

Bavle, Abhishek A; Lin, Frank Y; Parsons, D Williams

2016-05-01

Recent advances in genome-scale sequencing methods have resulted in a significant increase in our understanding of the biology of human cancers. When applied to pediatric central nervous system (CNS) tumors, these remarkable technological breakthroughs have facilitated the molecular characterization of multiple tumor types, provided new insights into the genetic basis of these cancers, and prompted innovative strategies that are changing the management paradigm in pediatric neuro-oncology. Genomic tests have begun to affect medical decision making in a number of ways, from delineating histopathologically similar tumor types into distinct molecular subgroups that correlate with clinical characteristics, to guiding the addition of novel therapeutic agents for patients with high-risk or poor-prognosis tumors, or alternatively, reducing treatment intensity for those with a favorable prognosis. Genomic sequencing has also had a significant impact on translational research strategies in pediatric CNS tumors, resulting in wide-ranging applications that have the potential to direct the rational preclinical screening of novel therapeutic agents, shed light on tumor heterogeneity and evolution, and highlight differences (or similarities) between pediatric and adult CNS tumors. Finally, in addition to allowing the identification of somatic (tumor-specific) mutations, the analysis of patient-matched constitutional (germline) DNA has facilitated the detection of pathogenic germline alterations in cancer genes in patients with CNS tumors, with critical implications for genetic counseling and tumor surveillance strategies for children with familial predisposition syndromes. As our understanding of the molecular landscape of pediatric CNS tumors continues to advance, innovative applications of genomic sequencing hold significant promise for further improving the care of children with these cancers.

Dielectrophoretic capture and genetic analysis of single neuroblastoma tumor cells

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Erica L Carpenter

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Our understanding of the diversity of cells that escape the primary tumor and seed micrometastases remains rudimentary, and approaches for studying circulating and disseminated tumor cells have been limited by low throughput and sensitivity, reliance on single parameter sorting, and a focus on enumeration rather than phenotypic and genetic characterization. Here we utilize a highly sensitive microfluidic and dielectrophoretic approach for the isolation and genetic analysis of individual tumor cells. We employed fluorescence labeling to isolate 208 single cells from spiking experiments conducted with 11 cell lines, including 8 neuroblastoma cell lines, and achieved a capture sensitivity of 1 tumor cell per 106 white blood cells. Sample fixation or freezing had no detectable effect on cell capture. Point mutations were accurately detected in the whole genome amplification product of captured single tumor cells but not in negative control white blood cells. We applied this approach to capture 144 single tumor cells from 10 bone marrow samples from patients suffering from neuroblastoma. In this pediatric malignancy, high-risk patients often exhibit wide-spread hematogenous metastasis, but access to primary tumor can be difficult or impossible. Here we used flow-based sorting to pre-enrich samples with tumor involvement below 0.02%. For all patients for whom a mutation in the Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase gene had already been detected in their primary tumor, the same mutation was detected in single cells from their marrow. These findings demonstrate a novel, non-invasive, and adaptable method for the capture and genetic analysis of single tumor cells from cancer patients.

Genetic predisposition to Parkinson's disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Halling, Jónrit; Petersen, Maria Skaalum; Grandjean, Philippe

2008-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the genetic variants of CYP2D6 and HFE are more frequent in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients compared with controls in a population where the prevalence of these variants and PD are increased. METHODS: Blood samples were collected from 79 PD patients and 154...

Whole-genome sequencing analysis of phenotypic heterogeneity and anticipation in Li-Fraumeni cancer predisposition syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Ariffin, Hany; Hainaut, Pierre; Puzio-Kuter, Anna; Choong, Soo Sin; Chan, Adelyne Sue Li; Tolkunov, Denis; Rajagopal, Gunaretnam; Kang, Wenfeng; Lim, Leon Li Wen; Krishnan, Shekhar; Chen, Kok-Siong; Achatz, Maria Isabel; Karsa, Mawar; Shamsani, Jannah; Levine, Arnold J; Chan, Chang S

2014-10-28

The Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS) and its variant form (LFL) is a familial predisposition to multiple forms of childhood, adolescent, and adult cancers associated with germ-line mutation in the TP53 tumor suppressor gene. Individual disparities in tumor patterns are compounded by acceleration of cancer onset with successive generations. It has been suggested that this apparent anticipation pattern may result from germ-line genomic instability in TP53 mutation carriers, causing increased DNA copy-number variations (CNVs) with successive generations. To address the genetic basis of phenotypic disparities of LFS/LFL, we performed whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of 13 subjects from two generations of an LFS kindred. Neither de novo CNV nor significant difference in total CNV was detected in relation with successive generations or with age at cancer onset. These observations were consistent with an experimental mouse model system showing that trp53 deficiency in the germ line of father or mother did not increase CNV occurrence in the offspring. On the other hand, individual records on 1,771 TP53 mutation carriers from 294 pedigrees were compiled to assess genetic anticipation patterns (International Agency for Research on Cancer TP53 database). No strictly defined anticipation pattern was observed. Rather, in multigeneration families, cancer onset was delayed in older compared with recent generations. These observations support an alternative model for apparent anticipation in which rare variants from noncarrier parents may attenuate constitutive resistance to tumorigenesis in the offspring of TP53 mutation carriers with late cancer onset.

Bednar Tumor: An Uncommon Entity.

Science.gov (United States)

Amonkar, Gayathri P; Rupani, Asha; Shah, Ajay; Deshpande, Ramesh

2016-01-01

Bednar tumor is an uncommon variant of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans. Also known as pigmented dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, this tumor is of intermediate grade. It is seen in adults and has a predisposition to affect the shoulder region. We report a rare case of Bednar tumor in a 40-year-old female patient. The diagnosis of Bednar tumor must be considered while reporting pigmented subcutaneous spindle cell lesions.

Unifying diseases from a genetic point of view: the example of the genetic theory of infectious diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Darrason, Marie

2013-08-01

In the contemporary biomedical literature, every disease is considered genetic. This extension of the concept of genetic disease is usually interpreted either in a trivial or genocentrist sense, but it is never taken seriously as the expression of a genetic theory of disease. However, a group of French researchers defend the idea of a genetic theory of infectious diseases. By identifying four common genetic mechanisms (Mendelian predisposition to multiple infections, Mendelian predisposition to one infection, and major gene and polygenic predispositions), they attempt to unify infectious diseases from a genetic point of view. In this article, I analyze this explicit example of a genetic theory, which relies on mechanisms and is applied only to a specific category of diseases, what we call "a regional genetic theory." I have three aims: to prove that a genetic theory of disease can be devoid of genocentrism, to consider the possibility of a genetic theory applied to every disease, and to introduce two hypotheses about the form that such a genetic theory could take by distinguishing between a genetic theory of diseases and a genetic theory of Disease. Finally, I suggest that network medicine could be an interesting framework for a genetic theory of Disease.

ANALYSIS OF ACE, ACTN3, ENOS, PPARG, PPARA, HIF-15, PPARGC1B GENE POLYMORPHISMS FOR DETERMINATION A GENETIC PREDISPOSITION TO A VARIETY OF SPORTS

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S. B. Drozdovska

2013-05-01

Full Text Available To establishing the possibility of assessing genetic iinherited predisposition to various sports, the differences in the distribution of genotypes of the complex polymorphisms in groups of athletes, specializing in sports with different types of energy supply of muscular work were studied. The paper examined the DNA 332 persons, of which 110 athletes involved in speed- power sports, 85 - in endurance sports , 51 - in sports that require a combination of strength and endurance, 86 - with no experience regular exercise.

The genetics of diabetes

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Barjaktarović Nada

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Pathogenesis of diabetes is still a mystery for medicine, the real challenge currently being the identification of genetic factors and specific mutations that cause the disease. Heterogeneity of diabetes hampers research, only a few loci inside the human genome being correlated with predisposition for disease till now. Insulin-dependent diabetes - IDDM (T1DM develops through autoimmune destruction of pancreatic beta cells. HLA complex on the short arm of chromosome 6 (6p21, where very important genes responsible for immunological condition of the person are located, plays a very important role in genetic predisposition for T1DM. Beside this region, there are also other loci in the human genome (on chromosomes 1, 2 and 11 where a correlation with T1DM has been shown. Correlation between HLA systems and T1DM was first described for class I alleles, but recently attention has been drawn to class II loci which seem to be the cause of primary predisposition for T1DM. In the case of non-insulin-dependent diabetes - NIDDM (T2DM, the situation proved to be even more complex. Only a few genetic loci on chromosomes 11, 13 and 20 and MODY variant on chromosomes 7 and 12 have been identified by now. There are two theories about genetic basis of T2DM: the first stipulates that the genetic predisposition is determined through numerous loci, each individually responsible for a small part of predisposition; the second claims that there are a limited number of "major" genes probably functioning on a polygenic basis. Further research in this area is definitely needed to enable an accurate calculation of the risks of the disease and possible consequences during a lifetime of a person.

Breed predisposition to canine gastric carcinoma

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Seim-Wikse, Tonje; Jörundsson, Einar; Nødtvedt, Ane

2013-01-01

Previous research has indicated a breed predisposition to gastric carcinoma in dogs. However, results to date are inconsistent since several studies have failed to prove such a predisposition. Better knowledge of breeds at risk could facilitate early detection of gastric carcinoma in dogs. The ai...

MAJOR MOLECULAR GENETIC DRIVERS IN SPORADIC PRIMARY HYPERPARATHYROIDISM.

Science.gov (United States)

Arnold, Andrew

2016-01-01

Primary hyperparathyroidism is primarily due to a solitary parathyroid adenoma but multi-gland disease, parathyroid carcinoma, and ectopic parathyroid hormone production can occur. Although primary hyperparathyroidism mostly presents sporadically, strong familial predispositions also exist. Much is known about heritable genetic mutations responsible for these syndromes, including multiple endocrine neoplasia types 1 and 2A, hyperparathyroidism-jaw tumor syndrome, and familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia. Acquired mutations in common sporadic hyperparathyroidism have also been discovered. Here we focus on the most common and well-established genetic drivers: 1) involvement of the oncogene cyclin D1 in human neoplasia was first established in parathyroid adenomas, followed by recognition of its importance in other tumor types including breast cancer and B-lymphoid malignancy; and 2) somatic mutation of the MEN1 gene, first identified as the source of pathogenic germline mutations in patients with familial endocrinopathies, is found in a substantial fraction of non-familial parathyroid adenomas.

Manipulations in maternal environment reverse periodontitis in genetically predisposed rats.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sluyter, F.; Breivik, T.; Cools, A.R.

2002-01-01

The predisposition to develop periodontitis is partly genetically determined in humans as well as in animals. Here we demonstrate, however, that early manipulations in the maternal environment of an animal (rat) model of periodontitis can fully reverse the genetic predisposition to develop

Interactions between genetic variants associated with adiposity traits and soft drinks in relation to longitudinal changes in body weight and waist circumference

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olsen, Nanna J; Ängquist, Lars; Larsen, Sofus C

2016-01-01

circumference (WC), or the waist- To-hip ratio adjusted for BMI (WHRBMI), the following 4 genetic predisposition scores (GRSs) were constructed: A complete genetic predisposition score including all 50 single nucleotide polymorphisms (GRSComplete), a genetic predisposition score including BMI- Associated single...

Pituitary Tumors in Childhood: an update in their diagnosis, treatment and molecular genetics

Science.gov (United States)

Keil, Margaret F.; Stratakis, Constantine A.

2009-01-01

Pituitary tumors are rare in childhood and adolescence, with a reported prevalence of up to 1 per million children. Only 2 - 6% of surgically treated pituitary tumors occur in children. Although pituitary tumors in children are almost never malignant and hormonal secretion is rare, these tumors may result in significant morbidity. Tumors within the pituitary fossa are of two types mainly, craniopharyngiomas and adenomas; craniopharyngiomas cause symptoms by compressing normal pituitary, causing hormonal deficiencies and producing mass effects on surrounding tissues and the brain; adenomas produce a variety of hormonal conditions such as hyperprolactinemia, Cushing disease and acromegaly or gigantism. Little is known about the genetic causes of sporadic lesions, which comprise the majority of pituitary tumors, but in children, more frequently than in adults, pituitary tumors may be a manifestation of genetic conditions such as multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN 1), Carney complex, familial isolated pituitary adenoma (FIPA), and McCune-Albright syndrome. The study of pituitary tumorigenesis in the context of these genetic syndromes has advanced our knowledge of the molecular basis of pituitary tumors and may lead to new therapeutic developments. PMID:18416659

Manipulations in Maternal Environment Reverse Periodontitis in Genetically Predisposed Rats

Science.gov (United States)

Sluyter, Frans; Breivik, Torbjørn; Cools, Alexander

2002-01-01

The predisposition to develop periodontitis is partly genetically determined in humans as well as in animals. Here we demonstrate, however, that early manipulations in the maternal environment of an animal (rat) model of periodontitis can fully reverse the genetic predisposition to develop periodontitis at adult age. PMID:12093700

Lung cancer, genetic predisposition and smoking

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hjelmborg, Jacob; Korhonen, Tellervo; Holst, Klaus

2017-01-01

Background: We aimed to disentangle genetic and environmental causes in lung cancer while considering smoking status. Methods: Four Nordic twin cohorts (43 512 monozygotic (MZ) and 71 895 same sex dizygotic (DZ) twin individuals) had smoking data before cancer diagnosis. We used time...

Cytogenetic and molecular-genetic aberrations in malignant primary bone tumors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zoubek, A.; Kovar, H.; Gadner, H.

1998-01-01

Osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma and tumors of the Ewing group are the most frequently observed primary malignant bone tumors. In an Internet homepage recently constructed for the Orthopedic Hospital Rizzoli Bologna, Italy, these tumors have represented the majority of 4423 malignant bone tumors in the archives of this institution since 1920 (http://www.tizeta.it/rizzoli). Malignant fibrous histiocytoma, fibrosarcoma, hemangioendothelioma, malignant hemangiopericytoma and giant-cell tumors are diagnosed less frequently. Since the introduction of modern molecular and cytogenic techniques, knowledge of genetic aberrations in malginant bone tumors has steadily increased. However, so far only for the group of Ewing tumors has a recurrent chromosomal marker, the translocation t(11; 22)(q24; q12), been identified. (orig.) [de

The Fanconi anemia DNA damage repair pathway in the spotlight for germline predisposition to colorectal cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Esteban-Jurado, Clara; Franch-Expósito, Sebastià; Muñoz, Jenifer; Ocaña, Teresa; Carballal, Sabela; López-Cerón, Maria; Cuatrecasas, Miriam; Vila-Casadesús, Maria; Lozano, Juan José; Serra, Enric; Beltran, Sergi; Brea-Fernández, Alejandro; Ruiz-Ponte, Clara; Castells, Antoni; Bujanda, Luis; Garre, Pilar; Caldés, Trinidad; Cubiella, Joaquín; Balaguer, Francesc; Castellví-Bel, Sergi

2016-10-01

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common neoplasms in the world. Fanconi anemia (FA) is a very rare genetic disease causing bone marrow failure, congenital growth abnormalities and cancer predisposition. The comprehensive FA DNA damage repair pathway requires the collaboration of 53 proteins and it is necessary to restore genome integrity by efficiently repairing damaged DNA. A link between FA genes in breast and ovarian cancer germline predisposition has been previously suggested. We selected 74 CRC patients from 40 unrelated Spanish families with strong CRC aggregation compatible with an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance and without mutations in known hereditary CRC genes and performed germline DNA whole-exome sequencing with the aim of finding new candidate germline predisposition variants. After sequencing and data analysis, variant prioritization selected only those very rare alterations, producing a putative loss of function and located in genes with a role compatible with cancer. We detected an enrichment for variants in FA DNA damage repair pathway genes in our familial CRC cohort as 6 families carried heterozygous, rare, potentially pathogenic variants located in BRCA2/FANCD1, BRIP1/FANCJ, FANCC, FANCE and REV3L/POLZ. In conclusion, the FA DNA damage repair pathway may play an important role in the inherited predisposition to CRC.

Association between Maternal Fish Consumption and Gestational Weight Gain: Influence of Molecular Genetic Predisposition to Obesity.

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Sofus C Larsen

Full Text Available Studies suggest that fish consumption can restrict weight gain. However, little is known about how fish consumption affects gestational weight gain (GWG, and whether this relationship depends on genetic makeup.To examine the association between fish consumption and GWG, and whether this relationship is dependent on molecular genetic predisposition to obesity.A nested case-cohort study based on the Danish National Birth Cohort (DNBC sampling the most obese women (n = 990 and a random sample of the remaining participants (n = 1,128. Replication of statistically significant findings was attempted in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC (n = 4,841. We included 32 body mass index (BMI associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs and 5 SNPs found associated with GWG. BMI associated SNPs were combined in a genetic risk score (GRS. Associations between consumption of fish, GRS or individual variants and GWG were analysed, and interactions between fish and the GRS or individual variants were examined.In the DNBC, each portion/week (150 g of fatty fish was associated with a higher GWG of 0.58 kg (95% CI: 0.16, 0.99, P<0.01. For total fish and lean fish, similar patterns were observed, but these associations were not statistically significant. We found no association between GRS and GWG, and no interactions between GRS and dietary fish on GWG. However, we found an interaction between the PPARG Pro12Ala variant and dietary fish. Each additional Pro12Ala G-allele was associated with a GWG of -0.83 kg (95% CI: -1.29, -0.37, P<0.01 per portion/week of dietary fish, with the same pattern for both lean and fatty fish. In ALSPAC, we were unable to replicate these findings.We found no consistent evidence of association between fish consumption and GWG, and our results indicate that the association between dietary fish and GWG has little or no dependency on GRS or individual SNPs.

Dietary ascorbic acid and subsequent change in body weight and waist circumference: associations may depend on genetic predisposition to obesity - a prospective study of three independent cohorts

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background Cross-sectional data suggests that a low level of plasma ascorbic acid positively associates with both Body Mass Index (BMI) and Waist Circumference (WC). This leads to questions about a possible relationship between dietary intake of ascorbic acid and subsequent changes in anthropometry, and whether such associations may depend on genetic predisposition to obesity. Hence, we examined whether dietary ascorbic acid, possibly in interaction with the genetic predisposition to a high BMI, WC or waist-hip ratio adjusted for BMI (WHR), associates with subsequent annual changes in weight (∆BW) and waist circumference (∆WC). Methods A total of 7,569 participants’ from MONICA, the Diet Cancer and Health study and the INTER99 study were included in the study. We combined 50 obesity associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in four genetic scores: a score of all SNPs and a score for each of the traits (BMI, WC and WHR) with which the SNPs associate. Linear regression was used to examine the association between ascorbic acid intake and ΔBW or ΔWC. SNP-score × ascorbic acid interactions were examined by adding product terms to the models. Results We found no significant associations between dietary ascorbic acid and ∆BW or ∆WC. Regarding SNP-score × ascorbic acid interactions, each additional risk allele of the 14 WHR associated SNPs associated with a ∆WC of 0.039 cm/year (P = 0.02, 95% CI: 0.005 to 0.073) per 100 mg/day higher ascorbic acid intake. However, the association to ∆WC only remained borderline significant after adjustment for ∆BW. Conclusion In general, our study does not support an association between dietary ascorbic acid and ∆BW or ∆WC, but a diet with a high content of ascorbic acid may be weakly associated to higher WC gain among people who are genetically predisposed to a high WHR. However, given the quite limited association any public health relevance is questionable. PMID:24886192

Molecular and genetic aspects of odontogenic tumors: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Garg, Kavita; Chandra, Shaleen; Raj, Vineet; Fareed, Wamiq; Zafar, Muhammad

2015-06-01

Odontogenic tumors contain a heterogeneous collection of lesions that are categorized from hamartomas to benign and malignant neoplasms of inconstant aggressiveness. Odontogenic tumors are usually extraordinary with assessed frequency of short of 0.5 cases/100,000 population for every year. The lesions such as odontogenic tumors are inferred from the components of the tooth-structuring contraption. They are discovered solely inside the maxillary and mandibular bones. This audit speaks to experiences and cooperation of the molecular and genetic variations connected to the development and movement of odontogenic tumors which incorporate oncogenes, tumor-silencer genes, APC gene, retinoblastoma genes, DNA repair genes, onco-viruses, development components, telomerase, cell cycle controllers, apoptosis-related elements, and regulators/conttrollers of tooth development. The reasonable and better understanding of the molecular components may prompt new ideas for their detection and administrating a better prognosis of odontogenic tumors.

Genetic and Clinical Characteristics of Phyllodes Tumors of the Breast

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Ji-Yeon Kim

2018-02-01

Full Text Available PURPOSE: Phyllodes tumors (PTs of the breast are rare, accounting for less than 1% of all breast tumors. Among PTs, malignant PTs (MPTs have malignant characteristics and distant metastases occur in about 20% to 30% of MPTs. However, there is no effective treatment for MPTs with distant metastasis, resulting in an abject prognosis. We performed targeted deep sequencing on PTs to identify the associations between genetic alterations and clinical prognosis. METHODS: We performed targeted deep sequencing to evaluate the genetic characteristics of PTs and analyzed the relationships between clinical and genetic characteristics. RESULTS: A total of 17 PTs were collected between 2001 and 2012. Histologic review was performed by pathologists. The samples included three benign PTs, one borderline PT, and 13 MPTs. The most frequently detected genetic alteration occurred in the TERT promoter region (70.6%, followed by MED12 (64.7%. EGFR amplification and TP53 alteration were detected in four MPTs without genetic alterations in MED12 and TERT promoter regions. Genetic alterations of RARA and ZNF703 were repeatedly found in PTs with local recurrence, and genetic alterations of SETD2, BRCA2, and TSC1 were detected in PTs with distant metastasis. Especially, MPT harboring PTEN and RB1 copy number deletion showed rapid disease progression. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we provide genetic characterization and potential therapeutic target for this rare, potentially lethal disease. Further large-scale comprehensive genetic study and functional validation are warranted.

Genetic and modifying factors that determine the risk of brain tumors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Montelli, Terezinha de Cresci Braga; Peraçoli, Maria Terezinha Serrão; Rogatto, Silvia Regina

2011-01-01

of tumor escape, CNS tumor immunology, immune defects that impair anti-tumor systemic immunity in brain tumor patients and local immuno-suppressive factors within CNS are also reviewed. New hope to treatment perspectives, as dendritic-cell-based vaccines is summarized too. Concluding, it seems well...... responses can alert immune system. However, it is necessary to clarify if individuals with both constitutional defects in immune functions and genetic instability have higher risk of developing brain tumors. Cytogenetic prospective studies and gene copy number variations analysis also must be performed...

Molecular and genetic aspects of odontogenic tumors: a review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kavita Garg

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Odontogenic tumors contain a heterogeneous collection of lesions that are categorized from hamartomas to benign and malignant neoplasms of inconstant aggressiveness. Odontogenic tumors are usually extraordinary with assessed frequency of short of 0.5 cases/100,000 population for every year. The lesions such as odontogenic tumors are inferred from the components of the tooth-structuring contraption. They are discovered solely inside the maxillary and mandibular bones. This audit speaks to experiences and cooperation of the molecular and genetic variations connected to the development and movement of odontogenic tumors which incorporate oncogenes, tumor-silencer genes, APC gene, retinoblastoma genes, DNA repair genes, onco-viruses, development components, telomerase, cell cycle controllers, apoptosis-related elements, and regulators/controllers of tooth development. The reasonable and better understanding of the molecular components may prompt new ideas for their detection and administrating a better prognosis of odontogenic tumors.

Genetic modification of T cells improves the effectiveness of adoptive tumor immunotherapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Jakóbisiak, Marek; Gołab, Jakub

2010-10-01

Appropriate combinations of immunotherapy and gene therapy promise to be more effective in the treatment of cancer patients than either of these therapeutic approaches alone. One such treatment is based on the application of patients' cytotoxic T cells, which can be activated, expanded, and genetically engineered to recognize particular tumor-associated antigens (TAAs). Because T cells recognizing TAAs might become unresponsive in the process of tumor development as a result of tumor evasion strategies, immunogenic viral antigens or alloantigens could be used for the expansion of cytotoxic T cells and then redirected through genetic engineering. This therapeutic approach has already demonstrated promising results in melanoma patients and could be used in the treatment of many other tumors. The graft-versus-leukemia, or more generally graft-versus-tumor, reaction based on the application of a donor lymphocyte infusion can also be ameliorated through the incorporation of suicide genes into donor lymphocytes. Such lymphocytes could be safely and more extensively used in tumor patients because they could be eliminated should a severe graft-versus-host reaction develop.

Genetic subclone architecture of tumor clone-initiating cells in colorectal cancer.

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Giessler, Klara M; Kleinheinz, Kortine; Huebschmann, Daniel; Balasubramanian, Gnana Prakash; Dubash, Taronish D; Dieter, Sebastian M; Siegl, Christine; Herbst, Friederike; Weber, Sarah; Hoffmann, Christopher M; Fronza, Raffaele; Buchhalter, Ivo; Paramasivam, Nagarajan; Eils, Roland; Schmidt, Manfred; von Kalle, Christof; Schneider, Martin; Ulrich, Alexis; Scholl, Claudia; Fröhling, Stefan; Weichert, Wilko; Brors, Benedikt; Schlesner, Matthias; Ball, Claudia R; Glimm, Hanno

2017-07-03

A hierarchically organized cell compartment drives colorectal cancer (CRC) progression. Genetic barcoding allows monitoring of the clonal output of tumorigenic cells without prospective isolation. In this study, we asked whether tumor clone-initiating cells (TcICs) were genetically heterogeneous and whether differences in self-renewal and activation reflected differential kinetics among individual subclones or functional hierarchies within subclones. Monitoring genomic subclone kinetics in three patient tumors and corresponding serial xenografts and spheroids by high-coverage whole-genome sequencing, clustering of genetic aberrations, subclone combinatorics, and mutational signature analysis revealed at least two to four genetic subclones per sample. Long-term growth in serial xenografts and spheroids was driven by multiple genomic subclones with profoundly differing growth dynamics and hence different quantitative contributions over time. Strikingly, genetic barcoding demonstrated stable functional heterogeneity of CRC TcICs during serial xenografting despite near-complete changes in genomic subclone contribution. This demonstrates that functional heterogeneity is, at least frequently, present within genomic subclones and independent of mutational subclone differences. © 2017 Giessler et al.

Causation of nervous system tumors in children: insights from traditional and genetically engineered animal models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rice, Jerry M.

2004-01-01

Pediatric neurogenic tumors include primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNETs), especially medulloblastoma; ependymomas and choroid plexus papillomas; astrocytomas; retinoblastoma; and sympathetic neuroblastoma. Meningiomas and nerve sheath tumors, although uncommon in childhood, are also significant because they can result from exposures of children to ionizing radiation. Specific chromosomal loci and specific genes are related to each of these tumor types. Virtually all these genes appear to act as tumor suppressor genes, which are inactivated in tumor cells by mutations or by chromosomal loss. In genetically engineered mice, some genes that are clearly associated with specific human tumors (e.g., RB1 in retinoblastoma and NF2 in meningiomas and schwannomas) have no such effect. Other genetic constructs in mice involving the genes p53, ptc1, and Nf1 have produced tumors remarkably similar to some of the human pediatric neoplasms. Some of these tumors become clinically apparent after only a few weeks, while the mice are still juveniles, especially when two or more tumor suppressor genes are inactivated in the same genetic construct. Conversely, at least one genetic pathway in rodents involving point mutation in the coding region of a transforming gene (neu in malignant schwannomas) does not appear to operate in any human tumors. The nervous system is markedly susceptible to experimental carcinogenesis during early life in rodents, dogs, primates, and other nonhuman species, and there is no obvious reason why this generalization should not also apply to humans. However, except for therapeutic ionizing radiation, no physical, chemical, or biological cause of human pediatric nervous system tumors is known. The failure of experimental transplacental carcinogenesis to mirror human pediatric experience more closely may reflect the need for multiple mutational events in target cells, and for experimental carcinogens that are capable of causing the full spectrum of

Impact of behavioral genetic evidence on the adjudication of criminal behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Appelbaum, Paul S; Scurich, Nicholas

2014-01-01

Recent advances in behavioral genetics suggest a modest relationship among certain gene variants, early childhood experiences, and criminal behavior. Although scientific research examining this link is still at an early stage, genetic data are already being introduced in criminal trials. However, the extent to which such evidence is likely to affect jurors' decisions has not been explored. In the present study, a representative sample of the U.S. population (n = 250) received a vignette describing an apparently impulsive homicide, accompanied by one of four explanations of the defendant's impulsivity: childhood abuse, genetic predisposition, childhood abuse and genetic predisposition, or simple impulsive behavior. The participants were asked to identify the crime that the defendant had committed and to select an appropriate sentence range. Evidence of genetic predisposition did not affect the crime of which the defendant was convicted or the sentence. However, participants who received the abuse or genetic + abuse explanation imposed longer prison sentences. Paradoxically, the genetic and genetic + abuse conditions engendered the greatest fear of the defendant. These findings should allay concerns that genetic evidence in criminal adjudications will be overly persuasive to jurors, but should raise questions about the impact of genetic attributions on perceptions of dangerousness.

Microdissecting the Genetic Events in Nephrogenic Rests and Wilms’ Tumor Development

Science.gov (United States)

Charles, Adrian K.; Brown, Keith W.; Berry, P. Jeremy

1998-01-01

Nephrogenic rests are precursor lesions associated with about 40% of Wilms’ tumors. This study identifies genetic steps occurring in the development of Wilms’ tumor. Thirty-four Wilms’ tumors with nephrogenic rests and/or areas of anaplasia were microdissected from paraffin sections to determine whether and at what stage loss of heterozygosity (LOH) occurred, using polymerase chain reaction-based polymorphic markers at 11p13, 11p15, and 16q. LOH at these loci have been identified in Wilms’ tumors and are associated with identified or putative tumor suppressor genes. Three cystic nephromas/cystic partially differentiated nephroblastomas were also examined. LOH was detected in six cases at 11p13 and in six cases at 11p15, and two of these cases had LOH at both loci. All intralobar rests showing LOH also showed LOH in the tumor. A case with a small perilobar rest showed LOH of 11p13 only in the tumor. Five cases showing LOH at 16q were identified (this was identified only in the tumor, and not in the associated rest), and three of these had recurrence of the tumor. Two cases had a WT1 mutation (one germline and the other somatic), as well as LOH in both the intralobar rest and the tumor. A cystic partially differentiated nephroblastoma showed loss at 11p13 and 11p15, as well as at 16q. This study suggests that LOH at 11p13 and 11p15 and WT1 mutations are early events but that LOH at 16q occurs late in the pathogenesis of Wilms’ tumor. Intralobar and perilobar nephrogenic rests are known to have different biological behaviors, and this study suggests that they are genetically different. A multistep model of Wilms’ tumor pathogenesis is supported by these findings. PMID:9736048

Postirradiation sarcoma in retinoblastoma. Induction or predisposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schwarz, M.B.; Burgess, L.P.; Fee, W.E. Jr.; Donaldson, S.S.

1988-01-01

An alarmingly high rate of postirradiation sarcomas following treatment for retinoblastoma has been described in the literature. We present four new cases and report 57 others from the English literature. Osteogenic sarcoma was the predominant histologic type (58%), followed by fibrosarcoma (21%) and various other sarcomas (21%). The average latency period between irradiation and development of the second primary (sarcoma) was 12.4 years. Irrespective of irradiation, a genetic linkage between retinoblastoma and osteogenic sarcoma on the 13q14 chromosome is recognized. Through a pleiotropic effect of this same chromosome, a predisposition for other sarcomas may exist as well. Finally, a strong role for radiation induction is proposed for all of these postirradiation sarcomas. This is based on the increased number of sarcomas arising in the field of prior irradiation (sites uncharacteristic of spontaneously occurring primary sarcomas) and the prolonged latency periods.13 references

Advances in genetic detection of kidney disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dosekun, Akinsan K.; Foringer, John R.; Kone, Bruce C.

2003-01-01

The Human Genome Project has provided a vast amount of molecular genetic information for the analysis of normal and diseased genes. This new information provides new opportunities for precise diagnosis, assessment of predisposition and risk factors and novel therapeutic strategies. At the same time, this constantly expanding knowledge base represents on e of the most difficult challenges in molecular medicine. For monogenic disease nearly 2000 human disease genes have thus for been identified. Most of these conditions are characterized by large mutational variation and even greater phenotypic variation. In nephrology, several genetic diseases have been elucidated that provide new insight into the structure, function and developmental biology of the glomerulus, tubules and urogenital tracts, as well as renal cell tumors. Great improvements in the diagnostic resolution of genetic diseases have been achieved, such that single base pair mutations can be readily detected. Because of accurate diagnosis and risk assessment, genetic testing may be valuable in improving disease management and preventive care when genotype-specific therapies are available. Moreover, such testing may identify de novo mutations and potentially aid in understanding the disease process. This review summarizes recent advances in the renal genetic database and methods for genetic testing of renal diseases. (author)

Tumor-specific loss of 11p15.5 alleles in del11p13 Wilms tumor and in familial adrenocortical carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henry, I.; Grandjouan, S.; Couillin, P.

1989-01-01

The authors have compared constitutional and tumor genotypes in nine cases of hereditary Wilms tumor (WT) and in three unrelated cases of familial adrenocortical carcinoma (ADCC). Since susceptibility to these tumors can be observed in malformation syndromes associated with a constitutional deletion of band 11p13 (WT) and with a constitutional duplication of band 11p15.5 (WT, ADCC), they investigated these two candidate regions by using 11p polymorphic markers. As expected, somatic chromosomal events, resulting in a loss of heterozygosity limited to region 11p15.5, were observed in the tumor of two familial cases of adrenocortical carcinoma. Surprisingly, however, analysis of the WT of two patients with a constitutional deletion of band 11p13, associated with aniridia, genitourinary abnormalities, and mental retardation (WAGR syndrome), revealed a loss of heterozygosity limited to region 11p15.5. These data therefore suggest that observation of a specific loss of heterozygosity may not necessarily point to the site of the initial germinal mutation. Together with previous similar observations of a loss of heterozygosity limited to 11p15.5 in breast cancer and in rhabdomyosarcoma, the data suggest that region 11p15.5 may carry a non-tissue-specific gene that could be involved in genetic predisposition, in tumor progression, or in both

Advancement of researches on the malignant tumor radio-genetic therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tian Yue; Su Chenghai

2008-01-01

Radiotherapy is one of the routine methods of malignant tumor treatment and used in clinical many years, while gene therapy is one of the new therapy. But the formation of tumor is the complicated process effected by many factors and many genes. The effect of polygene therapy is not ideal. Therefore, radio-genetic therapy is the hot spot of the present study and will become one of the important direction of cancer therapy. (authors)

Diagnostics of movement predispositions in fitnness centre

OpenAIRE

Vojtíšek, Petr

2011-01-01

Title: Diagnostics of movement predispositions in fitness Objectives: The objective of bachelor thesis is to summarize the findings of the initial diagnostics od movement predispositions in fitness and then serve as a resource for those interested in education in this field. The aim of the practical part of this work is to obtain information about the diagnostic methods used to assess physical assumptions in the fitness centers. Methods: In this thesis was used the method of analysis of scien...

Molecular cytogenetic characterization of canine histiocytic sarcoma: A spontaneous model for human histiocytic cancer identifies deletion of tumor suppressor genes and highlights influence of genetic background on tumor behavior

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Abadie Jerome

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Histiocytic malignancies in both humans and dogs are rare and poorly understood. While canine histiocytic sarcoma (HS is uncommon in the general domestic dog population, there is a strikingly high incidence in a subset of breeds, suggesting heritable predisposition. Molecular cytogenetic profiling of canine HS in these breeds would serve to reveal recurrent DNA copy number aberrations (CNAs that are breed and/or tumor associated, as well as defining those shared with human HS. This process would identify evolutionarily conserved cytogenetic changes to highlight regions of particular importance to HS biology. Methods Using genome wide array comparative genomic hybridization we assessed CNAs in 104 spontaneously occurring HS from two breeds of dog exhibiting a particularly elevated incidence of this tumor, the Bernese Mountain Dog and Flat-Coated Retriever. Recurrent CNAs were evaluated further by multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization and loss of heterozygosity analyses. Statistical analyses were performed to identify CNAs associated with tumor location and breed. Results Almost all recurrent CNAs identified in this study were shared between the two breeds, suggesting that they are associated more with the cancer phenotype than with breed. A subset of recurrent genomic imbalances suggested involvement of known cancer associated genes in HS pathogenesis, including deletions of the tumor suppressor genes CDKN2A/B, RB1 and PTEN. A small number of aberrations were unique to each breed, implying that they may contribute to the major differences in tumor location evident in these two breeds. The most highly recurrent canine CNAs revealed in this study are evolutionarily conserved with those reported in human histiocytic proliferations, suggesting that human and dog HS share a conserved pathogenesis. Conclusions The breed associated clinical features and DNA copy number aberrations exhibited by canine HS offer a valuable model

Molecular cytogenetic characterization of canine histiocytic sarcoma: A spontaneous model for human histiocytic cancer identifies deletion of tumor suppressor genes and highlights influence of genetic background on tumor behavior

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hedan, Benoit; Thomas, Rachael; Motsinger-Reif, Alison; Abadie, Jerome; Andre, Catherine; Cullen, John; Breen, Matthew

2011-01-01

Histiocytic malignancies in both humans and dogs are rare and poorly understood. While canine histiocytic sarcoma (HS) is uncommon in the general domestic dog population, there is a strikingly high incidence in a subset of breeds, suggesting heritable predisposition. Molecular cytogenetic profiling of canine HS in these breeds would serve to reveal recurrent DNA copy number aberrations (CNAs) that are breed and/or tumor associated, as well as defining those shared with human HS. This process would identify evolutionarily conserved cytogenetic changes to highlight regions of particular importance to HS biology. Using genome wide array comparative genomic hybridization we assessed CNAs in 104 spontaneously occurring HS from two breeds of dog exhibiting a particularly elevated incidence of this tumor, the Bernese Mountain Dog and Flat-Coated Retriever. Recurrent CNAs were evaluated further by multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization and loss of heterozygosity analyses. Statistical analyses were performed to identify CNAs associated with tumor location and breed. Almost all recurrent CNAs identified in this study were shared between the two breeds, suggesting that they are associated more with the cancer phenotype than with breed. A subset of recurrent genomic imbalances suggested involvement of known cancer associated genes in HS pathogenesis, including deletions of the tumor suppressor genes CDKN2A/B, RB1 and PTEN. A small number of aberrations were unique to each breed, implying that they may contribute to the major differences in tumor location evident in these two breeds. The most highly recurrent canine CNAs revealed in this study are evolutionarily conserved with those reported in human histiocytic proliferations, suggesting that human and dog HS share a conserved pathogenesis. The breed associated clinical features and DNA copy number aberrations exhibited by canine HS offer a valuable model for the human counterpart, providing additional evidence towards

Cytogenetics and molecular genetics of Wilms' tumor of childhood

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Slater, R. M.; Mannens, M. M.

1992-01-01

We describe the way in which application of cytogenetic and molecular genetic techniques to the study of Wilms' tumor (WT) of the kidney and the associated congenital disorders, such as sporadic aniridia and the Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome, has led to identification of two regions on the short arm

[Inherited colorectal cancer predisposition syndromes identified in the Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Neoplasicas (INEN), Lima, Peru;].

Science.gov (United States)

Castro-Mujica, María del Carmen; Sullcahuamán-Allende, Yasser; Barreda-Bolaños, Fernando; Taxa-Rojas, Luis

2014-04-01

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the fourth most common cancer in the world and is classified according to their origin in sporadic CRC (~ 70%) and genetic CRC (~ 30%), this latter involves cases of familial aggregation and inherited síndromes that predispose to CRC. To describe inherited CRC predisposition syndromes, polyposic and non-polyposic, identified in the Oncogenetics Unit at National Institute of Cancer Disease (INEN). A descriptive observational record from the attentions of the Oncogenetics Unit at INEN during 2009 to 2013. We included patients with personal or familiar history of CRC and/or colonic polyposis who were referred for clinical assessment to the Oncogenetics Unitat INEN. 59.3 % were female, 40.7 % male, 69.8% under 50 years old, 60.5% had a single CRC, 23.2% had more than one CRC or CRC associated with other extracolonic neoplasia and 32.6% had a familiar history of cancer with autosomal dominant inheritance. According to the clinical genetic diagnosis, 93.1% of the included cases were inherited syndromes that predispose to CRC, with 33.8% of colonic polyposis syndromes, 23.3% of hereditary nonpolyposis CRC syndromes (HNPCC) and 36.0% of CCRHNP probable cases. Clinical genetic evaluation of patients with personal or familiar history of CRC and/or colonic polyposis can identify inherited colorectal cancer predisposition syndromes and provide an appropriategenetic counseling to patients and relatives at risk, establishing guidelines to follow-up and prevention strategies to prevent morbidity and mortality by cancer.

Inference of Tumor Evolution during Chemotherapy by Computational Modeling and In Situ Analysis of Genetic and Phenotypic Cellular Diversity

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Vanessa Almendro

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Cancer therapy exerts a strong selection pressure that shapes tumor evolution, yet our knowledge of how tumors change during treatment is limited. Here, we report the analysis of cellular heterogeneity for genetic and phenotypic features and their spatial distribution in breast tumors pre- and post-neoadjuvant chemotherapy. We found that intratumor genetic diversity was tumor-subtype specific, and it did not change during treatment in tumors with partial or no response. However, lower pretreatment genetic diversity was significantly associated with pathologic complete response. In contrast, phenotypic diversity was different between pre- and posttreatment samples. We also observed significant changes in the spatial distribution of cells with distinct genetic and phenotypic features. We used these experimental data to develop a stochastic computational model to infer tumor growth patterns and evolutionary dynamics. Our results highlight the importance of integrated analysis of genotypes and phenotypes of single cells in intact tissues to predict tumor evolution.

Inference of tumor evolution during chemotherapy by computational modeling and in situ analysis of genetic and phenotypic cellular diversity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Almendro, Vanessa; Cheng, Yu-Kang; Randles, Amanda; Itzkovitz, Shalev; Marusyk, Andriy; Ametller, Elisabet; Gonzalez-Farre, Xavier; Muñoz, Montse; Russnes, Hege G.; Helland, Åslaug; Rye, Inga H.; Borresen-Dale, Anne-Lise; Maruyama, Reo; Van Oudenaarden, Alexander; Dowsett, Mitchell; Jones, Robin L.; Reis-Filho, Jorge; Gascon, Pere; Gönen, Mithat; Michor, Franziska; Polyak, Kornelia

2014-01-01

Cancer therapy exerts a strong selection pressure that shapes tumor evolution, yet our knowledge of how tumors change during treatment is limited. Here, we report the analysis of cellular heterogeneity for genetic and phenotypic features and their spatial distribution in breast tumors pre- and post-neoadjuvant chemotherapy. We found that intratumor genetic diversity was tumor-subtype specific, and it did not change during treatment in tumors with partial or no response. However, lower pretreatment genetic diversity was significantly associated with pathologic complete response. In contrast, phenotypic diversity was different between pre- and post-treatment samples. We also observed significant changes in the spatial distribution of cells with distinct genetic and phenotypic features. We used these experimental data to develop a stochastic computational model to infer tumor growth patterns and evolutionary dynamics. Our results highlight the importance of integrated analysis of genotypes and phenotypes of single cells in intact tissues to predict tumor evolution

Predisposition for borderline personality disorder with comorbid major depression is associated with that for polycystic ovary syndrome in female Japanese population

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Kawamura S, Maesawa C, Nakamura K, Nakayama K, Morita M, Hiruma Y, Yoshida T, Sakai A, Masuda T

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Satoshi Kawamura1, Chihaya Maesawa2, Koji Nakamura1, Kazuhiko Nakayama1, Michiaki Morita1, Yohei Hiruma1, Tomoyuki Yoshida3, Akio Sakai3, Tomoyuki Masuda41Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Jikei University school of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan; 2Department of Tumor Biology, Division of Bioscience, center for Advanced Medical science, Iwate Medical University school of Medicine, Morioka, Japan; 3Department of Neuropsychiatry, Iwate Medical University school of Medicine, Morioka, Japan; 4Department of Pathology, Iwate Medical University school of Medicine, Morioka, JapanAbstract: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS is a common lifestyle-related endocrinopathy in women of reproductive age and is associated with several mental health problems. We examined the genotypic distributions of IRS-1 Gly972Arg and CYP11B2 -344T/C, which were previously described as influencing PCOS, and assayed the serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α, in a set of female patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD with comorbid major depressive disorder (MDD (n = 50 and age-matched control subjects (n = 100, to investigate the predisposition for BPD with MDD. The results showed that the patients were more frequently IRS-1 972Arg variant allele carriers (P = 0.013; OR 6.68; 95% CI = 1.30-34.43 and homozygous for the CYP11B2 -344C variant allele (P = 0.022; OR = 3.32; 95% CI = 1.18-9.35 than the control subjects. The IL-6 level was significantly higher in the patients than in the controls (P < 0.0001. There was no significant difference in the serum TNF-α level between patients with BPD with MDD and the healthy comparison group (P = 0.5273. In conclusion, the predisposition for BPD with MDD is associated with that for PCOS, in the female Japanese population. An elevated serum IL-6 level is considered to be a possible biomarker of BPD with MDD.Keywords: borderline personality disorder, depression, polycystic ovary syndrome, genetic

Reclassification of Mixed Oligoastrocytic Tumors Using a Genetically Integrated Diagnostic Approach

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Seong-Ik Kim

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Background Mixed gliomas, such as oligoastrocytomas (OA, anaplastic oligoastrocytomas, and glioblastomas (GBMs with an oligodendroglial component (GBMO are defined as tumors composed of a mixture of two distinct neoplastic cell types, astrocytic and oligodendroglial. Recently, mutations ATRX and TP53, and codeletion of 1p/19q are shown to be genetic hallmarks of astrocytic and oligodendroglial tumors, respectively. Subsequent molecular analyses of mixed gliomas preferred the reclassification to either oligodendroglioma or astrocytoma. This study was designed to apply genetically integrated diagnostic criteria to mixed gliomas and determine usefulness and prognostic value of new classification in Korean patients. Methods Fifty-eight cases of mixed OAs and GBMOs were retrieved from the pathology archives of Seoul National University Hospital from 2004 to 2015. Reclassification was performed according to genetic and immunohistochemical properties. Clinicopathological characteristics of each subgroup were evaluated. Overall survival was assessed and compared between subgroups. Results We could reclassify all mixed OAs and GBMOs into either astrocytic or oligodendroglial tumors. Notably, 29 GBMOs could be reclassified into 11 cases of GBM, IDH-mutant, 16 cases of GBM, IDH-wildtype, and two cases of anaplastic oligodendroglioma, IDH mutant. Overall survival was significantly different among these new groups (p<.001. Overall survival and progression-free survival were statistically better in gliomas with IDH mutation, ATRX mutation, no microscopic necrosis, and young patient age (cut off, 45 years old. Conclusions Our results strongly suggest that a genetically integrated diagnosis of glioma better reflects prognosis than former morphology-based methods.

Genetic alterations of hepatocellular carcinoma by random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis and cloning sequencing of tumor differential DNA fragment

Science.gov (United States)

Xian, Zhi-Hong; Cong, Wen-Ming; Zhang, Shu-Hui; Wu, Meng-Chao

2005-01-01

AIM: To study the genetic alterations and their association with clinicopathological characteristics of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and to find the tumor related DNA fragments. METHODS: DNA isolated from tumors and corresponding noncancerous liver tissues of 56 HCC patients was amplified by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) with 10 random 10-mer arbitrary primers. The RAPD bands showing obvious differences in tumor tissue DNA corresponding to that of normal tissue were separated, purified, cloned and sequenced. DNA sequences were analyzed and compared with GenBank data. RESULTS: A total of 56 cases of HCC were demonstrated to have genetic alterations, which were detected by at least one primer. The detestability of genetic alterations ranged from 20% to 70% in each case, and 17.9% to 50% in each primer. Serum HBV infection, tumor size, histological grade, tumor capsule, as well as tumor intrahepatic metastasis, might be correlated with genetic alterations on certain primers. A band with a higher intensity of 480 bp or so amplified fragments in tumor DNA relative to normal DNA could be seen in 27 of 56 tumor samples using primer 4. Sequence analysis of these fragments showed 91% homology with Homo sapiens double homeobox protein DUX10 gene. CONCLUSION: Genetic alterations are a frequent event in HCC, and tumor related DNA fragments have been found in this study, which may be associated with hepatocarcin-ogenesis. RAPD is an effective method for the identification and analysis of genetic alterations in HCC, and may provide new information for further evaluating the molecular mechanism of hepatocarcinogenesis. PMID:15996039

Comprehensive allelotype and genetic anaysis of 466 human nervous system tumors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

von Deimling, A; Fimmers, R; Schmidt, M C

2000-01-01

Brain tumors pose a particular challenge to molecular oncology. Many different tumor entities develop in the nervous system and some of them appear to follow distinct pathogenic routes. Molecular genetic alterations have increasingly been reported in nervous system neoplasms. However......, a considerable number of affected genes remain to be identified. We present here a comprehensive allelotype analysis of 466 nervous system tumors based on loss of heterozygosity (LOH) studies with 129 microsatellite markers that span the genome. Specific alterations of the EGFR, CDK4, CDKN2A, TP53, DMBT1, NF2...... may provide a valuable framework for future studies to delineate molecular pathways in many types of human central nervous system tumors....

Inducible and transmissible genetic events and pediatric tumors of the nervous system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rice, Jerry M.

2006-01-01

Tumors of the nervous system most often occur in both children and adults as sporadic events with no family history of the disease, but they are also among the clinical manifestations of a significant number of familial cancer syndromes, including familial retinoblastoma, neurofibromatosis 1 and 2, tuberous sclerosis, and Cowden, Turcot, Li-Fraumeni and nevoid basal cell carcinoma (Gorlin) syndromes. All of these syndromes involve transmissible genetic risk resulting from loss of a functional allele, or inheritance of a structurally defective allele, of a specific gene. These genes include RB1, NF1, NF2, TSC1, TSC2, TP53, PTEN, APC, hMLH1, hPSM2, and PTCH, most of which function as tumor suppressor genes. The same genes are also observed in mutated and inactive forms, or are deleted, in tumor cells in sporadic cases of the same tumors. The nature of the mutational events that give rise to these inactivated alleles suggests a possible role of environmental mutagens in their causation. However, only external ionizing radiation at high doses is clearly established as an environmental cause of brain, nerve and meningeal tumors in humans. Transplacental carcinogenesis studies in rodents and other species emphasize the extraordinary susceptibility of the developing mammalian nervous system to carcinogenesis, but the inverse relationship of latency to dose suggests that low transplacental exposures to genotoxicants are more likely to result in brain tumors late in life, rather than in childhood. While not all neurogenic tumor-related genes in humans have similar effects in experimental rodents, genetically engineered mice (GEM) increasingly provide useful insights into the combined effects of multiple tumor suppressor genes and of gene-environment interactions in the genesis of brain tumors, especially pediatric brain tumors such as medulloblastoma. (author)

Validation of a clinical screening instrument for tumour predisposition syndromes in patients with childhood cancer (TuPS) : Protocol for a prospective, observational, multicentre study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Postema, Floor A M; Hopman, Saskia M J; De Borgie, Corianne A J M; Hammond, Peter; Hennekam, Raoul C.; Merks, Johannes H M; Aalfs, Cora M.; Anninga, Jakob K.; Berger, Lieke P V; Bleeker, Fonnet E.; De Bont, Eveline S J M; Dommering, Charlotte J.; Van Eijkelenburg, Natasha K A; Van Den Heuvel-Eibrink, Marry M.; Jongmans, Marjolijn C J; Kors, Wijnanda A.; Letteboer, Tom G W; Loeffen, Jan L C M; Olderode-Berends, Maran J W; Wagner, Anja

2017-01-01

Introduction: Recognising a tumour predisposition syndrome (TPS) in patients with childhood cancer is of significant clinical relevance, as it affects treatment, prognosis and facilitates genetic counselling. Previous studies revealed that only half of the known TPSs are recognised during standard

Genetics Home Reference: hypokalemic periodic paralysis

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... M, Franques J, Bendahhou S, Lory P, Hainque B, Fournier E, Nicole S, Fontaine B. Hypokalemic Periodic Paralysis. 2002 ... related congenital muscular dystrophy Melorheostosis Rhabdoid tumor predisposition syndrome All New & Updated Pages Reviewed : October 2017 Published : ...

Identification of a Variety of Mutations in Cancer Predisposition Genes in Patients With Suspected Lynch Syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Yurgelun, Matthew B; Allen, Brian; Kaldate, Rajesh R; Bowles, Karla R; Judkins, Thaddeus; Kaushik, Praveen; Roa, Benjamin B; Wenstrup, Richard J; Hartman, Anne-Renee; Syngal, Sapna

2015-09-01

Multigene panels are commercially available tools for hereditary cancer risk assessment that allow for next-generation sequencing of numerous genes in parallel. However, it is not clear if these panels offer advantages over traditional genetic testing. We investigated the number of cancer predisposition gene mutations identified by parallel sequencing in individuals with suspected Lynch syndrome. We performed germline analysis with a 25-gene, next-generation sequencing panel using DNA from 1260 individuals who underwent clinical genetic testing for Lynch syndrome from 2012 through 2013. All patients had a history of Lynch syndrome-associated cancer and/or polyps. We classified all identified germline alterations for pathogenicity and calculated the frequencies of pathogenic mutations and variants of uncertain clinical significance (VUS). We also analyzed data on patients' personal and family history of cancer, including fulfillment of clinical guidelines for genetic testing. Of the 1260 patients, 1112 met National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) criteria for Lynch syndrome testing (88%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 86%-90%). Multigene panel testing identified 114 probands with Lynch syndrome mutations (9.0%; 95% CI, 7.6%-10.8%) and 71 with mutations in other cancer predisposition genes (5.6%; 95% CI, 4.4%-7.1%). Fifteen individuals had mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2; 93% of these met the NCCN criteria for Lynch syndrome testing and 33% met NCCN criteria for BRCA1 and BRCA2 analysis (P = .0017). An additional 9 individuals carried mutations in other genes linked to high lifetime risks of cancer (5 had mutations in APC, 3 had bi-allelic mutations in MUTYH, and 1 had a mutation in STK11); all of these patients met NCCN criteria for Lynch syndrome testing. A total of 479 individuals had 1 or more VUS (38%; 95% CI, 35%-41%). In individuals with suspected Lynch syndrome, multigene panel testing identified high-penetrance mutations in cancer predisposition genes, many

Genetic Risk for Alcoholic Chronic Pancreatitis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Flair José Carrilho

2011-06-01

Full Text Available In recent years many studies have examined the genetic predisposition to pancreatic diseases. Pancreatic disease of an alcoholic etiology was determined to be a multi-factorial disease, where environmental factors interact with the genetic profile of the individual. In this review we discuss the main results from studies examining the frequency of genetic mutations in alcoholic chronic pancreatitis.

Prostate-specific antigen velocity in a prospective prostate cancer screening study of men with genetic predisposition.

Science.gov (United States)

Mikropoulos, Christos; Selkirk, Christina G Hutten; Saya, Sibel; Bancroft, Elizabeth; Vertosick, Emily; Dadaev, Tokhir; Brendler, Charles; Page, Elizabeth; Dias, Alexander; Evans, D Gareth; Rothwell, Jeanette; Maehle, Lovise; Axcrona, Karol; Richardson, Kate; Eccles, Diana; Jensen, Thomas; Osther, Palle J; van Asperen, Christi J; Vasen, Hans; Kiemeney, Lambertus A; Ringelberg, Janneke; Cybulski, Cezary; Wokolorczyk, Dominika; Hart, Rachel; Glover, Wayne; Lam, Jimmy; Taylor, Louise; Salinas, Monica; Feliubadaló, Lidia; Oldenburg, Rogier; Cremers, Ruben; Verhaegh, Gerald; van Zelst-Stams, Wendy A; Oosterwijk, Jan C; Cook, Jackie; Rosario, Derek J; Buys, Saundra S; Conner, Tom; Domchek, Susan; Powers, Jacquelyn; Ausems, Margreet Gem; Teixeira, Manuel R; Maia, Sofia; Izatt, Louise; Schmutzler, Rita; Rhiem, Kerstin; Foulkes, William D; Boshari, Talia; Davidson, Rosemarie; Ruijs, Marielle; Helderman-van den Enden, Apollonia Tjm; Andrews, Lesley; Walker, Lisa; Snape, Katie; Henderson, Alex; Jobson, Irene; Lindeman, Geoffrey J; Liljegren, Annelie; Harris, Marion; Adank, Muriel A; Kirk, Judy; Taylor, Amy; Susman, Rachel; Chen-Shtoyerman, Rakefet; Pachter, Nicholas; Spigelman, Allan; Side, Lucy; Zgajnar, Janez; Mora, Josefina; Brewer, Carole; Gadea, Neus; Brady, Angela F; Gallagher, David; van Os, Theo; Donaldson, Alan; Stefansdottir, Vigdis; Barwell, Julian; James, Paul A; Murphy, Declan; Friedman, Eitan; Nicolai, Nicola; Greenhalgh, Lynn; Obeid, Elias; Murthy, Vedang; Copakova, Lucia; McGrath, John; Teo, Soo-Hwang; Strom, Sara; Kast, Karin; Leongamornlert, Daniel A; Chamberlain, Anthony; Pope, Jenny; Newlin, Anna C; Aaronson, Neil; Ardern-Jones, Audrey; Bangma, Chris; Castro, Elena; Dearnaley, David; Eyfjord, Jorunn; Falconer, Alison; Foster, Christopher S; Gronberg, Henrik; Hamdy, Freddie C; Johannsson, Oskar; Khoo, Vincent; Lubinski, Jan; Grindedal, Eli Marie; McKinley, Joanne; Shackleton, Kylie; Mitra, Anita V; Moynihan, Clare; Rennert, Gad; Suri, Mohnish; Tricker, Karen; Moss, Sue; Kote-Jarai, Zsofia; Vickers, Andrew; Lilja, Hans; Helfand, Brian T; Eeles, Rosalind A

2018-01-01

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and PSA-velocity (PSAV) have been used to identify men at risk of prostate cancer (PrCa). The IMPACT study is evaluating PSA screening in men with a known genetic predisposition to PrCa due to BRCA1/2 mutations. This analysis evaluates the utility of PSA and PSAV for identifying PrCa and high-grade disease in this cohort. PSAV was calculated using logistic regression to determine if PSA or PSAV predicted the result of prostate biopsy (PB) in men with elevated PSA values. Cox regression was used to determine whether PSA or PSAV predicted PSA elevation in men with low PSAs. Interaction terms were included in the models to determine whether BRCA status influenced the predictiveness of PSA or PSAV. 1634 participants had ⩾3 PSA readings of whom 174 underwent PB and 45 PrCas diagnosed. In men with PSA >3.0 ng ml -l , PSAV was not significantly associated with presence of cancer or high-grade disease. PSAV did not add to PSA for predicting time to an elevated PSA. When comparing BRCA1/2 carriers to non-carriers, we found a significant interaction between BRCA status and last PSA before biopsy (P=0.031) and BRCA2 status and PSAV (P=0.024). However, PSAV was not predictive of biopsy outcome in BRCA2 carriers. PSA is more strongly predictive of PrCa in BRCA carriers than non-carriers. We did not find evidence that PSAV aids decision-making for BRCA carriers over absolute PSA value alone.

Prostate-specific antigen velocity in a prospective prostate cancer screening study of men with genetic predisposition

Science.gov (United States)

Mikropoulos, Christos; Selkirk, Christina G Hutten; Saya, Sibel; Bancroft, Elizabeth; Vertosick, Emily; Dadaev, Tokhir; Brendler, Charles; Page, Elizabeth; Dias, Alexander; Evans, D Gareth; Rothwell, Jeanette; Maehle, Lovise; Axcrona, Karol; Richardson, Kate; Eccles, Diana; Jensen, Thomas; Osther, Palle J; van Asperen, Christi J; Vasen, Hans; Kiemeney, Lambertus A; Ringelberg, Janneke; Cybulski, Cezary; Wokolorczyk, Dominika; Hart, Rachel; Glover, Wayne; Lam, Jimmy; Taylor, Louise; Salinas, Monica; Feliubadaló, Lidia; Oldenburg, Rogier; Cremers, Ruben; Verhaegh, Gerald; van Zelst-Stams, Wendy A; Oosterwijk, Jan C; Cook, Jackie; Rosario, Derek J; Buys, Saundra S; Conner, Tom; Domchek, Susan; Powers, Jacquelyn; Ausems, Margreet GEM; Teixeira, Manuel R; Maia, Sofia; Izatt, Louise; Schmutzler, Rita; Rhiem, Kerstin; Foulkes, William D; Boshari, Talia; Davidson, Rosemarie; Ruijs, Marielle; Helderman-van den Enden, Apollonia TJM; Andrews, Lesley; Walker, Lisa; Snape, Katie; Henderson, Alex; Jobson, Irene; Lindeman, Geoffrey J; Liljegren, Annelie; Harris, Marion; Adank, Muriel A; Kirk, Judy; Taylor, Amy; Susman, Rachel; Chen-Shtoyerman, Rakefet; Pachter, Nicholas; Spigelman, Allan; Side, Lucy; Zgajnar, Janez; Mora, Josefina; Brewer, Carole; Gadea, Neus; Brady, Angela F; Gallagher, David; van Os, Theo; Donaldson, Alan; Stefansdottir, Vigdis; Barwell, Julian; James, Paul A; Murphy, Declan; Friedman, Eitan; Nicolai, Nicola; Greenhalgh, Lynn; Obeid, Elias; Murthy, Vedang; Copakova, Lucia; McGrath, John; Teo, Soo-Hwang; Strom, Sara; Kast, Karin; Leongamornlert, Daniel A; Chamberlain, Anthony; Pope, Jenny; Newlin, Anna C; Aaronson, Neil; Ardern-Jones, Audrey; Bangma, Chris; Castro, Elena; Dearnaley, David; Eyfjord, Jorunn; Falconer, Alison; Foster, Christopher S; Gronberg, Henrik; Hamdy, Freddie C; Johannsson, Oskar; Khoo, Vincent; Lubinski, Jan; Grindedal, Eli Marie; McKinley, Joanne; Shackleton, Kylie; Mitra, Anita V; Moynihan, Clare; Rennert, Gad; Suri, Mohnish; Tricker, Karen; Moss, Sue; Kote-Jarai, Zsofia; Vickers, Andrew; Lilja, Hans; Helfand, Brian T; Eeles, Rosalind A

2018-01-01

Background: Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and PSA-velocity (PSAV) have been used to identify men at risk of prostate cancer (PrCa). The IMPACT study is evaluating PSA screening in men with a known genetic predisposition to PrCa due to BRCA1/2 mutations. This analysis evaluates the utility of PSA and PSAV for identifying PrCa and high-grade disease in this cohort. Methods: PSAV was calculated using logistic regression to determine if PSA or PSAV predicted the result of prostate biopsy (PB) in men with elevated PSA values. Cox regression was used to determine whether PSA or PSAV predicted PSA elevation in men with low PSAs. Interaction terms were included in the models to determine whether BRCA status influenced the predictiveness of PSA or PSAV. Results: 1634 participants had ⩾3 PSA readings of whom 174 underwent PB and 45 PrCas diagnosed. In men with PSA >3.0 ng ml−l, PSAV was not significantly associated with presence of cancer or high-grade disease. PSAV did not add to PSA for predicting time to an elevated PSA. When comparing BRCA1/2 carriers to non-carriers, we found a significant interaction between BRCA status and last PSA before biopsy (P=0.031) and BRCA2 status and PSAV (P=0.024). However, PSAV was not predictive of biopsy outcome in BRCA2 carriers. Conclusions: PSA is more strongly predictive of PrCa in BRCA carriers than non-carriers. We did not find evidence that PSAV aids decision-making for BRCA carriers over absolute PSA value alone. PMID:29301143

Benign and malignant tumors in the UK myotonic dystrophy patient registry.

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Alsaggaf, Rotana; Wang, Youjin; Marini-Bettolo, Chiara; Wood, Libby; Nikolenko, Nikoletta; Lochmüller, Hanns; Greene, Mark H; Gadalla, Shahinaz M

2018-02-01

In light of recent evidence indicating that cancer is part of the myotonic dystrophy (DM) phenotype, we assessed the prevalence of benign and malignant tumors among 220 patients enrolled in the UK Myotonic Dystrophy Patient Registry and evaluated factors associated with their development. A survey was distributed to collect tumor history and lifestyle information. We used multinomial logistic regression for the analysis. Thirty-nine benign (30 patients), and 16 malignant (15 patients) tumors were reported. Increasing age (odds ratio [OR] = 1.13, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.05-1.21, P = 0.001) and earlier age at DM diagnosis (OR = 1.06, 95% CI = 1.00-1.13, P = 0.04) were associated with benign and malignant tumors (OR = 1.20, 95% CI = 1.10-1.30, P < 0.001 and OR = 1.08, 95% CI = 1.01-1.15, P = 0.02, respectively). Female gender was associated with benign tumors only (OR = 6.43, 95% CI = 1.79-23.04, P = 0.004). No associations were observed between tumors and smoking (P = 0.24), alcohol consumption (P = 0.50), or body mass index (P = 0.21). Our results confirm previous findings suggesting a limited role for common lifestyle factors and a potential genetic contribution in DM tumor predisposition. Muscle Nerve 57: 316-320, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Genetic basis of calcifying cystic odontogenic tumors.

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Akane Yukimori

Full Text Available Calcifying cystic odontogenic tumors (CCOTs are benign cystic tumors that form abnormally keratinized ghost cells. Mutations in CTNNB1, which encodes beta-catenin, have been implicated in the development of these tumors, but a causal relationship has not been definitively established. Thus, mutational hot spots in 50 cancer genes were examined by targeted next-generation sequencing in 11 samples of CCOT. Mutations in CTNNB1, but not in other genes, were observed in 10 of 11 cases. These mutations constitutively activate beta-catenin signaling by abolishing the phosphorylation sites Asp32, Ser33, or Ser37, and are similar to those reported in pilomatrixoma and adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma. In contrast, BRAF or NRAS mutations were observed in 12 and two control samples of ameloblastoma, respectively. In HEK293 cells, overexpression of mutated CTNNB1 also upregulated hair keratin, a marker of ghost cells. Furthermore, ghost cells were present in two cases of ameloblastoma with BRAF and CTNNB1 mutations, indicating that ghost cells form due to mutations in CTNNB1. The data suggest that mutations in CTNNB1 are the major driver mutations of CCOT, and that CCOT is the genetic analog of pilomatrixoma and adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma in odontogenic tissue.

Variants of Interleukin-22 Gene Confer Predisposition to Autoimmune Thyroid Disease

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Rong-hua Song

2017-01-01

Full Text Available As there are no previous studies on the interleukin-22 (IL-22 variants in autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD, the present study aimed to explore the association between polymorphisms of IL-22 and the predisposition to AITD. The study had 975 AITD patients, including 639 Graves’ disease (GD and 336 Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT individuals and 851 healthy cohorts. Ligase detection reaction (LDR and direct sequencing method were used for genotyping the IL-22 gene polymorphisms at rs2046068, rs2227478, rs2227485, rs11611206, and rs1179251. In comparison to female controls, genotype CC of rs1179251 was increased in the female AITD patients. Alleles C at rs2046068, C at rs2227478, and C at rs1179251 linked to the susceptibility of HT males. Genotype CC in rs1179251 was higher in male HT. Variants at rs2046068, rs2227478, and rs1179251 were associated with the AITD teenagers. Besides, genotype GG in rs11611206 was correlated with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO. Moreover, allele G at rs11611206 was associated with decreased risk for TAO by 28.9%. Similarly, genotype CC of rs1179251 and genotype GG of rs11611206 were associated with Graves’ ophthalmopathy (GO. Allele G in rs11611206 increased people with HT towards the predisposition of hypothyroidism. In conclusion, genetic variants of IL-22 are associated with the occurrence of AITD.

Initiation of universal tumor screening for Lynch syndrome in colorectal cancer patients as a model for the implementation of genetic information into clinical oncology practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen, Stacey A; Laurino, Mercy; Bowen, Deborah J; Upton, Melissa P; Pritchard, Colin; Hisama, Fuki; Jarvik, Gail; Fichera, Alessandro; Sjoding, Britta; Bennett, Robin L; Naylor, Lorraine; Jacobson, Angela; Burke, Wylie; Grady, William M

2016-02-01

Lynch syndrome confers a hereditary predisposition to colorectal and other cancers. Universal tumor screening (UTS) for Lynch syndrome is recommended by several professional societies, but the implementation can be complex. This article describes the evaluation, process development, and initiation of Lynch syndrome UTS at a tertiary referral cancer center. A multidisciplinary team developed the new process design. Issues in 5 themes were noted: timing, funding, second-opinion patients, result processing, and the role of genetics providers. A committee approach was used to examine each issue for process-improvement development. The issues related to testing were addressed individually for the successful implementation of UTS at the institutional level. In the conventional-care period, 9 of 30 cases (30%) received Lynch syndrome screening, and 4 cases were referred to medical genetics. During the 6 months following the implementation of UTS, 32 of 44 patients (73%) received Lynch syndrome screening. The 13 unscreened patients all had identified reasons for nonscreening (eg, financial limitations). Ten patients were referred to medical genetics, which identified no new cases of Lynch syndrome, but a low-risk adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) variant was detected in 1 individual. The implementation of effective Lynch syndrome UTS can feasibly alter practice at the institutional level. This experience with the assessment and management of issues relevant to the successful implementation of a new clinical care paradigm based on emerging technology has implications for the uptake of advances across molecular oncology into clinical practice, and this is highly relevant in the current era of rapidly evolving genomic technology. © 2015 American Cancer Society.

Are Genetics and Environment Substitutes or Complements in Affecting Entrepreneurial Choice?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zunino, Diego

Recent twin and adoption studies have shown that genes matter for entrepreneurial choice. This related study addresses how a genetic predisposition to entrepreneurship interacts with the (entrepreneurship friendliness of the) environment, using a dataset of Italian twins. In particular, we study ...... a role, and that a favorable environment to entrepreneurship selects those with higher predisposition rather than simply increasing the rate of self-employment....... whether the genetic effect is different across genders, based on the stylized fact that barriers to entrepreneurship entry are stronger for females than for males. Using regression analysis, the study confirms earlier findings showing substantial genetic effects. More interestingly, the study finds...

Genetic predisposition to salt-sensitivity : a systematic review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beeks, Esther; Kessels, Alfons G H; Kroon, Abraham A; van der Klauw, Melanie M; de Leeuw, Peter W

PURPOSE: To assess the role of genetic polymorphisms in salt sensitivity of blood pressure. DATA IDENTIFICATION: We conducted a systematic review by searching the Medline literature from March 1993 to June 2003. Each paper was scrutinized and data concerning study population, method of salt

Disentangling the Importance of Psychological Predispositions and Social Constructions in the Organization of American Political Ideology.

Science.gov (United States)

Verhulst, Brad; Hatemi, Peter K; Eaves, Lindon J

2012-06-01

Ideological preferences within the American electorate are contingent on both the environmental conditions that provide the content of the contemporary political debate and internal predispositions that motivate people to hold liberal or conservative policy preferences. In this article we apply Jost, Federico, and Napier's (2009) top-down/bottom-up theory of political attitude formation to a genetically informative population sample. In doing so, we further develop the theory by operationalizing the top-down pathway to be a function of the social environment and the bottom-up pathway as a latent set of genetic factors. By merging insights from psychology, behavioral genetics, and political science, we find strong support for the top-down/bottom-up framework that segregates the two independent pathways in the formation of political attitudes and identifies a different pattern of relationships between political attitudes at each level of analysis.

Genes, Culture and Conservatism-A Psychometric-Genetic Approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwabe, Inga; Jonker, Wilfried; van den Berg, Stéphanie M

2016-07-01

The Wilson-Patterson conservatism scale was psychometrically evaluated using homogeneity analysis and item response theory models. Results showed that this scale actually measures two different aspects in people: on the one hand people vary in their agreement with either conservative or liberal catch-phrases and on the other hand people vary in their use of the "?" response category of the scale. A 9-item subscale was constructed, consisting of items that seemed to measure liberalism, and this subscale was subsequently used in a biometric analysis including genotype-environment interaction, correcting for non-homogeneous measurement error. Biometric results showed significant genetic and shared environmental influences, and significant genotype-environment interaction effects, suggesting that individuals with a genetic predisposition for conservatism show more non-shared variance but less shared variance than individuals with a genetic predisposition for liberalism.

Development of the Meharry Medical College Prostate Cancer Research Program

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Ukoli, Flora A. M

2006-01-01

African Americans (AA) are disproportionately affected by prostate cancer (PCa) for reasons including, biologic tumor differences, genetic predisposition, differential exposures, lack of access to prostate specific antigen (PSA...

Genetic predisposition to fracture non-union: a case control study of a preliminary single nucleotide polymorphisms analysis of the BMP pathway

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Giannoudis Peter V

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Despite the known multi-factorial nature of atrophic fracture non-unions, a possible genetic predisposition for the development of this complication after long bone fractures remains unknown. This pilot study aimed to address this issue by performing a preliminary SNP analysis of specific genes known to regulate fracture healing. Methods A total of fifteen SNPs within four genes of the Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP pathway (BMP-2, BMP-7, NOGGIN and SMAD6 were examined, in 109 randomly selected patients with long bone fractures as a result of motor vehicle accident, fall or direct blow. There were sixty-two patients with atrophic non-union and forty-seven patients (54 fractures with uneventful fracture union. Overall SNPs frequencies were computed with respect to patient's age, gender, smoking habits, fracture-associated parameters and the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs, and tested for their association to the impaired bone healing process, using binary logistic regression (STATA 11.1; StataCorp, Texas USA. Results Statistical analysis revealed age to be an important covariate in the development of atrophic non-union (p = 0.01, OR 1.05 [per year], and two specific genotypes (G/G genotype of the rs1372857 SNP, located on NOGGIN and T/T genotype of the rs2053423 SNP, located on SMAD6 to be associated with a greater risk of fracture non-union (p = 0.02, OR 4.56 and p = 0.04, OR 10.27, respectively, after adjustment for age. Conclusions This is the first clinical study to investigate the potential existence of genetic susceptibility to fracture non-union. Even though no concrete conclusions can be obtained from this pilot study, our results indicate the existence of a potential genetically predetermined impairment within the BMP signalling cascade, initiated after a fracture and when combined with other risk factors could synergistically increase the susceptibility of a patient to develop non-union. Further

Antitumor Cell-Complex Vaccines Employing Genetically Modified Tumor Cells and Fibroblasts

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Antonio Miguel

2014-02-01

Full Text Available The present study evaluates the immune response mediated by vaccination with cell complexes composed of irradiated B16 tumor cells and mouse fibroblasts genetically modified to produce GM-CSF. The animals were vaccinated with free B16 cells or cell complexes. We employed two gene plasmid constructions: one high producer (pMok and a low producer (p2F. Tumor transplant was performed by injection of B16 tumor cells. Plasma levels of total IgG and its subtypes were measured by ELISA. Tumor volumes were measured and survival curves were obtained. The study resulted in a cell complex vaccine able to stimulate the immune system to produce specific anti-tumor membrane proteins (TMP IgG. In the groups vaccinated with cells transfected with the low producer plasmid, IgG production was higher when we used free B16 cell rather than cell complexes. Nonspecific autoimmune response caused by cell complex was not greater than that induced by the tumor cells alone. Groups vaccinated with B16 transfected with low producer plasmid reached a tumor growth delay of 92% (p ≤ 0.01. When vaccinated with cell complex, the best group was that transfected with high producer plasmid, reaching a tumor growth inhibition of 56% (p ≤ 0.05. Significant survival (40% was only observed in the groups vaccinated with free transfected B16 cells.

Peripartum Cardiomyopathy: Moving Towards a More Central Role of Genetics#

Science.gov (United States)

Cemin, Roberto; Janardhanan, Rajesh; Donazzan, Luca; Daves, Massimo

2013-01-01

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PCM) is a relatively rare disease with potentially devasting consequences requiring prompt identification and correct treatment. Overall prognosis is good in majority of the cases, although some patients may progress to irreversible heart failure. Early diagnosis is important and effective treatment reduces mortality rates and increases the chance of complete recovery of ventricular systolic function. The aetiology and pathogenesis seems to be multifactorial and poorly understood, with the available literature rather conflicting. In recent years, there has been increased interest in the role played by genetic predisposition in the development of PCM. It probably develops as a result of a complex interaction of pregnancy-associated factors and genetic factors and recently there have been many observations pointing out the central role played by a genetic predisposition. The direct and indirect observations on genetic susceptibility may offer new insights into the pathogenesis of PCM. However, larger studies are needed before advising routine genetic testing in these patients. PMID:23909634

Is There a Predisposition Gene for Ewing's Sarcoma?

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R. L. Randall

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Ewing's sarcoma is a highly malignant tumor of children and young adults. The molecular mechanisms that underlie Ewing's Sarcoma development are beginning to be understood. For example, most cases of this disease harbor somatic chromosomal translocations that fuse the EWSR1 gene on chromosome 22 with members of the ETS family. While some cooperative genetic events have been identified, such as mutations in TP53 or deletions of the CDKN2A locus, these appear to be absent in the vast majority of cases. It is therefore uncertain whether EWS/ETS translocations are the only consistently present alteration in this tumor, or whether there are other recurrent abnormalities yet to be discovered. One method to discover such mutations is to identify familial cases of Ewing's sarcoma and to then map the susceptibility locus using traditional genetic mapping techniques. Although cases of sibling pairs with Ewing's sarcoma exist, familial cases of Ewing's sarcoma have not been reported. While Ewing's sarcoma has been reported as a 2nd malignancy after retinoblastoma, significant associations of Ewing's sarcoma with classic tumor susceptibility syndromes have not been identified. We will review the current evidence, or lack thereof, regarding the potential of a heritable condition predisposing to Ewing's sarcoma.

Is There a Predisposition Gene for Ewing's Sarcoma?

Science.gov (United States)

Randall, R. L.; Lessnick, S. L.; Jones, K. B.; Gouw, L. G.; Cummings, J. E.; Cannon-Albright, L.; Schiffman, J. D.

2010-01-01

Ewing's sarcoma is a highly malignant tumor of children and young adults. The molecular mechanisms that underlie Ewing's Sarcoma development are beginning to be understood. For example, most cases of this disease harbor somatic chromosomal translocations that fuse the EWSR1 gene on chromosome 22 with members of the ETS family. While some cooperative genetic events have been identified, such as mutations in TP53 or deletions of the CDKN2A locus, these appear to be absent in the vast majority of cases. It is therefore uncertain whether EWS/ETS translocations are the only consistently present alteration in this tumor, or whether there are other recurrent abnormalities yet to be discovered. One method to discover such mutations is to identify familial cases of Ewing's sarcoma and to then map the susceptibility locus using traditional genetic mapping techniques. Although cases of sibling pairs with Ewing's sarcoma exist, familial cases of Ewing's sarcoma have not been reported. While Ewing's sarcoma has been reported as a 2nd malignancy after retinoblastoma, significant associations of Ewing's sarcoma with classic tumor susceptibility syndromes have not been identified. We will review the current evidence, or lack thereof, regarding the potential of a heritable condition predisposing to Ewing's sarcoma. PMID:20300555

Linking transcriptional and genetic tumor heterogeneity through allele analysis of single-cell RNA-seq data.

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Jean; Lee, Hae-Ock; Lee, Soohyun; Ryu, Da-Eun; Lee, Semin; Xue, Catherine; Kim, Seok Jin; Kim, Kihyun; Barkas, Nikolas; Park, Peter J; Park, Woong-Yang; Kharchenko, Peter V

2018-06-13

Characterization of intratumoral heterogeneity is critical to cancer therapy, as presence of phenotypically diverse cell populations commonly fuels relapse and resistance to treatment. Although genetic variation is a well-studied source of intratumoral heterogeneity, the functional impact of most genetic alterations remains unclear. Even less understood is the relative importance of other factors influencing heterogeneity, such as epigenetic state or tumor microenvironment. To investigate the relationship between genetic and transcriptional heterogeneity in a context of cancer progression, we devised a computational approach called HoneyBADGER to identify copy number variation and loss-of-heterozygosity in individual cells from single-cell RNA-sequencing data. By integrating allele and normalized expression information, HoneyBADGER is able to identify and infer the presence of subclone-specific alterations in individual cells and reconstruct underlying subclonal architecture. Examining several tumor types, we show that HoneyBADGER is effective at identifying deletion, amplifications, and copy-neutral loss-of-heterozygosity events, and is capable of robustly identifying subclonal focal alterations as small as 10 megabases. We further apply HoneyBADGER to analyze single cells from a progressive multiple myeloma patient to identify major genetic subclones that exhibit distinct transcriptional signatures relevant to cancer progression. Surprisingly, other prominent transcriptional subpopulations within these tumors did not line up with the genetic subclonal structure, and were likely driven by alternative, non-clonal mechanisms. These results highlight the need for integrative analysis to understand the molecular and phenotypic heterogeneity in cancer. Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

Common genetic variations in cell cycle and DNA repair pathways associated with pediatric brain tumor susceptibility

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fahmideh, Maral Adel; Lavebratt, Catharina; Schüz, Joachim

2016-01-01

Knowledge on the role of genetic polymorphisms in the etiology of pediatric brain tumors (PBTs) is limited. Therefore, we investigated the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), identified by candidate gene-association studies on adult brain tumors, and PBT risk. The study is...... cycle and DNA repair pathways variations associated with susceptibility to adult brain tumors also seem to be associated with PBT risk, suggesting pediatric and adult brain tumors might share similar etiological pathways....

[Genetic predisposition to breast and ovarian cancer: importance of test results].

Science.gov (United States)

Julian-Reynier, Claire

2011-01-01

Oncogenetic consultations and predictive BRCA1/2 testing are intertwined processes and the specific impact of these genetic tests if performed alone through direct-to-consumer offers remains unknown. Noteworthy, the expectations of patients vary with their own status, whether they are affected or not by breast cancer at the time genetic testing is performed. The prescription of genetic tests for BCRA mutations has doubled in France between 2003 and 2009. There is a consensus on the fact that genetic results disclosure led to a significant increase in the knowledge and understanding that the patients have of the genetic risk and also changed the medical follow-up of these patients. Evaluating the psychological burden of tests disclosure did not reveal any major distress in patients who are followed by high-quality multidisciplinary teams. Longitudinal cohorts studies have now evaluated the perception and behaviour of these patients, and observed sociodemographic as well as geographic and psychosocial differences both in the acceptation of prophylactic strategies such as surgery, and time to surgery. © 2011 médecine/sciences - Inserm / SRMS.

Methodological issues of genetic association studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Simundic, Ana-Maria

2010-12-01

Genetic association studies explore the association between genetic polymorphisms and a certain trait, disease or predisposition to disease. It has long been acknowledged that many genetic association studies fail to replicate their initial positive findings. This raises concern about the methodological quality of these reports. Case-control genetic association studies often suffer from various methodological flaws in study design and data analysis, and are often reported poorly. Flawed methodology and poor reporting leads to distorted results and incorrect conclusions. Many journals have adopted guidelines for reporting genetic association studies. In this review, some major methodological determinants of genetic association studies will be discussed.

Verification of the model of predisposition in triathlon – structural model of confirmative factor analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lenka Kovářová

2012-09-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The triathlon is a combination of three different types of sport – swimming, cycling, and running. Each of these requires different top level predispositions and complex approach to talent selection is a rather difficult process. Attempts to identify assumptions in the triathlon have so far been specific and focused only on some groups of predispositions (physiology, motor tests, and psychology. The latest studies missed the structural approach and were based on determinants of sport performance, theory of sports training and expert assessment. OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to verify the model of predisposition in the short triathlon for talent assessment of young male athletes age 17–20 years. METHODS: The research sample consisted of 55 top level triathletes – men, who were included in the Government supported sports talent programme in the Czech Republic at the age of 17–20 years. We used a confirmative factor analysis (FA and Path diagram to verify the model, which allow us to explain mutual relationships among observed variables. For statistical data processing we used a structure equating modeling (SEM by software Lisrel L88. RESULTS: The study confirms best structural model for talent selection in triathlon at the age of 17–20 years old men, which composed seventeen indicators (tests and explained 91% of all cross-correlations (Goodness of Fit Index /GFI/ 0.91, Root Mean Square Residual /RMSR/ 0.13. Tests for predispositions in triathlons were grouped into five items, three motor predispositions (swimming, cycling and running skills, aerobic and psychological predispositions. Aerobic predispositions showed the highest importance to the assumptions to the general factor (1.00; 0. Running predispositions were measured as a very significant factor (–0.85; 0.28 which confirms importance of this critical stage of the race. Lower factor weight showed clusters of swimming (–0.61; 0.63 and cycling (0.53; 0

Genetic screens to identify pathogenic gene variants in the common cancer predisposition Lynch syndrome

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Drost, Mark; Lützen, Anne; van Hees, Sandrine

2013-01-01

In many individuals suspected of the common cancer predisposition Lynch syndrome, variants of unclear significance (VUS), rather than an obviously pathogenic mutations, are identified in one of the DNA mismatch repair (MMR) genes. The uncertainty of whether such VUS inactivate MMR, and therefore...... function. When a residue identified as mutated in an individual suspected of Lynch syndrome is listed as critical in such a reverse diagnosis catalog, there is a high probability that the corresponding human VUS is pathogenic. To investigate the applicability of this approach, we have generated....... Nearly half of these critical residues match with VUS previously identified in individuals suspected of Lynch syndrome. This aids in the assignment of pathogenicity to these human VUS and validates the approach described here as a diagnostic tool. In a wider perspective, this work provides a model...

Spectrum and prevalence of genetic predisposition in medulloblastoma

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Waszak, Sebastian M; Northcott, Paul A; Buchhalter, Ivo

2018-01-01

Research; German Cancer Research Center; St Jude Comprehensive Cancer Center; American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities; Swiss National Science Foundation; European Molecular Biology Organization; Cancer Research UK; Hertie Foundation; Alexander and Margaret Stewart Trust; V Foundation for Cancer...... and the Clark H Smith Brain Tumour Centre; Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation; The Hospital for Sick Children: Sonia and Arthur Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, Chief of Research Fund, Cancer Genetics Program, Garron Family Cancer Centre, MDT's Garron Family Endowment; BC Childhood Cancer Parents...

Musical predispositions in infancy.

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Trehub, S E

2001-06-01

Some scholars consider music to exemplify the classic criteria for a complex human adaptation, including universality, orderlying development, and special-purpose cortical processes. The present account focuses on processing predispositions for music. The early appearance of receptive musical skills, well before they have obvious utility, is consistent with their proposed status as predispositions. Infants' processing of musical or music-like patterns is much like that of adults. In the early months of life, infants engage in relational processing of pitch and temporal patterns. They recognize a melody when its pitch level is shifted upward or downward, provided the relations between tones are preserved. They also recognize a tone sequence when the tempo is altered so long as the relative durations remain unchanged. Melodic contour seems to be the most salient feature of melodies for infant listeners. However, infants can detect interval changes when the component tones are related by small-integer frequency ratios. They also show enhanced processing for scales with unequal steps and for metric rhythms. Mothers sing regularly to infants, doing so in a distinctive manner marked by high pitch, slow tempo, and emotional expressiveness. The pitch and tempo of mothers' songs are unusually stable over extended periods. Infant listeners prefer the maternal singing style to the usual style of singing, and they are more attentive to maternal singing than to maternal speech. Maternal singing also has a moderating effect on infant arousal. The implications of these findings for the origins of music are discussed.

Case report: long-term survival of an infant syndromic patient affected by atypical teratoid-rhabdoid tumor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Modena, Piergiorgio; Maestro, Roberta; Giangaspero, Felice; Massimino, Maura; Sardi, Iacopo; Brenca, Monica; Giunti, Laura; Buccoliero, Anna Maria; Pollo, Bianca; Biassoni, Veronica; Genitori, Lorenzo; Antonelli, Manila

2013-01-01

Atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor (ATRT) patients display a dismal median overall survival of less than 1 year. A consistent fraction of cases carries de-novo SMARCB1/INI1 constitutional mutations in the setting of the “rhabdoid tumor predisposition syndrome” and the outcome is worst in infant syndromic ATRT patients. We here describe a patient affected by mosaic Klinefelter syndrome and by rhabdoid tumor predisposition syndrome caused by constitutional SMARCB1/INI1 heterozygous mutation c.118C>T (Arg40X). Patient’s ATRT primary tumor occurred at 2 years of age concurrent with metastatic lesions. The patient was rendered without evidence of disease by combined surgery, high-dose poli-chemotherapy and craniospinal irradiation, followed by autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. At the onset of a spinal lesion 5.5 years later, both tumors were pathologically and molecularly evaluated at the national central pathology review board and defined as ATRT in a syndromic patient, with strong evidence of a clonal origin of the two lesions. The patient was then treated according to SIOP guidelines and is now alive without evidence of disease 24 months after the detection of metastatic disease and 90 months after the original diagnosis. The report underscores the current utility of multiple comprehensive approaches for the correct diagnosis and clinical management of patients affected by rare and atypical brain neoplasms. Successful local control of disease and achievement of long-term survival is possible in ATRT patients even in the setting of rhabdoid tumor predisposition syndrome, infant age at diagnosis and metastatic spread of disease, thus justifying the efforts for the management of this severe condition

Uptake of genetic testing and long-term tumor surveillance in von Hippel-Lindau disease

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Chávez Mireya

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background von Hippel-Lindau (VHL disease is a hereditary cancer syndrome caused by germline mutations in the VHL gene. Patients have significant morbidity and mortality secondary to vascular tumors. Disease management is centered on tumor surveillance that allows early detection and treatment. Presymptomatic genetic testing is therefore recommended, including in at-risk children. Methods We tested 17 families (n = 109 individuals for VHL mutations including 43 children under the age of 18. Personalized genetic counseling was provided pre and post-test and the individuals undergoing presymptomatic testing filled out questionnaires gathering socio-demographic, psychological and psychiatric data. Mutation analysis was performed by direct sequencing of the VHL gene. Mutation-carriers were screened for VHL disease-related tumors and were offered follow-up annual examinations. Results Mutations were identified in 36 patients, 17 of whom were asymptomatic. In the initial screening, we identified at least one tumor in five of 17 previously asymptomatic individuals. At the end of five years, only 38.9% of the mutation-carriers continued participating in our tumor surveillance program. During this time, 14 mutation carriers developed a total of 32 new tumors, three of whom died of complications. Gender, education, income, marital status and religiosity were not found to be associated with adherence to the surveillance protocol. Follow-up adherence was also independent of pre-test depression, severity of disease, or number of affected family members. The only statistically significant predictor of adherence was being symptomatic at the time of testing (OR = 5; 95% CI 1.2 - 20.3; p = 0.02. Pre-test anxiety was more commonly observed in patients that discontinued follow-up (64.7% vs. 35.3%; p = 0.01. Conclusions The high initial uptake rate of genetic testing for VHL disease, including in minors, allowed the discontinuation of unnecessary screening

Genetic Determinants of Macrovascular Complications and Mortality in Type 2 Diabetes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

M. Yazdanpanah (Mojgan)

2006-01-01

textabstractEvidence is accumulating that there is a genetic predisposition for the development of vascular complications of type 2 diabetes. There is a large variation in the risk and onset of complication in patients, which may partly be explained by genetic susceptibility. Most likely

Novel genetic variants in miR-191 gene and familial ovarian cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shen, Jie; DiCioccio, Richard; Odunsi, Kunle; Lele, Shashikant B; Zhao, Hua

2010-01-01

Half of the familial aggregation of ovarian cancer can't be explained by any known risk genes, suggesting the existence of other genetic risk factors. Some of these unknown factors may not be traditional protein encoding genes. MicroRNA (miRNA) plays a critical role in tumorigenesis, but it is still unknown if variants in miRNA genes lead to predisposition to cancer. Considering the fact that miRNA regulates a number of tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) and oncogenes, genetic variations in miRNA genes could affect the levels of expression of TSGs or oncogenes and, thereby, cancer risk. To test this hypothesis in familial ovarian cancer, we screened for genetic variants in thirty selected miRNA genes, which are predicted to regulate key ovarian cancer genes and are reported to be misexpressed in ovarian tumor tissues, in eighty-three patients with familial ovarian cancer. All of the patients are non-carriers of any known BRCA1/2 or mismatch repair (MMR) gene mutations. Seven novel genetic variants were observed in four primary or precursor miRNA genes. Among them, three rare variants were found in the precursor or primary precursor of the miR-191 gene. In functional assays, the one variant located in the precursor of miR-191 resulted in conformational changes in the predicted secondary structures, and consequently altered the expression of mature miR-191. In further analysis, we found that this particular variant exists in five family members who had ovarian cancer. Our findings suggest that there are novel genetic variants in miRNA genes, and those certain genetic variants in miRNA genes can affect the expression of mature miRNAs and, consequently, might alter the regulation of TSGs or oncogenes. Additionally, the variant might be potentially associated with the development of familial ovarian cancer

Genetic analysis of radiation-induced mouse thymic lymphomas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kominami, R.; Wakabayashi, Y.; Niwa, O.

2003-01-01

Mouse thymic lymphomas are one of the classic models of radiation-induced malignancies, and the model has been used for the study of genes involved in carcinogenesis. ras oncogenes are the first isolate which undergoes mutations in 10 to 30 % of lymphomas, and p16INK4a and p19ARF in the INK4a-ARF locus are also frequently inactivated. In our previous study, the inactivation of Ikaros, a key regurator of lymphoid system, was found in those lymphomas, and it was suggested that there are other responsible genes yet to be discovered. On the other hand, genetic predisposition to radiation-induced lymphoma often differs in different strains, and this reflects the presence of low penetrance genes that can modify the impact of a given mutation. Little study of such modifiers or susceptibility genes has been performed, either. Recent availability of databases on mouse genome information and the power of mouse genetic system underline usefulness of the lymphoma model in search for novel genes involved, which may provide clues to molecular mechanisms of development of the radiogenic lymphoma and also genes involved in human lymphomas and other malignancies. Accordingly, we have carried out positional cloning for the two different types of tumor-related genes. In this symposium, our current progress is presented that includes genetic mapping of susceptibility/ resistance loci on mouse chromosomes 4, 5 and 19, and also functional analysis of a novel tumor suppressor gene, Rit1/Bcl11b, that has been isolated from allelic loss (LOH) mapping and sequence analysis for γ -ray induced mouse thymic lymphomas

Imaging of Intracellular pH in Tumor Spheroids Using Genetically Encoded Sensor SypHer2.

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Zagaynova, Elena V; Druzhkova, Irina N; Mishina, Natalia M; Ignatova, Nadezhda I; Dudenkova, Varvara V; Shirmanova, Marina V

2017-01-01

Intracellular pH (pHi) is one of the most important parameters that regulate the physiological state of cells and tissues. pHi homeostasis is crucial for normal cell functioning. Cancer cells are characterized by having a higher (neutral to slightly alkaline) pHi and lower (acidic) extracellular pH (pHe) compared to normal cells. This is referred to as a "reversed" pH gradient, and is essential in supporting their accelerated growth rate, invasion and migration, and in suppressing anti-tumor immunity, the promotion of metabolic coupling with fibroblasts and in preventing apoptosis. Moreover, abnormal pH, both pHi and pHe, contribute to drug resistance in cancers. Therefore, the development of methods for measuring pH in living tumor cells is likely to lead to better understanding of tumor biology and to open new ways for cancer treatment. Genetically encoded, fluorescent, pH-sensitive probes represent promising instruments enabling the subcellular measurement of pHi with unrivaled specificity and high accuracy. Here, we describe a protocol for pHi imaging at a microscopic level in HeLa tumor spheroids, using the genetically encoded ratiometric (dual-excitation) pHi indicator, SypHer2.

Familial predisposition to vasovagal syncope.

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Negrusz-Kawecka, Marta; Bańkowski, Tomasz; Tabin, Mateusz; Paprocka, Magdalena; Mercik, Agnieszka; Misztal, Jowita; Nowak, Piotr; Zysko, Dorota; Gajek, Jacek

2012-06-01

A handful of studies suggest a familial predisposition to vasovagal syncope (WS) but the scope of information available to date is poor. The aim of our study was to evaluate the prevalence of vasovagal syncope and its familial occurrence in the young. The studied group consisted of 281 women and 111 men, aged 18-32 years. Forty-seven percent of the population had one brother or sister, and the mean number of individuals per family was 4.4 +/- 1.0. The questionnaire consisted of 30 questions regarding syncopal history. Syncope was reported in 32.1% of the patients studied (36.7% in women vs. 20.7% in men; P < 0.05), 29.1% of mothers, 16.8% of fathers, 30.9% of sisters and 14.2% of brothers. Logistic regression analysis revealed that positive history regarding the syncope in the whole group of students was related to the female gender (OR 2.17; CI: 1.28-3.7), the history of a syncope in mother (OR 1.74; CI: 1.09-2.78) and the history of a syncope in father (OR 2.22; CI: 1.28-3.86; P < 0.001). A positive history of syncope in male relatives increases the risk of syncope in men and women, whereas a positive history of syncope in female relatives increases the risk of syncope in women only. Female gender independently of the family history increases the risk of syncope. The genetics of the vasovagal syncope could be polygenic but the mechanisms of a transmission remain unclear to date.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors, somatic mutations and candidate genetic risk variants.

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Katie M O'Brien

Full Text Available Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs are rare but treatable soft tissue sarcomas. Nearly all GISTs have somatic mutations in either the KIT or PDGFRA gene, but there are no known inherited genetic risk factors. We assessed the relationship between KIT/PDGFRA mutations and select deletions or single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs in 279 participants from a clinical trial of adjuvant imatinib mesylate. Given previous evidence that certain susceptibility loci and carcinogens are associated with characteristic mutations, or "signatures" in other cancers, we hypothesized that the characteristic somatic mutations in the KIT and PDGFRA genes in GIST tumors may similarly be mutational signatures that are causally linked to specific mutagens or susceptibility loci. As previous epidemiologic studies suggest environmental risk factors such as dioxin and radiation exposure may be linked to sarcomas, we chose 208 variants in 39 candidate genes related to DNA repair and dioxin metabolism or response. We calculated adjusted odds ratios (ORs and 95% confidence intervals (CIs for the association between each variant and 7 categories of tumor mutation using logistic regression. We also evaluated gene-level effects using the sequence kernel association test (SKAT. Although none of the association p-values were statistically significant after adjustment for multiple comparisons, SNPs in CYP1B1 were strongly associated with KIT exon 11 codon 557-8 deletions (OR = 1.9, 95% CI: 1.3-2.9 for rs2855658 and OR = 1.8, 95% CI: 1.2-2.7 for rs1056836 and wild type GISTs (OR = 2.7, 95% CI: 1.5-4.8 for rs1800440 and OR = 0.5, 95% CI: 0.3-0.9 for rs1056836. CYP1B1 was also associated with these mutations categories in the SKAT analysis (p = 0.002 and p = 0.003, respectively. Other potential risk variants included GSTM1, RAD23B and ERCC2. This preliminary analysis of inherited genetic risk factors for GIST offers some clues about the disease's genetic

Bone tumor

Science.gov (United States)

Tumor - bone; Bone cancer; Primary bone tumor; Secondary bone tumor; Bone tumor - benign ... The cause of bone tumors is unknown. They often occur in areas of the bone that grow rapidly. Possible causes include: Genetic defects ...

Familial Isolated Pituitary Adenomas (FIPA) and the Pituitary Adenoma Predisposition due to Mutations in the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Interacting Protein (AIP) Gene

Science.gov (United States)

Aaltonen, Lauri A.; Daly, Adrian F.

2013-01-01

Pituitary adenomas are one of the most frequent intracranial tumors and occur with a prevalence of approximately 1:1000 in the developed world. Pituitary adenomas have a serious disease burden, and their management involves neurosurgery, biological therapies, and radiotherapy. Early diagnosis of pituitary tumors while they are smaller may help increase cure rates. Few genetic predictors of pituitary adenoma development exist. Recent years have seen two separate, complimentary advances in inherited pituitary tumor research. The clinical condition of familial isolated pituitary adenomas (FIPA) has been described, which encompasses the familial occurrence of isolated pituitary adenomas outside of the setting of syndromic conditions like multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 and Carney complex. FIPA families comprise approximately 2% of pituitary adenomas and represent a clinical entity with homogeneous or heterogeneous pituitary adenoma types occurring within the same kindred. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor interacting protein (AIP) gene has been identified as causing a pituitary adenoma predisposition of variable penetrance that accounts for 20% of FIPA families. Germline AIP mutations have been shown to associate with the occurrence of large pituitary adenomas that occur at a young age, predominantly in children/adolescents and young adults. AIP mutations are usually associated with somatotropinomas, but prolactinomas, nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas, Cushing disease, and other infrequent clinical adenoma types can also occur. Gigantism is a particular feature of AIP mutations and occurs in more than one third of affected somatotropinoma patients. Study of pituitary adenoma patients with AIP mutations has demonstrated that these cases raise clinical challenges to successful treatment. Extensive research on the biology of AIP and new advances in mouse Aip knockout models demonstrate multiple pathways by which AIP may contribute to tumorigenesis. This review assesses

A Clinical and Genetic Review of Aniridia

OpenAIRE

Reza Jafari; Ahmad Ahmadzadeh Amiri

2015-01-01

Aniridia is a congenital pan-ocular, bilateral disorder. The term aniridia is a misleading misnomer, since at least a rudimentary iris is always present. Varied forms range from almost total absence to only mild hypoplasia of the iris. It is inherent in a number of syndromes, including Wilms tumor Aniridia-Genital anomalies-retardation (WAGR). Aniridia has been shown to be associated with mutations in the PAX6 gene, located on chromosome 11p13, telomeric to the Wilms’ tumor predisposition gen...

Association study of functional genetic variants of innate immunity related genes in celiac disease

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Martín J

2005-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Recent evidence suggest that the innate immune system is implicated in the early events of celiac disease (CD pathogenesis. In this work for the first time we have assessed the relevance of different proinflammatory mediators typically related to innate immunity in CD predisposition. Methods We performed a familial study in which 105 celiac families characterized by the presence of an affected child with CD were genotyped for functional polymorphisms located at regulatory regions of IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-1RN, IL-18, RANTES and MCP-1 genes. Familial data was analysed with a transmission disequilibrium test (TDT that revealed no statistically significant differences in the transmission pattern of the different genetic markers considered. Results The TDT analysis for IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-1RN, IL-18, and MCP-1 genes genetic variants did not reveal biased transmission to the affected offspring. Only a borderline association of RANTES promoter genetic variants with CD predisposition was observed. Conclusion Our results suggest that the analysed polymorphisms of IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-1RN, IL-18, RANTES and MCP-1 genes do not seem to play a major role in CD genetic predisposition in our population.

CLINICAL ASPECTS OF TRANSMISSIBLE VENEREAL TUMOR

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A. C. Sá

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The transmissible venereal tumor is among the main diseases that affect domestic animals of the Canidae family. Abandoned animals are the main transmitters of the disease, which is highly contagious; most of the injuries are commonly found on animals genital organs and faces. This is a tumor without any involvement with an infectious agent, tumor cells are transferred from a sick animal to a healthy animal through natural breeding or direct contact of the lesions with other body parts. The disease has no predisposition for breeding, sex and species, therefore possibly affecting all canids although there are more reports on stray animals.The TVT lesions have cauliflower appearance and may be pedunculated, papillary or multilobulated, with hemorrhagic and crumbly aspect. The tumor can have benign or malignant potential, being the second most frequently commonly reported, wherein according to its potential raise the difficulty of the treatment or not.

The development of an online decision aid to support persons having a genetic predisposition to cancer and their partners during reproductive decision-making: a usability and pilot study.

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Reumkens, Kelly; Tummers, Marly H E; Gietel-Habets, Joyce J G; van Kuijk, Sander M J; Aalfs, Cora M; van Asperen, Christi J; Ausems, Margreet G E M; Collée, Margriet; Dommering, Charlotte J; Kets, C Marleen; van der Kolk, Lizet E; Oosterwijk, Jan C; Tjan-Heijnen, Vivianne C G; van der Weijden, Trudy; de Die-Smulders, Christine E M; van Osch, Liesbeth A D M

2018-05-30

An online decision aid to support persons having a genetic predisposition to cancer and their partners during reproductive decision-making was developed. A two-phase usability test was conducted among 12 couples (N = 22; 2 persons participated without their partner) at risk for hereditary cancer and 15 health care providers. Couples and health care providers expressed similar suggestions for improvements, and evaluated the modified decision aid as acceptable, easy to use, and comprehensible. The final decision aid was pilot tested (N = 16) with paired sample t tests comparing main outcomes (decisional conflict, knowledge, realistic expectations regarding the reproductive options and decision self-efficacy) before (T0), immediately (T1) and 2 weeks after (T2) use of the decision aid. Pilot testing indicated decreased decisional conflict scores, increased knowledge, and improved realistic expectations regarding the reproductive options, at T1 and T2. No effect was found for couples' decision self-efficacy. The positive findings during usability testing were thus reflected in the pilot study. The decision aid will be further evaluated in a nationwide pretest-posttest study to facilitate implementation in the onco-genetic counselling setting. Ultimately, it is expected that the decision aid will enable end-users to make an informed decision.

Occurrence of DNET and other brain tumors in Noonan syndrome warrants caution with growth hormone therapy.

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McWilliams, Geoffrey D; SantaCruz, Karen; Hart, Blaine; Clericuzio, Carol

2016-01-01

Noonan syndrome (NS) is an autosomal dominant developmental disorder caused by mutations in the RAS-MAPK signaling pathway that is well known for its relationship with oncogenesis. An 8.1-fold increased risk of cancer in Noonan syndrome has been reported, including childhood leukemia and solid tumors. The same study found a patient with a dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor (DNET) and suggested that DNET tumors are associated with NS. Herein we report an 8-year-old boy with genetically confirmed NS and a DNET. Literature review identified eight other reports, supporting the association between NS and DNETs. The review also ascertained 13 non-DNET brain tumors in individuals with NS, bringing to 22 the total number of NS patients with brain tumors. Tumor growth while receiving growth hormone (GH) occurred in our patient and one other patient. It is unknown whether the development or progression of tumors is augmented by GH therapy, however there is concern based on epidemiological, animal and in vitro studies. This issue was addressed in a 2015 Pediatric Endocrine Society report noting there is not enough data available to assess the safety of GH therapy in children with neoplasia-predisposition syndromes. The authors recommend that GH use in children with such disorders, including NS, be undertaken with appropriate surveillance for malignancies. Our case report and literature review underscore the association of NS with CNS tumors, particularly DNET, and call attention to the recommendation that clinicians treating NS patients with GH do so with awareness of the possibility of increased neoplasia risk. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The genetics of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

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Silverman Edwin K

2001-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD is a significant cause of global morbidity and mortality. Previous studies have shown that COPD aggregates in families, suggesting a genetic predisposition to airflow obstruction. Many candidate genes have been assessed, but the data are often conflicting. We review the genetic factors that predispose smokers to COPD and highlight the future role of genomic scans in identifying novel susceptibility genes.

Virus vector-mediated genetic modification of brain tumor stromal cells after intravenous delivery.

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Volak, Adrienn; LeRoy, Stanley G; Natasan, Jeya Shree; Park, David J; Cheah, Pike See; Maus, Andreas; Fitzpatrick, Zachary; Hudry, Eloise; Pinkham, Kelsey; Gandhi, Sheetal; Hyman, Bradley T; Mu, Dakai; GuhaSarkar, Dwijit; Stemmer-Rachamimov, Anat O; Sena-Esteves, Miguel; Badr, Christian E; Maguire, Casey A

2018-05-16

The malignant primary brain tumor, glioblastoma (GBM) is generally incurable. New approaches are desperately needed. Adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector-mediated delivery of anti-tumor transgenes is a promising strategy, however direct injection leads to focal transgene spread in tumor and rapid tumor division dilutes out the extra-chromosomal AAV genome, limiting duration of transgene expression. Intravenous (IV) injection gives widespread distribution of AAV in normal brain, however poor transgene expression in tumor, and high expression in non-target cells which may lead to ineffective therapy and high toxicity, respectively. Delivery of transgenes encoding secreted, anti-tumor proteins to tumor stromal cells may provide a more stable and localized reservoir of therapy as they are more differentiated than fast-dividing tumor cells. Reactive astrocytes and tumor-associated macrophage/microglia (TAMs) are stromal cells that comprise a large portion of the tumor mass and are associated with tumorigenesis. In mouse models of GBM, we used IV delivery of exosome-associated AAV vectors driving green fluorescent protein expression by specific promoters (NF-κB-responsive promoter and a truncated glial fibrillary acidic protein promoter), to obtain targeted transduction of TAMs and reactive astrocytes, respectively, while avoiding transgene expression in the periphery. We used our approach to express the potent, yet toxic anti-tumor cytokine, interferon beta, in tumor stroma of a mouse model of GBM, and achieved a modest, yet significant enhancement in survival compared to controls. Noninvasive genetic modification of tumor microenvironment represents a promising approach for therapy against cancers. Additionally, the vectors described here may facilitate basic research in the study of tumor stromal cells in situ.

Integrated tumor and germline whole-exome sequencing identifies mutations in MAPK and PI3K pathway genes in an adolescent with rosette-forming glioneuronal tumor of the fourth ventricle

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Lin, Frank Y.; Bergstrom, Katie; Person, Richard; Bavle, Abhishek; Ballester, Leomar Y.; Scollon, Sarah; Raesz-Martinez, Robin; Jea, Andrew; Birchansky, Sherri; Wheeler, David A.; Berg, Stacey L.; Chintagumpala, Murali M.; Adesina, Adekunle M.; Eng, Christine; Roy, Angshumoy; Plon, Sharon E.; Parsons, D. Williams

2016-01-01

The integration of genome-scale studies such as whole-exome sequencing (WES) into the clinical care of children with cancer has the potential to provide insight into the genetic basis of an individual's cancer with implications for clinical management. This report describes the results of clinical tumor and germline WES for a patient with a rare tumor diagnosis, rosette-forming glioneuronal tumor of the fourth ventricle (RGNT). Three pathogenic gene alterations with implications for clinical care were identified: somatic activating hotspot mutations in FGFR1 (p.N546K) and PIK3CA (p.H1047R) and a germline pathogenic variant in PTPN11 (p.N308S) diagnostic for Noonan syndrome. The molecular landscape of RGNT is not well-described, but these data are consistent with prior observations regarding the importance of the interconnected MAPK and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathways in this rare tumor. The co-occurrence of FGFR1, PIK3CA, and PTPN11 alterations provides further evidence for consideration of RGNT as a distinct molecular entity from pediatric low-grade gliomas and suggests potential therapeutic strategies for this patient in the event of tumor recurrence as novel agents targeting these pathways enter pediatric clinical trials. Although RGNT has not been definitively linked with cancer predisposition syndromes, two prior cases have been reported in patients with RASopathies (Noonan syndrome and neurofibromatosis type 1 [NF1]), providing an additional link between these tumors and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. In summary, this case provides an example of the potential for genome-scale sequencing technologies to provide insight into the biology of rare tumors and yield both tumor and germline results of potential relevance to patient care. PMID:27626068

Additive influence of genetic predisposition and conventional risk factors in the incidence of coronary heart disease: a population-based study in Greece

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Yiannakouris, Nikos; Katsoulis, Michail; Trichopoulou, Antonia; Ordovas, Jose M; Trichopoulos, Dimitrios

2014-01-01

Objectives An additive genetic risk score (GRS) for coronary heart disease (CHD) has previously been associated with incident CHD in the population-based Greek European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and nutrition (EPIC) cohort. In this study, we explore GRS-‘environment’ joint actions on CHD for several conventional cardiovascular risk factors (ConvRFs), including smoking, hypertension, type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), body mass index (BMI), physical activity and adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Design A case–control study. Setting The general Greek population of the EPIC study. Participants and outcome measures 477 patients with medically confirmed incident CHD and 1271 controls participated in this study. We estimated the ORs for CHD by dividing participants at higher or lower GRS and, alternatively, at higher or lower ConvRF, and calculated the relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI) as a measure of deviation from additivity. Results The joint presence of higher GRS and higher risk ConvRF was in all instances associated with an increased risk of CHD, compared with the joint presence of lower GRS and lower risk ConvRF. The OR (95% CI) was 1.7 (1.2 to 2.4) for smoking, 2.7 (1.9 to 3.8) for hypertension, 4.1 (2.8 to 6.1) for T2DM, 1.9 (1.4 to 2.5) for lower physical activity, 2.0 (1.3 to 3.2) for high BMI and 1.5 (1.1 to 2.1) for poor adherence to the Mediterranean diet. In all instances, RERI values were fairly small and not statistically significant, suggesting that the GRS and the ConvRFs do not have effects beyond additivity. Conclusions Genetic predisposition to CHD, operationalised through a multilocus GRS, and ConvRFs have essentially additive effects on CHD risk. PMID:24500614

[Breast cancer genetics. BRCA1 and BRCA2: the main genes for disease predisposition].

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Ruiz-Flores, P; Calderón-Garcidueñas, A L; Barrera-Saldaña, H A

2001-01-01

Breast cancer is among the most common world cancers. In Mexico this neoplasm has been progressively increasing since 1990 and is expected to continue. The risk factors for this disease are age, some reproductive factors, ionizing radiation, contraceptives, obesity and high fat diets, among other factors. The main risk factor for BC is a positive family history. Several families, in which clustering but no mendelian inheritance exists, the BC is due probably to mutations in low penetrance genes and/or environmental factors. In families with autosomal dominant trait, the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are frequently mutated. These genes are the two main BC susceptibility genes. BRCA1 predispose to BC and ovarian cancer, while BRCA2 mutations predispose to BC in men and women. Both are long genes, tumor suppressors, functioning in a cell cycle dependent manner, and it is believed that both switch on the transcription of several genes, and participate in DNA repair. The mutations profile of these genes is known in developed countries, while in Latin America their search has just began. A multidisciplinary group most be responsible of the clinical management of patients with mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2, and the risk assignment and Genetic counseling most be done carefully.

Genetic susceptibility to bone and soft tissue sarcomas: a field synopsis and meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Benna, Clara; Simioni, Andrea; Pasquali, Sandro; De Boni, Davide; Rajendran, Senthilkumar; Spiro, Giovanna; Colombo, Chiara; Virgone, Calogero; DuBois, Steven G; Gronchi, Alessandro; Rossi, Carlo Riccardo; Mocellin, Simone

2018-04-06

The genetic architecture of bone and soft tissue sarcomas susceptibility is yet to be elucidated. We aimed to comprehensively collect and meta-analyze the current knowledge on genetic susceptibility in these rare tumors. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the evidence on the association between DNA variation and risk of developing sarcomas through searching PubMed, The Cochrane Library, Scopus and Web of Science databases. To evaluate result credibility, summary evidence was graded according to the Venice criteria and false positive report probability (FPRP) was calculated to further validate result noteworthiness. Integrative analysis of genetic and eQTL (expression quantitative trait locus) data was coupled with network and pathway analysis to explore the hypothesis that specific cell functions are involved in sarcoma predisposition. We retrieved 90 eligible studies comprising 47,796 subjects (cases: 14,358, 30%) and investigating 1,126 polymorphisms involving 320 distinct genes. Meta-analysis identified 55 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) significantly associated with disease risk with a high (N=9), moderate (N=38) and low (N=8) level of evidence, findings being classified as noteworthy basically only when the level of evidence was high. The estimated joint population attributable risk for three independent SNPs (rs11599754 of ZNF365/EGR2 , rs231775 of CTLA4 , and rs454006 of PRKCG ) was 37.2%. We also identified 53 SNPs significantly associated with sarcoma risk based on single studies.Pathway analysis enabled us to propose that sarcoma predisposition might be linked especially to germline variation of genes whose products are involved in the function of the DNA repair machinery. We built the first knowledgebase on the evidence linking DNA variation to sarcomas susceptibility, which can be used to generate mechanistic hypotheses and inform future studies in this field of oncology.

Dataset on genetic and physiological adults׳ responses to social distress.

Science.gov (United States)

Bonassi, Andrea; Ghilardi, Tommaso; Truzzi, Anna; Cataldo, Ilaria; Azhari, Atiqah; Setoh, Peipei; Shinohara, Kazuyuki; Esposito, Gianluca

2017-08-01

Both expectations towards interactions with conspecifics, and genetic predispositions, affect adults׳ social behaviors. However, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here, we report data to investigate the interaction between genetic factors, (oxytocin receptor (OXTR) and serotonin transporter (5-HTTLPR) polymorphisms), and adult interactional patterns in shaping physiological responses to social distress. During the presentation of distress vocalizations (cries of human female, infants and bonobos) we assessed participants׳ ( N = 42 males) heart rate (HR) and peripheral nose temperature, which index state of arousal and readiness to action. Self-reported questionnaires were used to evaluate participants' interactional patterns towards peers (Attachment Style Questionnaire, Feeney et al., 1994[1]), and the quality of bond with intimate partners (Experiences in Close Relationships Scale, Fraley et al., 2000 [2]). To assess participants׳ genetic predispositions, the OXTR gene (regions rs53576, and rs2254298) and the 5-HTTLPR gene (region SLC6A4) were genotyped. The data set is made publicly available to enable critical or extended analyzes.

Dataset on genetic and physiological adults׳ responses to social distress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrea Bonassi

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Both expectations towards interactions with conspecifics, and genetic predispositions, affect adults׳ social behaviors. However, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here, we report data to investigate the interaction between genetic factors, (oxytocin receptor (OXTR and serotonin transporter (5-HTTLPR polymorphisms, and adult interactional patterns in shaping physiological responses to social distress. During the presentation of distress vocalizations (cries of human female, infants and bonobos we assessed participants׳ (N = 42 males heart rate (HR and peripheral nose temperature, which index state of arousal and readiness to action. Self-reported questionnaires were used to evaluate participants’ interactional patterns towards peers (Attachment Style Questionnaire, Feeney et al., 1994 [1], and the quality of bond with intimate partners (Experiences in Close Relationships Scale, Fraley et al., 2000 [2]. To assess participants׳ genetic predispositions, the OXTR gene (regions rs53576, and rs2254298 and the 5-HTTLPR gene (region SLC6A4 were genotyped. The data set is made publicly available to enable critical or extended analyzes.

EDITORIAL Clinical issues in genetic testing for multifactorial diseases

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Given the importance of MDs, detection of genetic predisposition is potentially attractive ... burden for affected individuals and families: disease is often early onset and ... to detection of BRCA-related breast cancer in a local public health sector.

Naturally occurring and radiation-induced tumors in SPF mice, and genetic influence in radiation leukemogenesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kasuga, T.

1979-01-01

The data obtained so far in this study point to a strong genetic influence not only on the types and incidence of naturally occurring and radiation-induced tumors but also on radiation leukemogenesis. (Auth.)

The Influence of Familial Predisposition to Cardiovascular Complications upon Childhood Obesity Treatment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Louise A; Bøjsøe, Christine; Kloppenborg, Julie T

2015-01-01

INTRODUCTION: The aim was to investigate whether a familial predisposition to obesity related cardiovascular complications was associated with the degree of obesity at baseline and/or changes in the degree of obesity during a multidisciplinary childhood obesity treatment program. METHODS: The study...... included 1421 obese children (634 boys) with a median age of 11.5 years (range 3.1-17.9 years), enrolled in treatment for 0.04 to 5.90 years (median 1.3 years) at the Children's Obesity Clinic, Denmark. At baseline, weight and height were measured, body mass index (BMI) standard deviation score (SDS......) calculated, and self-reported information on familial predisposition to obesity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), thromboembolic events, and dyslipidaemia were obtained. A familial predisposition included events in biological parents, siblings, grandparents, uncles, and aunts. The treatment...

Genetic and Epigenetic Tumor Suppressor Gene Silencing Are Distinct Molecular Phenotypes Driven by Growth Promoting Mutations in Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carmen J. Marsit

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Both genetic and epigenetic alterations characterize human nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC, but the biological processes that create or select these alterations remain incompletely investigated. Our hypothesis posits that a roughly reciprocal relationship between the propensity for promoter hypermethylation and a propensity for genetic deletion leads to distinct molecular phenotypes of lung cancer. To test this hypothesis, we examined promoter hypermethylation of 17 tumor suppressor genes, as a marker of epigenetic alteration propensity, and deletion events at the 3p21 region, as a marker of genetic alteration. To model the complex biology between these somatic alterations, we utilized an item response theory model. We demonstrated that tumors exhibiting LOH at greater than 30% of informative alleles in the 3p21 region have a significantly reduced propensity for hypermethylation. At the same time, tumors with activating KRAS mutations showed a significantly increased propensity for hypermethylation of the loci examined, a result similar to what has been observed in colon cancer. These data suggest that NSCLCs have distinct epigenetic or genetic alteration phenotypes acting upon tumor suppressor genes and that mutation of oncogenic growth promoting genes, such as KRAS, is associated with the epigenetic phenotype.

A practice guideline from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics and the National Society of Genetic Counselors: referral indications for cancer predisposition assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Hampel, Heather; Bennett, Robin L; Buchanan, Adam; Pearlman, Rachel; Wiesner, Georgia L

2015-01-01

referral. Thus, the purpose of this practice guideline is to present a single set of comprehensive personal and family history criteria to facilitate identification and maximize appropriate referral of at-risk individuals for cancer genetic consultation. To develop this guideline, a literature search for hereditary cancer susceptibility syndromes was conducted using PubMed. In addition, GeneReviews and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines were reviewed when applicable. When conflicting guidelines were identified, the evidence was ranked as follows: position papers from national and professional organizations ranked highest, followed by consortium guidelines, and then peer-reviewed publications from single institutions. The criteria for cancer genetic consultation referral are provided in two formats: (i) tables that list the tumor type along with the criteria that, if met, would warrant a referral for a cancer genetic consultation and (ii) an alphabetical list of the syndromes, including a brief summary of each and the rationale for the referral criteria that were selected. Consider referral for a cancer genetic consultation if your patient or any of their first-degree relatives meet any of these referral criteria.

Influence of race/ethnicity on genetic counseling and testing for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Forman, Andrea D; Hall, Michael J

2009-01-01

Risk assessment coupled with genetic counseling and testing for the cancer predisposition genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 (BRCA1/2) has become an integral element of comprehensive patient evaluation and cancer risk management in the United States for individuals meeting high-risk criteria for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC). For mutation carriers, several options for risk modification have achieved substantial reductions in future cancer risk. However, several recent studies have shown lower rates of BRCA1/2 counseling and testing among minority populations. Here, we explore the role of race/ethnicity in cancer risk assessment, genetic counseling and genetic testing for HBOC and the BRCA1/2 cancer predisposition genes. Barriers to genetic services related to race/ethnicity and underserved populations, including socioeconomic barriers (e.g., time, access, geographic, language/cultural, awareness, cost) and psychosocial barriers (e.g., medical mistrust, perceived disadvantages to genetic services), as well as additional barriers to care once mutation carriers are identified, will be reviewed.

NIH Scientists Map Genetic Changes That Drive Tumors in a Common Pediatric Soft-Tissue Cancer

Science.gov (United States)

... Press Release NIH scientists map genetic changes that drive tumors in a common pediatric soft-tissue cancer ... of Health FOLLOW US Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Google+ LinkedIn GovDelivery RSS CONTACT INFORMATION Contact Us LiveHelp ...

Attitude towards pre-implantation genetic diagnosis for hereditary cancer

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lammens, Chantal; Bleiker, Eveline; Aaronson, Neil; Vriends, Annette; Ausems, Margreet; Jansweijer, Maaike; Wagner, Anja; Sijmons, Rolf; van den Ouweland, Ans; van der Luijt, Rob; Spruijt, Liesbeth; Gómez García, Encarna; Ruijs, Mariëlle; Verhoef, Senno

2009-01-01

The use of pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) for hereditary cancer is subject to on-going debate, particularly among professionals. This study evaluates the attitude towards PGD and attitude-associated characteristics of those concerned: family members with a hereditary cancer predisposition.

Divorce: An Unreliable Predictor of Children's Emotional Predispositions.

Science.gov (United States)

Bernard, Janine M.; Nesbitt, Sally

1981-01-01

Used the Children's Emotion Projection Instrument to investigate the emotional predispositions of children from divorce or disruption and children from intact families. Results indicated that children of divorce or disruption are not more hampered emotionally than children from intact families. Discusses implications for family therapists.…

A Children's Oncology Group and TARGET initiative exploring the genetic landscape of Wilms tumor.

Science.gov (United States)

Gadd, Samantha; Huff, Vicki; Walz, Amy L; Ooms, Ariadne H A G; Armstrong, Amy E; Gerhard, Daniela S; Smith, Malcolm A; Auvil, Jaime M Guidry; Meerzaman, Daoud; Chen, Qing-Rong; Hsu, Chih Hao; Yan, Chunhua; Nguyen, Cu; Hu, Ying; Hermida, Leandro C; Davidsen, Tanja; Gesuwan, Patee; Ma, Yussanne; Zong, Zusheng; Mungall, Andrew J; Moore, Richard A; Marra, Marco A; Dome, Jeffrey S; Mullighan, Charles G; Ma, Jing; Wheeler, David A; Hampton, Oliver A; Ross, Nicole; Gastier-Foster, Julie M; Arold, Stefan T; Perlman, Elizabeth J

2017-10-01

We performed genome-wide sequencing and analyzed mRNA and miRNA expression, DNA copy number, and DNA methylation in 117 Wilms tumors, followed by targeted sequencing of 651 Wilms tumors. In addition to genes previously implicated in Wilms tumors (WT1, CTNNB1, AMER1, DROSHA, DGCR8, XPO5, DICER1, SIX1, SIX2, MLLT1, MYCN, and TP53), we identified mutations in genes not previously recognized as recurrently involved in Wilms tumors, the most frequent being BCOR, BCORL1, NONO, MAX, COL6A3, ASXL1, MAP3K4, and ARID1A. DNA copy number changes resulted in recurrent 1q gain, MYCN amplification, LIN28B gain, and MIRLET7A loss. Unexpected germline variants involved PALB2 and CHEK2. Integrated analyses support two major classes of genetic changes that preserve the progenitor state and/or interrupt normal development.

A Children's Oncology Group and TARGET initiative exploring the genetic landscape of Wilms tumor

KAUST Repository

Gadd, Samantha

2017-08-21

We performed genome-wide sequencing and analyzed mRNA and miRNA expression, DNA copy number, and DNA methylation in 117 Wilms tumors, followed by targeted sequencing of 651 Wilms tumors. In addition to genes previously implicated in Wilms tumors (WT1, CTNNB1, AMER1, DROSHA, DGCR8, XPO5, DICER1, SIX1, SIX2, MLLT1, MYCN, and TP53), we identified mutations in genes not previously recognized as recurrently involved in Wilms tumors, the most frequent being BCOR, BCORL1, NONO, MAX, COL6A3, ASXL1, MAP3K4, and ARID1A. DNA copy number changes resulted in recurrent 1q gain, MYCN amplification, LIN28B gain, and MIRLET7A loss. Unexpected germline variants involved PALB2 and CHEK2. Integrated analyses support two major classes of genetic changes that preserve the progenitor state and/or interrupt normal development.

A Children's Oncology Group and TARGET initiative exploring the genetic landscape of Wilms tumor

KAUST Repository

Gadd, Samantha; Huff, Vicki; Walz, Amy L; Ooms, Ariadne H A G; Armstrong, Amy E; Gerhard, Daniela S; Smith, Malcolm A; Auvil, Jaime M Guidry; Meerzaman, Daoud; Chen, Qing-Rong; Hsu, Chih Hao; Yan, Chunhua; Nguyen, Cu; Hu, Ying; Hermida, Leandro C; Davidsen, Tanja; Gesuwan, Patee; Ma, Yussanne; Zong, Zusheng; Mungall, Andrew J; Moore, Richard A; Marra, Marco A; Dome, Jeffrey S; Mullighan, Charles G; Ma, Jing; Wheeler, David A; Hampton, Oliver A; Ross, Nicole; Gastier-Foster, Julie M; Arold, Stefan T.; Perlman, Elizabeth J

2017-01-01

We performed genome-wide sequencing and analyzed mRNA and miRNA expression, DNA copy number, and DNA methylation in 117 Wilms tumors, followed by targeted sequencing of 651 Wilms tumors. In addition to genes previously implicated in Wilms tumors (WT1, CTNNB1, AMER1, DROSHA, DGCR8, XPO5, DICER1, SIX1, SIX2, MLLT1, MYCN, and TP53), we identified mutations in genes not previously recognized as recurrently involved in Wilms tumors, the most frequent being BCOR, BCORL1, NONO, MAX, COL6A3, ASXL1, MAP3K4, and ARID1A. DNA copy number changes resulted in recurrent 1q gain, MYCN amplification, LIN28B gain, and MIRLET7A loss. Unexpected germline variants involved PALB2 and CHEK2. Integrated analyses support two major classes of genetic changes that preserve the progenitor state and/or interrupt normal development.

Structure of the human MLH1 N-terminus: implications for predisposition to Lynch syndrome

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Hong; Zeng, Hong; Lam, Robert; Tempel, Wolfram; Kerr, Iain D.; Min, Jinrong

2015-01-01

The crystal structure of the human MLH1 N-terminus is reported at 2.30 Å resolution. The overall structure is described along with an analysis of two clinically important mutations. Mismatch repair prevents the accumulation of erroneous insertions/deletions and non-Watson–Crick base pairs in the genome. Pathogenic mutations in the MLH1 gene are associated with a predisposition to Lynch and Turcot’s syndromes. Although genetic testing for these mutations is available, robust classification of variants requires strong clinical and functional support. Here, the first structure of the N-terminus of human MLH1, determined by X-ray crystallography, is described. The structure shares a high degree of similarity with previously determined prokaryotic MLH1 homologs; however, this structure affords a more accurate platform for the classification of MLH1 variants

Structure of the human MLH1 N-terminus: implications for predisposition to Lynch syndrome

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Hong; Zeng, Hong; Lam, Robert; Tempel, Wolfram [University of Toronto, 101 College Street, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7 (Canada); Kerr, Iain D., E-mail: ikerr@myriad.com [Myriad Genetic Laboratories Inc., 320 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84108 (United States); Min, Jinrong, E-mail: ikerr@myriad.com [University of Toronto, 101 College Street, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7 (Canada); University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7 (Canada)

2015-07-28

The crystal structure of the human MLH1 N-terminus is reported at 2.30 Å resolution. The overall structure is described along with an analysis of two clinically important mutations. Mismatch repair prevents the accumulation of erroneous insertions/deletions and non-Watson–Crick base pairs in the genome. Pathogenic mutations in the MLH1 gene are associated with a predisposition to Lynch and Turcot’s syndromes. Although genetic testing for these mutations is available, robust classification of variants requires strong clinical and functional support. Here, the first structure of the N-terminus of human MLH1, determined by X-ray crystallography, is described. The structure shares a high degree of similarity with previously determined prokaryotic MLH1 homologs; however, this structure affords a more accurate platform for the classification of MLH1 variants.

Genetic predisposition scores for dyslipidaemia influence plasma lipid concentrations at baseline, but not the changes after controlled intake of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Science.gov (United States)

AlSaleh, Aseel; Maniou, Zoitsa; Lewis, Fiona J; Hall, Wendy L; Sanders, Thomas A B; O'Dell, Sandra D

2014-07-01

Inconsistent effects of fish oil supplementation on plasma lipids may be influenced by genetic variation. We investigated 12 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with dyslipidaemia in genome-wide association studies, in 310 participants randomised to treatment with placebo or 0.45, 0.9 and 1.8 g/day eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3, EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3, DHA) (1.51:1) in a 12-month parallel controlled trial. Effects of risk alleles were assessed as trait-specific genetic predisposition scores (GPS) and singly. GPS were positively associated with baseline concentrations of plasma total cholesterol, low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride (TG) and negatively with high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol. The TG-GPS was associated with 0.210 mmol/L higher TG per risk allele (P GPS was associated with 0.023 mmol/L lower TG per risk allele (P = 0.72). No interactions between GPS and treatment were significant; however, FADS1 SNP rs174546 C/T interaction with treatment was a significant determinant of plasma TG concentration (P = 0.047, n = 267). Concentration differed between genotype groups after the 1.8 g/day dose (P = 0.026), decreasing by 3.5 (95 % CI -15.1 to 8.2) % in non-carriers of the risk T-allele (n = 30) and by 21.6 (95 % CI -32.1 to -11.2) % in carriers (n = 37), who showed a highly significant difference between treatments (P = 0.007). Carriers of the FADS1 rs174546 risk allele could benefit from a high intake of EPA and DHA in normalising plasma TG.

Touch imprint cytology with massively parallel sequencing (TIC-seq): a simple and rapid method to snapshot genetic alterations in tumors.

Science.gov (United States)

Amemiya, Kenji; Hirotsu, Yosuke; Goto, Taichiro; Nakagomi, Hiroshi; Mochizuki, Hitoshi; Oyama, Toshio; Omata, Masao

2016-12-01

Identifying genetic alterations in tumors is critical for molecular targeting of therapy. In the clinical setting, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue is usually employed for genetic analysis. However, DNA extracted from FFPE tissue is often not suitable for analysis because of its low levels and poor quality. Additionally, FFPE sample preparation is time-consuming. To provide early treatment for cancer patients, a more rapid and robust method is required for precision medicine. We present a simple method for genetic analysis, called touch imprint cytology combined with massively paralleled sequencing (touch imprint cytology [TIC]-seq), to detect somatic mutations in tumors. We prepared FFPE tissues and TIC specimens from tumors in nine lung cancer patients and one patient with breast cancer. We found that the quality and quantity of TIC DNA was higher than that of FFPE DNA, which requires microdissection to enrich DNA from target tissues. Targeted sequencing using a next-generation sequencer obtained sufficient sequence data using TIC DNA. Most (92%) somatic mutations in lung primary tumors were found to be consistent between TIC and FFPE DNA. We also applied TIC DNA to primary and metastatic tumor tissues to analyze tumor heterogeneity in a breast cancer patient, and showed that common and distinct mutations among primary and metastatic sites could be classified into two distinct histological subtypes. TIC-seq is an alternative and feasible method to analyze genomic alterations in tumors by simply touching the cut surface of specimens to slides. © 2016 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Genetic Associations in Acquired Immune-Mediated Bone Marrow Failure Syndromes: Insights in Aplastic Anemia and Chronic Idiopathic Neutropenia

Science.gov (United States)

Mavroudi, Irene; Papadaki, Helen A.

2012-01-01

Increasing interest on the field of autoimmune diseases has unveiled a plethora of genetic factors that predispose to these diseases. However, in immune-mediated bone marrow failure syndromes, such as acquired aplastic anemia and chronic idiopathic neutropenia, in which the pathophysiology results from a myelosuppressive bone marrow microenvironment mainly due to the presence of activated T lymphocytes, leading to the accelerated apoptotic death of the hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, such genetic associations have been very limited. Various alleles and haplotypes of human leucocyte antigen (HLA) molecules have been implicated in the predisposition of developing the above diseases, as well as polymorphisms of inhibitory cytokines such as interferon-γ, tumor necrosis factor-α, and transforming growth factor-β1 along with polymorphisms on molecules of the immune system including the T-bet transcription factor and signal transducers and activators of transcription. In some cases, specific polymorphisms have been implicated in the outcome of treatment on those patients. PMID:22956967

Hemangiosarcoma after breast-conserving therapy of breast cancer. Report of four cases with molecular genetic diagnosis and literature review; Haemangiosarkom nach brusterhaltender Therapie beim Mammakarzinom. Vier Fallbeispiele mit molekulargenetischer Diagnostik und Literaturuebersicht

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nestle-Kraemling, Carolin [Universitaetsklinikum, Duesseldorf (Germany). Frauenklinik; Boelke, Edwin; Budach, Wilfried [Universitaetsklinikum Duesseldorf (DE). Klinik und Poliklinik fuer Strahlentherapie und radiologische Onkologie] (and others)

2011-10-15

Hemangiosarcomas of the breast represent a rare disease of the breast mainly occurring as secondary neoplasias with a latency of 5-10 years after primary treatment of breast cancer and are associated with an unfavourable prognosis. Radiation therapy, which is integrated within the concept of breast conserving therapy ranks as the main risk factor. In this report we describe the clinical course of 4 patients including their molecular genetic pattern and give a summary of the actual literature. Hemangiosarcomas occur as a secondary neoplasm with a latency of 5-10 years after primary treatment of breast cancer and have an unfavorable prognosis. A genetic predisposition is assumed, but we could not find a significant role of tumor suppressor genes BRCA1, BRCA2 or p53 in our patients. Due to limited data available for these tumors, recommendations for therapy include radical tumor resection achieving wide free margins and inconsistent regimens of chemo- and/or immunetherapy modalities. In the majority these are based on systemic therapy regimens for other cutaneous sarcomas, such as Kaposi's sarcoma. Efforts should be taken for a nation-wide systematic registration of all cases of post-irradiation hemangiosarcomas.

Glomus tumors in neurofibromatosis type 1: genetic, functional, and clinical evidence of a novel association.

Science.gov (United States)

Brems, Hilde; Park, Caroline; Maertens, Ophélia; Pemov, Alexander; Messiaen, Ludwine; Messia, Ludwine; Upadhyaya, Meena; Claes, Kathleen; Beert, Eline; Peeters, Kristel; Mautner, Victor; Sloan, Jennifer L; Yao, Lawrence; Lee, Chyi-Chia Richard; Sciot, Raf; De Smet, Luc; Legius, Eric; Stewart, Douglas R

2009-09-15

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a common disorder that arises secondary to mutations in the tumor suppressor gene NF1. Glomus tumors are small, benign but painful tumors that originate from the glomus body, a thermoregulatory shunt concentrated in the fingers and toes. We report 11 individuals with NF1 who harbored 20 glomus tumors of the fingers and 1 in the toe; 5 individuals had multiple glomus tumors. We hypothesized that biallelic inactivation of NF1 underlies the pathogenesis of these tumors. In 12 NF1-associated glomus tumors, we used cell culture and laser capture microdissection to isolate DNA. We also analyzed two sporadic (not NF1-associated) glomus tumors. Genetic analysis showed germ line and somatic NF1 mutations in seven tumors. RAS mitogen-activated protein kinase hyperactivation was observed in cultured NF1(-/-) glomus cells, reflecting a lack of inhibition of the pathway by functional neurofibromin, the protein product of NF1. No abnormalities in NF1 or RAS mitogen-activated protein kinase activation were found in sporadic glomus tumors. By comparative genomic hybridization, we observed amplification of the 3'-end of CRTAC1 and a deletion of the 5'-end of WASF1 in two NF1-associated glomus tumors. For the first time, we show that loss of neurofibromin function is crucial in the pathogenesis of glomus tumors in NF1. Glomus tumors of the fingers or toes should be considered as part of the tumor spectrum of NF1.

Stocking the genetic supermarket: reproductive genetic technologies and collective action problems.

Science.gov (United States)

Gyngell, Chris; Douglas, Thomas

2015-05-01

Reproductive genetic technologies (RGTs) allow parents to decide whether their future children will have or lack certain genetic predispositions. A popular model that has been proposed for regulating access to RGTs is the 'genetic supermarket'. In the genetic supermarket, parents are free to make decisions about which genes to select for their children with little state interference. One possible consequence of the genetic supermarket is that collective action problems will arise: if rational individuals use the genetic supermarket in isolation from one another, this may have a negative effect on society as a whole, including future generations. In this article we argue that RGTs targeting height, innate immunity, and certain cognitive traits could lead to collective action problems. We then discuss whether this risk could in principle justify state intervention in the genetic supermarket. We argue that there is a plausible prima facie case for the view that such state intervention would be justified and respond to a number of arguments that might be adduced against that view. © 2014 The Authors. Bioethics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Classical and molecular genetics of malignant melanoma and dysplastic naevi

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Traupe, H.; Macher, E.

1988-01-01

The authors conclude that the prevailing concept of monogenic autosomaldominant inheritance of dysplastic naevi and familial melanoma is not compatible with the principles of formal (Mendelian) genetics. The concept of polygenic inheritance offers instead a sound basis to explain familial aggregation of dysplastic naevi and melanoma. The various genes involved have not yet been identified at the molecular level. The recent advances made possible by modern DNA technology have given us a new view of carcinogenesis. In human malignant melanoma, chromosomes 1, 6, 7 are of particular interest and oncogenes located on these chromosomes may be involved with the initiation, promotion and progression of melanoma. Carcinogenesis is viewed as a multistep process and even tumour initiation requires the input of at least two independent oncogenes. Molecular genetics thus adds an important argument for the existence of a polygenic predisposition to melanoma. The concept of polygenic inheritance is not restricted to familial melanoma, but implies that all melanomas basically share the same predisposition and are due to similar genetic mechanisms. In some patients an inherited genetic predisposition is of great importance, whereas in others (the majority) environmental factors (e.g. UV-light-induced mutations) will be the cause of initial steps in the malignant transformation. The concept of polygenic inheritance has consequences for the management of our patients. In contrast to simple Mendelian inheritance, the risk for dysplastic naevi and melanoma is not constantly 50%, but increases with the number of family members already affected. Persons belonging to families with more that 2 affected close relatives should be considered at high risk regardless of the dysplastic naevus status. Strict surveillance of this patient group is warranted for melanoma prevention

Parallel evolution of tumor subclones mimics diversity between tumors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Martinez, Pierre; Birkbak, Nicolai Juul; Gerlinger, Marco

2013-01-01

Intratumor heterogeneity (ITH) may foster tumor adaptation and compromise the efficacy of personalized medicines approaches. The scale of heterogeneity within a tumor (intratumor heterogeneity) relative to genetic differences between tumors (intertumor heterogeneity) is unknown. To address this, ...

Genetic predisposition to increased blood cholesterol and triglyceride lipid levels and risk of Alzheimer disease: a Mendelian randomization analysis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Petroula Proitsi

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Although altered lipid metabolism has been extensively implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease (AD through cell biological, epidemiological, and genetic studies, the molecular mechanisms linking cholesterol and AD pathology are still not well understood and contradictory results have been reported. We have used a Mendelian randomization approach to dissect the causal nature of the association between circulating lipid levels and late onset AD (LOAD and test the hypothesis that genetically raised lipid levels increase the risk of LOAD.We included 3,914 patients with LOAD, 1,675 older individuals without LOAD, and 4,989 individuals from the general population from six genome wide studies drawn from a white population (total n=10,578. We constructed weighted genotype risk scores (GRSs for four blood lipid phenotypes (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL-c], low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-c], triglycerides, and total cholesterol using well-established SNPs in 157 loci for blood lipids reported by Willer and colleagues (2013. Both full GRSs using all SNPs associated with each trait at p<5×10-8 and trait specific scores using SNPs associated exclusively with each trait at p<5 × 10-8 were developed. We used logistic regression to investigate whether the GRSs were associated with LOAD in each study and results were combined together by meta-analysis. We found no association between any of the full GRSs and LOAD (meta-analysis results: odds ratio [OR]=1.005, 95% CI 0.82-1.24, p = 0.962 per 1 unit increase in HDL-c; OR=0.901, 95% CI 0.65-1.25, p=0.530 per 1 unit increase in LDL-c; OR=1.104, 95% CI 0.89-1.37, p=0.362 per 1 unit increase in triglycerides; and OR=0.954, 95% CI 0.76-1.21, p=0.688 per 1 unit increase in total cholesterol. Results for the trait specific scores were similar; however, the trait specific scores explained much smaller phenotypic variance.Genetic predisposition to increased blood cholesterol and

Evaluation criteria of the individual motor predisposition of female sport gymnastics

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Boraczynski T.

2010-10-01

Full Text Available In the paper were presented the results of research, aimed to improve criteria for assessing the motor predisposition of girls in sports gymnastics at the initial stage of training. The studies included 24 gymnasts divided into two age groups: A 6,0-7,5 years of age and B (8,3-13,0. The level of physical fitness was assessed with the use of the EUROFIT battery tests. easurements of the maximum moment of muscle strength in the bending forearm in the elbow joint in terms of isometric contraction were also performed. Assessment f the level of individual strengthspeed and coordination abilities and physical fitness structure including the pace of biological development were the basis for the development of objective criteria for assessing the sports predispositions of young gymnasts at the initial stage of training. Our results provide the basis for improving the control system and optimization of assessment criteria in women gymnastics, including age, training experience and sports level. The results presented in this paper demonstrated the usefulness of the research methodology used to assess the physical fitness and predispositions of gymnasts at the initial stage of training, what enables individualization of training process.

The retinoblastoma protein regulates hypoxia-inducible genetic programs, tumor cell invasiveness and neuroendocrine differentiation in prostate cancer cells

Science.gov (United States)

Labrecque, Mark P.; Takhar, Mandeep K.; Nason, Rebecca; Santacruz, Stephanie; Tam, Kevin J.; Massah, Shabnam; Haegert, Anne; Bell, Robert H.; Altamirano-Dimas, Manuel; Collins, Colin C.; Lee, Frank J.S.; Prefontaine, Gratien G.; Cox, Michael E.; Beischlag, Timothy V.

2016-01-01

Loss of tumor suppressor proteins, such as the retinoblastoma protein (Rb), results in tumor progression and metastasis. Metastasis is facilitated by low oxygen availability within the tumor that is detected by hypoxia inducible factors (HIFs). The HIF1 complex, HIF1α and dimerization partner the aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator (ARNT), is the master regulator of the hypoxic response. Previously, we demonstrated that Rb represses the transcriptional response to hypoxia by virtue of its association with HIF1. In this report, we further characterized the role Rb plays in mediating hypoxia-regulated genetic programs by stably ablating Rb expression with retrovirally-introduced short hairpin RNA in LNCaP and 22Rv1 human prostate cancer cells. DNA microarray analysis revealed that loss of Rb in conjunction with hypoxia leads to aberrant expression of hypoxia-regulated genetic programs that increase cell invasion and promote neuroendocrine differentiation. For the first time, we have established a direct link between hypoxic tumor environments, Rb inactivation and progression to late stage metastatic neuroendocrine prostate cancer. Understanding the molecular pathways responsible for progression of benign prostate tumors to metastasized and lethal forms will aid in the development of more effective prostate cancer therapies. PMID:27015368

Evidence that periweaning failure-to-thrive syndrome (PFTS) has a genetic predisposition.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramis, G; Marco, E; Magaña, V; González-Contreras, P; Swierczynski, G; Abellaneda, J M; Sáez-Acosta, A; Mrowiec, A; Pallarés, F J

2015-06-06

Genetic susceptibility or resistance to diseases is currently drawing increasing attention. This work describes two different breeding herds showing signs of periweaning failure-to-thrive syndrome (PFTS), an emergent swine disease. The disease was diagnosed based on clinical picture and confirmed by histopathology. The possibility of main infectious pathogens was ruled out by immunohistochemistry and PCR. In a simple approach, sires of the affected piglets have been determined using microsatellite paternity analysis, including a healthy group in each case. In each of the two farms, a single boar was found to have sired 45-50 per cent sick animals. Removal of this sire from two farms resulted in a significant decrease in the prevalence of the disease among the offspring, in accordance with other two cases diagnosed, although without including a control group. Since the analysed animals belonged to three different genetic lines, these findings point to the existence of individual genetic susceptibility to this syndrome. British Veterinary Association.

Genetic and Epigenetic Tumor Suppressor Gene Silencing are Distinct Molecular Phenotypes Driven by Growth Promoting Mutations in Non small Cell Lung Cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marsit, C. J.; Kelsey, K. T.; Houseman, E. A.; Kelsey, K. T.; Houseman, E. A.; Nelson, H. H.

2008-01-01

Both genetic and epigenetic alterations characterize human non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but the biological processes that create or select these alterations remain incompletely investigated. Our hypothesis posits that a roughly reciprocal relationship between the propensity for promoter hyper methylation and a propensity for genetic deletion leads to distinct molecular phenotypes of lung cancer. To test this hypothesis, we examined promoter hyper methylation of 17 tumor suppressor genes, as a marker of epigenetic alteration propensity, and deletion events at the 3p21 region, as a marker of genetic alteration. To model the complex biology between these somatic alterations, we utilized an item response theory model. We demonstrated that tumors exhibiting LOH at greater than 30% of informative alleles in the 3p21 region have a significantly reduced propensity for hyper methylation. At the same time, tumors with activating KRAS mutations showed a significantly increased propensity for hyper methylation of the loci examined, a result similar to what has been observed in colon cancer. These data suggest that NSCLCs have distinct epigenetic or genetic alteration phenotypes acting upon tumor suppressor genes and that mutation of oncogenic growth promoting genes, such as KRAS, is associated with the epigenetic phenotype.

Effect of deregulation of Sonic Hedgehog pathway on responses to DNA damage and cancer predisposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Charazac, Aurelie

2015-01-01

The Gorlin syndrome is a rare genetic disorder characterized by several developmental abnormalities. Due to mutations in PTCH1, a key player of the sonic hedgehog signaling pathway, clinical manifestations also includes hyper-radiosensitivity and an increased predisposition to the development of basal cell carcinomas. Given the implication of DNA repair system defects in hyper-radiosensitivity pathologies, we decided to study the effect of PTCH1 mutations on the DNA damage response in order to better understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms leading to Gorlin's phenotype.This study demonstrate a global failure of the DNA damage repair systems in Gorlin fibroblasts with respect to controls. It highlights in particular the collapse of the base excision repair pathway (BER) responsible for the repair of oxidative DNA damage. (author) [fr

Intra-tumor genetic heterogeneity and mortality in head and neck cancer: analysis of data from the Cancer Genome Atlas.

Science.gov (United States)

Mroz, Edmund A; Tward, Aaron D; Tward, Aaron M; Hammon, Rebecca J; Ren, Yin; Rocco, James W

2015-02-01

Although the involvement of intra-tumor genetic heterogeneity in tumor progression, treatment resistance, and metastasis is established, genetic heterogeneity is seldom examined in clinical trials or practice. Many studies of heterogeneity have had prespecified markers for tumor subpopulations, limiting their generalizability, or have involved massive efforts such as separate analysis of hundreds of individual cells, limiting their clinical use. We recently developed a general measure of intra-tumor genetic heterogeneity based on whole-exome sequencing (WES) of bulk tumor DNA, called mutant-allele tumor heterogeneity (MATH). Here, we examine data collected as part of a large, multi-institutional study to validate this measure and determine whether intra-tumor heterogeneity is itself related to mortality. Clinical and WES data were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas in October 2013 for 305 patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), from 14 institutions. Initial pathologic diagnoses were between 1992 and 2011 (median, 2008). Median time to death for 131 deceased patients was 14 mo; median follow-up of living patients was 22 mo. Tumor MATH values were calculated from WES results. Despite the multiple head and neck tumor subsites and the variety of treatments, we found in this retrospective analysis a substantial relation of high MATH values to decreased overall survival (Cox proportional hazards analysis: hazard ratio for high/low heterogeneity, 2.2; 95% CI 1.4 to 3.3). This relation of intra-tumor heterogeneity to survival was not due to intra-tumor heterogeneity's associations with other clinical or molecular characteristics, including age, human papillomavirus status, tumor grade and TP53 mutation, and N classification. MATH improved prognostication over that provided by traditional clinical and molecular characteristics, maintained a significant relation to survival in multivariate analyses, and distinguished outcomes among patients having

Genetic association of SNPs in the FTO gene and predisposition to obesity in Malaysian Malays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Apalasamy, Y.D.; Ming, M.F.; Rampal, S.; Bulgiba, A.; Mohamed, Z.

2012-01-01

The common variants in the fat mass- and obesity-associated (FTO) gene have been previously found to be associated with obesity in various adult populations. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and linkage disequilibrium (LD) blocks in various regions of the FTO gene are associated with predisposition to obesity in Malaysian Malays. Thirty-one FTO SNPs were genotyped in 587 (158 obese and 429 non-obese) Malaysian Malay subjects. Obesity traits and lipid profiles were measured and single-marker association testing, LD testing, and haplotype association analysis were performed. LD analysis of the FTO SNPs revealed the presence of 57 regions with complete LD (D' = 1.0). In addition, we detected the association of rs17817288 with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. The FTO gene may therefore be involved in lipid metabolism in Malaysian Malays. Two haplotype blocks were present in this region of the FTO gene, but no particular haplotype was found to be significantly associated with an increased risk of obesity in Malaysian Malays

Genetic association of SNPs in the FTO gene and predisposition to obesity in Malaysian Malays

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Apalasamy, Y.D. [Pharmacogenomics Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Ming, M.F.; Rampal, S.; Bulgiba, A. [Julius Centre University of Malaya, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Mohamed, Z. [Pharmacogenomics Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)

2012-08-24

The common variants in the fat mass- and obesity-associated (FTO) gene have been previously found to be associated with obesity in various adult populations. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and linkage disequilibrium (LD) blocks in various regions of the FTO gene are associated with predisposition to obesity in Malaysian Malays. Thirty-one FTO SNPs were genotyped in 587 (158 obese and 429 non-obese) Malaysian Malay subjects. Obesity traits and lipid profiles were measured and single-marker association testing, LD testing, and haplotype association analysis were performed. LD analysis of the FTO SNPs revealed the presence of 57 regions with complete LD (D' = 1.0). In addition, we detected the association of rs17817288 with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. The FTO gene may therefore be involved in lipid metabolism in Malaysian Malays. Two haplotype blocks were present in this region of the FTO gene, but no particular haplotype was found to be significantly associated with an increased risk of obesity in Malaysian Malays.

Genetic association of SNPs in the FTO gene and predisposition to obesity in Malaysian Malays

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y.D. Apalasamy

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The common variants in the fat mass- and obesity-associated (FTO gene have been previously found to be associated with obesity in various adult populations. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs and linkage disequilibrium (LD blocks in various regions of the FTO gene are associated with predisposition to obesity in Malaysian Malays. Thirty-one FTO SNPs were genotyped in 587 (158 obese and 429 non-obese Malaysian Malay subjects. Obesity traits and lipid profiles were measured and single-marker association testing, LD testing, and haplotype association analysis were performed. LD analysis of the FTO SNPs revealed the presence of 57 regions with complete LD (D’ = 1.0. In addition, we detected the association of rs17817288 with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. The FTO gene may therefore be involved in lipid metabolism in Malaysian Malays. Two haplotype blocks were present in this region of the FTO gene, but no particular haplotype was found to be significantly associated with an increased risk of obesity in Malaysian Malays.

A genetic-epidemiologic study of Alzheimer’s disease

NARCIS (Netherlands)

A. Arias-Vásquez (Alejandro)

2006-01-01

textabstractAlzheimer's disease (AD) is the most frequent cause of dementia and thus is a major public-health problem. Age and genetic predisposition to the disease are the most important risk factors. In 2001 more than 24 million people in the western world had dementia. This number is expected to

River predisposition to ice jams: a simplified geospatial model

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S. De Munck

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Floods resulting from river ice jams pose a great risk to many riverside municipalities in Canada. The location of an ice jam is mainly influenced by channel morphology. The goal of this work was therefore to develop a simplified geospatial model to estimate the predisposition of a river channel to ice jams. Rather than predicting the timing of river ice breakup, the main question here was to predict where the broken ice is susceptible to jam based on the river's geomorphological characteristics. Thus, six parameters referred to potential causes for ice jams in the literature were initially selected: presence of an island, narrowing of the channel, high sinuosity, presence of a bridge, confluence of rivers, and slope break. A GIS-based tool was used to generate the aforementioned factors over regular-spaced segments along the entire channel using available geospatial data. An ice jam predisposition index (IJPI was calculated by combining the weighted optimal factors. Three Canadian rivers (province of Québec were chosen as test sites. The resulting maps were assessed from historical observations and local knowledge. Results show that 77 % of the observed ice jam sites on record occurred in river sections that the model considered as having high or medium predisposition. This leaves 23 % of false negative errors (missed occurrence. Between 7 and 11 % of the highly predisposed river sections did not have an ice jam on record (false-positive cases. Results, limitations, and potential improvements are discussed.

Content, Structure, and Usefulness of Juvenile Predisposition Psychological Evaluations

Science.gov (United States)

Morin, Samantha L.; Cruise, Keith R.; Hinz, Holly; Holloway, Evan D.; Chapman, John F.

2015-01-01

Background: There is a dearth of research regarding the content and structure of juvenile predisposition psychological evaluations. Limited research suggests that key mental health domains are insufficiently represented and judges use evaluator recommendations regarding legal outcomes more often than clinical outcomes. Studies have not addressed…

Panel 3: Genetics and Precision Medicine of Otitis Media.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Jizhen; Hafrén, Hena; Kerschner, Joseph; Li, Jian-Dong; Brown, Steve; Zheng, Qing Y; Preciado, Diego; Nakamura, Yoshihisa; Huang, Qiuhong; Zhang, Yan

2017-04-01

Objective The objective is to perform a comprehensive review of the literature up to 2015 on the genetics and precision medicine relevant to otitis media. Data Sources PubMed database of the National Library of Medicine. Review Methods Two subpanels were formed comprising experts in the genetics and precision medicine of otitis media. Each of the panels reviewed the literature in their respective fields and wrote draft reviews. The reviews were shared with all panel members, and a merged draft was created. The entire panel met at the 18th International Symposium on Recent Advances in Otitis Media in June 2015 and discussed the review and refined the content. A final draft was made, circulated, and approved by the panel members. Conclusion Many genes relevant to otitis media have been identified in the last 4 years in advancing our knowledge regarding the predisposition of the middle ear mucosa to commensals and pathogens. Advances include mutant animal models and clinical studies. Many signaling pathways are involved in the predisposition of otitis media. Implications for Practice New knowledge on the genetic background relevant to otitis media forms a basis of novel potential interventions, including potential new ways to treat otitis media.

Renal Tumors: Technical Success and Early Clinical Experience with Radiofrequency Ablation of 18 Tumors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sabharwal, Rohan; Vladica, Philip

2006-01-01

Purpose. To evaluate the feasibility, safety, and technical efficacy of image-guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for the treatment of small peripheral renal tumors and to report our early results with this treatment modality. Methods. Twenty-two RFA sessions for 18 tumors were performed in 11 patients with renal tumors. Indications included coexistent morbidity, high surgical or anesthetic risk, solitary kidney, and hereditary predisposition to renal cell carcinoma. Ten patients had CT-guided percutaneous RFA performed on an outpatient basis. One patient had open intraoperative ultrasound-guided RFA. Technical success was defined as elimination of areas that enhanced at imaging within the entire tumor. With the exception of one patient with renal insufficiency who required gadolinium-enhanced MRI, the remaining patients underwent contrast-enhanced CT for post-treatment follow-up assessment. Follow-up was performed after 2-4 weeks and then at 3, 6, 12 months, and every 12 months thereafter. Results. Fourteen (78%) of 18 tumors were successfully ablated with one session. Three of the remaining four tumors required two sessions for successful ablation. One tumor will require a third session for areas of persistent enhancement. Mean patient age was 72.82 ± 10.43 years. Mean tumor size was 1.95 ± 0.79 cm. Mean follow-up time was 10.91 months. All procedures were performed without any major complications. Conclusions. Our early experience with percutaneous image-guided radiofrequency ablation demonstrates it to be a feasible, safe, noninvasive, and effective treatment of small peripheral renal tumors

[Study on genetic instability of nm23H1 gene in Chinese with original gallbladder tumor].

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Hai Ying; Zhang, Guo Qiang; Li, Ji Cheng

2006-06-01

The aim of this study was to examine the microsatellite instability (MSI) and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of locus D17S396 on chromosome 17 and their influence on the expression of nm23H1 in gallbladder tumors, which may provide experimental basis for the tumor occurrence and metastasis. Techniques such as DNA extraction from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues, polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP), ordinary silver stain were used to study MSI and LOH of locus D17S396. Envision immunohistochemistry and Leica-Qwin computer imaging techniques were used to assess the expression of gene nm23H1. In our experiment, the frequency of genetic instability of malignant gallbladder tumors was 42.55%, which was higher than that of gallbladder adenomas, while there were no genetic instability occurred in chronic cholecystitis tissue. The frequency of LOH seemed higher with the deteriorism of gallbladder tumor. Among 47 gallbladder carcinomas, the frequency of LOH and MSI were different between different differentiation cases (P gallbladder carcinoma, gallbladder adenoma and chronic cholecystitis tissue were different (P gallbladder carcinomas, the positive frequency of nm23H1 protein in LOH positive group was lower than that of LOH negative group (P gallbladder tumor. Both MSI and LOH of nm23H1 gene controlled the development of gallbladder tumor independently in different paths. MSI may be an early stage molecule marker of gallbladder carcinoma. LOH may be molecule marker for the deteriorism of gallbladder tissue, which could inhibit the expression of nm23H1 in local tissue of gallbladder carcinoma and endow it with high aggressive and poor prognosis. Increasing the amount of nm23H1 protein expression could effectively restrain gallbladder carcinoma metastasis and improve prognosis of patients.

[Genetic variants in miRNAs and its association with breast cancer].

Science.gov (United States)

Méndez-Gómez, Susana; Ruiz Esparza-Garrido, Ruth; Velázquez-Flores, Miguel; Dolores-Vergara, Maria; Salamanca-Gómez, Fabio; Arenas-Aranda, Diego Julio

2014-01-01

In Mexico, breast cancer represents the first cause of cancer death in females. At the molecular level, non-coding RNAs and especially microRNAs have played an important role in the origin and development of this neoplasm In the Anglo-Saxon population, diverse genetic variants in microRNA genes and in their targets are associated with the development of this disease. In the Mexican population it is not known if these or other variants exist. Identification of these or new variants in our population is fundamental in order to have a better understanding of cancer development and to help establish a better diagnostic strategy. DNA was isolated from mammary tumors, adjacent tissue and peripheral blood of Mexican females with or without cancer. From DNA, five microRNA genes and three of their targets were amplified and sequenced. Genetic variants associated with breast cancer in an Anglo- Saxon population have been previously identified in these sequences. In the samples studied we identified seven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Two had not been previously described and were identified only in women with cancer. The new variants may be genetic predisposition factors for the development of breast cancer in our population. Further experiments are needed to determine the involvement of these variants in the development, establishment and progression of breast cancer.

Melanoma genetics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Read, Jazlyn; Wadt, Karin A W; Hayward, Nicholas K

2015-01-01

Approximately 10% of melanoma cases report a relative affected with melanoma, and a positive family history is associated with an increased risk of developing melanoma. Although the majority of genetic alterations associated with melanoma development are somatic, the underlying presence of herita......Approximately 10% of melanoma cases report a relative affected with melanoma, and a positive family history is associated with an increased risk of developing melanoma. Although the majority of genetic alterations associated with melanoma development are somatic, the underlying presence...... in a combined total of approximately 50% of familial melanoma cases, the underlying genetic basis is unexplained for the remainder of high-density melanoma families. Aside from the possibility of extremely rare mutations in a few additional high penetrance genes yet to be discovered, this suggests a likely...... polygenic component to susceptibility, and a unique level of personal melanoma risk influenced by multiple low-risk alleles and genetic modifiers. In addition to conferring a risk of cutaneous melanoma, some 'melanoma' predisposition genes have been linked to other cancers, with cancer clustering observed...

Shared Genetic Risk Factors of Intracranial, Abdominal, and Thoracic Aneurysms

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van 't Hof, Femke N G; Ruigrok, Ynte M; Lee, Cue Hyunkyu; Ripke, Stephan; Anderson, Graig; de Andrade, Mariza; Baas, Annette F; Blankensteijn, Jan D; Böttinger, Erwin P; Bown, Matthew J; Broderick, Joseph; Bijlenga, Philippe; Carrell, David S; Crawford, Dana C; Crosslin, David R; Ebeling, Christian; Eriksson, Johan G; Fornage, Myriam; Foroud, Tatiana; von Und Zu Fraunberg, Mikael; Friedrich, Christoph M; Gaál, Emília I; Gottesman, Omri; Guo, Dong-Chuan; Harrison, Seamus C; Hernesniemi, Juha; Hofman, Albert; Inoue, Ituro; Jääskeläinen, Juha E; Jones, Gregory T; Kiemeney, Lambertus A L M; Kivisaari, Riku; Ko, Nerissa; Koskinen, Seppo; Kubo, Michiaki; Kullo, Iftikhar J; Kuivaniemi, Helena; Kurki, Mitja I; Laakso, Aki; Lai, Dongbing; Leal, Suzanne M; Lehto, Hanna; LeMaire, Scott A; Low, Siew-Kee; Malinowski, Jennifer; McCarty, Catherine A; Milewicz, Dianna M; Mosley, Thomas H; Nakamura, Yusuke; Nakaoka, Hirofumi; Niemelä, Mika; Pacheco, Jennifer; Peissig, Peggy L; Pera, Joanna; Rasmussen-Torvik, Laura; Ritchie, Marylyn D; Rivadeneira, Fernando; van Rij, Andre M; Santos-Cortez, Regie Lyn P; Saratzis, Athanasios; Slowik, Agnieszka; Takahashi, Atsushi; Tromp, Gerard; Uitterlinden, André G; Verma, Shefali S; Vermeulen, Sita H; Wang, Gao T; Han, Buhm; Rinkel, Gabriël J E; de Bakker, Paul I W

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Intracranial aneurysms (IAs), abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs), and thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAAs) all have a familial predisposition. Given that aneurysm types are known to co-occur, we hypothesized that there may be shared genetic risk factors for IAs, AAAs, and TAAs. METHODS AND

Shared genetic risk factors of intracranial, abdominal, and thoracic aneurysms

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van 't Hof, Femke N G; Ruigrok, Ynte M; Lee, Cue Hyunkyu; Ripke, Stephan; Anderson, Graig; de Andrade, Mariza; Baas, Annette F; Blankensteijn, Jan D; Böttinger, Erwin P; Bown, Matthew J; Broderick, Joseph; Bijlenga, Philippe; Carrell, David S; Crawford, Dana C; Crosslin, David R; Ebeling, Christian; Eriksson, Johan G; Fornage, Myriam; Foroud, Tatiana; von Und Zu Fraunberg, Mikael; Friedrich, Christoph M; Gaál, Emília I; Gottesman, Omri; Guo, Dong-Chuan; Harrison, Seamus C; Hernesniemi, Juha; Hofman, Albert; Inoue, Ituro; Jääskeläinen, Juha E; Jones, Gregory T; Kiemeney, Lambertus A L M; Kivisaari, Riku; Ko, Nerissa; Koskinen, Seppo; Kubo, Michiaki; Kullo, Iftikhar J; Kuivaniemi, Helena; Kurki, Mitja I; Laakso, Aki; Lai, Dongbing; Leal, Suzanne M; Lehto, Hanna; LeMaire, Scott A; Low, Siew-Kee; Malinowski, Jennifer; McCarty, Catherine A; Milewicz, Dianna M; Mosley, Thomas H; Nakamura, Yusuke; Nakaoka, Hirofumi; Niemelä, Mika; Pacheco, Jennifer; Peissig, Peggy L; Pera, Joanna; Rasmussen-Torvik, Laura; Ritchie, Marylyn D; Rivadeneira, Fernando; van Rij, Andre M; Santos-Cortez, Regie Lyn P; Saratzis, Athanasios; Slowik, Agnieszka; Takahashi, Atsushi; Tromp, Gerard; Uitterlinden, André G; Verma, Shefali S; Vermeulen, Sita H; Wang, Gao T; Han, Buhm; Rinkel, Gabriël J E; de Bakker, Paul I W

2016-01-01

Background--Intracranial aneurysms (IAs), abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs), and thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAAs) all have a familial predisposition. Given that aneurysm types are known to co-occur, we hypothesized that there may be shared genetic risk factors for IAs, AAAs, and TAAs. Methods and

Predisposition of Nigerian children with severe malaria to urinary ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The predisposition of children with severe malaria to urinary tract infection was investigated in a group of 112 clinically diagnosed and para sitologically confirmed severe malaria patients (test) and in another subset of 114 apparently physically healthy non-malaria infected subjects (control). Standard bacteriological and ...

Genetic loss of SH2B3 in acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Science.gov (United States)

Perez-Garcia, Arianne; Ambesi-Impiombato, Alberto; Hadler, Michael; Rigo, Isaura; LeDuc, Charles A; Kelly, Kara; Jalas, Chaim; Paietta, Elisabeth; Racevskis, Janis; Rowe, Jacob M; Tallman, Martin S; Paganin, Maddalena; Basso, Giuseppe; Tong, Wei; Chung, Wendy K; Ferrando, Adolfo A

2013-10-03

The SH2B adaptor protein 3 (SH2B3) gene encodes a negative regulator of cytokine signaling with a critical role in the homeostasis of hematopoietic stem cells and lymphoid progenitors. Here, we report the identification of germline homozygous SH2B3 mutations in 2 siblings affected with developmental delay and autoimmunity, one in whom B-precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) developed. Mechanistically, loss of SH2B3 increases Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription signaling, promotes lymphoid cell proliferation, and accelerates leukemia development in a mouse model of NOTCH1-induced ALL. Moreover, extended mutation analysis showed homozygous somatic mutations in SH2B3 in 2 of 167 ALLs analyzed. Overall, these results demonstrate a Knudson tumor suppressor role for SH2B3 in the pathogenesis of ALL and highlight a possible link between genetic predisposition factors in the pathogenesis of autoimmunity and leukemogenesis.

Some Molecular and Clinical Aspects of Genetic Predisposition to Malignant Melanoma and Tumours of Various Site of Origin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dębniak Tadeusz

2007-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Based on epidemiological data we can assume that at least some malignant melanoma (MM and breast cancer cases can be caused by the same genetic factors. CDKN2A, which encodes the p16 protein, a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor suppressing cell proliferation, is regarded as a major melanoma susceptibility gene and the literature has also implicated this gene in predisposition to breast cancer. Genes also known to predispose to MM include XPD and MC1R. We studied CDKN2A/ARF, XPD and MC1R for their associations with melanoma and breast cancer risk in Polish patients and controls. We found that CDKN2A and ARF do not contribute significantly to either familial melanoma or malignant melanoma within the context of a cancer familial aggregation of disease with breast cancer. However, the common variant of the CDKN2A gene A148T, previously regarded as non-pathogenic, may predispose to malignant melanoma, early-onset breast cancer and lung cancer. Compound carriers of common XPD variants may be at slightly increased risk of breast cancer or late–onset malignant melanoma. Common recurrent variants of the MC1R gene (V60L, R151C, R163Q and R160W may predispose to malignant melanoma. In general, the establishment of surveillance protocols proposed as an option for carriers of common alterations in CDKN2A, XPD or MC1R variants requires additional studies. It is possible that missense variants of genes for which truncating mutations are clearly pathogenic may also be deleterious, but with reduced penetrance. This may be overlooked unless large numbers of patients and controls are studied. A registry that includes 2000 consecutive breast cancer cases, 3500 early onset breast cancer patients, 500 unselected malignant melanoma and over 700 colorectal cancer patients has been established in the International Hereditary Cancer Centre and can contribute to these types of large association studies.

Exosomes derived from tumor cells genetically modified to express Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigen: a novel vaccine for cancer therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Koyama, Yoshiyuki; Ito, Tomoko; Hasegawa, Aya; Eriguchi, Masazumi; Inaba, Toshio; Ushigusa, Takahiro; Sugiura, Kikuya

2016-11-01

To examine the potential of exosomes derived from the tumor cells, which had been genetically modified to express a Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigen, as a cancer vaccine aimed at overcoming the weak immunogenicity of tumor antigens. We transfected B16 melanoma cells with a plasmid encoding the M. tuberculosis antigen, early secretory antigenic target-6 (ESAT-6). The secreted exosomes bearing both tumor-associated antigens and the pathogenic antigen (or their epitopes) were collected. When the exosomes were injected into foot pads of mice, they significantly (p exosomes significantly suppressed (p exosomes derived from the non-transfected B16 cells showed no effect on tumor growth, although both exosomes should have similar tumor antigens. Exosomes bearing both tumor antigens and the M. tuberculosis antigen (or their epitopes) have a high potential as a candidate for cancer vaccine to overcome the immune escape by tumor cells.

Allele-specific deletions in mouse tumors identify Fbxw7 as germline modifier of tumor susceptibility.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jesus Perez-Losada

Full Text Available Genome-wide association studies (GWAS have been successful in finding associations between specific genetic variants and cancer susceptibility in human populations. These studies have identified a range of highly statistically significant associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs and susceptibility to development of a range of human tumors. However, the effect of each SNP in isolation is very small, and all of the SNPs combined only account for a relatively minor proportion of the total genetic risk (5-10%. There is therefore a major requirement for alternative routes to the discovery of genetic risk factors for cancer. We have previously shown using mouse models that chromosomal regions harboring susceptibility genes identified by linkage analysis frequently exhibit allele-specific genetic alterations in tumors. We demonstrate here that the Fbxw7 gene, a commonly mutated gene in a wide range of mouse and human cancers, shows allele-specific deletions in mouse lymphomas and skin tumors. Lymphomas from three different F1 hybrids show 100% allele-specificity in the patterns of allelic loss. Parental alleles from 129/Sv or Spretus/Gla mice are lost in tumors from F1 hybrids with C57BL/6 animals, due to the presence of a specific non-synonymous coding sequence polymorphism at the N-terminal portion of the gene. A specific genetic test of association between this SNP and lymphoma susceptibility in interspecific backcross mice showed a significant linkage (p = 0.001, but only in animals with a functional p53 gene. These data therefore identify Fbxw7 as a p53-dependent tumor susceptibility gene. Increased p53-dependent tumor susceptibility and allele-specific losses were also seen in a mouse skin model of skin tumor development. We propose that analysis of preferential allelic imbalances in tumors may provide an efficient means of uncovering genetic variants that affect mouse and human tumor susceptibility.

Intracellular pH imaging in cancer cells in vitro and tumors in vivo using the new genetically encoded sensor SypHer2.

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Shirmanova, Marina V; Druzhkova, Irina N; Lukina, Maria M; Matlashov, Mikhail E; Belousov, Vsevolod V; Snopova, Ludmila B; Prodanetz, Natalia N; Dudenkova, Varvara V; Lukyanov, Sergey A; Zagaynova, Elena V

2015-09-01

Measuring intracellular pH (pHi) in tumors is essential for the monitoring of cancer progression and the response of cancer cells to various treatments. The purpose of the study was to develop a method for pHi mapping in living cancer cells in vitro and in tumors in vivo, using the novel genetically encoded indicator, SypHer2. A HeLa Kyoto cell line stably expressing SypHer2 in the cytoplasm was used, to perform ratiometric (dual excitation) imaging of the probe in cell culture, in 3D tumor spheroids and in tumor xenografts in living mice. Using SypHer2, pHi was demonstrated to be 7.34±0.11 in monolayer HeLa cells in vitro under standard cultivation conditions. An increasing pHi gradient from the center to the periphery of the spheroids was displayed. We obtained fluorescence ratio maps for HeLa tumors in vivo and ex vivo. Comparison of the map with the pathomorphology and with hypoxia staining of the tumors revealed a correspondence of the zones with higher pHi to the necrotic and hypoxic areas. Our results demonstrate that pHi imaging with the genetically encoded pHi indicator, SypHer2, can be a valuable tool for evaluating tumor progression in xenograft models. We have demonstrated, for the first time, the possibility of using the genetically encoded sensor SypHer2 for ratiometric pH imaging in cancer cells in vitro and in tumors in vivo. SypHer2 shows great promise as an instrument for pHi monitoring able to provide high accuracy and spatiotemporal resolution. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Molecular characterization of circulating colorectal tumor cells defines genetic signatures for individualized cancer care

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Kong, Say Li; Liu, Xingliang; Suhaimi, Nur-Afidah Mohamed; Koh, Kenneth Jia Hao; Hu, Min; Lee, Daniel Yoke San; Cima, Igor; Phyo, Wai Min; Lee, Esther Xing Wei; Tai, Joyce A.; Foong, Yu Miin; Vo, Jess Honganh; Koh, Poh Koon; Zhang, Tong; Ying, Jackie Y.; Lim, Bing; Tan, Min-Han; Hillmer, Axel M.

2017-01-01

Studies on circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have largely focused on platform development and CTC enumeration rather than on the genomic characterization of CTCs. To address this, we performed targeted sequencing of CTCs of colorectal cancer patients and compared the mutations with the matched primary tumors. We collected preoperative blood and matched primary tumor samples from 48 colorectal cancer patients. CTCs were isolated using a label-free microfiltration device on a silicon microsieve. Upon whole genome amplification, we performed amplicon-based targeted sequencing on a panel of 39 druggable and frequently mutated genes on both CTCs and fresh-frozen tumor samples. We developed an analysis pipeline to minimize false-positive detection of somatic mutations in amplified DNA. In 60% of the CTC-enriched blood samples, we detected primary tumor matching mutations. We found a significant positive correlation between the allele frequencies of somatic mutations detected in CTCs and abnormal CEA serum level. Strikingly, we found driver mutations and amplifications in cancer and druggable genes such as APC, KRAS, TP53, ERBB3, FBXW7 and ERBB2. In addition, we found that CTCs carried mutation signatures that resembled the signatures of their primary tumors. Cumulatively, our study defined genetic signatures and somatic mutation frequency of colorectal CTCs. The identification of druggable mutations in CTCs of preoperative colorectal cancer patients could lead to more timely and focused therapeutic interventions. PMID:28978093

Brain tumors and syndromes in children

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bleeker, Fonnet E.; Hopman, Saskia M. J.; Merks, Johannes H. M.; Aalfs, Cora M.; Hennekam, Raoul C. M.

2014-01-01

(Brain) tumors are usually a disorder of aged individuals. If a brain tumor occurs in a child, there is a possible genetic susceptibility for this. Such genetic susceptibilities often show other signs and symptoms. Therefore, every child with a brain tumor should be carefully evaluated for the

Genetic mutations in Gorlin-Goltz syndrome

OpenAIRE

Daneswari, Muthumula; Reddy, Mutjumula Swamy Ranga

2013-01-01

Gorlin-Goltz syndrome is a rare multisystemic disease inherited in a dominant autosomal at a high level of penetrance and variable expressiveness. It is mainly characterized by basal cell carcinoma, odontogenic keratocyst and skeletal anomalies. Diagnosis is based upon established major and minor clinical and radiographic criteria and gene mutation analysis. This article presents a case of Gorlin-Goltz syndrome, its genetic predisposition, diagnosis and management.

Genetic mutations in Gorlin-Goltz syndrome.

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Daneswari, Muthumula; Reddy, Mutjumula Swamy Ranga

2013-07-01

Gorlin-Goltz syndrome is a rare multisystemic disease inherited in a dominant autosomal at a high level of penetrance and variable expressiveness. It is mainly characterized by basal cell carcinoma, odontogenic keratocyst and skeletal anomalies. Diagnosis is based upon established major and minor clinical and radiographic criteria and gene mutation analysis. This article presents a case of Gorlin-Goltz syndrome, its genetic predisposition, diagnosis and management.

Spinal cord ependymomas and the appearance of other de novo tumors: a systematic review.

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Fotakopoulos, George; Vagkopoulos, Konstantinos; Gatos, Charalabos; Kotlia, Polikceni; Brotis, Alexandros

2014-12-18

Ependymomas are rare glial tumors of the brain representing less than 5% of brain tumors. However, spinal cord ependymomas in adults account for over 60% of all ependymomas including those arising from the filum terminale and only 40% are intracranial. Reports of the appearance of another neoplasia at a different location in patients with spinal ependymoma are scarce. We searched PubMed for studies related to spinal cord ependymomas published over the last 30 years (from January 1984) and retrieved 1197. We identified only two studies that met our criteria and we found an incidence of 9% of secondary neoplasias after treatment for spinal ependymoma. The neoplasms were diagnosed from 2 months to 20 years after patients underwent surgery for intraspinal ependymoma. These included pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, Hodgkin lymphoma, intracranial meningioma, mucin-producing pulmonary adenocarcinoma, gastric cancer and astrocytoma. The genetic abnormalities affecting patients with spinal ependymomas may indicate a predisposition to the development of secondary cancers or a general failure of the repairing mechanism in their DNA. The unaffected survival rates in those individuals permit for a long period the accumulation of different mutations on the genome and thus the appearance of a second cancer. However, more studies are needed, particularly in young patients with high survival rates.

Learning and extinction of a passive avoidance response in mice with high levels of predisposition to catalepsy.

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Dubrovina, N I; Zinov'ev, D R; Zinov'eva, D V; Kulikov, A V

2009-06-01

This report presents results obtained from comparative analysis of learning and the dynamics of extinction of a conditioned passive avoidance response in ASC mice, which were bred for a high level of predisposition to catalepsy, and in CBA and AKR mice. The following findings were obtained: 1) impairments to the extinction of the memory of fear represent an important symptom of depression in ASC mice; 2) extinction is delayed in CBA mice; and 3) new inhibitory learning occurs quickly in AKR mice. Prolonged retention of the fear memory in ASC mice appears to be related to increased anxiety on prolonged testing without a punishment. The deficit of inhibition of the fear reaction in ASC mice allows this strain to be regarded as a genetic model of depression.

Personality Predispositions to Depression in Children of Affectively-Ill Parents: The Buffering Role of Self-Esteem

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Abela, John R. Z.; Fishman, Michael B.; Cohen, Joseph R.; Young, Jami F.

2012-01-01

A major theory of personality predispositions to depression posits that individuals who possess high levels of self-criticism and/or dependency are vulnerable to developing depression following negative life events. The goal of the current study was to test this theory of personality predispositions and the self-esteem buffering hypothesis in a…

Genetic Determinants of Cisplatin Resistance in Patients With Advanced Germ Cell Tumors.

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Bagrodia, Aditya; Lee, Byron H; Lee, William; Cha, Eugene K; Sfakianos, John P; Iyer, Gopa; Pietzak, Eugene J; Gao, Sizhi Paul; Zabor, Emily C; Ostrovnaya, Irina; Kaffenberger, Samuel D; Syed, Aijazuddin; Arcila, Maria E; Chaganti, Raju S; Kundra, Ritika; Eng, Jana; Hreiki, Joseph; Vacic, Vladimir; Arora, Kanika; Oschwald, Dayna M; Berger, Michael F; Bajorin, Dean F; Bains, Manjit S; Schultz, Nikolaus; Reuter, Victor E; Sheinfeld, Joel; Bosl, George J; Al-Ahmadie, Hikmat A; Solit, David B; Feldman, Darren R

2016-11-20

Purpose Owing to its exquisite chemotherapy sensitivity, most patients with metastatic germ cell tumors (GCTs) are cured with cisplatin-based chemotherapy. However, up to 30% of patients with advanced GCT exhibit cisplatin resistance, which requires intensive salvage treatment, and have a 50% risk of cancer-related death. To identify a genetic basis for cisplatin resistance, we performed whole-exome and targeted sequencing of cisplatin-sensitive and cisplatin-resistant GCTs. Methods Men with GCT who received a cisplatin-containing chemotherapy regimen and had available tumor tissue were eligible to participate in this study. Whole-exome sequencing or targeted exon-capture-based sequencing was performed on 180 tumors. Patients were categorized as cisplatin sensitive or cisplatin resistant by using a combination of postchemotherapy parameters, including serum tumor marker levels, radiology, and pathology at surgical resection of residual disease. Results TP53 alterations were present exclusively in cisplatin-resistant tumors and were particularly prevalent among primary mediastinal nonseminomas (72%). TP53 pathway alterations including MDM2 amplifications were more common among patients with adverse clinical features, categorized as poor risk according to the International Germ Cell Cancer Collaborative Group (IGCCCG) model. Despite this association, TP53 and MDM2 alterations predicted adverse prognosis independent of the IGCCCG model. Actionable alterations, including novel RAC1 mutations, were detected in 55% of cisplatin-resistant GCTs. Conclusion In GCT, TP53 and MDM2 alterations were associated with cisplatin resistance and inferior outcomes, independent of the IGCCCG model. The finding of frequent TP53 alterations among mediastinal primary nonseminomas may explain the more frequent chemoresistance observed with this tumor subtype. A substantial portion of cisplatin-resistant GCTs harbor actionable alterations, which might respond to targeted therapies. Genomic

The genetic basis of Parkinson's disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. A. Tappakhov

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Parkinson's disease (PD is a multifactorial disease that develops in the presence of both genetic and environmental factors. In recent years, there has been sufficient information on the role of genetic predisposition in the development of not only familial cases, but also sporadic ones. A hereditary burden in PD may not be traced in cases of recessive inheritance with a low gene penetrance, as well as in a patient's death before the onset of the disease. Active introduction of molecular genetic methods, including next generation sequencing, can annually identify new gene mutations that underlie sporadic PD cases. This paper provides an overview of the current literature on the genetic aspects of PD with emphasis on the ethnic characteristics of the disease.

Malignant tumors during the first 2 decades of life in the offspring of atomic bomb survivors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshimoto, Y.; Neel, J.V.; Schull, W.J.; Kato, H.; Soda, M.; Eto, R.; Mabuchi, K.

1990-01-01

The risk of cancer (incidence) prior to age 20 years has been determined for children born to atomic bomb survivors and to a suitable comparison group. Tumor ascertainment was through death certificates and the tumor registries maintained in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The rationale for the study stemmed from the evidence that a significant proportion of such childhood tumors as retinoblastoma and Wilms tumor arise on the basis of a mutant gene inherited from one parent plus a second somatic cell mutation involving the allele of this gene. Gonadal radiation doses were calculated by the recently established DS86 system, supplemented by an ad hoc system for those children for one or both of whose parents a DS86 dose could not be computed but for whom an ad hoc dose could be developed on the basis of the available information. The total data set consisted of (1) a cohort of 31,150 live-born children one or both of whose parents received greater than 0.01 Sv of radiation at the time of the atomic bombings (average conjoint gonad exposure 0.43 Sv) and (2) two suitable comparison groups totaling 41,066 children. Altogether, 43 malignant tumors were ascertained in the children of exposed parents, and 49 malignant tumors were ascertained in the two control groups. A multiple linear regression analysis revealed no increase in malignancy in the children of exposed parents. However, examination of the data suggested that only 3.0-5.0% of the tumors of childhood that were observed in the comparison groups are associated with an inherited genetic predisposition that would be expected to exhibit an altered frequency if the parental mutation rate were increased. There is thus far no confirmation of the positive findings that Nomura found in a mouse system

Genetic mapping in mice identifies DMBT1 as a candidate modifier of mammary tumors and breast cancer risk

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Blackburn, Anneke C; Hill, Linda Z; Roberts, Amy L

2007-01-01

Low-penetrance breast cancer susceptibility alleles seem to play a significant role in breast cancer risk but are difficult to identify in human cohorts. A genetic screen of 176 N2 backcross progeny of two Trp53(+/-) strains, BALB/c and C57BL/6, which differ in their susceptibility to mammary...... tumors, identified a modifier of mammary tumor susceptibility in an approximately 25-Mb interval on mouse chromosome 7 (designated SuprMam1). Relative to heterozygotes, homozygosity for BALB/c alleles of SuprMam1 significantly decreased mammary tumor latency from 70.7 to 61.1 weeks and increased risk...

[Genetics factors in pathogenesis and clinical genetics of binge eating disorder].

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Kibitov, А О; Мazo, G E

2016-01-01

Genetic studies have shown that binge eating disorder (ВЕD) aggregates in families, heritability was estimated as about 60% and additive genetic influences on BED up to 50%. Using a genetic approach has proved useful for verifying the diagnostic categories of BED using DSM-IV criteria and supporting the validity of considering this pathology as a separate nosological category. The results confirmed the genetic and pathogenic originality of BED as a separate psychopathological phenomenon, but not a subtype of obesity. It seems fruitful to considerate BED as a disease with hereditary predisposition with significant genetic influence and a complex psychopathological syndrome, including not only eating disorders, but also depressive and addictive component. A possible mechanism of pathogenesis of BED may be the interaction of the neuroendocrine and neurotransmitters systems including the active involvement of the reward system in response to a variety of chronic stress influences with the important modulatory role of specific personality traits. The high level of genetic influence on the certain clinical manifestations of BED confirms the ability to identify the subphenotypes of BED on genetic basis involving clinical criteria. It can not only contribute to further genetic studies, taking into account more homogeneous samples, but also help in finding differentiated therapeutic approaches.

Phenotypic and Genetic Characterization of Circulating Tumor Cells by Combining Immunomagnetic Selection and FICTION Techniques

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Campos, María; Prior, Celia; Warleta, Fernando; Zudaire, Isabel; Ruíz-Mora, Jesús; Catena, Raúl; Calvo, Alfonso; Gaforio, José J.

2008-01-01

The presence of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in breast cancer patients has been proven to have clinical relevance. Cytogenetic characterization of these cells could have crucial relevance for targeted cancer therapies. We developed a method that combines an immunomagnetic selection of CTCs from peripheral blood with the fluorescence immunophenotyping and interphase cytogenetics as a tool for investigation of neoplasm (FICTION) technique. Briefly, peripheral blood (10 ml) from healthy donors was spiked with a predetermined number of human breast cancer cells. Nucleated cells were separated by double density gradient centrifugation of blood samples. Tumor cells (TCs) were immunomagnetically isolated with an anti-cytokeratin antibody and placed onto slides for FICTION analysis. For immunophenotyping and genetic characterization of TCs, a mixture of primary monoclonal anti-pancytokeratin antibodies was used, followed by fluorescent secondary antibodies, and finally hybridized with a TOP2A/HER-2/CEP17 multicolor probe. Our results show that TCs can be efficiently isolated from peripheral blood and characterized by FICTION. Because genetic amplification of TOP2A and ErbB2 (HER-2) in breast cancer correlates with response to anthracyclines and herceptin therapies, respectively, this novel methodology could be useful for a better classification of patients according to the genetic alterations of CTCs and for the application of targeted therapies. (J Histochem Cytochem 56:667–675, 2008) PMID:18413646

Genetic dissection of histone deacetylase requirement in tumor cells

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Haberland, Michael; Johnson, Aaron; Mokalled, Mayssa H.; Montgomery, Rusty L.; Olson, Eric N.

2009-01-01

Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) represent a new group of drugs currently being tested in a wide variety of clinical applications. They are especially effective in preclinical models of cancer where they show antiproliferative action in many different types of cancer cells. Recently, the first HDACi was approved for the treatment of cutaneous T cell lymphomas. Most HDACi currently in clinical development act by unspecifically interfering with the enzymatic activity of all class I HDACs (HDAC1, 2, 3, and 8), and it is widely believed that the development of isoform-specific HDACi could lead to better therapeutic efficacy. The contribution of the individual class I HDACs to different disease states, however, has so far not been fully elucidated. Here, we use a genetic approach to dissect the involvement of the different class I HDACs in tumor cells. We show that deletion of a single HDAC is not sufficient to induce cell death, but that HDAC1 and 2 play redundant and essential roles in tumor cell survival. Their deletion leads to nuclear bridging, nuclear fragmentation, and mitotic catastrophe, mirroring the effects of HDACi on cancer cells. These findings suggest that pharmacological inhibition of HDAC1 and 2 may be sufficient for anticancer activity, providing an experimental framework for the development of isoform-specific HDAC inhibitors. PMID:19416910

Identification of Germline Genetic Mutations in Pancreatic Cancer Patients

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Salo-Mullen, Erin E.; O’Reilly, Eileen; Kelsen, David; Ashraf, Asad M.; Lowery, Maeve; Yu, Kenneth; Reidy, Diane; Epstein, Andrew S.; Lincoln, Anne; Saldia, Amethyst; Jacobs, Lauren M.; Rau-Murthy, Rohini; Zhang, Liying; Kurtz, Robert; Saltz, Leonard; Offit, Kenneth; Robson, Mark; Stadler, Zsofia K.

2016-01-01

Background Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAC) is part of several cancer predisposition syndromes; however, indications for genetic counseling/testing are not well-defined. We sought to determine mutation prevalence and characteristics that predict for inherited predisposition to PAC. Methods We identified 175 consecutive PAC patients who underwent clinical genetics assessment at Memorial Sloan Kettering between 2011–2014. Clinical data, family history, and germline results were evaluated. Results Among 159 PAC patients who pursued genetic testing, 24 pathogenic mutations were identified (15.1%; 95%CI, 9.5%–20.7%), including BRCA2(n=13), BRCA1(n=4), p16(n=2), PALB2(n=1), and Lynch syndrome(n=4). BRCA1/BRCA2 prevalence was 13.7% in Ashkenazi Jewish(AJ) (n=95) and 7.1% in non-AJ(n=56) patients. In AJ patients with strong, weak, or absent family history of BRCA-associated cancers, mutation prevalence was 16.7%, 15.8%, and 7.4%, respectively. Mean age at diagnosis in all mutation carriers was 58.5y(range 45–75y) compared to 64y(range 27–87y) in non-mutation carriers(P=0.02). Although BRCA2 was the most common mutation identified, no patients with early-onset PAC(≤50y) harbored a BRCA2 mutation and the mean age at diagnosis in BRCA2 carriers was equivalent to non-mutation carriers(P=0.34). Mutation prevalence in early-onset patients(n=21) was 28.6%, including BRCA1(n=2), p16(n=2), MSH2(n=1) and MLH1(n=1). Conclusion Mutations in BRCA2 account for over 50% of PAC patients with an identified susceptibility syndrome. AJ patients had high BRCA1/BRCA2 prevalence regardless of personal/family history, suggesting that ancestry alone indicates a need for genetic evaluation. With the exception of BRCA2-associated PAC, inherited predisposition to PAC is associated with earlier age at PAC diagnosis suggesting that this subset of patients may also represent a population warranting further evaluation. PMID:26440929

Genetic changes of two Wilms tumors with anaplasia and a review of the literature suggesting a marker profile for therapy resistance.

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Stock, Cornelia; Ambros, Inge M; Lion, Thomas; Zoubek, Andreas; Amann, Gabriele; Gadner, Helmut; Ambros, Peter F

2002-06-01

Cytogenetic data on Wilms tumors (WT) with anaplasia frequently associated with an unfavorable outcome are scarce. We present cytogenetic changes of two WT with anaplasia (primary tumor material) from nonresponders with a synopsis of the literature. The WT were investigated by cytogenetic analysis, comparative genomic hybridization, fluorescence in situ hybridization, immunofluorescence, and flow cytometric analyses. Both tumors exhibited characteristic genetic changes. One tumor was hypodiploid due to loss of entire chromosome 11; losses of 16p, 16q, 17p, chromosome 19 material, and loss of 22q12-qter. The other tumor was hyperdiploid and triploid, and displayed gain of 1q12-q23 and chromosome 9 material. Moreover, two morphological and genetically distinct cell lines have been established from both tumors, demonstrating underrepresentation of chromosomes 13, 14, 16, and 19. Karyotype descriptions of 120 WT with known clinical data together with data of this report confirm: (1) inter- and intratumor heterogeneity exists; (2) loss or underrepresentation of chromosome material at 11, 13, 14, 16, 17p, 19, and 22q in various combinations presents a new marker profile of resistance to cytotoxic agents regardless of the histological types; and (3) the prognostic impact of gain at 1q12-q23 sequences warrants further validation.

Genetics Home Reference: hyperparathyroidism-jaw tumor syndrome

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... Twitter Home Health Conditions Hyperparathyroidism-jaw tumor syndrome Hyperparathyroidism-jaw tumor syndrome Printable PDF Open All Close ... Javascript to view the expand/collapse boxes. Description Hyperparathyroidism-jaw tumor syndrome is a condition characterized by ...

International Szent-Györgyi Prize for Progress in Cancer Research: basic and translational research recognition : Mary-Claire King received the 2016 Prize for her pioneering research that demonstrated the first evidence of genetic predisposition to breast cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Hartmann, Hali; Zhao, Jie; Ba, Sujuan

2017-11-21

The Szent-Györgyi Prize for Progress in Cancer Research is a prestigious scientific award sponsored by the National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR)-a leading cancer research charitable organization in the United States that supports innovative cancer research globally with the ultimate goal to cure cancer. The coveted Szent-Györgyi Prize annually honors a scientist whose seminal discovery or body of work has resulted in, or led toward, notable contributions to cancer prevention, diagnosis, or treatment; and the discovery has had a high direct impact of saving people's lives. In addition, the prize promotes public awareness of the importance of basic cancer research and encourages the sustained investment needed to accelerate the translation of these research discoveries into new cancer treatments. In 2016, NFCR's Szent-Györgyi Prize Selection Committee was unanimous in its decision to recognize an icon in human disease genetics, Dr. Mary-Claire King, for her pioneering research that demonstrated the first evidence of genetic predisposition to breast cancer. Her proof of existence of BRCA1 gene and its location has made genetic screening for breast and ovarian cancers possible, saving lives of many people who are at high risk with inherited BRCA1 mutations.

Prepubertal Ovariectomy Exaggerates Adult Affective Behaviors and Alters the Hippocampal Transcriptome in a Genetic Rat Model of Depression

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Neha S. Raghavan

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Major depressive disorder (MDD is a debilitating illness that affects twice as many women than men postpuberty. This female bias is thought to be caused by greater heritability of MDD in women and increased vulnerability induced by female sex hormones. We tested this hypothesis by removing the ovaries from prepubertal Wistar Kyoto (WKY more immobile (WMI females, a genetic animal model of depression, and its genetically close control, the WKY less immobile (WLI. In adulthood, prepubertally ovariectomized (PrePubOVX animals and their Sham-operated controls were tested for depression- and anxiety-like behaviors, using the routinely employed forced swim and open field tests, respectively, and RNA-sequencing was performed on their hippocampal RNA. Our results confirmed that the behavioral and hippocampal expression changes that occur after prepubertal ovariectomy are the consequences of an interaction between genetic predisposition to depressive behavior and ovarian hormone-regulated processes. Lack of ovarian hormones during and after puberty in the WLIs led to increased depression-like behavior. In WMIs, both depression- and anxiety-like behaviors worsened by prepubertal ovariectomy. The unbiased exploration of the hippocampal transcriptome identified sets of differentially expressed genes (DEGs between the strains and treatment groups. The relatively small number of hippocampal DEGs resulting from the genetic differences between the strains confirmed the genetic relatedness of these strains. Nevertheless, the differences in DEGs between the strains in response to prepubertal ovariectomy identified different molecular processes, including the importance of glucocorticoid receptor-mediated mechanisms, that may be causative of the increased depression-like behavior in the presence or absence of genetic predisposition. This study contributes to the understanding of hormonal maturation-induced changes in affective behaviors and the hippocampal

Recent discoveries in the molecular genetics of Lynch syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Boland, C Richard

2016-07-01

Lynch syndrome is the inherited predisposition to cancer caused by a germline mutation in a DNA mismatch repair gene. The consequent tumors have a characteristic microsatellite instability (MSI) phenotype. Genomic sequencing of Lynch syndrome-associated colorectal cancers (CRCs) has demonstrated that these tumors have a substantially greater number of mutations than non-MSI CRCs, and that the target mutations driving tumor behavior are also different from what occurs in sporadic tumors. There are multiple non-Lynch syndrome entities that can create clinical confusion with that disease, including the acquired methylation of MLH1, Lynch-like syndrome, and Familial CRC-Type X. Patients with Lynch syndrome-associated CRCs have a substantially better prognosis, and there is growing evidence that this is due to the generation of immunogenic frameshift peptides as a consequence of defective DNA mismatch repair, and an effective immune response to the tumor.

A genetic basis for functional hypothalamic amenorrhea.

OpenAIRE

Caronia, L.M.; Martin, C.; Welt, C.K.; Sykiotis, G.P.; Quinton, R.; Thambundit, A.; Avbelj, M.; Dhruvakumar, S.; Plummer, L.; Hughes, V.A.; Seminara, S.B.; Boepple, P.A.; Sidis, Y.; Crowley, W.F.; Martin, K.A.

2011-01-01

Background: Functional hypothalamic amenorrhea is a reversible form of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) deficiency commonly triggered by stressors such as excessive exercise, nutritional deficits, or psychological distress. Women vary in their susceptibility to inhibition of the reproductive axis by such stressors, but it is unknown whether this variability reflects a genetic predisposition to hypothalamic amenorrhea. We hypothesized that mutations in genes involved in idiopathic hypogon...

Genetic risk scores and number of autoantibodies in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Maehlen, Marthe T.; Olsen, Inge C.; Andreassen, Bettina K.; Viken, Marte K.; Jiang, Xia; Alfredsson, Lars; Kallberg, Henrik; Brynedal, Boel; Kurreeman, Fina; Daha, Nina; Toes, Rene; Zhernakova, Alexandra; Gutierrez-Achury, Javier; de Bakker, Paul I. W.; Martin, Javier; Teruel, Maria; Gonzalez-Gay, Miguel A.; Rodriguez-Rodriguez, Luis; Balsa, Alejandro; Uhlig, Till; Kvien, Tore K.; Lie, Benedicte A.

Objective Certain HLA-DRB1 alleles and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Our objective was to examine the combined effect of these associated variants, calculated as a cumulative genetic risk score (GRS) on RA predisposition, as well as the number

Genetic risk scores and number of autoantibodies in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Maehlen, Marthe T; Olsen, Inge C; Andreassen, Bettina K; Viken, Marte K; Jiang, Xia; Alfredsson, Lars; Källberg, Henrik; Brynedal, Boel; Kurreeman, Fina; Daha, Nina; Toes, Rene; Zhernakova, Alexandra; Gutierrez-Achury, Javier; de Bakker, Paul I W; Martin, Javier; Teruel, María; Gonzalez-Gay, Miguel A; Rodríguez-Rodríguez, Luis; Balsa, Alejandro; Uhlig, Till; Kvien, Tore K; Lie, Benedicte A

OBJECTIVE: Certain HLA-DRB1 alleles and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Our objective was to examine the combined effect of these associated variants, calculated as a cumulative genetic risk score (GRS) on RA predisposition, as well as the number

Genetic Susceptibility to Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

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Lacko, Martin [Department of Otorhinolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht (Netherlands); Braakhuis, Boudewijn J.M. [Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Sturgis, Erich M. [Department of Head and Neck Surgery and Department of Epidemiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas (United States); Boedeker, Carsten C. [Department of Otorhinolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Albert-Ludwigs-University, Freiburg, Germany and Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, HELIOS Hanseklinikum Stralsund, Stralsund (Germany); Suárez, Carlos [Department of Otolaryngology, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Oviedo (Spain); Instituto Universitario de Oncología del Principado de Asturias, Oviedo (Spain); Rinaldo, Alessandra; Ferlito, Alfio [ENT Clinic, University of Udine, Udine (Italy); Takes, Robert P., E-mail: robert.takes@radboudumc.nl [Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen (Netherlands)

2014-05-01

Head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most common cancer worldwide, and its incidence is growing. Although environmental carcinogens and carcinogenic viruses are the main etiologic factors, genetic predisposition obviously plays a risk-modulating role, given that not all individuals exposed to these carcinogens experience the disease. This review highlights some aspects of genetic susceptibility to HNSCC: among others, genetic polymorphisms in biotransformation enzymes, DNA repair pathway, apoptotic pathway, human papillomavirus-related pathways, mitochondrial polymorphisms, and polymorphism related to the bilirubin-metabolized pathway. Furthermore, epigenetic variations, familial forms of HNSCC, functional assays for HNSCC risk assessment, and the implications and perspectives of research on genetic susceptibility in HNSCC are discussed.

Genetic Susceptibility to Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lacko, Martin; Braakhuis, Boudewijn J.M.; Sturgis, Erich M.; Boedeker, Carsten C.; Suárez, Carlos; Rinaldo, Alessandra; Ferlito, Alfio; Takes, Robert P.

2014-01-01

Head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most common cancer worldwide, and its incidence is growing. Although environmental carcinogens and carcinogenic viruses are the main etiologic factors, genetic predisposition obviously plays a risk-modulating role, given that not all individuals exposed to these carcinogens experience the disease. This review highlights some aspects of genetic susceptibility to HNSCC: among others, genetic polymorphisms in biotransformation enzymes, DNA repair pathway, apoptotic pathway, human papillomavirus-related pathways, mitochondrial polymorphisms, and polymorphism related to the bilirubin-metabolized pathway. Furthermore, epigenetic variations, familial forms of HNSCC, functional assays for HNSCC risk assessment, and the implications and perspectives of research on genetic susceptibility in HNSCC are discussed

Retinoblastoma: genetics, diagnosis, treatment and sequelae

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Halperin, Edward C.

1995-01-01

There has been a conceptual breakthrough in our understanding of the molecular and genetic basis of the origins of human neoplasia. Mutations in three broad categories of genes have been shown to contribute to the origins and progression of neoplasia in humans: the oncogenes, the tumor suppressor genes, and the mutator genes. The retinoblastoma gene (RB1) is the best characterized tumor suppressor gene. It was first localized by Knudson and coworkers who observed an association between a deletion on the long arm of chromosome 13 and an inherited predisposition to retinoblastoma. The RB1 gene is composed of 27 exons encompassing more than 200 kilobases of genomic DNA. The product of the RB1 gene is a 105-107 kDa nuclear phosphoprotein which plays a part in regulating cellular DNA synthesis. Tumors arise, as predicted by Knudson's 'two-hit' hypothesis, as a result of bi-allelic mutation of the RB1 gene. Inactivating mutations of the RB1 gene have been identified in various tumors, showing the RB1 gene product has an important role in regulating cell proliferation beyond its effect on retinoblasts. The RB1 gene was cloned and identified in 1986. Returning the RB1 gene to a retinoblastoma cell in culture reduces its tumorgenic potential. Retinoblastoma is the most common malignant intraocular tumor of childhood. The tumor consists of undifferentiated small anaplastic cells which may be round or polygonal. Both Flexner and Wintersteiner described the arrangement of the more differentiated malignant retinoblastoma cells in neuroepithelial rosettes which appear to represent an attempt to differentiate into photoreceptor cells. The tumor commonly presents with a white pupillary light reflex. The diagnosis is generally made based on physical examination, confirmatory photographs and diagnostic imaging studies and, in many cases, a supportive family history. The most widely used grouping system was proposed by Algernon Reese and Robert Ellsworth. The primary goal of

[Evaluation of knowledge about colon cancer prevention versus other tumors].

Science.gov (United States)

Sanguinetti, José María; Henry, Nicolás; Ocaña, Domingo; Polesel, Julio Lotero

2015-06-01

In Argentina almost 7% of deaths are due to different cancers with screening strategies. Evaluate knowledge about cancer prevention compared with other tumors. Materials. A descriptive and comparative study. A survey between April and June 2013 in Salta City, province of Salta, Argentina. Correct answers were considered. Statistical analysis: Descriptive (mean and percentage), comparative Chi square Test (significance level Pmama and cervix. 20% (CI 0,13-0,28) knew that colon cancer has a genetic predisposition and 58% (CI 0,48-0,67) about mama. 73% (CI 0,63-0,8) received information about cancer prevention. The main source of information was the physician. 46% (CI 0,36-0,55) received medical care in private institutions. Those who had social security, higher educational levels and medical care in private institutions had better knowledge about cancer prevention except in colon cancer. The global results showed levels below 70% in general but extremely low in colon cancer. Not having social security, receiving medical care in public institutions and having a low educational level are related with poor knowledge about cancer prevention except for colon and prostate cancer.

Genetic variation in hormone metabolizing genes and risk of testicular germ cell tumors.

Science.gov (United States)

Figueroa, Jonine D; Sakoda, Lori C; Graubard, Barry I; Chanock, Stephen; Rubertone, Mark V; Erickson, R Loren; McGlynn, Katherine A

2008-11-01

Testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) that arise in young men are composed of two histologic types, seminomas and nonseminomas. Risk patterns for the two types appear to be similar and may be related to either endogenous or exogenous hormonal exposures in utero. Why similar risk patterns would result in different histologic types is unclear, but could be related to varying genetic susceptibility profiles. Genetic variation in hormone metabolizing genes could potentially modify hormonal exposures, and thereby affect which histologic type a man develops. To examine this hypothesis, 33 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in four hormone metabolism candidate genes (CYP1A1, CYP17A1, HSD17B1, HSD17B4) and the androgen receptor gene (AR) were genotyped. Associations with TGCT were evaluated among 577 TGCT cases (254 seminoma, 323 nonseminoma) and 707 controls from the US Servicemen's Testicular Tumor Environmental and Endocrine Determinants (STEED) study. There were no significant associations with TGCT overall based on a test using an additive model. However, compared to homozygotes of the most common allele, two nonredundant SNPs in CYP1A1 were inversely associated with nonseminoma: CYP1A1 promoter SNP rs4886605 OR = 0.75 (95% CI = 0.54-1.04) among the heterozygotes and OR = 0.37, 95% CI = 0.12-1.11 among the homozygotes with a p-value for trend = 0.02; rs2606345 intron 1 SNP, OR = 0.69 (95% CI = 0.51-0.93) among heterozygotes and OR = 0.70 (95% CI = 0.42-1.17) among homozygotes, with a p-value for trend = 0.02. Caution in interpretation is warranted until findings are replicated in other studies; however, the results suggest that genetic variation in CYP1A1 may be associated with nonseminoma.

Is early-onset microsatellite and chromosomally stable colorectal cancer a hallmark of a genetic susceptibility syndrome?

Science.gov (United States)

Kets, C M; van Krieken, J H J M; van Erp, P E J; Feuth, T; Jacobs, Y H A; Brunner, H G; Ligtenberg, M J L; Hoogerbrugge, N

2008-02-15

Most colorectal cancers show either microsatellite or chromosomal instability. A subset of colorectal cancers, especially those diagnosed at young age, is known to show neither of these forms of genetic instability and thus might have a distinct pathogenesis. Colorectal cancers diagnosed at young age are suggestive for hereditary predisposition. We investigate whether such early-onset microsatellite and chromosomally stable colorectal cancers are a hallmark of a genetic susceptibility syndrome. The ploidy status of microsatellite stable (familial) colorectal cancers of patients diagnosed before age 50 (n = 127) was analyzed in relation to the histopathological characteristics and family history. As a control the ploidy status of sporadic colorectal cancer, with normal staining of mismatch repair proteins, diagnosed at the age of 69 years or above (n = 70) was determined. A diploid DNA content was used as a marker for chromosomal stability. Within the group of patients with (familial) early onset microsatellite stable colorectal cancer the chromosomally stable tumors did not differ from chromosomally unstable tumors with respect to mean age at diagnosis, fulfillment of Amsterdam criteria or pathological characteristics. Segregation analysis did not reveal any family with microsatellite and chromosomally stable colorectal cancer in 2 relatives. The prevalence of microsatellite and chromosomally stable colorectal cancer was not significantly different for the early and late onset group (28 and 21%, respectively). We find no evidence that early-onset microsatellite and chromosomally stable colorectal cancer is a hallmark of a hereditary colorectal cancer syndrome. (c) 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Phenotypic and genetic heterogeneity of tumor tissue and circulating tumor cells in patients with metastatic castrationresistant prostate cancer: a report from the PETRUS prospective study

Science.gov (United States)

Massard, Christophe; Oulhen, Marianne; Le Moulec, Sylvestre; Auger, Nathalie; Foulon, Stéphanie; Abou-Lovergne, Aurélie; Billiot, Fanny; Valent, Alexander; Marty, Virginie; Loriot, Yohann; Fizazi, Karim; Vielh, Philippe; Farace, Francoise

2016-01-01

Molecular characterization of cancer samples is hampered by tumor tissue availability in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients. We reported the results of prospective PETRUS study of biomarker assessment in paired primary prostatic tumors, metastatic biopsies and circulating tumor cells (CTCs). Among 54 mCRPC patients enrolled, 38 (70%) had biopsies containing more than 50% tumour cells. 28 (52%) patients were analyzed for both tissue samples and CTCs. FISH for AR-amplification and TMPRSS2-ERG translocation were successful in 54% and 32% in metastatic biopsies and primary tumors, respectively. By comparing CellSearch and filtration (ISET)-enrichment combined to four color immunofluorescent staining, we showed that CellSearch and ISET isolated distinct subpopulations of CTCs: CTCs undergoing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, CTC clusters and large CTCs with cytomorphological characteristics but no detectable markers were isolated using ISET. Epithelial CTCs detected by the CellSearch were mostly lost during the ISET-filtration. AR-amplification was detected in CellSearch-captured CTCs, but not in ISET-enriched CTCs which harbor exclusively AR gain of copies. Eighty-eight percent concordance for ERG-rearrangement was observed between metastatic biopsies and CTCs even if additional ERG-alteration patterns were detected in ISET-enriched CTCs indicating a higher heterogeneity in CTCs. Molecular screening of metastatic biopsies is achievable in a multicenter context. Our data indicate that CTCs detected by the CellSearch and the ISET-filtration systems are not only phenotypically but also genetically different. Close attention must be paid to CTC characterization since neither approach tested here fully reflects the tremendous phenotypic and genetic heterogeneity present in CTCs from mCRPC patients. PMID:27391263

Mutation Detection in Patients With Advanced Cancer by Universal Sequencing of Cancer-Related Genes in Tumor and Normal DNA vs Guideline-Based Germline Testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Mandelker, Diana; Zhang, Liying; Kemel, Yelena; Stadler, Zsofia K; Joseph, Vijai; Zehir, Ahmet; Pradhan, Nisha; Arnold, Angela; Walsh, Michael F; Li, Yirong; Balakrishnan, Anoop R; Syed, Aijazuddin; Prasad, Meera; Nafa, Khedoudja; Carlo, Maria I; Cadoo, Karen A; Sheehan, Meg; Fleischut, Megan H; Salo-Mullen, Erin; Trottier, Magan; Lipkin, Steven M; Lincoln, Anne; Mukherjee, Semanti; Ravichandran, Vignesh; Cambria, Roy; Galle, Jesse; Abida, Wassim; Arcila, Marcia E; Benayed, Ryma; Shah, Ronak; Yu, Kenneth; Bajorin, Dean F; Coleman, Jonathan A; Leach, Steven D; Lowery, Maeve A; Garcia-Aguilar, Julio; Kantoff, Philip W; Sawyers, Charles L; Dickler, Maura N; Saltz, Leonard; Motzer, Robert J; O'Reilly, Eileen M; Scher, Howard I; Baselga, Jose; Klimstra, David S; Solit, David B; Hyman, David M; Berger, Michael F; Ladanyi, Marc; Robson, Mark E; Offit, Kenneth

2017-09-05

Guidelines for cancer genetic testing based on family history may miss clinically actionable genetic changes with established implications for cancer screening or prevention. To determine the proportion and potential clinical implications of inherited variants detected using simultaneous sequencing of the tumor and normal tissue ("tumor-normal sequencing") compared with genetic test results based on current guidelines. From January 2014 until May 2016 at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 10 336 patients consented to tumor DNA sequencing. Since May 2015, 1040 of these patients with advanced cancer were referred by their oncologists for germline analysis of 76 cancer predisposition genes. Patients with clinically actionable inherited mutations whose genetic test results would not have been predicted by published decision rules were identified. Follow-up for potential clinical implications of mutation detection was through May 2017. Tumor and germline sequencing compared with the predicted yield of targeted germline sequencing based on clinical guidelines. Proportion of clinically actionable germline mutations detected by universal tumor-normal sequencing that would not have been detected by guideline-directed testing. Of 1040 patients, the median age was 58 years (interquartile range, 50.5-66 years), 65.3% were male, and 81.3% had stage IV disease at the time of genomic analysis, with prostate, renal, pancreatic, breast, and colon cancer as the most common diagnoses. Of the 1040 patients, 182 (17.5%; 95% CI, 15.3%-19.9%) had clinically actionable mutations conferring cancer susceptibility, including 149 with moderate- to high-penetrance mutations; 101 patients tested (9.7%; 95% CI, 8.1%-11.7%) would not have had these mutations detected using clinical guidelines, including 65 with moderate- to high-penetrance mutations. Frequency of inherited mutations was related to case mix, stage, and founder mutations. Germline findings led to discussion or initiation of

Predisposition to essential hypertension and development of diabetic nephropathy in IDDM patients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fagerudd, J A; Tarnow, L; Jacobsen, P

1998-01-01

Conflicting results have been reported on the relationship between familial predisposition to hypertension and development of diabetic nephropathy in IDDM. In our case-control study, we assessed the prevalence of hypertension among parents of 73 IDDM patients with diabetic nephropathy (DN......+; persistent albuminuria > 200 microg/min or > 300 mg/24 h) and 73 IDDM patients without diabetic nephropathy (DN-; urinary albumin excretion hypertension, defined as antihypertensive therapy or a 24-h ambulatory blood pressure (SpaceLabs 90207) > or = 135/85 mm...... for hypertension than were patients with DN+ and without parental treatment for hypertension (100 vs. 61%; P = 0.034; difference 39% [21-57%]). In conclusion, familial predisposition to essential hypertension increases the risk of diabetic nephropathy and may also contribute to the development of systemic...

Towards PDT with Genetically Encoded Photosensitizer KillerRed: A Comparison of Continuous and Pulsed Laser Regimens in an Animal Tumor Model.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marina Shirmanova

Full Text Available The strong phototoxicity of the red fluorescent protein KillerRed allows it to be considered as a potential genetically encoded photosensitizer for the photodynamic therapy (PDT of cancer. The advantages of KillerRed over chemical photosensitizers are its expression in tumor cells transduced with the appropriate gene and direct killing of cells through precise damage to any desired cell compartment. The ability of KillerRed to affect cell division and to induce cell death has already been demonstrated in cancer cell lines in vitro and HeLa tumor xenografts in vivo. However, the further development of this approach for PDT requires optimization of the method of treatment. In this study we tested the continuous wave (593 nm and pulsed laser (584 nm, 10 Hz, 18 ns modes to achieve an antitumor effect. The research was implemented on CT26 subcutaneous mouse tumors expressing KillerRed in fusion with histone H2B. The results showed that the pulsed mode provided a higher rate of photobleaching of KillerRed without any temperature increase on the tumor surface. PDT with the continuous wave laser was ineffective against CT26 tumors in mice, whereas the pulsed laser induced pronounced histopathological changes and inhibition of tumor growth. Therefore, we selected an effective regimen for PDT when using the genetically encoded photosensitizer KillerRed and pulsed laser irradiation.

Strategies to Genetically Modulate Dendritic Cells to Potentiate Anti-Tumor Responses in Hematologic Malignancies

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Annelisa M. Cornel

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Dendritic cell (DC vaccination has been investigated as a potential strategy to target hematologic malignancies, while generating sustained immunological responses to control potential future relapse. Nonetheless, few clinical trials have shown robust long-term efficacy. It has been suggested that a combination of surmountable shortcomings, such as selection of utilized DC subsets, DC loading and maturation strategies, as well as tumor-induced immunosuppression may be targeted to maximize anti-tumor responses of DC vaccines. Generation of DC from CD34+ hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs may provide potential in patients undergoing allogeneic HSPC transplantations for hematologic malignancies. CD34+ HSPC from the graft can be genetically modified to optimize antigen presentation and to provide sufficient T cell stimulatory signals. We here describe beneficial (gene-modifications that can be implemented in various processes in T cell activation by DC, among which major histocompatibility complex (MHC class I and MHC class II presentation, DC maturation and migration, cross-presentation, co-stimulation, and immunosuppression to improve anti-tumor responses.

Stroke genetics: prospects for personalized medicine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Markus Hugh S

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Epidemiologic evidence supports a genetic predisposition to stroke. Recent advances, primarily using the genome-wide association study approach, are transforming what we know about the genetics of multifactorial stroke, and are identifying novel stroke genes. The current findings are consistent with different stroke subtypes having different genetic architecture. These discoveries may identify novel pathways involved in stroke pathogenesis, and suggest new treatment approaches. However, the already identified genetic variants explain only a small proportion of overall stroke risk, and therefore are not currently useful in predicting risk for the individual patient. Such risk prediction may become a reality as identification of a greater number of stroke risk variants that explain the majority of genetic risk proceeds, and perhaps when information on rare variants, identified by whole-genome sequencing, is also incorporated into risk algorithms. Pharmacogenomics may offer the potential for earlier implementation of 'personalized genetic' medicine. Genetic variants affecting clopidogrel and warfarin metabolism may identify non-responders and reduce side-effects, but these approaches have not yet been widely adopted in clinical practice.

[Issues on business of genetic testing in near future].

Science.gov (United States)

Takada, Fumio

2009-06-01

Since 1990's, a business condition that company sells genetic testing services directly to consumers without through medical facility, so called "direct-to-consumers (DTC) genetic testing", has risen. They provide genetic testing for obesity, disease susceptibility or paternity, etc. There are serious problems in this kind of business. Most of the providers do not make sales with face-to-face selling, and do through internet instead. They do not provide genetic counseling by certified genetic counselor or clinical geneticist. Most DTC genetic testing services for disease susceptibility or predispositions including obesity, lack scientific validity, clinical validity and clinical utility. And also including paternity genetic testing, they all have risks of ethical legal and social issues (ELSI) in genetic discrimination and/or eugenics. The specific problem in Japan is that the healthcare section of the government still has not paid attention and not taken seriously the requirement to deploy safety net.

Role of genetic in periodontal disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anand Narayanrao Wankhede

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Genetics is the study and understanding of the phenomena of heredity and variation. A large number of genes are associated with many systemic conditions. Periodontitis is inflammatory condition of periodontium. Periodontium consists of gingiva, periodontal ligament, cementum, and alveolar bone. It is considered being a multifactorial disease. Studies of animals and humans support the concept that a large number of genes' factor may be associated with periodontitis and clearly play a role in the predisposition and progression of periodontal diseases. It has been proven that genetic factors impair inflammatory and immune responses during periodontal diseases. Research on identifying specific genes causing periodontitis may improve and prevent the disease progression. The aim of this article is to focus on genetic risk factors and its influence for the various forms of periodontal disease.

Genetically engineered rat gliomas: PDGF-driven tumor initiation and progression in tv-a transgenic rats recreate key features of human brain cancer.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nina P Connolly

Full Text Available Previously rodent preclinical research in gliomas frequently involved implantation of cell lines such as C6 and 9L into the rat brain. More recently, mouse models have taken over, the genetic manipulability of the mouse allowing the creation of genetically accurate models outweighed the disadvantage of its smaller brain size that limited time allowed for tumor progression. Here we illustrate a method that allows glioma formation in the rat using the replication competent avian-like sarcoma (RCAS virus / tumor virus receptor-A (tv-a transgenic system of post-natal cell type-specific gene transfer. The RCAS/tv-a model has emerged as a particularly versatile and accurate modeling technology by enabling spatial, temporal, and cell type-specific control of individual gene transformations and providing de novo formed glial tumors with distinct molecular subtypes mirroring human GBM. Nestin promoter-driven tv-a (Ntv-a transgenic Sprague-Dawley rat founder lines were created and RCAS PDGFA and p53 shRNA constructs were used to initiate intracranial brain tumor formation. Tumor formation and progression were confirmed and visualized by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI and spectroscopy. The tumors were analyzed using histopathological and immunofluorescent techniques. All experimental animals developed large, heterogeneous brain tumors that closely resembled human GBM. Median survival was 92 days from tumor initiation and 62 days from the first point of tumor visualization on MRI. Each tumor-bearing animal showed time dependent evidence of malignant progression to high-grade glioma by MRI and neurological examination. Post-mortem tumor analysis demonstrated the presence of several key characteristics of human GBM, including high levels of tumor cell proliferation, pseudopalisading necrosis, microvascular proliferation, invasion of tumor cells into surrounding tissues, peri-tumoral reactive astrogliosis, lymphocyte infiltration, presence of numerous tumor

Whole-exome sequencing identifies novel candidate predisposition genes for familial polycythemia vera.

Science.gov (United States)

Hirvonen, Elina A M; Pitkänen, Esa; Hemminki, Kari; Aaltonen, Lauri A; Kilpivaara, Outi

2017-04-20

Polycythemia vera (PV), characterized by massive production of erythrocytes, is one of the myeloproliferative neoplasms. Most patients carry a somatic gain-of-function mutation in JAK2, c.1849G > T (p.Val617Phe), leading to constitutive activation of JAK-STAT signaling pathway. Familial clustering is also observed occasionally, but high-penetrance predisposition genes to PV have remained unidentified. We studied the predisposition to PV by exome sequencing (three cases) in a Finnish PV family with four patients. The 12 shared variants (maximum allowed minor allele frequency  G (p.Phe418Leu) in ZXDC, c.1931C > G (p.Pro644Arg) in ATN1, and c.701G > A (p.Arg234Gln) in LRRC3. We also observed a rare, predicted benign germline variant c.2912C > G (p.Ala971Gly) in BCORL1 in all four patients. Somatic mutations in BCORL1 have been reported in myeloid malignancies. We further screened the variants in eight PV patients in six other Finnish families, but no other carriers were found. Exome sequencing provides a powerful tool for the identification of novel variants, and understanding the familial predisposition of diseases. This is the first report on Finnish familial PV cases, and we identified three novel candidate variants that may predispose to the disease.

Linking energy behaviour, attitude and habits with environmental predisposition and knowledge

Science.gov (United States)

Pothitou, Mary; Varga, Liz; Kolios, Athanasios J.; Gu, Sai

2017-04-01

The purpose of this paper is to present and discuss the findings of an empirical study that compares individuals' environmental predisposition and knowledge with their energy behaviour, attitude and habits. Additionally, the study attempts to correlate education level and household income with the above variables. The statistical analysis reveals significant correlations between environmental predisposition and knowledge and elements of individuals' energy attitudes, habits and behaviour. An unanticipated outcome from the principal component analysis was that household income, and to a lesser extent gender, is associated with energy-saving habits and behaviours. On further investigation, household income was found to be correlated with knowledge of greenhouse gas emissions and the number of laptops and electric showers owned per household. The study sample comprises 68 employees of an educational institution, which was selected as the first phase of research aiming to compare energy-saving behaviour at home and in the workplace.

Molecular Characterization of Melanoma Cases in Denmark Suspected of Genetic Predisposition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wadt, Karin A. W.; Aoude, Lauren G.; Krogh, Lotte

2015-01-01

Both environmental and host factors influence risk of cutaneousmelanoma (CM), and worldwide, the incidence varies depending on constitutional determinants of skin type and pigmentation, latitude, and patterns of sun exposure. We performed genetic analysis of CDKN2A, CDK4, BAP1, MC1R, and MITFp.E3...... cases of CM. In addition, we recommend that testing of BAP1 should not be conducted routinely in CM families but should be reserved for families with CM and uveal melanoma, or mesothelioma....

Phenotypic and genetic heterogeneity of tumor tissue and circulating tumor cells in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: A report from the PETRUS prospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Massard, Christophe; Oulhen, Marianne; Le Moulec, Sylvestre; Auger, Nathalie; Foulon, Stéphanie; Abou-Lovergne, Aurélie; Billiot, Fanny; Valent, Alexander; Marty, Virginie; Loriot, Yohann; Fizazi, Karim; Vielh, Philippe; Farace, Francoise

2016-08-23

Molecular characterization of cancer samples is hampered by tumor tissue availability in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients. We reported the results of prospective PETRUS study of biomarker assessment in paired primary prostatic tumors, metastatic biopsies and circulating tumor cells (CTCs). Among 54 mCRPC patients enrolled, 38 (70%) had biopsies containing more than 50% tumour cells. 28 (52%) patients were analyzed for both tissue samples and CTCs. FISH for AR-amplification and TMPRSS2-ERG translocation were successful in 54% and 32% in metastatic biopsies and primary tumors, respectively. By comparing CellSearch and filtration (ISET)-enrichment combined to four color immunofluorescent staining, we showed that CellSearch and ISET isolated distinct subpopulations of CTCs: CTCs undergoing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, CTC clusters and large CTCs with cytomorphological characteristics but no detectable markers were isolated using ISET. Epithelial CTCs detected by the CellSearch were mostly lost during the ISET-filtration. AR-amplification was detected in CellSearch-captured CTCs, but not in ISET-enriched CTCs which harbor exclusively AR gain of copies. Eighty-eight percent concordance for ERG-rearrangement was observed between metastatic biopsies and CTCs even if additional ERG-alteration patterns were detected in ISET-enriched CTCs indicating a higher heterogeneity in CTCs.Molecular screening of metastatic biopsies is achievable in a multicenter context. Our data indicate that CTCs detected by the CellSearch and the ISET-filtration systems are not only phenotypically but also genetically different. Close attention must be paid to CTC characterization since neither approach tested here fully reflects the tremendous phenotypic and genetic heterogeneity present in CTCs from mCRPC patients.

Risk factors for central nervous system tumors in children: New findings from a case-control study.

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Rebeca Ramis

Full Text Available Central nervous system tumors (CNS are the most frequent solid tumor in children. Causes of CNS tumors are mainly unknown and only 5% of the cases can be explained by genetic predisposition. We studied the effects of environmental exposure on the incidence of CNS tumors in children by subtype, according to exposure to industrial and/or urban environment, exposure to crops and according to socio-economic status of the child.We carried out a population-based case-control study of CNS tumors in Spain, covering 714 incident cases collected from the Spanish Registry of Childhood Tumors (period 1996-2011 and 4284 controls, individually matched by year of birth, sex, and autonomous region of residence. We built a covariate to approximate the exposure to industrial and/or urban environment and a covariate for the exposure to crops (GCI using the coordinates of the home addresses of the children. We used the 2001 Census to obtain information about socio-economic status (SES. We fitted logistic regression models to estimate odds ratios (ORs and 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs.The results for all CNS tumors showed an excess risk (OR = 1.37; 95%CI = 1.09-1.73 for SES, i.e., children living in the least deprived areas had 37% more risk of CNS tumor than children living in the most deprived areas. For GCI, an increase of 10% in crop surface in the 1-km buffer around the residence implied an increase of 22% in the OR (OR = 1.22; 95%CI = 1.15-1.29. Children living in the intersection of industrial and urban areas could have a greater risk of CNS tumors than children who live outside these areas (OR = 1.20; 95%CI = 0.82-1.77. Living in urban areas (OR = 0.90; 95%CI = 0.65-1.24 or industrial areas (OR = 0.96; 95%CI = 0.81-1.77 did not seem to increase the risk for all CNS tumors together. By subtype, Astrocytomas, Intracranial and intraspinal embryonal tumors, and other gliomas showed similar results.Our results suggest that higher socioeconomic status and

Statin-associated myopathy: from genetic predisposition to clinical management.

Science.gov (United States)

Vrablik, M; Zlatohlavek, L; Stulc, T; Adamkova, V; Prusikova, M; Schwarzova, L; Hubacek, J A; Ceska, R

2014-01-01

Statin-associated myopathy (SAM) represents a broad spectrum of disorders from insignificant myalgia to fatal rhabdomyolysis. Its frequency ranges from 1-5 % in clinical trials to 15-20 % in everyday clinical practice. To a large extent, these variations can be explained by the definition used. Thus, we propose a scoring system to classify statin-induced myopathy according to clinical and biochemical criteria as 1) possible, 2) probable or 3) definite. The etiology of this disorder remains poorly understood. Most probably, an underlying genetic cause is necessary for overt SAM to develop. Variants in a few gene groups that encode proteins involved in: i) statin metabolism and distribution (e.g. membrane transporters and enzymes; OATP1B1, ABCA1, MRP, CYP3A4), ii) coenzyme Q10 production (e.g. COQ10A and B), iii) energy metabolism of muscle tissue (e.g. PYGM, GAA, CPT2) and several others have been proposed as candidates which can predispose to SAM. Pharmacological properties of individual statin molecules (e.g. lipophilicity, excretion pathways) and patients´ characteristics influence the likelihood of SAM development. This review summarizes current data as well as our own results.

Enhanced Autoimmunity Associated with Induction of Tumor Immunity in Thyroiditis-Susceptible Mice

Science.gov (United States)

Kari, Suresh; Flynn, Jeffrey C.; Zulfiqar, Muhammad; Snower, Daniel P.; Elliott, Bruce E.

2013-01-01

, when a subclinical, mild thyroiditis was induced with soluble mTg and low doses of interleukin-1, to simulate pre-existing autoimmunity in patients subjected to cancer immunotherapy, mononuclear infiltration into the thyroid was enhanced. Conclusions: Our current findings indicate that genetic predisposition to autoimmune disease could enhance autoimmunity during induction of tumor immunity in thyroiditis-susceptible mice. Thus, HLA genotyping of cancer patients should be part of any risk assessment. PMID:23777580

A novel approach for the detection and genetic analysis of live melanoma circulating tumor cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melody J Xu

Full Text Available Circulating tumor cell (CTC detection and genetic analysis may complement currently available disease assessments in patients with melanoma to improve risk stratification and monitoring. We therefore sought to establish the feasibility of a telomerase-based assay for detecting and isolating live melanoma CTCs.The telomerase-based CTC assay utilizes an adenoviral vector that, in the presence of elevated human telomerase activity, drives the amplification of green fluorescent protein. Tumor cells are then identified via an image processing system. The protocol was tested on melanoma cells in culture or spiked into control blood, and on samples from patients with metastatic melanoma. Genetic analysis of the isolated melanoma CTCs was then performed for BRAF mutation status.The adenoviral vector was effective for all melanoma cell lines tested with sensitivity of 88.7% (95%CI 85.6-90.4% and specificity of 99.9% (95%CI 99.8-99.9%. In a pilot trial of patients with metastatic disease, CTCs were identified in 9 of 10 patients, with a mean of 6.0 CTCs/mL. At a cutoff of 1.1 CTCs/mL, the telomerase-based assay exhibits test performance of 90.0% sensitivity and 91.7% specificity. BRAF mutation analysis of melanoma cells isolated from culture or spiked control blood, or from pilot patient samples was found to match the known BRAF mutation status of the cell lines and primary tumors.To our knowledge, this is the first report of a telomerase-based assay effective for detecting and isolating live melanoma CTCs. These promising findings support further studies, including towards integrating into the management of patients with melanoma receiving multimodality therapy.

Retinoblastoma: Genetics, diagnosis, treatment and sequelae

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Halperin, Edward C.

1996-01-01

There has been a conceptual breakthrough in our understanding of the molecular and genetic basis of the origins of human neoplasia. Mutations in three broad categories of genes have been shown to contribute to the origins and progression of neoplasia in humans: the oncogenes, the tumor suppressor genes, and the mutator genes. The retinoblastoma gene (RB1) is the best characterized tumor suppressor gene. It was first localized by Knudson and coworkers who observed an association between a deletion on the long arm of chromosome 13 and an inherited predisposition to retinoblastoma. The RB1 gene is composed of 27 exons encompassing more than 200 kilobases of genomic DNA. The product of the RB1 gene is a 105-107 kDa nuclear phosphoprotein which plays a part in regulating cellular DNA synthesis. Tumors arise, as predicted by Knudson's 'two-hit' hypothesis, as a result of biallelic mutation of the RB1 gene. Inactivating mutations of the RB1 gene have been identified in various tumors, showing the RB1 gene product has an important role in regulating cell proliferation beyond its effect on retinoblasts. The RB1 gene was cloned and identified in 1986. Returning the RB1 gene to a retinoblastoma cell in culture reduces its tumorgenic potential. Retinoblastoma is the most common malignant intraocular tumor of childhood. The tumor consists of undifferentiated small anaplastic cells which may be round or polygonal. Both Flexner and Wintersteiner described the arrangement of the more differentiated malignant retinoblastoma cells in neuroepithelial rosettes which appear to represent an attempt to differentiate into photoreceptor cells. The tumor commonly presents with a white pupillary light reflex. The diagnosis is generally made based on physical examination, confirmatory photographs and diagnostic imaging studies and, in many cases, a supportive family history. The most widely used grouping system was proposed by Algernon Reese and Robert Ellsworth. The primary goal of

Recurrent and multiple bladder tumors show conserved expression profiles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lindgren, David; Fioretos, Thoas; Månsson, Wiking; Höglund, Mattias; Gudjonsson, Sigurdur; Jee, Kowan Ja; Liedberg, Fredrik; Aits, Sonja; Andersson, Anna; Chebil, Gunilla; Borg, Åke; Knuutila, Sakari

2008-01-01

Urothelial carcinomas originate from the epithelial cells of the inner lining of the bladder and may appear as single or as multiple synchronous tumors. Patients with urothelial carcinomas frequently show recurrences after treatment making follow-up necessary. The leading hypothesis explaining the origin of meta- and synchronous tumors assumes a monoclonal origin. However, the genetic relationship among consecutive tumors has been shown to be complex in as much as the genetic evolution does not adhere to the chronological appearance of the metachronous tumors. Consequently, genetically less evolved tumors may appear chronologically later than genetically related but more evolved tumors. Forty-nine meta- or synchronous urothelial tumors from 22 patients were analyzed using expression profiling, conventional CGH, LOH, and mutation analyses. We show by CGH that partial chromosomal losses in the initial tumors may not be present in the recurring tumors, by LOH that different haplotypes may be lost and that detected regions of LOH may be smaller in recurring tumors, and that mutations present in the initial tumor may not be present in the recurring ones. In contrast we show that despite apparent genomic differences, the recurrent and multiple bladder tumors from the same patients display remarkably similar expression profiles. Our findings show that even though the vast majority of the analyzed meta- and synchronous tumors from the same patients are not likely to have originated directly from the preceding tumor they still show remarkably similar expressions profiles. The presented data suggests that an expression profile is established early in tumor development and that this profile is stable and maintained in recurring tumors

Developing genetic privacy legislation: the South Carolina experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Edwards, J G; Young, S R; Brooks, K A; Aiken, J H; Patterson, E D; Pritchett, S T

1998-01-01

The availability of presymptomatic and predisposition genetic testing has spawned the need for legislation prohibiting health insurance discrimination on the basis of genetic information. The federal effort, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996, falls short by protecting only those who access insurance through group plans. A committee of University of South Carolina professionals convened in 1996 to develop legislation in support of genetic privacy for the state of South Carolina. The legislation prevents health insurance companies from denying coverage or setting insurance rates on the basis of genetic information. It also protects the privacy of genetic information and prohibits performance of genetic tests without specific informed consent. In preparing the bill, genetic privacy laws from other states were reviewed, and a modified version of the Virginia law adopted. The South Carolina Committee for the Protection of Genetic Privacy version went a step further by including enforcement language and excluding Virginia's sunset clause. The definition of genetic information encompassed genetic test results, and importantly, includes family history of genetic disease. Our experience in navigating through the state legislature and working through opposition from the health insurance lobby is detailed herein.

Genetically engineered mouse models of craniopharyngioma: an opportunity for therapy development and understanding of tumor biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Apps, John Richard; Martinez-Barbera, Juan Pedro

2017-05-01

Adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma (ACP) is the commonest tumor of the sellar region in childhood. Two genetically engineered mouse models have been developed and are giving valuable insights into ACP biology. These models have identified novel pathways activated in tumors, revealed an important function of paracrine signalling and extended conventional theories about the role of organ-specific stem cells in tumorigenesis. In this review, we summarize these mouse models, what has been learnt, their limitations and open questions for future research. We then discussed how these mouse models may be used to test novel therapeutics against potentially targetable pathways recently identified in human ACP. © 2017 The Authors. Brain Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Neuropathology.

Chromosomal radiosensitivity, cancer predisposition and response to radiotherapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scott, D. [Christie Hospital, Manchester (United Kingdom). Paterson Inst. for Cancer Research

2000-05-01

Aim: This paper briefly summarizes the research on this topic, undertaken in the Department of Cancer Genetics, Paterson Institute for Cancer Research, Manchester, England, over the previous 6 years. We have investigated the possible role of radiosensitivity as a marker of cancer predisposition and response to radiotherapy in the general population. Results: We found that 42% (57/135) of breast cancer patients exhibit chromosomal radiosensitivity when lymphocytes are irradiated in the G{sub 2} phase of the cell cycle, compared with 6% (6/105) of healthy controls. These figures are much higher than the estimated frequencies of carriers of the ataxia-telangiectasia gene (heterozygotes) amongst breast cancer patients (<5%) and control (0.5%). We have also obtained evidence of heritability of G{sub 2} sensitivity by studying relatives of breast cancer cases. The pattern of inheritance is relatively simple and attributable to 1 or 2 genes segregating in each family. In a prospective study of 123 breast cancer patients, 9 (7%) had severe acute reactions to radiotherapy and their mean G{sub 2} sensitivity was significantly greater (p=0.001) than that of the remaining patients. In 16 patients with adverse acute reactions we found no mutations of the ataxia-telangiectasia gene (ATM). Using another chromosomal assay (micronucleus induction in G{sub 0} lymphocytes) we found that the mean radiosensitivity of patients with severe late reactions was higher than that of normal reactors. For example, 8 patients with severe fibrosis were more sensitive (p=0.055) than 39 patients with a normal response. However, the discriminatory power of these chromosomal assays is too low for them to be used alone in a clinical setting. Conclusion: Our results provide good evidence that genes other than ATM, that confer chromosomal radiosensitivity, are involved in low penetrance predisposition to breast cancer in a high proportion of cases and contribute to adverse reactions after radiotherapy

Environment Changes Genetic Effects on Respiratory Conditions and Allergic Phenotypes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Song, Yong; Schwager, Michelle J; Backer, Vibeke

2017-01-01

The prevalence of asthma and allergic diseases is disproportionately distributed among different populations, with an increasing trend observed in Western countries. Here we investigated how the environment affected genotype-phenotype association in a genetically homogeneous, but geographically...... separated population. We evaluated 18 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) corresponding to 8 genes (ADAM33, ALOX5, LT-α, LTC4S, NOS1, ORMDL3, TBXA2R and TNF-α), the lung function and five respiratory/allergic conditions (ever asthma, bronchitis, rhinitis, dermatitis and atopy) in two populations of Inuit......-phenotype associations relating to bronchitis and allergy susceptibility are dependent on the environment and that environmental factors/lifestyles modify genetic predisposition and change the genetic effects on diseases....

Gender differences and effect of air pollution on asthma in children with and without allergic predisposition: northeast Chinese children health study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guang-Hui Dong

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Males and females exhibit different health responses to air pollution, but little is known about how exposure to air pollution affects juvenile respiratory health after analysis stratified by allergic predisposition. The aim of the present study was to assess the relationship between air pollutants and asthmatic symptoms in Chinese children selected from multiple sites in a heavily industrialized province of China, and investigate whether allergic predisposition modifies this relationship. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: 30139 Chinese children aged 3-to-12 years were selected from 25 districts of seven cities in northeast China in 2009. Information on respiratory health was obtained using a standard questionnaire from the American Thoracic Society. Routine air-pollution monitoring data was used for particles with an aerodynamic diameter ≤10 µm (PM(10, sulfur dioxide (SO(2, nitrogen dioxides (NO(2, ozone (O(3 and carbon monoxide (CO. A two-stage regression approach was applied in data analyses. The effect estimates were presented as odds ratios (ORs per interquartile changes for PM(10, SO(2, NO(2, O(3, and CO. The results showed that children with allergic predisposition were more susceptible to air pollutants than children without allergic predisposition. Amongst children without an allergic predisposition, air pollution effects on asthma were stronger in males compared to females; Current asthma prevalence was related to PM(10 (ORs = 1.36 per 31 µg/m(3; 95% CI, 1.08-1.72, SO(2 (ORs = 1.38 per 21 µg/m(3; 95%CI, 1.12-1.69 only among males. However, among children with allergic predisposition, more positively associations between air pollutants and respiratory symptoms and diseases were detected in females; An increased prevalence of doctor-diagnosed asthma was significantly associated with SO(2 (ORs = 1.48 per 21 µg/m(3; 95%CI, 1.21-1.80, NO(2 (ORs = 1.26 per 10 µg/m(3; 95%CI, 1.01-1.56, and current asthma with

Epidemiology and genetics of ventricular fibrillation during acute myocardial infarction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Glinge, Charlotte; Sattler, Stefan; Jabbari, Reza

2016-01-01

of a family member is a risk factor for SCD and VF during acute myocardial infarction (MI), independent of traditional risk factors including family history of MI, suggesting a genetic component in the susceptibility to VF. To prevent SCD and VF due to MI, we need a better understanding of the genetic...... and molecular mechanisms causing VF in this apparently healthy population. Even though new insights and technologies have become available, the genetic predisposition to VF during MI remains poorly understood. Findings from a variety of different genetic studies have failed to reach reproducibility, although...... several genetic variants, both common and rare variants, have been associated to either VF or SCD. For this review, we searched PubMed for potentially relevant articles, using the following MeSH-terms: "sudden cardiac death", "ventricular fibrillation", "out-of-hospital cardiac arrest", "myocardial...

A Late Onset of Adrenocortical Cancer Assosiated with Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N S Kuznetsov

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS is a genetic overgrowth disorder involving a predisposition to tumor development. The common features of Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome include omphalocele, macroglos- sia and macrosomia. The increased risk for neoplasia is concentrated in the first eight years of life. However, this case presents a late onset of adrenocortical cancer assosiated with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome.

[Desmoid tumors in three patients].

Science.gov (United States)

Mohos, E; Kovács, T; Brittig, F; Nagy, A

2001-12-01

Desmoids are rare tumors of the connective tissue. It develops about 1:1000 times more in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP, Gardner syndrome) compared to normal population. It has been shown in molecular genetic examinations, that different mutations of the APC gene are responsible for desmoid tumors in FAP. It means, that this disease is one of the extraintestinal manifestations of Gardner syndrome. This tumor has high recurrence rate and is growing rapidly, and as a result it is the second most common cause of death in FAP patients. That is why genetic examination for FAP patients is advised to decide if the patient has higher risk for desmoid formation. If the result of the genetic test is positive, it is advisable to try to slow the progression of polyposis with medical treatment, and so to delay the date of the colectomy because the surgical intervention--and connective tissue damage--can induce desmoid formation in these patients. At the same time it is reasonable to examine and regularly control patients with sporadic desmoid tumors searching for other manifestations of Gardner syndrome (colon, stomach and duodenum polyposis, tumor of papilla Vateri, retinopathy, etc.). Palliative surgery is not indicated in patients with inoperable intraabdominal desmoid tumors, because partial resections (R1, R2, debulking) result in further tumor progression. In these patients medical treatment (sulindac, tamoxifen), chemotherapy (doxorubicin, dacarbazin) and radiotherapy or combination of them can result tumor remission. We describe our three patients (an abdominal wall desmoid four years following Cesarean section; a desmoid tumor in the retroperitoneum and in the pelvis diagnosed three years after total colectomy; and a retroperitoneal and abdominal wall desmoid one year after total colectomy) and etiology, diagnosis and therapy of desmoid tumors are discussed.

Genetic relationships between detailed reproductive traits and performance traits in Holstein-Friesian dairy cattle.

Science.gov (United States)

Carthy, T R; Ryan, D P; Fitzgerald, A M; Evans, R D; Berry, D P

2016-02-01

The objective of the study was to estimate the genetic relationships between detailed reproductive traits derived from ultrasound examination of the reproductive tract and a range of performance traits in Holstein-Friesian dairy cows. The performance traits investigated included calving performance, milk production, somatic cell score (i.e., logarithm transformation of somatic cell count), carcass traits, and body-related linear type traits. Detailed reproductive traits included (1) resumed cyclicity at the time of examination, (2) multiple ovulations, (3) early ovulation, (4) heat detection, (5) ovarian cystic structures, (6) embryo loss, and (7) uterine score, measured on a 1 (little or no fluid with normal tone) to 4 (large quantity of fluid with a flaccid tone) scale, based on the tone of the uterine wall and the quantity of fluid present in the uterus. (Co)variance components were estimated using a repeatability animal linear mixed model. Genetic merit for greater milk, fat, and protein yield was associated with a reduced ability to resume cyclicity postpartum (genetic correlations ranged from -0.25 to -0.15). Higher genetic merit for milk yield was also associated with a greater genetic susceptibility to multiple ovulations. Genetic predisposition to elevated somatic cell score was associated with a decreased likelihood of cyclicity postpartum (genetic correlation of -0.32) and a greater risk of both multiple ovulations (genetic correlation of 0.25) and embryo loss (genetic correlation of 0.32). Greater body condition score was genetically associated with an increased likelihood of resumption of cyclicity postpartum (genetic correlation of 0.52). Genetically heavier, fatter carcasses with better conformation were also associated with an increased likelihood of resumed cyclicity by the time of examination (genetic correlations ranged from 0.24 to 0.41). Genetically heavier carcasses were associated with an inferior uterine score as well as a greater

Tumor suppressor gene mutation in a patient with a history of hyperparathyroidism-jaw tumor syndrome and healed generalized osteitis fibrosa cystica: a case report and genetic pathophysiology review.

Science.gov (United States)

Parfitt, Joshua; Harris, Malcolm; Wright, John M; Kalamchi, Sabah

2015-01-01

Hyperparathyroidism-jaw tumor (HPT-JT) was first observed by Jackson in 1958 in a family who exhibited hyperparathyroidism and recurrent pancreatitis. The author noticed the presence of jaw tumors in the affected family and reported them as fibrous dysplasia. However, it was not until 1990 that a familial variety of hyperparathyroidism with fibro-osseous jaw tumors was recognized as HPT-JT syndrome and reported as a clinically and genetically distinct syndrome. Hyperparathyroidism generally arises from glandular hyperplasia or parathyroid adenomas, with only about 1% of cases resulting from parathyroid carcinoma. However, parathyroid carcinoma develops in about 15% of HPT-JT patients. The true incidence of HPT-JT is unknown, although the prevalence of about 100 published cases suggests its rarity. Twenty percent of HPT-JT cases have renal hamartomas or tumors, and female patients with HPT-JT have been reported to have carcinoma of the uterus. This syndrome appears to arise from a variety of mutations that deactivate the tumor suppressor gene CDC73 (also known as HRPT2) and its production of the tumor suppressor protein parafibromin. Functional parafibromin has 531 amino acids, and mutations result in a short nonfunctional protein. CDC73 disorders exhibit dominant germline gene behavior, with varying degrees of penetration. In most cases an affected person has 1 parent with the condition, which raises the need for family investigation and genetic counseling. We report a case of HPT-JT syndrome in a male patient who presented to the local community hospital 6 years previously with a history of back pain. Investigations showed elevated serum parathyroid hormone and calcium levels, and a technetium 99m sestamibi parathyroid scan showed increased activity at the site of the lower left gland that proved to be a substernal parathyroid carcinoma. The patient's parathyroid hormone level dropped from 126 to 97 pg/mL at 5 minutes and was 65 pg/mL at 10 minutes after excision

Genetic variants in the region harbouring IL2/IL21 associated with ulcerative colitis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Festen, E. A. M.; Goyette, P.; Scott, R.; Annese, V.; Zhernakova, A.; Lian, J.; Lefebvre, C.; Brant, S. R.; Cho, J. H.; Silverberg, M. S.; Taylor, K. D.; de Jong, D. J.; Stokkers, P. C.; Mcgovern, D.; Palmieri, O.; Achkar, J-P; Xavier, R. J.; Daly, M. J.; Duerr, R. H.; Wijmenga, C.; Weersma, R. K.; Rioux, J. D.

Objectives: Genetic susceptibility is known to play a large part in the predisposition to the inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) known as Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). The IL2/IL21 locus on 4q27 is known to be a common risk locus for inflammatory disease (shown in coeliac

Genetic variants in the region harbouring IL2/IL21 associated with ulcerative colitis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Festen, E.A.M.; Goyette, P.; Scott, R.; Annese, V.; Zhernakova, A.; Lian, J.; Lefèbvre, C.; Brant, S.R.; Cho, J.H.; Silverberg, M.S.; Taylor, K.D.; de Jong, D.J.; Stokkers, P.C.; Mcgovern, D.; Palmieri, O.; Achkar, J.P.; Xavier, R.J.; Daly, M.J.; Duerr, R.H.; Wijmenga, C.; Weersma, R.K.; Rioux, J.D.

2009-01-01

Objectives: Genetic susceptibility is known to play a large part in the predisposition to the inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) known as Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). The IL2/IL21 locus on 4q27 is known to be a common risk locus for inflammatory disease (shown in coeliac

Genetic variants in the region harbouring IL2/IL21 associated with ulcerative colitis.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Festen, E.A.; Goyette, P.; Scott, R.; Annese, V.; Zhernakova, A.; Lian, J.; Lefebvre, C.; Brant, S.R.; Cho, J.H.; Silverberg, M.S.; Taylor, K.D.; Jong, D.J. de; Stokkers, P.C.; Mcgovern, D.; Palmieri, O.; Achkar, J.P.; Xavier, R.J.; Daly, M.J.; Duerr, R.H.; Wijmenga, C.; Weersma, R.K.; Rioux, J.D.

2009-01-01

OBJECTIVES: Genetic susceptibility is known to play a large part in the predisposition to the inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) known as Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). The IL2/IL21 locus on 4q27 is known to be a common risk locus for inflammatory disease (shown in coeliac

Genetic and biochemical evidence that haploinsufficiency of the Nf1 tumor suppressor gene modulates melanocyte and mast cell fates in vivo.

Science.gov (United States)

Ingram, D A; Yang, F C; Travers, J B; Wenning, M J; Hiatt, K; New, S; Hood, A; Shannon, K; Williams, D A; Clapp, D W

2000-01-03

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a common autosomal-dominant disorder characterized by cutaneous neurofibromas infiltrated with large numbers of mast cells, melanocyte hyperplasia, and a predisposition to develop malignant neoplasms. NF1 encodes a GTPase activating protein (GAP) for Ras. Consistent with Knudson's "two hit" model of tumor suppressor genes, leukemias and malignant solid tumors in NF1 patients frequently demonstrate somatic loss of the normal NF1 allele. However, the phenotypic and biochemical consequences of heterozygous inactivation of Nf1 are largely unknown. Recently neurofibromin, the protein encoded by NF1, was shown to negatively regulate Ras activity in Nf1-/- murine myeloid hematopoietic cells in vitro through the c-kit receptor tyrosine kinase (dominant white spotting, W). Since the W and Nf1 locus appear to function along a common developmental pathway, we generated mice with mutations at both loci to examine potential interactions in vivo. Here, we show that haploinsufficiency at Nf1 perturbs cell fates in mast cells in vivo, and partially rescues coat color and mast cell defects in W(41) mice. Haploinsufficiency at Nf1 also increased mast cell proliferation, survival, and colony formation in response to Steel factor, the ligand for c-kit. Furthermore, haploinsufficiency was associated with enhanced Ras-mitogen-activated protein kinase activity, a major downstream effector of Ras, via wild-type and mutant (W(41)) c-kit receptors. These observations identify a novel interaction between c-kit and neurofibromin in vivo, and offer experimental evidence that haploinsufficiency of Nf1 alters both cellular and biochemical phenotypes in two cell lineages that are affected in individuals with NF1. Collectively, these data support the emerging concept that heterozygous inactivation of tumor suppressor genes may have profound biological effects in multiple cell types.

Molecular mechanisms of carcinogenesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hall, E.J.

1997-01-01

The possibility that chromosomal changes are responsible for neoplasia was proposed in the early years of this century. A combination of improved cytogenetics and the advent of recombinant technology has settled the issue. As recently as 20 years ago, however, the genetic and molecular basis of familiar predisposition to cancer were a mystery, and it is only in the last few years that light has been shed on a few specific types of malignancies. As the genetic basis of human cancer had been documented, a number of genes have been identified as functioning either as oncogenes which act in a dominant fashion to promote tumor growth when mutated, or as tumor suppressor genes which act in a recessive fashion

Early onset MSI-H colon cancer with MLH1 promoter methylation, is there a genetic predisposition?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roon, Eddy HJ van; Hes, Frederik J; Tops, Carli MJ; Wezel, Tom van; Boer, Judith M; Morreau, Hans; Puijenbroek, Marjo van; Middeldorp, Anneke; Eijk, Ronald van; Meijer, Emile J de; Erasmus, Dianhdra; Wouters, Kim AD; Engeland, Manon van; Oosting, Jan

2010-01-01

To investigate the etiology of MLH1 promoter methylation in mismatch repair (MMR) mutation-negative early onset MSI-H colon cancer. As this type of colon cancer is associated with high ages, young patients bearing this type of malignancy are rare and could provide additional insight into the etiology of sporadic MSI-H colon cancer. We studied a set of 46 MSI-H colon tumors cases with MLH1 promoter methylation which was enriched for patients with an age of onset below 50 years (n = 13). Tumors were tested for CIMP marker methylation and mutations linked to methylation: BRAF, KRAS, GADD45A and the MLH1 -93G>A polymorphism. When available, normal colon and leukocyte DNA was tested for GADD45A mutations and germline MLH1 methylation. SNP array analysis was performed on a subset of tumors. We identified two cases (33 and 60 years) with MLH1 germline promoter methylation. BRAF mutations were less frequent in colon cancer patients below 50 years relative to patients above 50 years (p-value: 0.044). CIMP-high was infrequent and related to BRAF mutations in patients below 50 years. In comparison with published controls the G>A polymorphism was associated with our cohort. Although similar distribution of the pathogenic A allele was observed in the patients with an age of onset above and below 50 years, the significance for the association was lost for the group under 50 years. GADD45A sequencing yielded an unclassified variant. Tumors from both age groups showed infrequent copy number changes and loss-of-heterozygosity. Somatic or germline GADD45A mutations did not explain sporadic MSI-H colon cancer. Although germline MLH1 methylation was found in two individuals, locus-specific somatic MLH1 hypermethylation explained the majority of sporadic early onset MSI-H colon cancer cases. Our data do not suggest an intrinsic tendency for CpG island hypermethylation in these early onset MSI-H tumors other than through somatic mutation of BRAF

Early onset MSI-H colon cancer with MLH1 promoter methylation, is there a genetic predisposition?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hes Frederik J

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background To investigate the etiology of MLH1 promoter methylation in mismatch repair (MMR mutation-negative early onset MSI-H colon cancer. As this type of colon cancer is associated with high ages, young patients bearing this type of malignancy are rare and could provide additional insight into the etiology of sporadic MSI-H colon cancer. Methods We studied a set of 46 MSI-H colon tumors cases with MLH1 promoter methylation which was enriched for patients with an age of onset below 50 years (n = 13. Tumors were tested for CIMP marker methylation and mutations linked to methylation: BRAF, KRAS, GADD45A and the MLH1 -93G>A polymorphism. When available, normal colon and leukocyte DNA was tested for GADD45A mutations and germline MLH1 methylation. SNP array analysis was performed on a subset of tumors. Results We identified two cases (33 and 60 years with MLH1 germline promoter methylation. BRAF mutations were less frequent in colon cancer patients below 50 years relative to patients above 50 years (p-value: 0.044. CIMP-high was infrequent and related to BRAF mutations in patients below 50 years. In comparison with published controls the G>A polymorphism was associated with our cohort. Although similar distribution of the pathogenic A allele was observed in the patients with an age of onset above and below 50 years, the significance for the association was lost for the group under 50 years. GADD45A sequencing yielded an unclassified variant. Tumors from both age groups showed infrequent copy number changes and loss-of-heterozygosity. Conclusion Somatic or germline GADD45A mutations did not explain sporadic MSI-H colon cancer. Although germline MLH1 methylation was found in two individuals, locus-specific somatic MLH1 hypermethylation explained the majority of sporadic early onset MSI-H colon cancer cases. Our data do not suggest an intrinsic tendency for CpG island hypermethylation in these early onset MSI-H tumors other than through

Clinical and Genetic Characterization of Patients with Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia/Cardiomyopathy Caused by a Plakophilin-2 Splice Mutation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Smagt, Jasper J.; van der Zwaag, Paul A.; van Tintelen, J. Peter; Cox, Moniek G. P. J.; Wilde, Arthur A. M.; van Langen, Irene M.; Ummels, Amber; Hennekam, F. A. M.; Dooijes, Dennis; Gerbens, Frans; Bikker, Hennie; Hauer, Richard N. W.; Doevendans, Pieter A.

2012-01-01

Objectives: Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy (ARVD/C) is characterized by fibrofatty replacement of cardiomyocytes. In around 50% of index patients, a genetic predisposition is demonstrated. The purpose of this study was to examine a plakophilin-2 (PKP2) splice site

Androgenetic Alopecia: Identification of Four Genetic Risk Loci and Evidence for the Contribution of WNT Signaling to Its Etiology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heilmann, S.; Kiefer, A.K.; Fricker, N.; Drichel, D.; Hillmer, A.M.; Herold, C.; Tung, J.Y.; Eriksson, N.; Redler, S.; Betz, R.C.; Li, R.; Karason, A.; Nyholt, D.R.; Song, K.; Vermeulen, S.; Kanoni, S.; Dedoussis, G.; Martin, N.G.; Kiemeney, L.A.L.M.; Mooser, V.; Stefansson, K.; Richards, J.B.; Becker, T.; Brockschmidt, F.F.; Hinds, D.A.; Nothen, M.M.

2013-01-01

The pathogenesis of androgenetic alopecia (AGA, male-pattern baldness) is driven by androgens, and genetic predisposition is the major prerequisite. Candidate gene and genome-wide association studies have reported that single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at eight different genomic loci are

The E7-associated cell-surface antigen: a marker for the 11p13 chromosomal deletion associated with aniridia-Wilms tumor.

OpenAIRE

Scoggin, C H; Fisher, J H; Shoemaker, S A; Morse, H; Leigh, T; Riccardi, V M

1985-01-01

Unbalanced interstitial deletions of the p13 region of human chromosome 11 have been associated with congenital hypoplasia or aplasia of the iris, mental retardation, ambiguous genitalia, and predisposition to Wilms tumor of the kidney. Utilizing somatic cell hybrids containing either the normal or abnormal chromosome 11 from a child with Wilms tumor and aniridia, we previously mapped the E7 cell-surface antigen to the 11p1300-to-11p15.1 region. To localize even further the site of this antig...

A Novel Method to Generate and Expand Clinical-Grade, Genetically Modified, Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marie-Andrée Forget

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Following the clinical success achieved with the first generation of adoptive cell therapy (ACT utilizing in vitro expanded tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs, the second and third generations of TIL ACT are evolving toward the use of genetically modified TIL. TIL therapy generally involves the transfer of a high number of TIL, ranging from 109 to 1011 cells. One of the technical difficulties in genetically modifying TIL, using a retroviral vector, is the ability to achieve large expansion of transduced TIL, while keeping the technique suitable to a Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP environment. Consequently, we developed and optimized a novel method for the efficient production of large numbers of GMP-grade, gene-modified TIL for the treatment of patients with ACT. The chemokine receptor CXCR2 was used as the gene of interest for methodology development. The optimized procedure is currently used in the production of gene-modified TIL for two clinical trials for the treatment of metastatic melanoma at MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Human genetics of infectious diseases: between proof of principle and paradigm.

Science.gov (United States)

Alcaïs, Alexandre; Abel, Laurent; Casanova, Jean-Laurent

2009-09-01

The observation that only a fraction of individuals infected by infectious agents develop clinical disease raises fundamental questions about the actual pathogenesis of infectious diseases. Epidemiological and experimental evidence is accumulating to suggest that human genetics plays a major role in this process. As we discuss here, human predisposition to infectious diseases seems to cover a continuous spectrum from monogenic to polygenic inheritance. Although many studies have provided proof of principle that infectious diseases may result from various types of inborn errors of immunity, the genetic determinism of most infectious diseases in most patients remains unclear. However, in the future, studies in human genetics are likely to establish a new paradigm for infectious diseases.

Cancer Screening and Genetics: A Tale of Two Paradigms

OpenAIRE

Hamilton, Jada G.; Edwards, Heather M.; Khoury, Muin J.; Taplin, Stephen H.

2014-01-01

The long-standing medical tradition to “first do no harm” is reflected in population-wide evidence-based recommendations for cancer screening tests that focus primarily on reducing morbidity and mortality. The conventional cancer screening process is predicated on finding early-stage disease that can be treated effectively; yet emerging genetic and genomic testing technologies have moved the target earlier in the disease development process to identify a probabilistic predisposition to diseas...

Epigenetic changes in solid and hematopoietic tumors.

Science.gov (United States)

Toyota, Minoru; Issa, Jean-Pierre J

2005-10-01

There are three connected molecular mechanisms of epigenetic cellular memory in mammalian cells: DNA methylation, histone modifications, and RNA interference. The first two have now been firmly linked to neoplastic transformation. Hypermethylation of CpG-rich promoters triggers local histone code modifications resulting in a cellular camouflage mechanism that sequesters gene promoters away from transcription factors and results in stable silencing. This normally restricted mechanism is ubiquitously used in cancer to silence hundreds of genes, among which some critically contribute to the neoplastic phenotype. Virtually every pathway important to cancer formation is affected by this process. Methylation profiling of human cancers reveals tissue-specific epigenetic signatures, as well as tumor-specific signatures, reflecting in particular the presence of epigenetic instability in a subset of cancers affected by the CpG island methylator phenotype. Generally, methylation patterns can be traced to a tissue-specific, proliferation-dependent accumulation of aberrant promoter methylation in aging tissues, a process that can be accelerated by chronic inflammation and less well-defined mechanisms including, possibly, diet and genetic predisposition. The epigenetic machinery can also be altered in cancer by specific lesions in epigenetic effector genes, or by aberrant recruitment of these genes by mutant transcription factors and coactivators. Epigenetic patterns are proving clinically useful in human oncology via risk assessment, early detection, and prognostic classification. Pharmacologic manipulation of these patterns-epigenetic therapy-is also poised to change the way we treat cancer in the clinic.

The microbiome in PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Byrd, Victoria; Getz, Ted; Padmanabhan, Roshan; Arora, Hans; Eng, Charis

2018-03-01

Germline PTEN mutations defining PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome (PHTS) confer heritable predisposition to breast, endometrial, thyroid and other cancers with known age-related risks, but it remains impossible to predict if any individual will develop cancer. In the general population, gut microbial dysbiosis has been linked to cancer, yet is unclear whether these are associated in PHTS patients. In this pilot study, we aimed to characterize microbial composition of stool, urine, and oral wash from 32 PTEN mutation-positive individuals using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. PCoA revealed clustering of the fecal microbiome by cancer history ( P  = 0.03, R 2  = 0.04). Fecal samples from PHTS cancer patients had relatively more abundant operational taxonomic units (OTUs) from family Rikenellaceae and unclassified members of Clostridia compared to those from non-cancer patients, whereas families Peptostreptococcaceae, Enterobacteriaceae, and Bifidobacteriaceae represented relatively more abundant OTUs among fecal samples from PHTS non-cancer patients. Functional metagenomic prediction revealed enrichment of the folate biosynthesis, genetic information processing and cell growth and death pathways among fecal samples from PHTS cancer patients compared to non-cancer patients. We found no major shifts in overall diversity and no clustering by cancer history among oral wash or urine samples. Our observations suggest the utility of an expanded study to interrogate gut dysbiosis as a potential cancer risk modifier in PHTS patients. © 2018 The authors.

A targeted constitutive mutation in the APC tumor suppressor gene underlies mammary but not intestinal tumorigenesis.

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Claudia Gaspar

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Germline mutations in the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC gene are responsible for familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP, an autosomal dominant hereditary predisposition to the development of multiple colorectal adenomas and of a broad spectrum of extra-intestinal tumors. Moreover, somatic APC mutations play a rate-limiting and initiating role in the majority of sporadic colorectal cancers. Notwithstanding its multifunctional nature, the main tumor suppressing activity of the APC gene resides in its ability to regulate Wnt/beta-catenin signaling. Notably, genotype-phenotype correlations have been established at the APC gene between the length and stability of the truncated proteins encoded by different mutant alleles, the corresponding levels of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling activity they encode for, and the incidence and distribution of intestinal and extra-intestinal tumors. Here, we report a novel mouse model, Apc1572T, obtained by targeting a truncated mutation at codon 1572 in the endogenous Apc gene. This hypomorphic mutant allele results in intermediate levels of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling activation when compared with other Apc mutations associated with multifocal intestinal tumors. Notwithstanding the constitutive nature of the mutation, Apc(+/1572T mice have no predisposition to intestinal cancer but develop multifocal mammary adenocarcinomas and subsequent pulmonary metastases in both genders. The histology of the Apc1572T primary mammary tumours is highly heterogeneous with luminal, myoepithelial, and squamous lineages and is reminiscent of metaplastic carcinoma of the breast in humans. The striking phenotype of Apc(+/1572T mice suggests that specific dosages of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling activity differentially affect tissue homeostasis and initiate tumorigenesis in an organ-specific fashion.

Leukemia and colon tumor detection based on microarray data classification using momentum backpropagation and genetic algorithm as a feature selection method

Science.gov (United States)

Wisesty, Untari N.; Warastri, Riris S.; Puspitasari, Shinta Y.

2018-03-01

Cancer is one of the major causes of mordibility and mortality problems in the worldwide. Therefore, the need of a system that can analyze and identify a person suffering from a cancer by using microarray data derived from the patient’s Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA). But on microarray data has thousands of attributes, thus making the challenges in data processing. This is often referred to as the curse of dimensionality. Therefore, in this study built a system capable of detecting a patient whether contracted cancer or not. The algorithm used is Genetic Algorithm as feature selection and Momentum Backpropagation Neural Network as a classification method, with data used from the Kent Ridge Bio-medical Dataset. Based on system testing that has been done, the system can detect Leukemia and Colon Tumor with best accuracy equal to 98.33% for colon tumor data and 100% for leukimia data. Genetic Algorithm as feature selection algorithm can improve system accuracy, which is from 64.52% to 98.33% for colon tumor data and 65.28% to 100% for leukemia data, and the use of momentum parameters can accelerate the convergence of the system in the training process of Neural Network.

Advances in genetics and immunology: the importance of basic research to prevention of occupational diseases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Omenn, G.S.

1984-01-01

Differences among workers in susceptibility to workplace exposures to environmental agents such as metals, ultraviolet radiation, and x-radiation are discussed. The distinction is made between the need for (1) monitoring for effects on the genetic material (genetic toxicology) and (2) screening for predisposing inherited traits (eco-genetics). Genetically-determined differences in susceptibility are discussed in relation to mechanisms of metabolism and of target sites. While there is not enough evidence to support routine genetic screening at this time there is common agreement that several promising areas for research on potential genetic predispositions warrant careful study. There is also reassuring evidence that productive relationships for research can be established among unions, management, and universities. 56 references, 3 figures, 7 tables

Gender Differences and Effect of Air Pollution on Asthma in Children with and without Allergic Predisposition: Northeast Chinese Children Health Study

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Dong, Guang-Hui; Chen, Tao; Liu, Miao-Miao; Wang, Da; Ma, Ya-Nan; Ren, Wan-Hui; Lee, Yungling Leo; Zhao, Ya-Dong; He, Qin-Cheng

2011-01-01

Background Males and females exhibit different health responses to air pollution, but little is known about how exposure to air pollution affects juvenile respiratory health after analysis stratified by allergic predisposition. The aim of the present study was to assess the relationship between air pollutants and asthmatic symptoms in Chinese children selected from multiple sites in a heavily industrialized province of China, and investigate whether allergic predisposition modifies this relationship. Methodology/Principal Findings 30139 Chinese children aged 3-to-12 years were selected from 25 districts of seven cities in northeast China in 2009. Information on respiratory health was obtained using a standard questionnaire from the American Thoracic Society. Routine air-pollution monitoring data was used for particles with an aerodynamic diameter ≤10 µm (PM10), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxides (NO2), ozone (O3) and carbon monoxide (CO). A two-stage regression approach was applied in data analyses. The effect estimates were presented as odds ratios (ORs) per interquartile changes for PM10, SO2, NO2, O3, and CO. The results showed that children with allergic predisposition were more susceptible to air pollutants than children without allergic predisposition. Amongst children without an allergic predisposition, air pollution effects on asthma were stronger in males compared to females; Current asthma prevalence was related to PM10 (ORs = 1.36 per 31 µg/m3; 95% CI, 1.08–1.72), SO2 (ORs = 1.38 per 21 µg/m3; 95%CI, 1.12–1.69) only among males. However, among children with allergic predisposition, more positively associations between air pollutants and respiratory symptoms and diseases were detected in females; An increased prevalence of doctor-diagnosed asthma was significantly associated with SO2 (ORs = 1.48 per 21 µg/m3; 95%CI, 1.21–1.80), NO2 (ORs = 1.26 per 10 µg/m3; 95%CI, 1.01–1.56), and current asthma with O3 (ORs = 1

Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Imaging of Tumor Metabolic Markers for Cancer Diagnosis, Metabolic Phenotyping, and Characterization of Tumor Microenvironment

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Qiuhong He

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Cancer cells display heterogeneous genetic characteristics, depending on the tumor dynamic microenvironment. Abnormal tumor vasculature and poor tissue oxygenation generate a fraction of hypoxic tumor cells that have selective advantages in metastasis and invasion and often resist chemo- and radiation therapies. The genetic alterations acquired by tumors modify their biochemical pathways, which results in abnormal tumor metabolism. An elevation in glycolysis known as the “Warburg effect” and changes in lipid synthesis and oxidation occur. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS has been used to study tumor metabolism in preclinical animal models and in clinical research on human breast, brain, and prostate cancers. This technique can identify specific genetic and metabolic changes that occur in malignant tumors. Therefore, the metabolic markers, detectable by MRS, not only provide information on biochemical changes but also define different metabolic tumor phenotypes. When combined with the contrast-enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI, which has a high sensitivity for cancer diagnosis, in vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI improves the diagnostic specificity of malignant human cancers and is becoming an important clinical tool for cancer management and care. This article reviews the MRSI techniques as molecular imaging methods to detect and quantify metabolic changes in various tumor tissue types, especially in extracranial tumor tissues that contain high concentrations of fat. MRI/MRSI methods have been used to characterize tumor microenvironments in terms of blood volume and vessel permeability. Measurements of tissue oxygenation and glycolytic rates by MRS also are described to illustrate the capability of the MR technology in probing molecular information non-invasively in tumor tissues and its important potential for studying molecular mechanisms of human cancers in physiological conditions.

The Perceived Reality of Television and Aggressive Predispositions Among Children in Mexico.

Science.gov (United States)

Korzenny, Felipe

The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of several independent variables in predicting the perception of television's content as real. The relationship between the perception of television violence as real and agressive predispositions of young viewers was analyzed. Two hundred seventy-three Mexican children in the third and…

Genetic variants in the region harbouring IL2/IL21 associated with ulcerative colitis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Festen, E. A. M.; Goyette, P.; Scott, R.; Annese, V.; Zhernakova, A.; Lian, J.; Lefèbvre, C.; Brant, S. R.; Cho, J. H.; Silverberg, M. S.; Taylor, K. D.; de Jong, D. J.; Stokkers, P. C.; Mcgovern, D.; Palmieri, O.; Achkar, J.-P.; Xavier, R. J.; Daly, M. J.; Duerr, R. H.; Wijmenga, C.; Weersma, R. K.; Rioux, J. D.

2009-01-01

Genetic susceptibility is known to play a large part in the predisposition to the inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) known as Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). The IL2/IL21 locus on 4q27 is known to be a common risk locus for inflammatory disease (shown in coeliac disease, type 1

Chronic pain, depression and cardiovascular disease linked through a shared genetic predisposition: Analysis of a family-based cohort and twin study

Science.gov (United States)

Padmanabhan, Sandosh; Porteous, David J.; Burri, Andrea V.; Tanaka, Haruka; Williams, Frances M. K.

2017-01-01

(OR 2·20 [1·90–2·54]). Similar odds were obtained when the outcomes and predictors were reversed and similar effects seen among sibling pairs; depression in one sibling predicted chronic pain in the other (OR 1·34 [1·05–1·71]), angina predicted chronic pain in the other (OR 2·19 [1·63–2·95]), and depression, angina (OR 1·98 [1·49–2·65]). Individuals with chronic pain and angina showed almost four-fold greater odds of depression compared with those manifesting neither trait (OR 3·78 [2·99–4·78]); angina showed seven-fold increased odds in the presence of chronic pain and depression (OR 7·76 [6·05–9·95]) and chronic pain nine-fold in the presence of depression and angina (OR 9·43 [6·85–12·98]). In TwinsUK, the relationship between CWP and depression has been published (R = 0.34, prelationship, the most suitable model to describe the observed data was a combination of A, C and E, with a small but significant genetic predisposition, shared between the two traits (2·2% [95% CI 0·06–0·23]). Conclusion We found an increased co-occurrence of chronic pain, depression and cardiovascular disease in two independent cohorts (general population-based cohort, twins cohort) suggesting a shared genetic contribution. Adjustment for known environmental influences, particularly those relating to socio-economic status (Generation Scotland: age, gender, deprivation, smoking, education; Twins UK: age,BMI) did not explain the relationship observed between chronic pain, depression and cardiovascular disease. Our findings from two independent cohorts challenge the concept of traditional disease boundaries and warrant further investigation of shared biological mechanisms. PMID:28225781

Chronic pain, depression and cardiovascular disease linked through a shared genetic predisposition: Analysis of a family-based cohort and twin study.

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Oliver van Hecke

]. Similar odds were obtained when the outcomes and predictors were reversed and similar effects seen among sibling pairs; depression in one sibling predicted chronic pain in the other (OR 1·34 [1·05-1·71], angina predicted chronic pain in the other (OR 2·19 [1·63-2·95], and depression, angina (OR 1·98 [1·49-2·65]. Individuals with chronic pain and angina showed almost four-fold greater odds of depression compared with those manifesting neither trait (OR 3·78 [2·99-4·78]; angina showed seven-fold increased odds in the presence of chronic pain and depression (OR 7·76 [6·05-9·95] and chronic pain nine-fold in the presence of depression and angina (OR 9·43 [6·85-12·98]. In TwinsUK, the relationship between CWP and depression has been published (R = 0.34, p<0.01. Considering the CWP-cardiovascular relationship, the most suitable model to describe the observed data was a combination of A, C and E, with a small but significant genetic predisposition, shared between the two traits (2·2% [95% CI 0·06-0·23].We found an increased co-occurrence of chronic pain, depression and cardiovascular disease in two independent cohorts (general population-based cohort, twins cohort suggesting a shared genetic contribution. Adjustment for known environmental influences, particularly those relating to socio-economic status (Generation Scotland: age, gender, deprivation, smoking, education; Twins UK: age,BMI did not explain the relationship observed between chronic pain, depression and cardiovascular disease. Our findings from two independent cohorts challenge the concept of traditional disease boundaries and warrant further investigation of shared biological mechanisms.

Frequency of malignant tumors during the first two decades of life in the offspring (F1) of atomic bomb survivors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshimoto, Yasuhiko; Neel, J.V.; Kato, Hiroo; Mabuchi, Kiyohiko; Schull, W.J.; Soda, Midori; Eto, Ryozo.

1990-05-01

The incidence of cancer prior to age 20 has been determined in children born to atomic bomb survivors and to a suitable comparison group. Tumor ascertainment was through death certificates and the tumor registries maintained in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The rationale for the study stemmed from the evidence that a significant proportion of childhood tumors such as retinoblastoma and Wilms' tumor arise on the basis of a mutant gene inherited from one parent plus a second somatic cell mutation involving the allele of this gene. Gonadal radiation doses were calculated using the recently established DS86 system, supplemented by an ad hoc system for those children whose parents' (one or both) DS86 dose could not be computed but for whom a dose could be developed on the basis of the available information. The total data set consisted of: 1) a cohort of 31,150 liveborn children, one or both of whose parents received ≥ 0.01 Sv of radiation at the time of the A-bombings (an average conjoint gonad exposure of 0.435 Sv), and 2) two suitable comparison groups, totaling 41,066 children. A total of 92 cancer cases at age less than 20 years was confirmed; 49 and 43 cases, respectively, in the 0 Sv and ≥ 0.01 Sv groups. A multiple linear regression analysis revealed no increase in malignancy in the children of exposed parents. However, examination of the data suggested that only 3.0 % to 5.0 % of the tumors of childhood observed in the comparison groups are associated with an inherited genetic predisposition that would be expected to exhibit an altered frequency if the parental mutation rate were increased. These is thus far no confirmation of the positive findings of Nomura in a mouse system. (author)

Genetic predisposition to hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis: Report on 500 patients from the Italian registry

OpenAIRE

Cetica, Valentina; Sieni, Elena; Pende, Daniela; Danesino, Cesare; De Fusco, Carmen; Locatelli, Franco; Micalizzi, Concetta; Putti, Maria Caterina; Biondi, Andrea; Fagioli, Franca; Moretta, Lorenzo; Griffiths, Gillian M.; Luzzatto, Lucio; Aric?, Maurizio

2016-01-01

Background Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rare life-threatening disease affecting mostly children but also adults and characterized by hyperinflammatory features. A subset of patients, referred to as having familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (FHL), have various underlying genetic abnormalities, the frequencies of which have not been systematically determined previously. Objective This work aims to further our understanding of the pathogenic bases of this ra...

Nature and Nurture: What Determines Tumor Metabolic Phenotypes?

Science.gov (United States)

Mayers, Jared R; Vander Heiden, Matthew G

2017-06-15

Understanding the genetic basis of cancer has led to therapies that target driver mutations and has helped match patients with more personalized drugs. Oncogenic mutations influence tumor metabolism, but other tumor characteristics can also contribute to their metabolic phenotypes. Comparison of isogenic lung and pancreas tumor models suggests that use of some metabolic pathways is defined by lineage rather than by driver mutation. Lung tumors catabolize circulating branched chain amino acids (BCAA) to extract nitrogen for nonessential amino acid and nucleotide synthesis, whereas pancreatic cancer obtains amino acids from catabolism of extracellular protein. These differences in amino acid metabolism translate into distinct pathway dependencies, as genetic disruption of the enzymes responsible for utilization of BCAA nitrogen limits the growth of lung tumors, but not pancreatic tumors. These data argue that some cancer metabolic phenotypes are defined by cancer tissue-of-origin and environment and that these features constrain the influence of genetic mutations on metabolism. A better understanding of the factors defining tumor nutrient utilization could be exploited to help improve cancer therapy. Cancer Res; 77(12); 3131-4. ©2017 AACR . ©2017 American Association for Cancer Research.

Determinants of Excess Genetic Risk of Acute Myocardial Infarction - A Matched Case-Control Study

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Valenta, Zdeněk; Mazura, Ivan; Kolář, M.; Feglarová, Petra; Peleška, Jan; Tomečková, Marie; Kalina, Jan; Slovák, Dalibor; Zvárová, Jana

2012-01-01

Roč. 8, č. 1 (2012), s. 34-43 ISSN 1801-5603 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) 1M06014 Institutional support: RVO:67985807 Keywords : genome-wide association study * gene expression * myocardial infarction * genetic predisposition * predictive modeling Subject RIV: BB - Applied Statistics, Operational Research http://www.ejbi.org/img/ejbi/2012/1/Valenta_en.pdf

Specific features of Brodie’s tumors

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D. A. Denchik

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Brodie’s tumors are comparatively rare in oncological care and difficult-to-diagnose masses with an unpredictable course, predilection for recurrences, and a high probability of malignization. These tumors have a two-component structure with the predominant develop- ment of a connective tissue component that is absolute in sarcomas and, in a group of fibroepithelial tumors, combines with the parallel development of epithelial tissue.The etiology of Brodie’s tumor is unclear, so is its pathogenesis. Molecular genetic studies have shown that the carriers of germ line missence-mutation R1699W in the BRCA1 gene have an increased risk of developing malignant Brodie’s tumor, but allele losses at the D22S264 locus of the TP5 gene determine the progression of the disease. Deletion of the short-arm of chromosome 1 (1p and allelic imbalance are associated with the more aggressive course and recurrences of Brodie’s tumor.A complex clinicomorphological and molecular genetic study will help answer some questions concerning the diagnosis and treatment of Brodie’s tumors.

In vivo tracking of genetically engineered, anti-HER2/neu directed natural killer cells to HER2/neu positive mammary tumors with magnetic resonance imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daldrup-Link, Heike E.; Meier, Reinhardt; Metz, Stephan; Settles, Marcus; Rummeny, Ernst J.; Rudelius, Martina; Piontek, Guido; Schlegel, Juergen; Piert, Morand; Uherek, Christoph; Wels, Winfried

2005-01-01

The purpose of this study is to optimize labeling of the human natural killer (NK) cell line NK-92 with iron-oxide-based contrast agents and to monitor the in vivo distribution of genetically engineered NK-92 cells, which are directed against HER2/neu receptors, to HER2/neu positive mammary tumors with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Parental NK-92 cells and genetically modified HER2/neu specific NK-92-scFv(FRP5)-zeta cells, expressing a chimeric antigen receptor specific to the tumor-associated ErbB2 (HER2/neu) antigen, were labeled with ferumoxides and ferucarbotran using simple incubation, lipofection and electroporation techniques. Labeling efficiency was evaluated by MR imaging, Prussian blue stains and spectrometry. Subsequently, ferucarbotran-labeled NK-92-scFv(FRP5)-zeta (n=3) or parental NK-92 cells were intravenously injected into the tail vein of six mice with HER2/neu-positive NIH 3T3 mammary tumors, implanted in the mammary fat pad. The accumulation of the cells in the tumors was monitored by MR imaging before and 12 and 24 h after cell injection (p.i.). MR data were correlated with histopathology. Both the parental NK-92 and the genetically modified NK-92-scFv(FRP5)-zeta cells could be labeled with ferucarbotran and ferumoxides by lipofection and electroporation, but not by simple incubation. The intracellular cytoplasmatic iron-oxide uptake was significantly higher after labeling with ferucarbotran than ferumoxides (P 6 NK-92-scFv(FRP5)-zeta cells into tumor-bearing mice, MR showed a progressive signal decline in HER2/neu-positive mammary tumors at 12 and 24 h (p.i.). Conversely, injection of 5 x 10 6 parental NK-92 control cells, not directed against HER2/neu receptors, did not cause significant signal intensity changes of the tumors. Histopathology confirmed an accumulation of the former, but not the latter cells in tumor tissue. The human natural killer cell line NK-92 can be efficiently labeled with clinically applicable iron-oxide contrast

In vivo tracking of genetically engineered, anti-HER2/neu directed natural killer cells to HER2/neu positive mammary tumors with magnetic resonance imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Daldrup-Link, Heike E. [UCSF Medical Center, Department of Radiology, San Francisco, CA (United States); Meier, Reinhardt; Metz, Stephan; Settles, Marcus; Rummeny, Ernst J. [Technical University Munich, Department of Radiology, Munich (Germany); Rudelius, Martina; Piontek, Guido; Schlegel, Juergen [Technical University Munich, Institute of Pathology, Division of Neuropathology, Munich (Germany); Piert, Morand [Technical University Munich, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Munich (Germany); Uherek, Christoph; Wels, Winfried [University of Frankfurt, Georg Speyer House, Frankfurt (Germany)

2005-01-01

The purpose of this study is to optimize labeling of the human natural killer (NK) cell line NK-92 with iron-oxide-based contrast agents and to monitor the in vivo distribution of genetically engineered NK-92 cells, which are directed against HER2/neu receptors, to HER2/neu positive mammary tumors with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Parental NK-92 cells and genetically modified HER2/neu specific NK-92-scFv(FRP5)-zeta cells, expressing a chimeric antigen receptor specific to the tumor-associated ErbB2 (HER2/neu) antigen, were labeled with ferumoxides and ferucarbotran using simple incubation, lipofection and electroporation techniques. Labeling efficiency was evaluated by MR imaging, Prussian blue stains and spectrometry. Subsequently, ferucarbotran-labeled NK-92-scFv(FRP5)-zeta (n=3) or parental NK-92 cells were intravenously injected into the tail vein of six mice with HER2/neu-positive NIH 3T3 mammary tumors, implanted in the mammary fat pad. The accumulation of the cells in the tumors was monitored by MR imaging before and 12 and 24 h after cell injection (p.i.). MR data were correlated with histopathology. Both the parental NK-92 and the genetically modified NK-92-scFv(FRP5)-zeta cells could be labeled with ferucarbotran and ferumoxides by lipofection and electroporation, but not by simple incubation. The intracellular cytoplasmatic iron-oxide uptake was significantly higher after labeling with ferucarbotran than ferumoxides (P<0.05). After intravenous injection of 5 x 10{sup 6} NK-92-scFv(FRP5)-zeta cells into tumor-bearing mice, MR showed a progressive signal decline in HER2/neu-positive mammary tumors at 12 and 24 h (p.i.). Conversely, injection of 5 x 10{sup 6} parental NK-92 control cells, not directed against HER2/neu receptors, did not cause significant signal intensity changes of the tumors. Histopathology confirmed an accumulation of the former, but not the latter cells in tumor tissue. The human natural killer cell line NK-92 can be efficiently

Genetic and Genomic Characterization of 462 Melanoma Patient-Derived Xenografts, Tumor Biopsies, and Cell Lines

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Bradley Garman

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Summary: Tumor-sequencing studies have revealed the widespread genetic diversity of melanoma. Sequencing of 108 genes previously implicated in melanomagenesis was performed on 462 patient-derived xenografts (PDXs, cell lines, and tumors to identify mutational and copy number aberrations. Samples came from 371 unique individuals: 263 were naive to treatment, and 108 were previously treated with targeted therapy (34, immunotherapy (54, or both (20. Models of all previously reported major melanoma subtypes (BRAF, NRAS, NF1, KIT, and WT/WT/WT were identified. Multiple minor melanoma subtypes were also recapitulated, including melanomas with multiple activating mutations in the MAPK-signaling pathway and chromatin-remodeling gene mutations. These well-characterized melanoma PDXs and cell lines can be used not only as reagents for a large array of biological studies but also as pre-clinical models to facilitate drug development. : Garman et al. have characterized melanoma PDXs and cell lines described in Krepler et al. (see the related paper in this issue of Cell Reports, identifying major and minor subtypes, some of which were previously not well defined, targeted and immunotherapy resistance, and tumor heterogeneity, creating a set of reagents for future drug discovery and biological studies. Keywords: melanoma, patient-derived xenografts, massively parallel sequencing, cell lines

Age-Based Differences in the Genetic Determinants of Glycemic Control: A Case of FOXO3 Variations.

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Liang Sun

Full Text Available Glucose homeostasis is a trait of healthy ageing and is crucial to the elderly, but less consideration has been given to the age composition in most studies involving genetics and hyperglycemia.Seven variants in FOXO3 were genotyped in three cohorts (n = 2037; LLI, MI_S and MI_N; mean age: 92.5 ± 3.6, 45.9 ± 8.2 and 46.8 ± 10.3, respectively to compare the contribution of FOXO3 to fasting hyperglycemia (FH between long-lived individuals (LLI, aged over 90 years and middle-aged subjects (aged from 35-65 years.A different genetic predisposition of FOXO3 alleles to FH was observed between LLI and both of two middle-aged cohorts. In the LLI cohort, the longevity beneficial alleles of three variants with the haplotype "AGGC" in block 1 were significantly protective to FH, fasting glucose, hemoglobin A1C and HOMA-IR. Notably, combining multifactor dimensionality reduction and logistic regression, we identified a significant 3-factor interaction model (rs2802288, rs2802292 and moderate physical activity associated with lower FH risk. However, not all of the findings were replicated in the two middle-aged cohorts.Our data provides a novel insight into the inconsistent genetic determinants between middle-aged and LLI subjects. FOXO3 might act as a shared genetic predisposition to hyperglycemia and lifespan.

Age-Based Differences in the Genetic Determinants of Glycemic Control: A Case of FOXO3 Variations.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Liang; Hu, Caiyou; Qian, Yu; Zheng, Chenguang; Liang, Qinghua; Lv, Zeping; Huang, Zezhi; Qi, Keyan; Huang, Jin; Zhou, Qin; Yang, Ze

2015-01-01

Glucose homeostasis is a trait of healthy ageing and is crucial to the elderly, but less consideration has been given to the age composition in most studies involving genetics and hyperglycemia. Seven variants in FOXO3 were genotyped in three cohorts (n = 2037; LLI, MI_S and MI_N; mean age: 92.5 ± 3.6, 45.9 ± 8.2 and 46.8 ± 10.3, respectively) to compare the contribution of FOXO3 to fasting hyperglycemia (FH) between long-lived individuals (LLI, aged over 90 years) and middle-aged subjects (aged from 35-65 years). A different genetic predisposition of FOXO3 alleles to FH was observed between LLI and both of two middle-aged cohorts. In the LLI cohort, the longevity beneficial alleles of three variants with the haplotype "AGGC" in block 1 were significantly protective to FH, fasting glucose, hemoglobin A1C and HOMA-IR. Notably, combining multifactor dimensionality reduction and logistic regression, we identified a significant 3-factor interaction model (rs2802288, rs2802292 and moderate physical activity) associated with lower FH risk. However, not all of the findings were replicated in the two middle-aged cohorts. Our data provides a novel insight into the inconsistent genetic determinants between middle-aged and LLI subjects. FOXO3 might act as a shared genetic predisposition to hyperglycemia and lifespan.

Anti-angiogenesis therapy based on the bone marrow-derived stromal cells genetically engineered to express sFlt-1 in mouse tumor model

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Chen X-C

2008-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Bone marrow-derived stromal cells (BMSCs are important for development, tissue cell replenishment, and wound healing in physiological and pathological conditions. BMSCs were found to preferably reach sites undergoing the process of cell proliferation, such as wound and tumor, suggesting that BMSCs may be used as a vehicle for gene therapy of tumor. Methods Mouse BMSCs were loaded with recombinant adenoviruses which express soluble Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 (sFlt-1. The anti-angiogenesis of sFlt-1 in BMSCs was determined using endothelial cells proliferation inhibition assay and alginate encapsulation assay. The anti-tumor effects of BMSCs expressing sFlt-1 through tail-vein infusion were evaluated in two mouse tumor metastases models. Results BMSCs genetically modified with Adv-GFP-sFlt-1 could effectively express and secret sFlt-1. BMSCs loaded with sFlt-1 gene could preferentially home to tumor loci and decrease lung metastases and prolong lifespan in mouse tumor model through inducing anti-angiogenesis and apoptosis in tumors. Conclusion We demonstrated that BMSCs might be employed as a promising vehicle for tumor gene therapy which can effectively not only improve the concentration of anticancer therapeutics in tumors, but also modify the tumor microenvironment.

The RadGenomics project. Prediction for radio-susceptibility of individuals with genetic predisposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Imai, Takashi

2003-01-01

The ultimate goal of our project, named RadGenomics, is to elucidate the heterogeneity of the response to ionizing radiation arising from genetic variation among individuals, for the purpose of developing personalized radiation therapy regimens for cancer patients. Cancer patients exhibit patient-to-patient variability in normal tissue reactions after radiotherapy. Several observations support the hypothesis that the radiosensitivity of normal tissue is influenced by genetic factors. The rapid progression of human genome sequencing and the recent development of new technologies in molecular biology are providing new opportunities for elucidating the genetic basis of individual differences in susceptibility to radiation exposure. The development of a sufficiently robust, predictive assay enabling individual dose adjustment would improve the outcome of radiation therapy in patients. Our strategy for identification of DNA polymorphisms that contribute to the individual radiosensitivity is as follows. First, we have been categorizing DNA samples obtained from cancer patients, who have been kindly introduced to us through many collaborators, according to their clinical characteristics including the method and effect of treatment and side effects as scored by toxicity criteria, and also the result of an in vitro radiosensitivity assay, e.g., the micronuclei assay of their lymphocytes. Second, we have identified candidate genes for genotyping mainly by using our custom-designed oligonucleotide array with RNA samples, in which the probes were obtained from more than 40 cancer and 3 fibroblast cell lines whose radiosensitivity level was quite heterogeneous. We have also been studying the modification of proteins after irradiation of cells which may be caused by mainly phosphorylation or dephosphorylation, using mass spectrometry. Genes encoding the modified proteins and/or other proteins with which they interact such as specific protein kinases and phosphatases are also

Human genetics of infectious diseases: between proof of principle and paradigm

OpenAIRE

Alcaïs, Alexandre; Abel, Laurent; Casanova, Jean-Laurent

2009-01-01

The observation that only a fraction of individuals infected by infectious agents develop clinical disease raises fundamental questions about the actual pathogenesis of infectious diseases. Epidemiological and experimental evidence is accumulating to suggest that human genetics plays a major role in this process. As we discuss here, human predisposition to infectious diseases seems to cover a continuous spectrum from monogenic to polygenic inheritance. Although many studies have provided proo...

Genetic Influences on Conduct Disorder

Science.gov (United States)

Salvatore, Jessica E.; Dick, Danielle M.

2016-01-01

Conduct disorder (CD) is a moderately heritable psychiatric disorder of childhood and adolescence characterized by aggression toward people and animals, destruction of property, deceitfulness or theft, and serious violation of rules. Genome-wide scans using linkage and association methods have identified a number of suggestive genomic regions that are pending replication. A small number of candidate genes (e.g., GABRA2, MAOA, SLC6A4, AVPR1A) are associated with CD related phenotypes across independent studies; however, failures to replicate also exist. Studies of gene-environment interplay show that CD genetic predispositions also contribute to selection into higher-risk environments, and that environmental factors can alter the importance of CD genetic factors and differentially methylate CD candidate genes. The field’s understanding of CD etiology will benefit from larger, adequately powered studies in gene identification efforts; the incorporation of polygenic approaches in gene-environment interplay studies; attention to the mechanisms of risk from genes to brain to behavior; and the use of genetically informative data to test quasi-causal hypotheses about purported risk factors. PMID:27350097

Differential response of rat strains to obesogenic diets underlines the importance of genetic makeup of an individual towards obesity.

Science.gov (United States)

Mn, Muralidhar; Smvk, Prasad; Battula, Kiran Kumar; Nv, Giridharan; Kalashikam, Rajender Rao

2017-08-22

Obesity, a multifactorial disorder, results from a chronic imbalance of energy intake vs. expenditure. Apart from excessive consumption of high calorie diet, genetic predisposition also seems to be equally important for the development of obesity. However, the role of genetic predisposition in the etiology of obesity has not been clearly delineated. The present study addresses this problem by selecting three rat strains (WNIN, F-344, SD) with different genetic backgrounds and exposing them to high calorie diets. Rat strains were fed HF, HS, and HFS diets and assessed for physical, metabolic, biochemical, inflammatory responses, and mRNA expression. Under these conditions: significant increase in body weight, visceral adiposity, oxidative stress and systemic pro-inflammatory status; the hallmarks of central obesity were noticed only in WNIN. Further, they developed altered glucose and lipid homeostasis by exhibiting insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance, dyslipidemia and fatty liver condition. The present study demonstrates that WNIN is more prone to develop obesity and associated co-morbidities under high calorie environment. It thus underlines the cumulative role of genetics (nature) and diet (nurture) towards the development of obesity, which is critical for understanding this epidemic and devising new strategies to control and manage this modern malady.

Clinical and genetic aspects of testicular germ cell tumours

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Holzik Martijn

2008-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract In this paper we review clinical and genetic aspects of testicular germ cell tumours (TGCTs. TGCT is the most common type of malignant disorder in men aged 15-40 years. Its incidence has increased sharply in recent years. Fortunately, survival of patients with TGCT has improved enormously, which can chiefly be attributed to the cisplatin-based polychemotherapy that was introduced in the nineteen eighties to treat patients with metastasized TGCT. In addition, new strategies have been developed in the surgical approach to metastasized/non-metastasized TGCT and alterations have been made to the radiotherapy technique and radiation dose for seminoma. Family history of TGCT is among the strongest risk factors for this tumour type. Although this fact and others suggest the existence of genetic predisposition to develop TGCT, no germline mutations conferring high risk of developing TGCT have been identified so far. A small deletion, referred to as gr/gr, identified on the Y chromosome is probably associated with only a modest increase in TGCT risk, and linkage of familial TGCT to the Xq27 region has not been confirmed yet. Whether highly penetrant TGCT-predisposing mutations truly exist or familial clustering of TGCT can be explained by combinations of weak predispositions, shared in utero or postnatal risks factors and coincidental somatic mutations is an intriguing puzzle, still waiting to be solved.

Clinical and genetic aspects of testicular germ cell tumours.

Science.gov (United States)

Lutke Holzik, Martijn F; Sijmons, Rolf H; Hoekstra-Weebers, Josette Ehm; Sleijfer, Dirk T; Hoekstra, Harald J

2008-02-15

In this paper we review clinical and genetic aspects of testicular germ cell tumours (TGCTs). TGCT is the most common type of malignant disorder in men aged 1540 years. Its incidence has increased sharply in recent years. Fortunately, survival of patients with TGCT has improved enormously, which can chiefly be attributed to the cisplatin-based polychemotherapy that was introduced in the nineteen eighties to treat patients with metastasized TGCT. In addition, new strategies have been developed in the surgical approach to metastasized/non-metastasized TGCT and alterations have been made to the radiotherapy technique and radiation dose for seminoma. Family history of TGCT is among the strongest risk factors for this tumour type. Although this fact and others suggest the existence of genetic predisposition to develop TGCT, no germline mutations conferring high risk of developing TGCT have been identified so far. A small deletion, referred to as gr/gr, identified on the Y chromosome is probably associated with only a modest increase in TGCT risk, and linkage of familial TGCT to the Xq27 region has not been confirmed yet. Whether highly penetrant TGCT-predisposing mutations truly exist or familial clustering of TGCT can be explained by combinations of weak predispositions, shared in utero or postnatal risks factors and coincidental somatic mutations is an intriguing puzzle, still waiting to be solved.

The Double Helix: Applying an Ethic of Care to the Duty to Warn Genetic Relatives of Genetic Information.

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Weaver, Meaghann

2016-03-01

Genetic testing reveals information about a patient's health status and predictions about the patient's future wellness, while also potentially disclosing health information relevant to other family members. With the increasing availability and affordability of genetic testing and the integration of genetics into mainstream medicine, the importance of clarifying the scope of confidentiality and the rules regarding disclosure of genetic findings to genetic relatives is prime. The United Nations International Declaration on Human Genetic Data urges an appreciation for principles of equality, justice, solidarity and responsibility in the context of genetic testing, including a commitment to honoring the privacy and security of the person tested. Considering this global mandate and recent professional statements in the context of a legal amendment to patient privacy policies in Australia, a fresh scrutiny of the legal history of a physician's duty to warn is warranted. This article inquiries whether there may be anything ethically or socially amiss with a potential future recommendation for health professionals or patients to universally disclose particular cancer predisposition genetic diagnosis to genetic family members. While much of the discussion remains applicable to all genetic diagnosis, the article focuses on the practice of disclosure within the context of BRCA1/2 diagnosis. An 'ethic of care' interpretation of legal tradition and current practice will serve to reconcile law and medical policy on the issue of physician disclosure of genetic results to family members without patient consent. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Genetic association of the functional CDHR3 genotype with early-onset adult asthma in Japanese populations

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Jun Kanazawa

2017-10-01

Conclusions: Our study supports the concept that the CDHR3 variant is an important susceptibility factor for severe adult asthma in individuals who develop the disease in early life. The interaction between the CDHR3 variant and atopy indicates that genetic predisposition to early respiratory viral infection is combined with atopy in promoting asthma.

Long-term fluorescence lifetime imaging of a genetically encoded sensor for caspase-3 activity in mouse tumor xenografts

Science.gov (United States)

Zherdeva, Victoria; Kazachkina, Natalia I.; Shcheslavskiy, Vladislav; Savitsky, Alexander P.

2018-03-01

Caspase-3 is known for its role in apoptosis and programmed cell death regulation. We detected caspase-3 activation in vivo in tumor xenografts via shift of mean fluorescence lifetimes of a caspase-3 sensor. We used the genetically encoded sensor TR23K based on the red fluorescent protein TagRFP and chromoprotein KFP linked by 23 amino acid residues (TagRFP-23-KFP) containing a specific caspase cleavage DEVD motif to monitor the activity of caspase-3 in tumor xenografts by means of fluorescence lifetime imaging-Forster resonance energy transfer. Apoptosis was induced by injection of paclitaxel for A549 lung adenocarcinoma and etoposide and cisplatin for HEp-2 pharynx adenocarcinoma. We observed a shift in lifetime distribution from 1.6 to 1.9 ns to 2.1 to 2.4 ns, which indicated the activation of caspase-3. Even within the same tumor, the lifetime varied presumably due to the tumor heterogeneity and the different depth of tumor invasion. Thus, processing time-resolved fluorescence images allows detection of both the cleaved and noncleaved states of the TR23K sensor in real-time mode during the course of several weeks noninvasively. This approach can be used in drug screening, facilitating the development of new anticancer agents as well as improvement of chemotherapy efficiency and its adaptation for personal treatment.

[Psychological distress in applicants for genetic screening for colorectal cancer].

Science.gov (United States)

Fantini, C; Pedinielli, J-L; Manouvrier, S

2007-01-01

Introduction. The development of a DNA based diagnostic test has allowed for the genetic screening of many hereditary diseases. In addition to the identification of the deleterious gene, this screening process has led to the recognition of developing illnesses at high risk. In recent years, a number of genes predisposing to an inherited cancer syndrome have been identified. Our purpose in this study was to determine whether subjects at risk who test for inherited colorectal cancer, are likely to develop a higher level of psychological distress than the norm, taking into consideration the particular history of this familial disease. The demographic and psychosocial aspects of our population was described using: 1) the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), 2) the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D), 3) a perceived risk for the gene carrier, 4) subjective perception of personal vulnerability and 5) the role of the medical status (affected or not), which places the subject in either predisposition or predictive testing. Results show that our population had a higher predisposition for depressive disorders (chi2=9,3. p=0.002) and a significantly higher state of anxiety (chi2=9,3. p=0.002), prior to genetic counselling, compared with other populations. We found no evidence in the medical status, nor the perceived risk. However, the assessment of one's own personal vulnerability is related to psychological distress. These results highlight the particular vulnerability of subjects undergoing genetic testing as well as showing the pertinence of proposing psychological help throughout the process of these new specific diagnoses.

Predisposition Factors of Career and Technical Education Transfer Students: A Hermeneutic Phenomenology Study

Science.gov (United States)

Hioki, Warren; Lester, Derek; Martinez, Mario

2015-01-01

Six college students, who were career and technical education (CTE) transfer students in the state of Nevada, were interviewed Spring Semester of 2009. The study used a hermeneutic phenomenology framework as the method to identify those predisposition variables that heavily influenced the students in their decision to transfer to a senior…

Intra-tumor heterogeneity in head and neck cancer and its clinical implications

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Edmund A. Mroz

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The presence of heritable differences among cancer cells within a tumor, called intra-tumor genetic heterogeneity, has long been suspected of playing a role in poor responses to therapy. Research over the past decade has documented the existence of such heterogeneity within tumors of individual patients and documented its potential clinical significance. The research methods for identifying this heterogeneity were not, however, readily adaptable to widespread clinical application. After a brief review of this background, we describe the development of a measure of intra-tumor genetic heterogeneity, based on whole-exome sequencing of individual tumor samples, that could be applied to biopsy specimens in a clinical setting. This measure has now been used in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC to document, for the first time, a relation of high intra-tumor genetic heterogeneity to shorter overall survival in a large, multi-institutional study. The implications of heterogeneity for research and clinical care thus now need to be addressed. Keywords: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, Intra-tumor genetic heterogeneity, Next-generation sequencing, Targeted therapy

The tumor vasculature is a target for genetic radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mauceri, Helena J.; Heimann, Ruth; Seetharam, Saraswathy; Beckett, Michael A.; Weichselbaum, Ralph R.

1997-01-01

Purpose: Tumor progression and metastasis require the growth of new capillaries from existing blood vessels. Tumor cells produce both activators and inhibitors of endothelial cell proliferation and migration. Changes in the balance between these regulators appear to govern an angiogenic switch which is activated during tumor development. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) has a biphasic role in angiogenesis. It has been demonstrated that relatively low concentrations of TNF induce angiogenesis while high doses inhibit growth of blood vessels. In our previous studies, using the SQ-20B xenograft model system, we demonstrated increased tumor control when a virus containing the radiation-inducible promoter Egr-1 ligated to a cDNa for TNF-α was combined with radiation. The dominant histopathological feature of tumors receiving combined treatment with Ad.Egr-TNF and radiation was intratumoral vascular thrombosis. The present studies examine the role of TNF in tumor progression by investigating the effects of TNF on VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) production in vitro and on tumor vessel count in vivo. Methods: SQ-20B tumor cells in serum-free medium were exposed to hrTNF (10 ng/ml) 4 hours prior to a single dose of x-irradiation (10 Gy). 24 hrs. after treatment, the conditioned medium was harvested, centrifuged, diluted 1:10, and assayed for VEGF using a Quantikine TNF ELISA kit. For studies in vivo, female nude mice were injected sc in the right thigh with 10 6 SQ-20B cells. Xenografts were irradiated with four 5 Gy fractions (20 Gy) and injected twice with either Ad.Egr-TNF or Ad.null. Control tumors were injected with buffer. To highlight vessels, sections from paraffin embedded tissue were stained with anti-CD31 antibody using standard immunohistochemical techniques. Areas of high vascular density were identified and five high power fields (400X) were counted. Data are shown as the mean ± S.E.M. for each treatment group. Significance was evaluated using one

Role for the Wilms tumor gene in genital development?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

van Heyningen, V.; Bickmore, W.A.; Seawright, A.; Fletcher, J.M.; Maule, J.; Hastie, N.D.; Fekete, G.; Gessler, M.; Bruns, G.A.P.; Huerre-Jeanpierre, C.; Junien, C.; Williams, B.R.G.

1990-01-01

Detailed molecular definition of the WAGR region at chromosome 11p13 has been achieved by chromosome breakpoint analysis and long-range restriction mapping. Here the authors describe the molecular detection of a cytogenetically invisible 1-megabase deletion in an individual with aniridia, cryptorchidism, and hypospadias but no Wilms tumor (WT). The region of overlap between this deletion and one associated with WT and similar genital anomalies but no aniridia covers a region of 350-400 kilobases, which is coincident with the extent of homozygous deletion detected in tumor tissue from a sporadic WT. A candidate WT gene located within this region has recently been isolated, suggesting nonpenetrance for tumor expression in the first individual. The inclusion within the overlap region of a gene for WT predisposition and a gene for the best-documented WT-associated genitourinary malformations leads to suggest that both of these anomalies result from a loss-of-function mutation at the same locus. This in turn implies that the WT gene exerts pleiotropic effect on both kidney and genitourinary development, a possibility supported by the observed expression pattern of the WT candidate gene in developing kidney and gonads

Evidence for genetic association between chromosome 1q loci and predisposition to colorectal neoplasia.

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Schubert, S.A.; Ruano, D.; Elsayed, F.A.; Boot, A.; Crobach, S.; Sarasqueta, A.F.; Wolffenbuttel, B.; van der Klauw, M.M.; Oosting, J.; Tops, C.M.; van Eijk, R.; Vasen, H.F.; Vossen, R.H.; Nielsen, M.; Castellví-Bel, S.; Ruiz-Ponte, C.; Tomlinson, I.; Dunlop, M.G.; Vodička, Pavel; Wijnen, J.T.; Hes, F.J.; Morreau, H.; de Miranda, N.F.; Sijmons, R.H.; van Wezel, T.

2017-01-01

Roč. 117, č. 8 (2017), s. 1215-1223 ISSN 0007-0920 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LD14050 Institutional support: RVO:68378041 Keywords : hereditary colorectal cancer * colorectal polyps * homozygosity mapping Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology OBOR OECD: Biochemistry and molecular biology Impact factor: 6.176, year: 2016

Genetic profiles of cervical tumors by high-throughput sequencing for personalized medical care

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muller, Etienne; Brault, Baptiste; Holmes, Allyson; Legros, Angelina; Jeannot, Emmanuelle; Campitelli, Maura; Rousselin, Antoine; Goardon, Nicolas; Frébourg, Thierry; Krieger, Sophie; Crouet, Hubert; Nicolas, Alain; Sastre, Xavier; Vaur, Dominique; Castéra, Laurent

2015-01-01

Cancer treatment is facing major evolution since the advent of targeted therapies. Building genetic profiles could predict sensitivity or resistance to these therapies and highlight disease-specific abnormalities, supporting personalized patient care. In the context of biomedical research and clinical diagnosis, our laboratory has developed an oncogenic panel comprised of 226 genes and a dedicated bioinformatic pipeline to explore somatic mutations in cervical carcinomas, using high-throughput sequencing. Twenty-nine tumors were sequenced for exons within 226 genes. The automated pipeline used includes a database and a filtration system dedicated to identifying mutations of interest and excluding false positive and germline mutations. One-hundred and seventy-six total mutational events were found among the 29 tumors. Our cervical tumor mutational landscape shows that most mutations are found in PIK3CA (E545K, E542K) and KRAS (G12D, G13D) and others in FBXW7 (R465C, R505G, R479Q). Mutations have also been found in ALK (V1149L, A1266T) and EGFR (T259M). These results showed that 48% of patients display at least one deleterious mutation in genes that have been already targeted by the Food and Drug Administration approved therapies. Considering deleterious mutations, 59% of patients could be eligible for clinical trials. Sequencing hundreds of genes in a clinical context has become feasible, in terms of time and cost. In the near future, such an analysis could be a part of a battery of examinations along the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, helping to detect sensitivity or resistance to targeted therapies and allow advancements towards personalized oncology

Intravital imaging of plasticity during tumor growth and metastasis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zomer, Anoek

2015-01-01

Most tumors consist of a heterogeneous mixture of genetically and epigenetically distinct tumor cells. In addition, tumors display regional differences in the tumor microenvironment comprising non-transformed cell types such as immune cells and non-cellular factors including growth factors and the

Will parental exposure to radiation induce tumor in sibling ?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watanabe, Hiromitsu; Takahashi, Tadateru; Toyota, Kazuhiro; Ito, Akihiro

1991-01-01

There are reports of possible risk of transmission of genetic trait(s) through the germ cell in acquired cancer from parent to sibling. We have confirmed that paternal exposure to 252 Cf neutron irradiation in mice induced sperm abnormality leading to dominant lethals and liver tumors at F 1 offspring. On the other hand, C3H male mice have been known to have high incidence of spontaneous hepatic tumors and increased hepatic tumor risk in F 1 offsprings maybe caused by the genetic transmission of the hepatoma-inducible-trait amplified by 252 Cf neutron irradiation. The present paper describes that paternal exposure to X-ray or chemicals induces heritable characteristics including anomalies and tumors in some special strains of mice and rats. Some possible mechanisms of transmission of genetic trait(s) are also discussed. (author) 52 refs

Hereditary syndromes with enhanced radiosensitivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lohmann, D.

2000-01-01

Sensitivity to ionizing radiation is modified by heritable genetic factors. This is exemplified by heritable disorders that are characterized by predisposition to the development of neoplasms. Cells derived from patients with ataxia telangiectasia, Nijmegen breakage syndrome and ataxia telangiektasia-like disorder show a markedly changed reaction to exposure to ionizing radiation. Correspondingly, at least in patients with ataxia telangiectasia, an enhanced radiosensitivity that is of clinical importance has been observed. In addition to these recessive disorders, some autosomal dominant cancer predisposition syndromes are associated with increased radiosensitivity. As cells from these patients still have a normal allele (that is dominant over the mutant allele), the cellular phenotype is most often normal. Specifically, there is no overtly altered reaction in response to ionizing radiation. Nevertheless, two dominant cancer predisposition syndromes, namely hereditary retinoblastoma and naevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome, are associated with a enhanced radiosensitivity as indicated by increased development of tumors following radiation therapy. (orig.) [de

Simultaneous development of craniopharyngioma and choroid plexus carcinoma in the childhood -a clinical case

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marinova, L.; Georgiev, R.; Mihaylova, I.

2014-01-01

We present a clinical case of 9 years old girl with concomitant brain tumors - choroid plexus carcinoma and craniopharyngioma diagnosed in 2009. After three operations, cranio-spinal irradiation with boost for the remaining tumor located in left ventricular trigonum to a total dose of 55 Gy and 7 courses chemotherapy, local tumor control was achieved for the choroid plexus carcinoma. Four years following the achievement of local tumor control of the choroid plexus carcinoma, an increase of the tumor formation located in the left side of the pituitary was reported. The diagnosis cystic craniopharyngeoma was found during the surgical operation. With this clinical case we would like to stress on the achieved local tumor control following the complex treatment of carcinoma of the choroid plexus, as well as on the slow growth of simultaneously diagnosed craniopharyngeoma. This case report raises the question of the genetic predisposition of the brain tumors in children, as well as possibility of malignant transformation of craniopharyngeoma following radiotherapy. The differential diagnosis of neuroectodermal brain tumors requires immunohistochemical analysis and if necessary genetic analysis. Key words: Complex treatment. Choroid plexus carcinoma. Craniopharyngioma. Radiotherapy. Malignant transformation. Simultaneity

Genetic modification of risk assessment based on staging of preclinical type 1 diabetes in siblings of affected children.

Science.gov (United States)

Mrena, S; Savola, K; Kulmala, P; Reijonen, H; Ilonen, J; Akerblom, H K; Knip, M

2003-06-01

We set out to study the association between human leukocyte antigen-defined genetic disease susceptibility and the stage of preclinical type 1 diabetes and whether genetic predisposition affects the natural course of preclinical diabetes in initially nondiabetic siblings of affected children. A total of 701 initially unaffected siblings were graded into four stages of preclinical type 1 diabetes based on the initial number of disease-associated autoantibodies detectable close to the time of diagnosis of the index case: no prediabetes (no antibodies), early (one antibody specificity), advanced (two antibodies), and late prediabetes (three or more antibodies). Another classification system covering 659 siblings was based on a combination of the initial number of antibodies and the first-phase insulin response (FPIR) to iv glucose: no prediabetes (no antibodies), early (one antibody specificity, normal FPIR), advanced (two or more antibodies, normal FPIR), and late prediabetes (at least one antibody, reduced FPIR). Genetic susceptibility to type 1 diabetes was defined by human leukocyte antigen identity and DR and DQ genotypes. There was a higher proportion of siblings with late prediabetes initially among those with strong genetic disease susceptibility than among those with decreased genetic predisposition (16.7% vs. 0.5%; P siblings with no signs of prediabetes among those with genotypes conferring decreased risk (91.2% vs. 70.4% among those with high-risk DQB1 genotypes; P siblings than when combined with genetic susceptibility. Genetic susceptibility played a role in whether the initial prediabetic stage progressed (progression in 29.6% of the high-risk siblings compared with 6.6% of the siblings with DQB1 genotypes conferring decreased risk; P siblings of affected children.

Toll-like receptor 2 signaling protects mice from tumor development in a mouse model of colitis-induced cancer.

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Emily L Lowe

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD is a disorder of chronic inflammation with increased susceptibility to colorectal cancer. The etiology of IBD is unclear but thought to result from a dysregulated adaptive and innate immune response to microbial products in a genetically susceptible host. Toll-like receptor (TLR signaling induced by intestinal commensal bacteria plays a crucial role in maintaining intestinal homeostasis, innate immunity and the enhancement of intestinal epithelial cell (IEC integrity. However, the role of TLR2 in the development of colorectal cancer has not been studied. We utilized the AOM-DSS model for colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC in wild type (WT and TLR2(-/- mice. Colons harvested from WT and TLR2(-/- mice were used for histopathology, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence and cytokine analysis. Mice deficient in TLR2 developed significantly more and larger colorectal tumors than their WT controls. We provide evidence that colonic epithelium of TLR2(-/- mice have altered immune responses and dysregulated proliferation under steady-state conditions and during colitis, which lead to inflammatory growth signals and predisposition to accelerated neoplastic growth. At the earliest time-points assessed, TLR2(-/- colons exhibited a significant increase in aberrant crypt foci (ACF, resulting in tumors that developed earlier and grew larger. In addition, the intestinal microenvironment revealed significantly higher levels of IL-6 and IL-17A concomitant with increased phospho-STAT3 within ACF. These observations indicate that in colitis, TLR2 plays a protective role against the development of CAC.

The novel Hsp90 inhibitor NXD30001 induces tumor regression in a genetically engineered mouse model of glioblastoma multiforme.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Haihao; Woolfenden, Steve; Bronson, Roderick T; Jaffer, Zahara M; Barluenga, Sofia; Winssinger, Nicolas; Rubenstein, Allan E; Chen, Ruihong; Charest, Al

2010-09-01

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) has an abysmal prognosis. We now know that the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling pathway and the loss of function of the tumor suppressor genes p16Ink4a/p19ARF and PTEN play a crucial role in GBM pathogenesis: initiating the early stages of tumor development, sustaining tumor growth, promoting infiltration, and mediating resistance to therapy. We have recently shown that this genetic combination is sufficient to promote the development of GBM in adult mice. Therapeutic agents raised against single targets of the EGFR signaling pathway have proven rather inefficient in GBM therapy, showing the need for combinatorial therapeutic approaches. An effective strategy for concurrent disruption of multiple signaling pathways is via the inhibition of the molecular chaperone heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90). Hsp90 inhibition leads to the degradation of so-called client proteins, many of which are key effectors of GBM pathogenesis. NXD30001 is a novel second generation Hsp90 inhibitor that shows improved pharmacokinetic parameters. Here we show that NXD30001 is a potent inhibitor of GBM cell growth in vitro consistent with its capacity to inhibit several key targets and regulators of GBM biology. We also show the efficacy of NXD30001 in vivo in an EGFR-driven genetically engineered mouse model of GBM. Our findings establish that the Hsp90 inhibitor NXD30001 is a therapeutically multivalent molecule, whose actions strike GBM at the core of its drivers of tumorigenesis and represent a compelling rationale for its use in GBM treatment.

Genetic predisposition to testicular cancer

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lutke Holzik, Martijn Frederik

2007-01-01

Alhoewel zaadbalkanker een zeldzame ziekte is, is het toch de meest voorkomende vorm van kanker bij mannen tussen de 15 en 40 jaar. De ziekte is tegenwoordig goed te behandelen en de 10 jaars overleving is ongeveer 90%. Het hebben van een familielid met zaadbalkanker is de sterkste risicofactor voor

Fine-Mapping of Common Genetic Variants Associated with Colorectal Tumor Risk Identified Potential Functional Variants.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mengmeng Du

Full Text Available Genome-wide association studies (GWAS have identified many common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs associated with colorectal cancer risk. These SNPs may tag correlated variants with biological importance. Fine-mapping around GWAS loci can facilitate detection of functional candidates and additional independent risk variants. We analyzed 11,900 cases and 14,311 controls in the Genetics and Epidemiology of Colorectal Cancer Consortium and the Colon Cancer Family Registry. To fine-map genomic regions containing all known common risk variants, we imputed high-density genetic data from the 1000 Genomes Project. We tested single-variant associations with colorectal tumor risk for all variants spanning genomic regions 250-kb upstream or downstream of 31 GWAS-identified SNPs (index SNPs. We queried the University of California, Santa Cruz Genome Browser to examine evidence for biological function. Index SNPs did not show the strongest association signals with colorectal tumor risk in their respective genomic regions. Bioinformatics analysis of SNPs showing smaller P-values in each region revealed 21 functional candidates in 12 loci (5q31.1, 8q24, 11q13.4, 11q23, 12p13.32, 12q24.21, 14q22.2, 15q13, 18q21, 19q13.1, 20p12.3, and 20q13.33. We did not observe evidence of additional independent association signals in GWAS-identified regions. Our results support the utility of integrating data from comprehensive fine-mapping with expanding publicly available genomic databases to help clarify GWAS associations and identify functional candidates that warrant more onerous laboratory follow-up. Such efforts may aid the eventual discovery of disease-causing variant(s.

Prospective cohort study of cannabis use, predisposition for psychosis, and psychotic symptoms in young people.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Henquet, C.J.; Krabbendam, L.; Spauwen, P.H.M.; Kaplan, C.; Lieb, R.; Wittchen, H.U.; Os, J. van

2005-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relation between cannabis use and psychotic symptoms in individuals with above average predisposition for psychosis who first used cannabis during adolescence. DESIGN: Analysis of prospective data from a population based sample. Assessment of substance use,

Multifocal Abrikossoff's granular cell tumor of the oesophagus: Case report

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Ranđelović Tomislav D.

2008-01-01

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION Granular cell tumors, relatively uncommon soft tissue tumors, have been a matter of debate among pathologists regarding histogenesis for a long time. Less common locations are in the aerodigestive tract including the oesophagus. CASE OUTLINE We have recently treated a rare case, a 37-year old male, who was admitted due to dysphagia and a painful swallow with occasional pharyngo-nasal regurgitation followed with a mild loss of weight. Standard clinical examination including X-ray chest, ECG and laboratory tests did not show pathological findings. Barium contrast oesophagography demonstrated multiple ovoid defects in the wall of the oesophagus. CT scan of the chest confirmed luminal narrowing owing to the tumor of the upper oesophagus. Upper endoscopy showed unusual multifocal nodular lesions alongside the oesophageal axis covered by smooth mucosa. A primary biopsy specimen taken from the largest nodules confirmed an unusual pathological finding of the granular cell tumor. Subtotal, transpleural oesophagectomy was performed and reconstruction was derived by long colon segment interposition through the posterior mediastinum. The postoperative course was uneventful. The operative specimen consisted of four ovoid tumors alongside the oesophagus (the greatest diameter 0.5-1.8, average 1.25. All verified tumors histologicaly consisted of a spindle-shaped or polygonal cells containing small and large eosinophilic granules and central nuclei. Most tumor cells showed strongly positive immunohistochemical staining for S-100 protein. These tumor cells were partially positive for p-53 and Ki-67. No lymph node metastases were detected histologically. CONCLUSION Multifocal granular cell tumor of the oesophagus is an unusual finding with low incidence, and rarely caused symptoms. Pathological features and multiplicity of such tumors emphasized malignant predisposition requiring surgical resection of the oesophagus.

Advances in the Genetic Characterization of Cutaneous Mesenchymal Neoplasms: Implications for Tumor Classification and Novel Diagnostic Markers.

Science.gov (United States)

Compton, Leigh A; Doyle, Leona A

2017-06-01

Cutaneous mesenchymal neoplasms often pose significant diagnostic challenges; many such entities are rare or show clinical and histologic overlap with both other mesenchymal and non-mesenchymal lesions. Recent advances in the genetic classification of many cutaneous mesenchymal neoplasms have not only helped define unique pathologic entities and increase our understanding of their biology, but have also provided new diagnostic markers. This review details these recent discoveries, with a focus on their implications for tumor classification and diagnosis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Synchronous clear cell renal cell carcinoma and tubulocystic carcinoma: genetic evidence of independent ontogenesis and implications of chromosomal imbalances in tumor progression

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Quiroga-Garza Gabriela

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Seven percent of renal cell carcinoma (RCC cases are diagnosed as "unclassified" RCC by morphology. Genetic profiling of RCCs helps define renal tumor subtypes, especially in cases where morphologic diagnosis is inconclusive. This report describes a patient with synchronous clear cell RCC (ccRCC and a tubulocystic renal carcinoma (TCRC in the same kidney, and discusses the pathologic features and genetic profile of both tumors. A 67 year-old male underwent CT scans for an unrelated medical event. Two incidental renal lesions were found and ultimately removed by radical nephrectomy. The smaller lesion had multiple small cystic spaces lined by hobnail cells with high nuclear grade separated by fibrous stroma. This morphology and the expression of proximal (CD10, AMACR and distal tubule cell (CK19 markers by immunohistochemistry supported the diagnosis of TCRC. The larger lesion was a typical ccRCC, with Fuhrman's nuclear grade 3 and confined to the kidney. Molecular characterization of both neoplasms using virtual karyotyping was performed to assess relatedness of these tumors. Low grade areas (Fuhrman grade 2 of the ccRCC showed loss of 3p and gains in chromosomes 5 and 7, whereas oncocytic areas displayed additional gain of 2p and loss of 10q; the high grade areas (Fuhrman grade 3 showed several additional imbalances. In contrast, the TCRC demonstrated a distinct profile with gains of chromosomes 8 and 17 and loss of 9. In conclusion, ccRCC and TCRC show distinct genomic copy number profiles and chromosomal imbalances in TCRC might be implicated in the pathogenesis of this tumor. Second, the presence of a ccRCC with varying degrees of differentiation exemplifies the sequence of chromosomal imbalances acquired during tumor progression. Virtual Slides The virtual slide(s for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/1790525735655283

Identification of Genetic Susceptibility Loci for Colorectal Tumors in a Genome-Wide Meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Peters, Ulrike; Jiao, Shuo; Schumacher, Fredrick R; Hutter, Carolyn M; Aragaki, Aaron K; Baron, John A; Berndt, Sonja I; Bézieau, Stéphane; Brenner, Hermann; Butterbach, Katja; Caan, Bette J; Campbell, Peter T; Carlson, Christopher S; Casey, Graham; Chan, Andrew T; Chang-Claude, Jenny; Chanock, Stephen J; Chen, Lin S; Coetzee, Gerhard A; Coetzee, Simon G; Conti, David V; Curtis, Keith R; Duggan, David; Edwards, Todd; Fuchs, Charles S; Gallinger, Steven; Giovannucci, Edward L; Gogarten, Stephanie M; Gruber, Stephen B; Haile, Robert W; Harrison, Tabitha A; Hayes, Richard B; Henderson, Brian E; Hoffmeister, Michael; Hopper, John L; Hudson, Thomas J; Hunter, David J; Jackson, Rebecca D; Jee, Sun Ha; Jenkins, Mark A; Jia, Wei-Hua; Kolonel, Laurence N; Kooperberg, Charles; Küry, Sébastien; Lacroix, Andrea Z; Laurie, Cathy C; Laurie, Cecelia A; Le Marchand, Loic; Lemire, Mathieu; Levine, David; Lindor, Noralane M; Liu, Yan; Ma, Jing; Makar, Karen W; Matsuo, Keitaro; Newcomb, Polly A; Potter, John D; Prentice, Ross L; Qu, Conghui; Rohan, Thomas; Rosse, Stephanie A; Schoen, Robert E; Seminara, Daniela; Shrubsole, Martha; Shu, Xiao-Ou; Slattery, Martha L; Taverna, Darin; Thibodeau, Stephen N; Ulrich, Cornelia M; White, Emily; Xiang, Yongbing; Zanke, Brent W; Zeng, Yi-Xin; Zhang, Ben; Zheng, Wei; Hsu, Li

2013-04-01

Heritable factors contribute to the development of colorectal cancer. Identifying the genetic loci associated with colorectal tumor formation could elucidate the mechanisms of pathogenesis. We conducted a genome-wide association study that included 14 studies, 12,696 cases of colorectal tumors (11,870 cancer, 826 adenoma), and 15,113 controls of European descent. The 10 most statistically significant, previously unreported findings were followed up in 6 studies; these included 3056 colorectal tumor cases (2098 cancer, 958 adenoma) and 6658 controls of European and Asian descent. Based on the combined analysis, we identified a locus that reached the conventional genome-wide significance level at less than 5.0 × 10(-8): an intergenic region on chromosome 2q32.3, close to nucleic acid binding protein 1 (most significant single nucleotide polymorphism: rs11903757; odds ratio [OR], 1.15 per risk allele; P = 3.7 × 10(-8)). We also found evidence for 3 additional loci with P values less than 5.0 × 10(-7): a locus within the laminin gamma 1 gene on chromosome 1q25.3 (rs10911251; OR, 1.10 per risk allele; P = 9.5 × 10(-8)), a locus within the cyclin D2 gene on chromosome 12p13.32 (rs3217810 per risk allele; OR, 0.84; P = 5.9 × 10(-8)), and a locus in the T-box 3 gene on chromosome 12q24.21 (rs59336; OR, 0.91 per risk allele; P = 3.7 × 10(-7)). In a large genome-wide association study, we associated polymorphisms close to nucleic acid binding protein 1 (which encodes a DNA-binding protein involved in DNA repair) with colorectal tumor risk. We also provided evidence for an association between colorectal tumor risk and polymorphisms in laminin gamma 1 (this is the second gene in the laminin family to be associated with colorectal cancers), cyclin D2 (which encodes for cyclin D2), and T-box 3 (which encodes a T-box transcription factor and is a target of Wnt signaling to β-catenin). The roles of these genes and their products in cancer pathogenesis warrant further

Update on Sporadic Colorectal Cancer Genetics.

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Hardiman, Karin M

2018-05-01

Our understanding of the genetics of colorectal cancer has changed dramatically over recent years. Colorectal cancer can be classified in multiple different ways. Along with the advent of whole-exome sequencing, we have gained an understanding of the scale of the genetic changes found in sporadic colorectal cancer. We now know that there are multiple pathways that are commonly involved in the evolution of colorectal cancer including Wnt/β-catenin, RAS, EGFR, and PIK3 kinase. Another recent leap in our understanding of colorectal cancer genetics is the recognition that many, if not all tumors, are actually genetically heterogeneous within individual tumors and also between tumors. Recent research has revealed the prognostic and possibly therapeutic implications of various specific mutations, including specific mutations in BRAF and KRAS . There is increasing interest in the use of mutation testing for screening and surveillance through stool and circulating DNA testing. Recent advances in translational research in colorectal cancer genetics are dramatically changing our understanding of colorectal cancer and will likely change therapy and surveillance in the near future.

Tumor-Derived Exosomes and Their Role in Tumor-Induced Immune Suppression

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Theresa L. Whiteside

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Tumor-derived exosomes (TEX are emerging as critical components of an intercellular information network between the tumor and the host. The tumor escapes from the host immune system by using a variety of mechanisms designed to impair or eliminate anti-tumor immunity. TEX carrying a cargo of immunoinhibitory molecules and factors represent one such mechanism. TEX, which are present in all body fluids of cancer patients, deliver negative molecular or genetic signals to immune cells re-programming their functions. Although TEX can also stimulate immune activity, in the microenvironments dominated by the tumor, TEX tend to mediate immune suppression thus promoting tumor progression. The TEX content, in part resembling that of the parent cell, may serve as a source of cancer biomarkers. TEX also interfere with immune therapies. A better understanding of TEX and their contribution to cancer progression and cancer patients’ response to immune therapies represents a challenging new field of investigation.

Genetic ablation of Bcl-x attenuates invasiveness without affecting apoptosis or tumor growth in a mouse model of pancreatic neuroendocrine cancer.

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Jeffrey H Hager

Full Text Available Tumor cell death is modulated by an intrinsic cell death pathway controlled by the pro- and anti-apoptotic members of the Bcl-2 family. Up-regulation of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family members has been shown to suppress cell death in pre-clinical models of human cancer and is implicated in human tumor progression. Previous gain-of-function studies in the RIP1-Tag2 model of pancreatic islet carcinogenesis, involving uniform or focal/temporal over-expression of Bcl-x(L, demonstrated accelerated tumor formation and growth. To specifically assess the role of endogenous Bcl-x in regulating apoptosis and tumor progression in this model, we engineered a pancreatic beta-cell-specific knockout of both alleles of Bcl-x using the Cre-LoxP system of homologous recombination. Surprisingly, there was no appreciable effect on tumor cell apoptosis rates or on tumor growth in the Bcl-x knockout mice. Other anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family members were expressed but not substantively altered at the mRNA level in the Bcl-x-null tumors, suggestive of redundancy without compensatory transcriptional up-regulation. Interestingly, the incidence of invasive carcinomas was reduced, and tumor cells lacking Bcl-x were impaired in invasion in a two-chamber trans-well assay under conditions mimicking hypoxia. Thus, while the function of Bcl-x in suppressing apoptosis and thereby promoting tumor growth is evidently redundant, genetic ablation implicates Bcl-x in selectively facilitating invasion, consistent with a recent report documenting a pro-invasive capability of Bcl-x(L upon exogenous over-expression.

Molecular characterization of melanoma cases in Denmark suspected of genetic predisposition.

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Karin A W Wadt

Full Text Available Both environmental and host factors influence risk of cutaneous melanoma (CM, and worldwide, the incidence varies depending on constitutional determinants of skin type and pigmentation, latitude, and patterns of sun exposure. We performed genetic analysis of CDKN2A, CDK4, BAP1, MC1R, and MITFp.E318K in Danish high-risk melanoma cases and found CDKN2A germline mutations in 11.3% of CM families with three or more affected individuals, including four previously undescribed mutations. Rare mutations were also seen in CDK4 and BAP1, while MC1R variants were common, occurring at more than twice the frequency compared to Danish controls. The MITF p.E318K variant similarly occurred at an approximately three-fold higher frequency in melanoma cases than controls. To conclude, we propose that mutation screening of CDKN2A and CDK4 in Denmark should predominantly be performed in families with at least 3 cases of CM. In addition, we recommend that testing of BAP1 should not be conducted routinely in CM families but should be reserved for families with CM and uveal melanoma, or mesothelioma.

Antibody-linked drug destroys tumor cells and tumor blood vessels in many types of cancer | Center for Cancer Research

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A team led by Brad St. Croix, Ph.D., Senior Associate Scientist, Mouse Cancer Genetics Program, has developed an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) that destroys both tumor cells and the blood vessels that nourish them. The drug significantly shrank breast tumors, colon tumors and several other types of cancer and prolonged survival. Learn more...  

Informing family members about a hereditary predisposition to cancer: attitudes and practices among clinical geneticists

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Stol, Y.; Menko, F.H.; Westerman, M.J.; Janssens, M.J.P.A.

2010-01-01

If a hereditary predisposition to colorectal cancer or breast cancer is diagnosed, most guidelines state that clinical geneticists should request index patients to inform their at-risk relatives about the existence of this condition in their family, thus enabling them to consider presymptomatic

Bridging Home and Host Country: Educational Predispositions of Chinese and Indian Recent Immigrant Families

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Gordon, June A.; Liu, Xiangyan

2015-01-01

This research focuses on the predispositions that recent Chinese and Indian immigrant families bring with them to the United States and how these are reinforced by the communities in which they locate. The findings draw from 144 interviews in California. Three themes dominate: positioning through schooling, transnational family, and extended…

The utility of alpha-fetoprotein screening in Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome.

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Duffy, Kelly A; Deardorff, Matthew A; Kalish, Jennifer M

2017-03-01

Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) is one of the most common cancer predisposition disorders. As a result, BWS patients receive tumor screening as part of their clinical management. Until recently, this screening has been employed uniformly across all genetic and epigenetic causes of BWS, including the utilization of ultrasonography to detect abdominal tumors and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) to detect hepatoblastoma. The advancements in our understanding of the genetics and epigenetics leading to BWS has evolved over time, and has led to the development of genotype/phenotype correlations. As tumor risk appears to correlate with genetic and epigenetic causes of BWS, several groups have proposed alterations to tumor screening protocols based on the etiology of BWS, with the elimination of AFP as a screening measure and the elimination of all screening measures in BWS patients with loss of methylation at the KCNQ1OT1:TSS-DMR 2 (IC2). There are many challenges to this suggestion, as IC2 patients may have additional factors that contribute to risk of hepatoblastoma including fetal growth patterns, relationship with assisted reproductive technologies, and the regulation of the IC2 locus. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

[{sup 131}I]FIAU labeling of genetically transduced, tumor-reactive lymphocytes: cell-level dosimetry and dose-dependent toxicity

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Zanzonico, Pat [Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Medical Physics, New York, NY (United States); Koehne, Guenther; Doubrovina, Ekaterina; O' Reilly, Richard J. [Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Allogeneic Transplantation Service, New York, NY (United States); Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Immunology Program, New York, NY (United States); Gallardo, Humilidad F. [Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Gene Transfer and Somatic Cell Engineering Facility, New York, NY (United States); Doubrovin, Mikhail; Blasberg, Ronald G. [Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Radiology, New York, NY (United States); Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Neurology, New York, NY (United States); Finn, Ronald [Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Radiochemistry and Cyclotron Core Facility, New York, NY (United States); Riviere, Isabelle; Sadelain, Michel [Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Immunology Program, New York, NY (United States); Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Gene Transfer and Somatic Cell Engineering Facility, New York, NY (United States); Larson, Steven M. [Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Radiology, New York, NY (United States)

2006-09-15

Donor T cells have been shown to be reactive against and effective in adoptive immunotherapy of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) lymphomas which develop in some leukemia patients post marrow transplantation. These T cells may be genetically modified by incorporation of a replication-incompetent viral vector (NIT) encoding both an inactive mutant nerve growth factor receptor (LNGFR), as an immunoselectable surface marker, and a herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-TK), rendering the cells sensitive to ganciclovir. The current studies are based on the selective HSV-TK-catalyzed trapping (phosphorylation) of the thymidine analog [{sup 131}I]-2'-fluoro-2'-deoxy-1-{beta}-D-arabinofuransyl-5-iodo-uracil (FIAU) as a means of stably labeling such T cells for in vivo trafficking (including tumor targeting) studies. Because of the radiosensitivity of lymphocytes and the potentially high absorbed dose to the nucleus from intracellular {sup 131}I (even at tracer levels), the nucleus absorbed dose (D{sub n}) and dose-dependent immune functionality were evaluated for NIT {sup +} T cells labeled ex vivo in [{sup 131}I ]FIAU-containing medium. Based on in vitro kinetic studies of [{sup 131}I ]FIAU uptake by NIT {sup +} T cells, D{sub n} was calculated using an adaptation of the MIRD formalism and the recently published MIRD cellular S factors. Immune cytotoxicity of [{sup 131}I ]FIAU-labeled cells was assayed against {sup 51}Cr-labeled target cells [B-lymphoblastoid cells (BLCLs) ] in a standard 4-h release assay. At median nuclear absorbed doses up to 830 cGy, a {sup 51}Cr-release assay against BLCLs showed no loss of immune cytotoxicity, thus demonstrating the functional integrity of genetically transduced, tumor-reactive T cells labeled at this dose level for in vivo cell trafficking and tumor targeting studies. (orig.)

Off and back-on again: a tumor suppressor's tale.

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Acosta, Jonuelle; Wang, Walter; Feldser, David M

2018-06-01

Tumor suppressor genes play critical roles orchestrating anti-cancer programs that are both context dependent and mechanistically diverse. Beyond canonical tumor suppressive programs that control cell division, cell death, and genome stability, unexpected tumor suppressor gene activities that regulate metabolism, immune surveillance, the epigenetic landscape, and others have recently emerged. This diversity underscores the important roles these genes play in maintaining cellular homeostasis to suppress cancer initiation and progression, but also highlights a tremendous challenge in discerning precise context-specific programs of tumor suppression controlled by a given tumor suppressor. Fortunately, the rapid sophistication of genetically engineered mouse models of cancer has begun to shed light on these context-dependent tumor suppressor activities. By using techniques that not only toggle "off" tumor suppressor genes in nascent tumors, but also facilitate the timely restoration of gene function "back-on again" in disease specific contexts, precise mechanisms of tumor suppression can be revealed in an unbiased manner. This review discusses the development and implementation of genetic systems designed to toggle tumor suppressor genes off and back-on again and their potential to uncover the tumor suppressor's tale.

The Genetic Architecture of Type 1 Diabetes

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Samuel T Jerram

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Type 1 diabetes (T1D is classically characterised by the clinical need for insulin, the presence of disease-associated serum autoantibodies, and an onset in childhood. The disease, as with other autoimmune diseases, is due to the interaction of genetic and non-genetic effects, which induce a destructive process damaging insulin-secreting cells. In this review, we focus on the nature of this interaction, and how our understanding of that gene–environment interaction has changed our understanding of the nature of the disease. We discuss the early onset of the disease, the development of distinct immunogenotypes, and the declining heritability with increasing age at diagnosis. Whilst Human Leukocyte Antigens (HLA have a major role in causing T1D, we note that some of these HLA genes have a protective role, especially in children, whilst other non-HLA genes are also important. In adult-onset T1D, the disease is often not insulin-dependent at diagnosis, and has a dissimilar immunogenotype with reduced genetic predisposition. Finally, we discuss the putative nature of the non-genetic factors and how they might interact with genetic susceptibility, including preliminary studies of the epigenome associated with T1D.

The Risk of Radiation-Induced Tumors or Malignant Transformation After Single-Fraction Intracranial Radiosurgery: Results Based on a 25-Year Experience

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Pollock, Bruce E., E-mail: pollock.bruce@mayo.edu [Department of Neurological Surgery, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota (United States); Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota (United States); Link, Michael J. [Department of Neurological Surgery, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota (United States); Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota (United States); Stafford, Scott L. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota (United States); Parney, Ian F. [Department of Neurological Surgery, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota (United States); Garces, Yolanda I.; Foote, Robert L. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota (United States)

2017-04-01

Purpose: To determine the risk of radiation-induced tumors or malignant transformation after single-fraction intracranial stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). Methods and Materials: We performed a retrospective review of 1837 patients who received single-fraction SRS for arteriovenous malformation or benign tumor (meningioma, vestibular schwannoma, pituitary adenoma, glomus tumor) at a single center between 1990 and 2009. Patients were excluded if they refused research authorization (n=31), had a genetic predisposition to tumor development (n=84), received prior or concurrent radiation therapy (n=79), or had less than 5 years of imaging follow-up after SRS (n=501). The median imaging follow-up period for the remaining 1142 patients was 9.0 years (range, 5-24.9 years). Results: No radiation-induced tumors were identified in 11,264 patient-years of follow-up after SRS. The risk of a radiation-induced tumor developing after SRS was 0.0% at 5 years (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.0%-0.4%), 0.0% at 10 years (95% CI, 0.0%-0.9%), and 0.0% at 15 years (95% CI, 0.0%-2.8%). Malignant transformation occurred in 7 of 316 meningioma patients (2.2%) and 1 of 358 vestibular schwannoma patients (0.3%) at a median of 4.9 years (range, 2.8-13.8 years) after SRS. No cases of malignant transformation were noted in patients with pituitary adenomas (n=188) or glomus tumors (n=47). The 5-, 10-, and 15-year risk of malignant transformation was 0.5% (95% CI, 0.0%-0.9%), 0.8% (95% CI, 0.0%-1.8%), and 2.4% (95% CI, 0.0%-5.5%), respectively. Patients who underwent prior resection (hazard ratio, 14.56; 95% CI, 1.79-118.33; P=.01) and who had meningioma pathology (hazard ratio, 11.72; 95% CI, 1.44-96.15; P=.02) were at increased risk of malignant transformation. Conclusions: The risk of radiation-induced tumors or malignant transformation after SRS is very low and should not be used as a justification for choosing alternative treatment approaches (surgical resection, observation) over SRS

The Risk of Radiation-Induced Tumors or Malignant Transformation After Single-Fraction Intracranial Radiosurgery: Results Based on a 25-Year Experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pollock, Bruce E.; Link, Michael J.; Stafford, Scott L.; Parney, Ian F.; Garces, Yolanda I.; Foote, Robert L.

2017-01-01

Purpose: To determine the risk of radiation-induced tumors or malignant transformation after single-fraction intracranial stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). Methods and Materials: We performed a retrospective review of 1837 patients who received single-fraction SRS for arteriovenous malformation or benign tumor (meningioma, vestibular schwannoma, pituitary adenoma, glomus tumor) at a single center between 1990 and 2009. Patients were excluded if they refused research authorization (n=31), had a genetic predisposition to tumor development (n=84), received prior or concurrent radiation therapy (n=79), or had less than 5 years of imaging follow-up after SRS (n=501). The median imaging follow-up period for the remaining 1142 patients was 9.0 years (range, 5-24.9 years). Results: No radiation-induced tumors were identified in 11,264 patient-years of follow-up after SRS. The risk of a radiation-induced tumor developing after SRS was 0.0% at 5 years (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.0%-0.4%), 0.0% at 10 years (95% CI, 0.0%-0.9%), and 0.0% at 15 years (95% CI, 0.0%-2.8%). Malignant transformation occurred in 7 of 316 meningioma patients (2.2%) and 1 of 358 vestibular schwannoma patients (0.3%) at a median of 4.9 years (range, 2.8-13.8 years) after SRS. No cases of malignant transformation were noted in patients with pituitary adenomas (n=188) or glomus tumors (n=47). The 5-, 10-, and 15-year risk of malignant transformation was 0.5% (95% CI, 0.0%-0.9%), 0.8% (95% CI, 0.0%-1.8%), and 2.4% (95% CI, 0.0%-5.5%), respectively. Patients who underwent prior resection (hazard ratio, 14.56; 95% CI, 1.79-118.33; P=.01) and who had meningioma pathology (hazard ratio, 11.72; 95% CI, 1.44-96.15; P=.02) were at increased risk of malignant transformation. Conclusions: The risk of radiation-induced tumors or malignant transformation after SRS is very low and should not be used as a justification for choosing alternative treatment approaches (surgical resection, observation) over SRS

Interactions between Gut Microbiota, Host Genetics and Diet Modulate the Predisposition to Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Ussar, Siegfried; Griffin, Nicholas W; Bezy, Olivier; Fujisaka, Shiho; Vienberg, Sara; Softic, Samir; Deng, Luxue; Bry, Lynn; Gordon, Jeffrey I; Kahn, C Ronald

2015-09-01

Obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome result from complex interactions between genetic and environmental factors, including the gut microbiota. To dissect these interactions, we utilized three commonly used inbred strains of mice-obesity/diabetes-prone C57Bl/6J mice, obesity/diabetes-resistant 129S1/SvImJ from Jackson Laboratory, and obesity-prone but diabetes-resistant 129S6/SvEvTac from Taconic-plus three derivative lines generated by breeding these strains in a new, common environment. Analysis of metabolic parameters and gut microbiota in all strains and their environmentally normalized derivatives revealed strong interactions between microbiota, diet, breeding site, and metabolic phenotype. Strain-dependent and strain-independent correlations were found between specific microbiota and phenotypes, some of which could be transferred to germ-free recipient animals by fecal transplantation. Environmental reprogramming of microbiota resulted in 129S6/SvEvTac becoming obesity resistant. Thus, development of obesity/metabolic syndrome is the result of interactions between gut microbiota, host genetics, and diet. In permissive genetic backgrounds, environmental reprograming of microbiota can ameliorate development of metabolic syndrome. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The 2015 World Health Organization Classification of Lung Tumors: Impact of Genetic, Clinical and Radiologic Advances Since the 2004 Classification.

Science.gov (United States)

Travis, William D; Brambilla, Elisabeth; Nicholson, Andrew G; Yatabe, Yasushi; Austin, John H M; Beasley, Mary Beth; Chirieac, Lucian R; Dacic, Sanja; Duhig, Edwina; Flieder, Douglas B; Geisinger, Kim; Hirsch, Fred R; Ishikawa, Yuichi; Kerr, Keith M; Noguchi, Masayuki; Pelosi, Giuseppe; Powell, Charles A; Tsao, Ming Sound; Wistuba, Ignacio

2015-09-01

The 2015 World Health Organization (WHO) Classification of Tumors of the Lung, Pleura, Thymus and Heart has just been published with numerous important changes from the 2004 WHO classification. The most significant changes in this edition involve (1) use of immunohistochemistry throughout the classification, (2) a new emphasis on genetic studies, in particular, integration of molecular testing to help personalize treatment strategies for advanced lung cancer patients, (3) a new classification for small biopsies and cytology similar to that proposed in the 2011 Association for the Study of Lung Cancer/American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society classification, (4) a completely different approach to lung adenocarcinoma as proposed by the 2011 Association for the Study of Lung Cancer/American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society classification, (5) restricting the diagnosis of large cell carcinoma only to resected tumors that lack any clear morphologic or immunohistochemical differentiation with reclassification of the remaining former large cell carcinoma subtypes into different categories, (6) reclassifying squamous cell carcinomas into keratinizing, nonkeratinizing, and basaloid subtypes with the nonkeratinizing tumors requiring immunohistochemistry proof of squamous differentiation, (7) grouping of neuroendocrine tumors together in one category, (8) adding NUT carcinoma, (9) changing the term sclerosing hemangioma to sclerosing pneumocytoma, (10) changing the name hamartoma to "pulmonary hamartoma," (11) creating a group of PEComatous tumors that include (a) lymphangioleiomyomatosis, (b) PEComa, benign (with clear cell tumor as a variant) and (c) PEComa, malignant, (12) introducing the entity pulmonary myxoid sarcoma with an EWSR1-CREB1 translocation, (13) adding the entities myoepithelioma and myoepithelial carcinomas, which can show EWSR1 gene rearrangements, (14) recognition of usefulness of WWTR1-CAMTA1 fusions in diagnosis of epithelioid

Somatic Genetic Variation in Solid Pseudopapillary Tumor of the Pancreas by Whole Exome Sequencing

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Meng Guo

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Solid pseudopapillary tumor of the pancreas (SPT is a rare pancreatic disease with a unique clinical manifestation. Although CTNNB1 gene mutations had been universally reported, genetic variation profiles of SPT are largely unidentified. We conducted whole exome sequencing in nine SPT patients to probe the SPT-specific insertions and deletions (indels and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs. In total, 54 SNPs and 41 indels of prominent variations were demonstrated through parallel exome sequencing. We detected that CTNNB1 mutations presented throughout all patients studied (100%, and a higher count of SNPs was particularly detected in patients with older age, larger tumor, and metastatic disease. By aggregating 95 detected variation events and viewing the interconnections among each of the genes with variations, CTNNB1 was identified as the core portion in the network, which might collaborate with other events such as variations of USP9X, EP400, HTT, MED12, and PKD1 to regulate tumorigenesis. Pathway analysis showed that the events involved in other cancers had the potential to influence the progression of the SNPs count. Our study revealed an insight into the variation of the gene encoding region underlying solid-pseudopapillary neoplasm tumorigenesis. The detection of these variations might partly reflect the potential molecular mechanism.

The Association of Genetic Predisposition to Depressive Symptoms with Non-suicidal and Suicidal Self-Injuries

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Maciejewski, Dominique F; Renteria, Miguel E; Abdellaoui, Abdel; Medland, Sarah E; Few, Lauren R; Gordon, Scott D; Madden, Pamela A F; Montgomery, Grant W; Trull, Timothy J; Heath, Andrew C; Statham, Dixie J; Martin, Nicholas G; Zietsch, Brendan P; Verweij, Karin J. H.

Non-suicidal and suicidal self-injury are very destructive, yet surprisingly common behaviours. Depressed mood is a major risk factor for non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. We conducted a genetic risk prediction study to examine the polygenic overlap of

The association of genetic predisposition to depressive symptoms with non-suicidal and suicidal self-injuries

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Maciejewski, D.F.; Renteria, M.E.; Abdellaoui, A.; Medland, S.E.; Few, L.R.; Gordon, S.D.; Madden, P.A.F.; Montgomery, G.W.; Trull, T.J.; Heath, A.C.; Statham, D.J.; Martin, N.G.; Zietsch, B.P.; Verweij, K.J.H.

2017-01-01

Non-suicidal and suicidal self-injury are very destructive, yet surprisingly common behaviours. Depressed mood is a major risk factor for non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. We conducted a genetic risk prediction study to examine the polygenic overlap of

Genetic changes associated with testicular cancer susceptibility.

Science.gov (United States)

Pyle, Louise C; Nathanson, Katherine L

2016-10-01

Testicular germ cell tumor (TGCT) is a highly heritable cancer primarily affecting young white men. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been particularly effective in identifying multiple common variants with strong contribution to TGCT risk. These loci identified through association studies have implicated multiple genes as associated with TGCT predisposition, many of which are unique among cancer types, and regulate processes such as pluripotency, sex specification, and microtubule assembly. Together these biologically plausible genes converge on pathways involved in male germ cell development and maturation, and suggest that perturbation of them confers susceptibility to TGCT, as a developmental defect of germ cell differentiation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Tumor heterogeneity and progression: conceptual foundations for modeling.

Science.gov (United States)

Greller, L D; Tobin, F L; Poste, G

1996-01-01

A conceptual foundation for modeling tumor progression, growth, and heterogeneity is presented. The purpose of such models is to aid understanding, test ideas, formulate experiments, and to model cancer 'in machina' to address the dynamic features of tumor cell heterogeneity, progression, and growth. The descriptive capabilities of such an approach provides a consistent language for qualitatively reasoning about tumor behavior. This approach provides a schema for building conceptual models that combine three key phenomenological driving elements: growth, progression, and genetic instability. The growth element encompasses processes contributing to changes in tumor bulk and is distinct from progression per se. The progression element subsumes a broad collection of processes underlying phenotypic progression. The genetics elements represents heritable changes which potentially affect tumor character and behavior. Models, conceptual and mathematical, can be built for different tumor situations by drawing upon the interaction of these three distinct driving elements. These models can be used as tools to explore a diversity of hypotheses concerning dynamic changes in cellular populations during tumor progression, including the generation of intratumor heterogeneity. Such models can also serve to guide experimentation and to gain insight into dynamic aspects of complex tumor behavior.

Genetic Basis of Positive and Negative Symptom Domains in Schizophrenia.

Science.gov (United States)

Xavier, Rose Mary; Vorderstrasse, Allison

2017-10-01

Schizophrenia is a highly heritable disorder, the genetic etiology of which has been well established. Yet despite significant advances in genetics research, the pathophysiological mechanisms of this disorder largely remain unknown. This gap has been attributed to the complexity of the polygenic disorder, which has a heterogeneous clinical profile. Examining the genetic basis of schizophrenia subphenotypes, such as those based on particular symptoms, is thus a useful strategy for decoding the underlying mechanisms. This review of literature examines the recent advances (from 2011) in genetic exploration of positive and negative symptoms in schizophrenia. We searched electronic databases PubMed, Web of Science, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature using key words schizophrenia, symptoms, positive symptoms, negative symptoms, cognition, genetics, genes, genetic predisposition, and genotype in various combinations. We identified 115 articles, which are included in the review. Evidence from these studies, most of which are genetic association studies, identifies shared and unique gene associations for the symptom domains. Genes associated with neurotransmitter systems and neuronal development/maintenance primarily constitute the shared associations. Needed are studies that examine the genetic basis of specific symptoms within the broader domains in addition to functional mechanisms. Such investigations are critical to developing precision treatment and care for individuals afflicted with schizophrenia.

Education modifies genetic and environmental influences on BMI

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johnson, Wendy; Kyvik, Kirsten Ohm; Skytthe, Axel

2011-01-01

environmental correlations between education and BMI differed by level of education, analyzing women and men separately. Correlations between education and BMI were -.13 in women, -.15 in men. High BMI's were less frequent among well-educated participants, generating less variance. In women, this was due...... to restriction of all forms of variance, overall by a factor of about 2. In men, genetic variance did not vary with education, but results for shared and nonshared environmental variance were similar to those for women. The contributions of the shared environment to the correlations between education and BMI......Obesity is more common among the less educated, suggesting education-related environmental triggers. Such triggers may act differently dependent on genetic and environmental predisposition to obesity. In a Danish Twin Registry survey, 21,522 twins of same-sex pairs provided zygosity, height, weight...

Association between genetic subgroups of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma defined by high density 500 K SNP-arrays and tumor histopathology.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María Laura Gutiérrez

Full Text Available The specific genes and genetic pathways associated with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma are still largely unknown partially due to the low resolution of the techniques applied so far to their study. Here we used high-density 500 K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP-arrays to define those chromosomal regions which most commonly harbour copy number (CN alterations and loss of heterozygozity (LOH in a series of 20 PDAC tumors and we correlated the corresponding genetic profiles with the most relevant clinical and histopathological features of the disease. Overall our results showed that primary PDAC frequently display (>70% extensive gains of chromosomes 1q, 7q, 8q and 20q, together with losses of chromosomes 1p, 9p, 12q, 17p and 18q, such chromosomal regions harboring multiple cancer- and PDAC-associated genes. Interestingly, these alterations clustered into two distinct genetic profiles characterized by gains of the 2q14.2, 3q22.1, 5q32, 10q26.13, 10q26.3, 11q13.1, 11q13.3, 11q13.4, 16q24.1, 16q24.3, 22q13.1, 22q13.31 and 22q13.32 chromosomal regions (group 1; n = 9 versus gains at 1q21.1 and losses of the 1p36.11, 6q25.2, 9p22.1, 9p24.3, 17p13.3 and Xp22.33 chromosomal regions (group 2; n = 11. From the clinical and histopathological point of view, group 1 cases were associated with smaller and well/moderately-differentiated grade I/II PDAC tumors, whereas and group 2 PDAC displayed a larger size and they mainly consisted of poorly-differentiated grade III carcinomas. These findings confirm the cytogenetic complexity and heterozygozity of PDAC and provide evidence for the association between tumor cytogenetics and its histopathological features. In addition, we also show that the altered regions identified harbor multiple cancer associate genes that deserve further investigation to determine their relevance in the pathogenesis of PDAC.

Tumor Heterogeneity and Drug Resistance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kucerova, L.; Skolekova, S.; Kozovska, Z.

2015-01-01

New generation of sequencing methodologies revealed unexpected complexity and genomic alterations linked with the tumor subtypes. This diversity exists across the tumor types, histologic tumor subtypes and subsets of the tumor cells within the same tumor. This phenomenon is termed tumor heterogeneity. Regardless of its origin and mechanisms of development it has a major impact in the clinical setting. Genetic, phenotypic and expression pattern diversity of tumors plays critical role in the selection of suitable treatment and also in the prognosis prediction. Intratumoral heterogeneity plays a key role in the intrinsic and acquired chemoresistance to cytotoxic and targeted therapies. In this review we focus on the mechanisms of intratumoral and inter tumoral heterogeneity and their relationship to the drug resistance. Understanding of the mechanisms and spatiotemporal dynamics of tumor heterogeneity development before and during the therapy is important for the ability to design individual treatment protocols suitable in the given molecular context. (author)

Different concepts and models of information for family-relevant genetic findings: comparison and ethical analysis.

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Lenk, Christian; Frommeld, Debora

2015-08-01

Genetic predispositions often concern not only individual persons, but also other family members. Advances in the development of genetic tests lead to a growing number of genetic diagnoses in medical practice and to an increasing importance of genetic counseling. In the present article, a number of ethical foundations and preconditions for this issue are discussed. Four different models for the handling of genetic information are presented and analyzed including a discussion of practical implications. The different models' ranges of content reach from a strictly autonomous position over self-governed arrangements in the practice of genetic counseling up to the involvement of official bodies and committees. The different models show a number of elements which seem to be very useful for the handling of genetic data in families from an ethical perspective. In contrast, the limitations of the standard medical attempt regarding confidentiality and personal autonomy in the context of genetic information in the family are described. Finally, recommendations for further ethical research and the development of genetic counseling in families are given.

A Review of Circulating Tumor DNA in Hepatobiliary Malignancies

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Kabir Mody

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA is released into circulation (blood specifically from tumor cells undergoing metabolic secretion, apoptosis, or necrosis, carries tumor-specific genetic or epigenetic alterations. Technologies enabling clinical evaluation of ctDNA continue to advance rapidly and allow for the assessment of patient-specific tumoral genetic and epigenetic alterations. This holds great potential for earlier detection of disease, serial monitoring of tumor heterogeneity, identification of therapeutic targets, and evaluation of treatment response and mechanisms of resistance. Hepatobiliary malignancies are often diagnosed late, recur commonly, yield limited available tumor on biopsy, and harbor several genomic alterations with potential therapeutic impacts. Patients suffering from or at risk for these diseases thus stand to benefit immensely from this technology. Herein, we review the limited literature pertaining to the potential for ctDNA technologies in such patients. Patients with these cancers stand to benefit greatly from the application of ctDNA technologies, and concerted efforts at further investigation of such are ongoing and greatly needed.

An Improved Binary Differential Evolution Algorithm to Infer Tumor Phylogenetic Trees.

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Liang, Ying; Liao, Bo; Zhu, Wen

2017-01-01

Tumourigenesis is a mutation accumulation process, which is likely to start with a mutated founder cell. The evolutionary nature of tumor development makes phylogenetic models suitable for inferring tumor evolution through genetic variation data. Copy number variation (CNV) is the major genetic marker of the genome with more genes, disease loci, and functional elements involved. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) accurately measures multiple gene copy number of hundreds of single cells. We propose an improved binary differential evolution algorithm, BDEP, to infer tumor phylogenetic tree based on FISH platform. The topology analysis of tumor progression tree shows that the pathway of tumor subcell expansion varies greatly during different stages of tumor formation. And the classification experiment shows that tree-based features are better than data-based features in distinguishing tumor. The constructed phylogenetic trees have great performance in characterizing tumor development process, which outperforms other similar algorithms.

Prevalence of deleterious ATM germline mutations in gastric cancer patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Dong-Sheng; Tao, Hou-Quan; He, Xu-Jun; Long, Ming; Yu, Sheng; Xia, Ying-Jie; Wei, Zhang; Xiong, Zikai; Jones, Sian; He, Yiping; Yan, Hai; Wang, Xiaoyue

2015-12-01

Besides CDH1, few hereditary gastric cancer predisposition genes have been previously reported. In this study, we discovered two germline ATM mutations (p.Y1203fs and p.N1223S) in a Chinese family with a history of gastric cancer by screening 83 cancer susceptibility genes. Using a published exome sequencing dataset, we found deleterious germline mutations of ATM in 2.7% of 335 gastric cancer patients of different ethnic origins. The frequency of deleterious ATM mutations in gastric cancer patients is significantly higher than that in general population (p=0.0000435), suggesting an association of ATM mutations with gastric cancer predisposition. We also observed biallelic inactivation of ATM in tumors of two gastric cancer patients. Further evaluation of ATM mutations in hereditary gastric cancer will facilitate genetic testing and risk assessment.

Genetic testing for exercise prescription and injury prevention: AIS-Athlome consortium-FIMS joint statement

OpenAIRE

Vlahovich, Nicole; Hughes, David C.; Griffiths, Lyn R.; Wang, Guan; Pitsiladis, Yannis P.; Pigozzi, Fabio; Bachl, Nobert; Eynon, Nir

2017-01-01

Background There has been considerable growth in basic knowledge and understanding of how genes are influencing response to exercise training and predisposition to injuries and chronic diseases. On the basis of this knowledge, clinical genetic tests may in the future allow the personalisation and optimisation of physical activity, thus providing an avenue for increased efficiency of exercise prescription for health and disease. Results This review provides an overview of the current status of...

Shared activity patterns arising at genetic susceptibility loci reveal underlying genomic and cellular architecture of human disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Baillie, J Kenneth; Bretherick, Andrew; Haley, Christopher S

2018-01-01

Genetic variants underlying complex traits, including disease susceptibility, are enriched within the transcriptional regulatory elements, promoters and enhancers. There is emerging evidence that regulatory elements associated with particular traits or diseases share similar patterns...... the regulation of the OCT1 cation transporter and genetic variants underlying circulating cholesterol levels. NDA strongly implicates particular cell types and tissues in disease pathogenesis. For example, distinct groupings of disease-associated regulatory regions implicate two distinct biological processes...... in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis; a further two separate processes are implicated in Crohn's disease. Thus, our functional analysis of genetic predisposition to disease defines new distinct disease endotypes. We predict that patients with a preponderance of susceptibility variants in each group are likely...

Genetic predisposition for adult lactose intolerance and relation to diet, bone density, and bone fractures.

Science.gov (United States)

Obermayer-Pietsch, Barbara M; Bonelli, Christine M; Walter, Daniela E; Kuhn, Regina J; Fahrleitner-Pammer, Astrid; Berghold, Andrea; Goessler, Walter; Stepan, Vinzenz; Dobnig, Harald; Leb, Georg; Renner, Wilfried

2004-01-01

Evidence that genetic disposition for adult lactose intolerance significantly affects calcium intake, bone density, and fractures in postmenopausal women is presented. PCR-based genotyping of lactase gene polymorphisms may complement diagnostic procedures to identify persons at risk for both lactose malabsorption and osteoporosis. Lactase deficiency is a common autosomal recessive condition resulting in decreased intestinal lactose degradation. A -13910 T/C dimorphism (LCT) near the lactase phlorizin hydrolase gene, reported to be strongly associated with adult lactase nonpersistence, may have an impact on calcium supply, bone density, and osteoporotic fractures in the elderly. We determined LCT genotypes TT, TC, and CC in 258 postmenopausal women using a polymerase chain reaction-based assay. Genotypes were related to milk intolerance, nutritional calcium intake, intestinal calcium absorption, bone mineral density (BMD), and nonvertebral fractures. Twenty-four percent of all women were found to have CC genotypes and genetic lactase deficiency. Age-adjusted BMD at the hip in CC genotypes and at the spine in CC and TC genotypes was reduced by -7% to -11% depending on the site measured (p = 0.04). LCT(T/C-13910) polymorphisms alone accounted for 2-4% of BMD in a multiple regression model. Bone fracture incidence was significantly associated with CC genotypes (p = 0.001). Milk calcium intake was significantly lower (-55%, p = 0.004) and aversion to milk consumption was significantly higher (+166%, p = 0.01) in women with the CC genotype, but there were no differences in overall dietary calcium intake or in intestinal calcium absorption test values. The LCT(T/C-13910) polymorphism is associated with subjective milk intolerance, reduced milk calcium intake, and reduced BMD at the hip and the lumbar spine and may predispose to bone fractures. Genetic testing for lactase deficiency may complement indirect methods in the detection of individuals at risk for both lactose

A predisposition for allergies predicts subsequent hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes mellitus among patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder: a nationwide longitudinal study.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Mu-Hong; Li, Cheng-Ta; Lin, Wei-Chen; Wei, Hang-Tin; Chang, Wen-Han; Chen, Tzeng-Ji; Pan, Tai-Long; Su, Tung-Ping; Bai, Ya-Mei

2014-10-01

Previous studies have shown that both severe mental disorders (schizophrenia and bipolar disorder) and atopic diseases were associated with an increased risk of metabolic syndrome. However, the role of atopy/the predisposition for allergies in the development of metabolic syndrome is still unknown among those with severe mental disorders. Using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database, 5826 patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder (1908 with a predisposition for allergies and 3918 without) were enrolled between 1998 and 2008. Those who developed hypertension, dyslipidemia, and/or diabetes mellitus were identified during the follow-up to the end of 2011. A predisposition for allergies increased the risk of developing hypertension (HR: 1.67), dyslipidemia (HR: 1.82), and diabetes mellitus (HR: 1.37) in later life among those with severe mental disorders. A dose-dependent relationship was noted between having more atopic comorbidities and a greater likelihood of hypertension (1 atopic disease: HR: 1.60; ≧ 2 atopic comorbidities: HR: 1.87), dyslipidemia (HR: 1.73; HR: 2.12), and diabetes mellitus (HR: 1.26; HR: 1.69). A predisposition for allergies was an independent risk factor for hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes mellitus among patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Further studies would be required to elucidate the underlying pathophysiology among atopy, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and metabolic syndrome. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Endocrine Tumors Causing Arterial Hypertension: Pathophysiological Mechanisms and Clinical Implications.

Science.gov (United States)

Buonacera, Agata; Stancanelli, Benedetta; Malatino, Lorenzo

2017-09-01

Some tumors are a relatively rare and amendable cause of hypertension, often associated with a higher cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, as compared with that of both general population and patients with essential hypertension. This worse prognosis is not entirely related to blood pressure increase, because the release of substances from the tumor can directly influence blood pressure behavior. Diagnostic approach is challenging and needs a deep knowledge of the different neuro-hormonal and genetic mechanisms determining blood pressure increase. Surgical tumor removal can, but not always, cause blood pressure normalization, depending on how early was tumor detection, since a long-standing history of hypertension is often associated with a much weaker effect on blood pressure. Moreover, target organ damage can be affected by the substances themselves released by the tumors as well as by tumor removal. In this review we consider the phenotype and genetic features of patients with tumor-induced hypertension and focus on their diagnostic work-up.

Long-term effects of an inpatient weight-loss program in obese children and the role of genetic predisposition-rationale and design of the LOGIC-trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Rank, Melanie; Siegrist, Monika; Wilks, Désirée C; Haller, Bernhard; Wolfarth, Bernd; Langhof, Helmut; Halle, Martin

2012-03-19

-term effects of an inpatient weight-loss program, this study will contribute to a better understanding of inter-individual differences in the regulation of body weight, taking into account the role of genetic predisposition and lifestyle factors. NCT01067157.

Genetics and tumor genomics in familial colorectal cancer

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Middeldorp, Janneke Willemijn

2010-01-01

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers in the Western world and in about 30% hereditary factors play a role. Although several genetic factors that predispose families to CRC are known, in many families affected with CRC the underlying genetics remain elusive. The work described in

Genetic polymorphisms and tissue expression of interleukin-22 associated with risk and therapeutic response of gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liao, F; Hsu, Y-C; Kuo, S-H; Yang, Y-C; Chen, J-P; Hsu, P-N; Lin, C-W; Chen, L-T; Cheng, A-L; Fann, C S J; Lin, J-T; Wu, M-S

2014-01-01

Chronic Helicobacter pylori-stimulated immune reactions determine the pathogenesis of gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma. We aimed to explore the genetic predisposition to this lymphoma and its clinical implication. A total of 68 patients and 140 unrelated controls were genotyped for 84 single-nucleotide polymorphisms in genes encoding cytokines, chemokines and related receptors that play important roles in T cell-mediated gastrointestinal immunity. Five genotypes in IL-22, namely CC at rs1179246, CC at rs2227485, AA at rs4913428, AA at rs1026788 and TT at rs7314777, were associated with disease susceptibility. The former four genotypes resided in the same linkage disequilibrium block (r 2 =0.99) that conferred an approximately threefold higher risk. In vitro experiments demonstrated that co-culturing peripheral mononuclear cells or CD4 + T cells with H. pylori stimulated the secretion of interleukin-22 (IL-22), and that IL-22 induced the expression of antimicrobial proteins, RegIIIα and lipocalin-2, in gastric epithelial cells. Furthermore, patients with gastric tissue expressing IL-22 were more likely to respond to H. pylori eradication (14/22 vs 4/19, P<0.006). We conclude that susceptibility of gastric MALT lymphoma is influenced by genetic polymorphisms in IL-22, the product of which is involved in mucosal immunity against H. pylori and associated with tumor response to H. pylori eradication

Stratifying type 2 diabetes cases by BMI identifies genetic risk variants in LAMA1 and enrichment for risk variants in lean compared to obese cases

NARCIS (Netherlands)

J.R.B. Perry (John); B.F. Voight (Benjamin); L. Yengo (Loic); N. Amin (Najaf); J. Dupuis (Josée); M. Ganser (Martha); H. Grallert (Harald); P. Navarro (Pau); M. Li (Man); L. Qi (Lu); V. Steinthorsdottir (Valgerdur); R.A. Scott (Robert); P. Almgren (Peter); D.E. Arking (Dan); Y.S. Aulchenko (Yurii); B. Balkau (Beverley); R. Benediktsson (Rafn); R.N. Bergman (Richard); E.A. Boerwinkle (Eric); L.L. Bonnycastle (Lori); N.P. Burtt (Noël); H. Campbell (Harry); G. Charpentier (Guillaume); F.S. Collins (Francis); C. Gieger (Christian); T. Green (Todd); S. Hadjadj (Samy); A.T. Hattersley (Andrew); C. Herder (Christian); A. Hofman (Albert); A.D. Johnson (Andrew); A. Köttgen (Anna); P. Kraft (Peter); Y. Labrune (Yann); C. Langenberg (Claudia); A.K. Manning (Alisa); K.L. Mohlke (Karen); A.P. Morris (Andrew); B.A. Oostra (Ben); J.S. Pankow (James); A.K. Petersen; P.P. Pramstaller (Peter Paul); I. Prokopenko (Inga); W. Rathmann (Wolfgang); N.W. Rayner (Nigel William); M. Roden (Michael); I. Rudan (Igor); D. Rybin (Denis); L.J. Scott (Laura); G. Sigurdsson (Gunnar); R. Sladek (Rob); G. Thorleifsson (Gudmar); U. Thorsteinsdottir (Unnur); J. Tuomilehto (Jaakko); A.G. Uitterlinden (André); S. Vivequin (Sidonie); M.N. Weedon (Michael); A.F. Wright (Alan); F.B. Hu (Frank); T. Illig (Thomas); W.H.L. Kao (Wen); J.B. Meigs (James); J.F. Wilson (James); J-A. Zwart (John-Anker); C.M. van Duijn (Cornelia); D. Altshuler (David); A.D. Morris (Andrew); M. Boehnke (Michael); M.I. McCarthy (Mark); P. Froguel (Philippe); C.N.A. Palmer (Colin); N.J. Wareham (Nick); L. Groop (Leif); T.M. Frayling (Timothy); S. Cauchi (Stephane)

2012-01-01

textabstractCommon diseases such as type 2 diabetes are phenotypically heterogeneous. Obesity is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes, but patients vary appreciably in body mass index. We hypothesized that the genetic predisposition to the disease may be different in lean (BMI<25 Kg/m2) compared

Genetic Testing between Private and Public Interests: Some Legal and Ethical Reflections.

Science.gov (United States)

Sándor, Judit

2018-01-01

In Europe, there is a wide variety of genetic tests that various private companies offer to patients or to consumers. More and more people have become curious about their genetic predisposition and susceptibility. Most public health-care systems, however, are not adequately prepared for responding to these new demands and to the results of these genetic tests as, quite often, there is no available therapy for the identified genetic condition. This discrepancy between the newly emerging expectations and the insufficient responses contributes to a further rift between the public and private sectors of health care. Individual genetic test results may also trigger the need for personalized medicine and may open up a competition between the two fields in offering further genetic tests and medical exams. Pro-active patients may need a different kind of information on genetic tests and their implications. In this context, how should the public health system deal with the challenges of private testing? Will private genetic testing transform health care from a solidarity-based system to an individualistic one? In this paper, I would like to explore the emerging legal and ethical issues related to genetic testing and the relevant legal framework that has developed so far. In the conclusion, I will examine the possibilities of further legal development.

Childhood Central Nervous System Embryonal Tumors (PDQ®)—Health Professional Version

Science.gov (United States)

Pediatric CNS embryonal tumors are a collection of heterogeneous lesions (medulloblastoma, and nonmedulloblastoma). Molecular genetic studies are used to classify embryonal tumors, stratify risk, and plan treatment. Get detailed information about tumor biology, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of untreated and recurrent CNS embryonal tumors in this summary for clinicians.

Breast Cancer Genetic Counseling: A Surgeon’s Perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Doreen Marie Agnese

2016-01-01

Full Text Available As surgeons who care for patients with breast cancer, the possibility of a cancer diagnosis being related to a hereditary predisposition is always a consideration. Not only are we as surgeons always trying to identify these patients and families, but also we are often asked about a potential hereditary component by the patients and their family members. It is therefore critical that we accurately assess patients to determine who may benefit from genetic testing. Importantly, the potential benefit for identifying a hereditary breast cancer extends beyond the patient to other family members and the risk may not be only for the development of breast cancers, but for other cancers as well. As a surgeon with additional training in clinical cancer genetics, I have perhaps a unique perspective on the issue and feel that a review of some of the more practical considerations is important.

The Role of Social Factors in Iranian University Students' Predispositions towards Autonomous Language Learning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sara Kashefian Naeeini

2012-07-01

Full Text Available In order to meet the demands of the changing world, students should become endowed with the ability to learn perpetually and regard learning as a life-long enterprise. This study investigated those learners belief which showed learners’ predispositions toward autonomy  and some social factors such as gender, academic achievement, marital status and age were taken into consideration. All BA and MA students majoring in English Literature at the department of Foreign Languages of Shiraz University of Iran were involved. The data were collected through a questionnaire the items of which were obtained from two questionnaires by Cotterall (1995 and Cotterall (1999 which were incorporated into a five-point Likert-type rating scale. Factor analysis of responses of students revealed the existence of five underlying factors for learner autonomy which were learner independence, dependence on the teacher, learner confidence, attitudes towards language learning and self-assessment. Based on t-test for independent samples and Analysis of Variance it came to light that age and gender did not have impact on students’ readiness for autonomy while martial statues influenced students’  self-assessment. Moreover, good academic achievement positively influenced their predispositions towards autonomous language learning.

The Association of Genetic Predisposition to Depressive Symptoms with Non-suicidal and Suicidal Self-Injuries.

Science.gov (United States)

Maciejewski, Dominique F; Renteria, Miguel E; Abdellaoui, Abdel; Medland, Sarah E; Few, Lauren R; Gordon, Scott D; Madden, Pamela A F; Montgomery, Grant; Trull, Timothy J; Heath, Andrew C; Statham, Dixie J; Martin, Nicholas G; Zietsch, Brendan P; Verweij, Karin J H

2017-01-01

Non-suicidal and suicidal self-injury are very destructive, yet surprisingly common behaviours. Depressed mood is a major risk factor for non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. We conducted a genetic risk prediction study to examine the polygenic overlap of depressive symptoms with lifetime NSSI, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts in a sample of 6237 Australian adult twins and their family members (3740 females, mean age = 42.4 years). Polygenic risk scores for depressive symptoms significantly predicted suicidal ideation, and some predictive ability was found for suicide attempts; the polygenic risk scores explained a significant amount of variance in suicidal ideation (lowest p = 0.008, explained variance ranging from 0.10 to 0.16 %) and, less consistently, in suicide attempts (lowest p = 0.04, explained variance ranging from 0.12 to 0.23 %). Polygenic risk scores did not significantly predict NSSI. Results highlight that individuals genetically predisposed to depression are also more likely to experience suicidal ideation/behaviour, whereas we found no evidence that this is also the case for NSSI.

Genetic diversity and population structure of the endangered marsupial Sarcophilus harrisii (Tasmanian devil)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Miller, Webb; Hayes, Vanessa M.; Ratan, Aakrosh

2011-01-01

The Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) is threatened with extinction because of a contagious cancer known as Devil Facial Tumor Disease. The inability to mount an immune response and to reject these tumors might be caused by a lack of genetic diversity within a dwindling population. Here we...... that the observed low genetic diversity in today's population preceded the Devil Facial Tumor Disease disease outbreak by at least 100 y. Using a genetically characterized breeding stock based on the genome sequence will enable preservation of the extant genetic diversity in future Tasmanian devil populations....

Predisposition for Empathy, Intercultural Sensitivity, and Intentions for Using Motivational Interviewing in First Year Pharmacy Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Ekong, Gladys; Kavookjian, Jan; Hutchison, Amber

2017-10-01

Objective. To assess first-year pharmacy (P1) students' predispositions (eg, perceptions for empathy, intercultural sensitivity, and motivational interviewing (MI) as a patient-centered communication skillset) and identify potential curricula content/communication skills training needs. Methods. A cross-sectional survey was used to collect students' self-reported perceptions for empathy, intercultural sensitivity, counseling contexts, and projected future MI use. Relationships between variables were explored and logistic regression was used to evaluate intention for using MI in future patient encounters. Results. There were 134 students who participated. Higher predisposition for empathy and for intercultural sensitivity were significantly correlated. Significant predictors for applying MI in future patient encounters were sex, confidence with counseling skills, and current use of MI. Conclusion. Results suggest the need to incorporate innovative training strategies in communication skills curricula. Potential areas include empathy, intercultural sensitivity and significant predictor variables for future MI use. Further investigation in other schools is needed.

PERSONALITY PREDISPOSITIONS IN CHINESE ADOLESCENTS: THE RELATION BETWEEN SELF-CRITICISM, DEPENDENCY, AND PROSPECTIVE INTERNALIZING SYMPTOMS

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen, Joseph R.; Young, Jami F.; Hankin, Benjamin L.; Yao, Shuqiao; Zhu, Xiong Zhao; Abela, John R.Z.

2015-01-01

The present study examined the prospective relation between two personality predispositions, self-criticism and dependency, and internalizing symptoms. Specifically, it was examined whether self-criticism and dependency predicted symptoms of depression and social anxiety, and if a moderation (e.g. diathesis-stress) or mediation model best explained the relation between the personality predispositions and emotional distress in Chinese adolescents. Participants included 1,150 adolescents (597 females and 553 males) from mainland China. Participants completed self-report measures of self-criticism, dependency, and neuroticism at baseline, and self-report measures of negative events, depressive symptoms, and social anxiety symptoms once a month for six months. Findings showed that self-criticism predicted depressive symptoms, while dependency predicted social anxiety symptoms. In addition, support was found for a mediation model, as opposed to a moderation model, with achievement stressors mediating the relation between self-criticism and depressive symptoms. Overall, these findings highlight new developmental pathways for the development of depression and social anxiety symptoms in mainland Chinese adolescents. Implications for cross-cultural developmental psychopathology research are discussed. PMID:25798026

Journal of Genetics | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

FLT3/ITD mutation; p53 tumor suppressor gene; NRAS gene; acute myeloid leukemia (AML); tetraploidy/near-tetraploidy; human genetics. ... Institute of Hematology, Medical School, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; Institute of Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering, Medical School, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; Institute of ...

Analysis of the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphism of the CD209, IL-10, IL-28 and CCR5 D32 genes with the human predisposition to developing tick-borne encephalitis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Piotr Czupryna

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: It is known that in the pathogenesis of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE various molecules play a significant role. The most prominent factors include IL-10, IL-28B, CD-209 and CCR5. It is reasonable to search for genetic predispositions to the development of various clinical forms of TBE related to the genetic variation of IL-10, IL-28B, CD-209 and CCR5. In this study we aimed to search for the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphism in the promoter region of the CD209, IL-10, IL-28 and 32 base pair deletion in CCR5 coding region (Δ 32 with the human predisposition to development of various clinical presentations of TBE. We tried to assess the relation between the presence of particular alleles and genotypes with laboratory and clinical parameters. Material/Methods 59 patients with TBE and 57 people, bitten by a tick who never developed TBE (Polish cohort, were included in the study. To assess the distribution of single nucleotide polymorphisms, TaqMan SNP genotyping assays were used for IL10: rs1800872 and rs1800896, for CD 209 rs4804803 and rs2287886, rs12979860 for IL 28B SNPs according to the manufacturer’s protocol using real-time PCR technology on the StepOne thermal cycler. Results Comparison between TBE patients and CG showed that in SNP rs2287886 CD 209 AG heterozygotes were more frequent in the TBE group, while homozygotes GG were more frequent in the CG group. Conclusions SNP rs2287886 CD 209 AG heterozygotes predispose humans to develop TBE. Single nucleotide polymorphism in the promoter region of the CD209, IL-10, IL-28 and CCR5 D32 genes does not correlate with the severity of TBE.

Tumor Heterogeneity: Mechanisms and Bases for a Reliable Application of Molecular Marker Design

Science.gov (United States)

Diaz-Cano, Salvador J.

2012-01-01

Tumor heterogeneity is a confusing finding in the assessment of neoplasms, potentially resulting in inaccurate diagnostic, prognostic and predictive tests. This tumor heterogeneity is not always a random and unpredictable phenomenon, whose knowledge helps designing better tests. The biologic reasons for this intratumoral heterogeneity would then be important to understand both the natural history of neoplasms and the selection of test samples for reliable analysis. The main factors contributing to intratumoral heterogeneity inducing gene abnormalities or modifying its expression include: the gradient ischemic level within neoplasms, the action of tumor microenvironment (bidirectional interaction between tumor cells and stroma), mechanisms of intercellular transference of genetic information (exosomes), and differential mechanisms of sequence-independent modifications of genetic material and proteins. The intratumoral heterogeneity is at the origin of tumor progression and it is also the byproduct of the selection process during progression. Any analysis of heterogeneity mechanisms must be integrated within the process of segregation of genetic changes in tumor cells during the clonal expansion and progression of neoplasms. The evaluation of these mechanisms must also consider the redundancy and pleiotropism of molecular pathways, for which appropriate surrogate markers would support the presence or not of heterogeneous genetics and the main mechanisms responsible. This knowledge would constitute a solid scientific background for future therapeutic planning. PMID:22408433

Genetic predisposition to alcoholism, schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease with psychodiagnostic characteristics in russian population

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. V. Marusin

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to identify genetic factors connected with personal features using the panel of 12 polymorphic markers associated with the risk of developing dementia in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia and alcoholism.Materials and methods. The correlation among quantitative traits of personality, temperament and character determined with Cattell’s (the Sixteen personality factor questionnaire (16PF, Leonhard-Schmieschek’s, Spielberger-Khanin’s, and Eysenck’s (IQ tests were analyzed with polymorphic variants of 12 genes involved in the development of severe mental disorders such as alcoholism, schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease. DNA samples of 150 students were genotyped using PCR-RPLF method. The data were processed by nonparametric statistical methods.Results. Interallelic nonrandom associations in paired combinations of GABRA2-PICALM, PICALMADCY3, CLU-CBX7 and CLU-ADCY3 polymorphisms were detected. This may indicate the adaptive selection influencing the maintenance of behavioral homeostasis in population. A number of statistically significant associations of genetic variation were found: CLU with perfectionism(Q3 of 16PF and the exaltation of the Leonhard’s tests, PICALM with tension (Q4 of 16PF and the imbalance of Leonhard’s tests, DISC1 with vigilance(L of 16PF, and exaltation, cyclothymia of Leonhard’s tests, ZNF804A with imbalance by Leonhard’s test, SLC6A4 with reasoning(B of 16PF test, ADCY3 with self-reliance(Q2 and extraversion(F2 of 16PF test, MIR9-2 emotional stability(C, liveliness(F, social boldness(H, extraversion(F2 of 16PF, and dysthymia, hyperthymia of Leonhard’s tests, with the personal anxiety of Spielberger-Khanin’s test, CBX7 with vigilance(L, warmth(A of 16PF test, SLC6A3 with IQ.Conclusion. These findings support the idea of overlapping genetic component in common mental and neurological disorders and variability of human cognitive and personality traits.

Metastasis genetics, epigenetics, and the tumor microenvironment

Science.gov (United States)

KISS1 is a member of a family of genes known as metastasis suppressors, defined by their ability to block metastasis without blocking primary tumor development and growth. KISS1 re-expression in multiple metastatic cell lines of diverse cellular origin suppresses metastasis; yet, still allows comple...

Current and future role of genetic screening in gynecologic malignancies.

Science.gov (United States)

Ring, Kari L; Garcia, Christine; Thomas, Martha H; Modesitt, Susan C

2017-11-01

The world of hereditary cancers has seen exponential growth in recent years. While hereditary breast and ovarian cancer and Lynch syndrome account for the majority of mutations encountered by gynecologists, newly identified deleterious genetic mutations continue to be unearthed with their associated risks of malignancies. However, these advances in genetic cancer predispositions then force practitioners and their patients to confront the uncertainties of these less commonly identified mutations and the fact that there is limited evidence to guide them in expected cancer risk and appropriate risk-reduction strategies. Given the speed of information, it is imperative to involve cancer genetics experts when counseling these patients. In addition, coordination of screening and care in conjunction with specialty high-risk clinics, if available, allows for patients to have centralized management for multiple cancer risks under the guidance of physicians with experience counseling these patients. The objective of this review is to present the current literature regarding genetic mutations associated with gynecologic malignancies as well to propose screening and risk-reduction options for these high-risk patients. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Plasma Taurine, Diabetes Genetic Predisposition, and Changes of Insulin Sensitivity in Response to Weight-Loss Diets.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Yan; Ceglarek, Uta; Huang, Tao; Wang, Tiange; Heianza, Yoriko; Ma, Wenjie; Bray, George A; Thiery, Joachim; Sacks, Frank M; Qi, Lu

2016-10-01

Taurine metabolism disturbance is closely linked to obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetes. Previous evidence suggested that the preventative effects of taurine on diabetes might be through regulating the expression levels of diabetes-related genes. We estimated whether blood taurine levels modified the overall genetic susceptibility to diabetes on improvement of insulin sensitivity in a randomized dietary trial. We genotyped 31 diabetes-associated variants to calculate a genetic risk score (GRS) and measured plasma taurine levels and glycemic traits among participants from the Preventing Overweight Using Novel Dietary Strategies (POUNDS Lost) trial. Seven-hundred eleven overweight or obese participants (age 30-70 y; 60% females) had genetic variants genotyped and blood taurine levels measured. Participants went on 2-year weight-loss diets, which were different in macronutrient composition. Improvements in glycemic traits were measured. We found that baseline taurine levels significantly modified the effects of diabetes GRS on changes in fasting glucose, insulin, and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) during the 2-year diet intervention (P-interaction = .04, .01, .002, respectively), regardless of weight loss. High baseline taurine levels were associated with a less reduction in both glucose and HOMA-IR among the participants with the lowest tertile of diabetes GRS (both P = .02), and with a greater reduction in both insulin and HOMA-IR among those with the highest tertile of diabetes GRS (both P = .04). Our data suggest that blood taurine levels might differentially modulate the effects of diabetes-related genes on improvement of insulin sensitivity among overweight/obese patients on weight-loss diets.

Genetic profiles distinguish different types of hereditary ovarian cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Domanska, Katarina; Malander, Susanne; Staaf, Johan

2010-01-01

(HBOC) syndrome and the hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) syndrome. Genome-wide array comparative genomic hybridization was applied to 12 HBOC associated tumors with BRCA1 mutations and 8 HNPCC associated tumors with mismatch repair gene mutations with 24 sporadic ovarian cancers......Heredity represents the strongest risk factor for ovarian cancer with disease predisposing mutations identified in 15% of the tumors. With the aim to identify genetic classifiers for hereditary ovarian cancer, we profiled hereditary ovarian cancers linked to the hereditary breast and ovarian cancer...... that HBOC and HNPCC associated ovarian cancer develop along distinct genetic pathways and genetic profiles can thus be applied to distinguish between different types of hereditary ovarian cancer....

Genetic diversity of disease-associated loci in Turkish population.

Science.gov (United States)

Karaca, Sefayet; Cesuroglu, Tomris; Karaca, Mehmet; Erge, Sema; Polimanti, Renato

2015-04-01

Many consortia and international projects have investigated the human genetic variation of a large number of ethno-geographic groups. However, populations with peculiar genetic features, such as the Turkish population, are still absent in publically available datasets. To explore the genetic predisposition to health-related traits of the Turkish population, we analyzed 34 genes associated with different health-related traits (for example, lipid metabolism, cardio-vascular diseases, hormone metabolism, cellular detoxification, aging and energy metabolism). We observed relevant differences between the Turkish population and populations with non-European ancestries (that is, Africa and East Asia) in some of the investigated genes (that is, AGT, APOE, CYP1B1, GNB3, IL10, IL6, LIPC and PON1). As most complex traits are highly polygenic, we developed polygenic scores associated with different health-related traits to explore the genetic diversity of the Turkish population with respect to other human groups. This approach showed significant differences between the Turkish population and populations with non-European ancestries, as well as between Turkish and Northern European individuals. This last finding is in agreement with the genetic structure of European and Middle East populations, and may also agree with epidemiological evidences about the health disparities of Turkish communities in Northern European countries.

Biological underpinnings of trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder: focusing on genetics and epigenetics.

Science.gov (United States)

Ryan, Joanne; Chaudieu, Isabelle; Ancelin, Marie-Laure; Saffery, Richard

2016-11-01

Certain individuals are more susceptible to stress and trauma, as well as the physical and mental health consequences following such exposure, including risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This differing vulnerability is likely to be influenced by genetic predisposition and specific characteristics of the stress itself (nature, intensity and duration), as well as epigenetic mechanisms. In this review we provide an overview of research findings in this field. We highlight some of the key genetic risk factors identified for PTSD, and the evidence that epigenetic processes might play a role in the biological response to trauma, as well as being potential biomarkers of PTSD risk. We also discuss important considerations for future research in this area.

Frequent loss of heterozygosity and altered expression of the candidate tumor suppressor gene 'FAT' in human astrocytic tumors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chosdol, Kunzang; Misra, Anjan; Puri, Sachin; Srivastava, Tapasya; Chattopadhyay, Parthaprasad; Sarkar, Chitra; Mahapatra, Ashok K; Sinha, Subrata

2009-01-01

We had earlier used the comparison of RAPD (Random Amplification of Polymorphic DNA) DNA fingerprinting profiles of tumor and corresponding normal DNA to identify genetic alterations in primary human glial tumors. This has the advantage that DNA fingerprinting identifies the genetic alterations in a manner not biased for locus. In this study we used RAPD-PCR to identify novel genomic alterations in the astrocytic tumors of WHO grade II (Low Grade Diffuse Astrocytoma) and WHO Grade IV (Glioblastoma Multiforme). Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of the altered region was studied by microsatellite and Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) markers. Expression study of the gene identified at the altered locus was done by semi-quantitative reverse-transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR). Bands consistently altered in the RAPD profile of tumor DNA in a significant proportion of tumors were identified. One such 500 bp band, that was absent in the RAPD profile of 33% (4/12) of the grade II astrocytic tumors, was selected for further study. Its sequence corresponded with a region of FAT, a putative tumor suppressor gene initially identified in Drosophila. Fifty percent of a set of 40 tumors, both grade II and IV, were shown to have Loss of Heterozygosity (LOH) at this locus by microsatellite (intragenic) and by SNP markers. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR showed low FAT mRNA levels in a major subset of tumors. These results point to a role of the FAT in astrocytic tumorigenesis and demonstrate the use of RAPD analysis in identifying specific alterations in astrocytic tumors

Fanconi anaemia: genetics, molecular biology, and cancer – implications for clinical management in children and adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Schneider, M; Chandler, K; Tischkowitz, M; Meyer, S

2015-07-01

Fanconi anaemia (FA) is an inherited disease with congenital and developmental abnormalities, cross-linker hypersensitivity and extreme cancer predisposition. With better understanding of the genetic and molecular basis of the disease, and improved clinical management, FA has been transformed from a life-limiting paediatric disease to an uncommon chronic condition that needs lifelong multidisciplinary management, and a paradigm condition for the understanding of the gene-environment interaction in the aetiology of congenital anomalies, haematopoiesis and cancer development. Here we review genetic, molecular and clinical aspects of FA, and discuss current controversies and future prospects. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Aortic Disease in the Young: Genetic Aneurysm Syndromes, Connective Tissue Disorders, and Familial Aortic Aneurysms and Dissections

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Marcelo Cury

2013-01-01

Full Text Available There are many genetic syndromes associated with the aortic aneurysmal disease which include Marfan syndrome (MFS, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS, Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS, familial thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections (TAAD, bicuspid aortic valve disease (BAV, and autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD. In the absence of familial history and other clinical findings, the proportion of thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysms and dissections resulting from a genetic predisposition is still unknown. In this study, we propose the review of the current genetic knowledge in the aortic disease, observing, in the results that the causative genes and molecular pathways involved in the pathophysiology of aortic aneurysm disease remain undiscovered and continue to be an area of intensive research.

Development of a new rapid isolation device for circulating tumor cells (CTCs using 3D palladium filter and its application for genetic analysis.

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Akiko Yusa

Full Text Available Circulating tumor cells (CTCs in the blood of patients with epithelial malignancies provide a promising and minimally invasive source for early detection of metastasis, monitoring of therapeutic effects and basic research addressing the mechanism of metastasis. In this study, we developed a new filtration-based, sensitive CTC isolation device. This device consists of a 3-dimensional (3D palladium (Pd filter with an 8 µm-sized pore in the lower layer and a 30 µm-sized pocket in the upper layer to trap CTCs on a filter micro-fabricated by precise lithography plus electroforming process. This is a simple pump-less device driven by gravity flow and can enrich CTCs from whole blood within 20 min. After on-device staining of CTCs for 30 min, the filter cassette was removed from the device, fixed in a cassette holder and set up on the upright fluorescence microscope. Enumeration and isolation of CTCs for subsequent genetic analysis from the beginning were completed within 1.5 hr and 2 hr, respectively. Cell spike experiments demonstrated that the recovery rate of tumor cells from blood by this Pd filter device was more than 85%. Single living tumor cells were efficiently isolated from these spiked tumor cells by a micromanipulator, and KRAS mutation, HER2 gene amplification and overexpression, for example, were successfully detected from such isolated single tumor cells. Sequential analysis of blood from mice bearing metastasis revealed that CTC increased with progression of metastasis. Furthermore, a significant increase in the number of CTCs from the blood of patients with metastatic breast cancer was observed compared with patients without metastasis and healthy volunteers. These results suggest that this new 3D Pd filter-based device would be a useful tool for the rapid, cost effective and sensitive detection, enumeration, isolation and genetic analysis of CTCs from peripheral blood in both preclinical and clinical settings.

HSP90 Shapes the Consequences of Human Genetic Variation.

Science.gov (United States)

Karras, Georgios I; Yi, Song; Sahni, Nidhi; Fischer, Máté; Xie, Jenny; Vidal, Marc; D'Andrea, Alan D; Whitesell, Luke; Lindquist, Susan

2017-02-23

HSP90 acts as a protein-folding buffer that shapes the manifestations of genetic variation in model organisms. Whether HSP90 influences the consequences of mutations in humans, potentially modifying the clinical course of genetic diseases, remains unknown. By mining data for >1,500 disease-causing mutants, we found a strong correlation between reduced phenotypic severity and a dominant (HSP90 ≥ HSP70) increase in mutant engagement by HSP90. Examining the cancer predisposition syndrome Fanconi anemia in depth revealed that mutant FANCA proteins engaged predominantly by HSP70 had severely compromised function. In contrast, the function of less severe mutants was preserved by a dominant increase in HSP90 binding. Reducing HSP90's buffering capacity with inhibitors or febrile temperatures destabilized HSP90-buffered mutants, exacerbating FA-related chemosensitivities. Strikingly, a compensatory FANCA somatic mutation from an "experiment of nature" in monozygotic twins both prevented anemia and reduced HSP90 binding. These findings provide one plausible mechanism for the variable expressivity and environmental sensitivity of genetic diseases. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Molecular genetic studies of glial tumors in children

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P. S. Soltan

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Glioblastomas are the most frequent malignant neoplasm among primary brain tumors of childhood. Despite the advances in a multimodality treatment approach including neurosurgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, the overall survival of such patients remains poor and doesn’t exceed 14 months. The using of targeted agents such as gefitinib in unselected patient populations showed insufficient efficacy. Nowadays, the most perspective approach is a selection of patient populations potentially sensitive to targeted therapy based on predictive markers of response. We performed a comprehensive analysis of the mutational patterns in 30 glioblastomas of children. Data Analysis was based on the new method of mass spectrometry (OncoCarta v1.0, Sequenom that enabled us to estimate 298 mutations in 19 genes and to identify 10 mutations in 9 tumors (30 %. Mutations were found in BRAF, CDK, HRAS, EGFR, FGFR, MET and PI3K. The most mutated pathway was EGFR – in 20 % of the samples (6/30. The obtained results seem to be very promising in terms of possibilities of using new targeted agents including BRAF inhibitors for treatment of children with glial brain tumors.

Loci controlling lymphocyte production of interferon gamma after alloantigen stimulation in vitro and their co-localization with genes controlling lymphocyte infiltration of tumors and tumor susceptibility

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Lipoldová, Marie; Havelková, Helena; Badalová, Jana; Vojtíšková, Jarmila; Quan, L.; Krulová, Magdalena; Sohrabi, Yahya; Stassen, A. P. M.; Demant, P.

2010-01-01

Roč. 59, č. 2 (2010), s. 203-213 ISSN 0340-7004 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LC06009; GA AV ČR IAA500520606; GA ČR GD310/08/H077 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50520514 Keywords : Tumor susceptibility * Genetic control of interferon gamma production * Lymphocyte infiltration of tumors Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 4.293, year: 2010

Immunology and Genetic of Preeclampsia

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Norma C. Serrano

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Preeclampsia is a disease characterized by hypertension and proteinuria in the third trimester of pregnancy. Preeclampsia is a major cause of maternal mortality, and fetal death, especially in developing countries, but its aetiology remains unclear. Key findings support a causal role of superficial placentation driven by immune mal maladaptation, which then lead to reduced concentrations of angiogenic growth factors and to an increase in placental debris in the maternal circulation resulting in a maternal inflammatory response. Epidemiological research has consistently demonstrated a substantial familial predisposition to preeclampsia. Unfortunately, the conquest of the genes explaining such a individual susceptibility has been proved to be a hard task. However, genetics will also inform us about causality of environmental factors, and then serve as a tool to prioritize therapeutic targets for preventive strategies.

Molecular genetics of breast cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Radice, P.; Pierotti, M. A.

1997-01-01

In the last two decades, molecular studies have enlightened the complexity of the genetic alterations that occur in breast cancer cells. To date, more than 40 different genes or loci have been found to be altered in breast carcinomas. Although some of these genes, as for example ERBB2, appear to be mutated in a high proportion of cases, their mechanism of action and their role in the different stages of cancer development are still poorly understood. More recently, two major determinants of the inherited predisposition to breast cancer, BRCA1 and BRCA2, have been isolated. As a consequence, it is now possible to screen families with a positive history of breast carcinomas for the identification of mutations carriers, in order to address these individuals into adequate programs of cancer surveillance and prevention

Genetic modelling of PIM proteins in cancer: proviral tagging, cooperation with oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes and carcinogens.

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Enara eAguirre

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The PIM proteins, which were initially discovered as proviral insertion sites in Moloney murine leukemia virus infection, are a family of highly homologous serine/threonine kinases that have been reported to be overexpressed in hematological malignancies and solid tumors. The PIM proteins have also been associated with metastasis and overall treatment responses and implicated in the regulation of apoptosis, metabolism, the cell cycle, and homing and migration, which makes these proteins interesting targets for anticancer drug discovery. The use of retroviral insertional mutagenesis and refined approaches such as complementation tagging has allowed the identification of myc, pim and a third group of genes (including bmi1 and gfi1 as complementing genes in lymphomagenesis. Moreover, mouse modeling of human cancer has provided an understanding of the molecular pathways that are involved in tumor initiation and progression at the physiological level. In particular, genetically modified mice have allowed researchers to further elucidate the role of each of the Pim isoforms in various tumor types. PIM kinases have been identified as weak oncogenes because experimental overexpression in lymphoid tissue, prostate and liver induces tumors at a relatively low incidence and with a long latency. However, very strong synergistic tumorigenicity between Pim1/2 and c-Myc and other oncogenes has been observed in lymphoid tissues. Mouse models have also been used to study whether the inhibition of specific PIM isoforms is required to prevent carcinogen-induced sarcomas, indicating that the absence of Pim2 and Pim3 greatly reduces sarcoma growth and bone invasion; the extent of this effect is similar to that observed in the absence of all 3 isoforms. This review will summarize some of the animal models that have been used to understand the isoform-specific contribution of PIM kinases to tumorigenesis.

Effects of exercise on tumor physiology and metabolism

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Line; Christensen, Jesper Frank; Hojman, Pernille

2015-01-01

. Here, we review the body of literature describing exercise intervention studies performed in rodent tumor models and elaborate on potential mechanistic effects of exercise on tumor physiology. Exercise has been shown to reduce tumor incidence, tumor multiplicity, and tumor growth across numerous...... different transplantable, chemically induced or genetic tumor models. We propose 4 emerging mechanistic effects of exercise, including (1) vascularization and blood perfusion, (2) immune function, (3) tumor metabolism, and (4) muscle-to-cancer cross-talk, and discuss these in details. In conclusion......, exercise training has the potential to be a beneficial and integrated component of cancer management, but has yet to fully elucidate its potential. Understanding the mechanistic effects of exercise on tumor physiology is warranted. Insight into these mechanistic effects is emerging, but experimental...

Human growth hormone-related latrogenic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: Search for a genetic susceptibility by analysis of the PRNP coding region

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jaegly, A.; Boussin, F.; Deslys, J.P. [CEA/CRSSA/DSV/DPTE, Fontenay-aux-Roses (France)] [and others

1995-05-20

The human PRNP gene encoding PrP is located on chromosome 20 and consists of two exons and a single intron. The open reading frame is entirely fitted into the second exon. Genetic studies indicate that all of the familial and several sporadic forms of TSSEs are associated with mutations in the PRNP 759-bp coding region. Moreover, homozygosity at codon 129, a locus harboring a polymorphism among the general population, was proposed as a genetic susceptibility marker for both sporadic and iatrogenic CJD. To assess whether additional genetic predisposition markers exist in the PRNP gene, the authors sequenced the PRNP coding region of 17 of the 32 French patients who developed a hGH-related CJD.

Number and location of mouse mammary tumor virus proviral DNA in mouse DNA of normal tissue and of mammary tumors.

Science.gov (United States)

Groner, B; Hynes, N E

1980-01-01

The Southern DNA filter transfer technique was used to characterize the genomic location of the mouse mammary tumor proviral DNA in different inbred strains of mice. Two of the strains (C3H and CBA) arose from a cross of a Bagg albino (BALB/c) mouse and a DBA mouse. The mouse mammary tumor virus-containing restriction enzyme DNA fragments of these strains had similar patterns, suggesting that the proviruses of these mice are in similar genomic locations. Conversely, the pattern arising from the DNA of the GR mouse, a strain genetically unrelated to the others, appeared different, suggesting that its mouse mammary tumor proviruses are located in different genomic sites. The structure of another gene, that coding for beta-globin, was also compared. The mice strains which we studied can be categorized into two classes, expressing either one or two beta-globin proteins. The macroenvironment of the beta-globin gene appeared similar among the mice strains belonging to one genetic class. Female mice of the C3H strain exogenously transmit mouse mammary tumor virus via the milk, and their offspring have a high incidence of mammary tumor occurrence. DNA isolated from individual mammary tumors taken from C3H mice or from BALB/c mice foster nursed on C3H mothers was analyzed by the DNA filter transfer technique. Additional mouse mammary tumor virus-containing fragments were found in the DNA isolated from each mammary tumor. These proviral sequences were integrated into different genomic sites in each tumor. Images PMID:6245257

Commentary for Special Issue of Prevention Science "Using Genetics in Prevention: Science Fiction or Science Fact?"

Science.gov (United States)

Dick, Danielle M

2018-01-01

A growing number of prevention studies have incorporated genetic information. In this commentary, I discuss likely reasons for growing interest in this line of research and reflect on the current state of the literature. I review challenges associated with the incorporation of genotypic information into prevention studies, as well as ethical considerations associated with this line of research. I discuss areas where developmental psychologists and prevention scientists can make substantive contributions to the study of genetic predispositions, as well as areas that could benefit from closer collaborations between prevention scientists and geneticists to advance this area of study. In short, this commentary tackles the complex questions associated with what we hope to achieve by adding genetic components to prevention research and where this research is likely to lead in the future.

Tumor Heterogeneity: Mechanisms and Bases for a Reliable Application of Molecular Marker Design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salvador J. Diaz-Cano

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Tumor heterogeneity is a confusing finding in the assessment of neoplasms, potentially resulting in inaccurate diagnostic, prognostic and predictive tests. This tumor heterogeneity is not always a random and unpredictable phenomenon, whose knowledge helps designing better tests. The biologic reasons for this intratumoral heterogeneity would then be important to understand both the natural history of neoplasms and the selection of test samples for reliable analysis. The main factors contributing to intratumoral heterogeneity inducing gene abnormalities or modifying its expression include: the gradient ischemic level within neoplasms, the action of tumor microenvironment (bidirectional interaction between tumor cells and stroma, mechanisms of intercellular transference of genetic information (exosomes, and differential mechanisms of sequence-independent modifications of genetic material and proteins. The intratumoral heterogeneity is at the origin of tumor progression and it is also the byproduct of the selection process during progression. Any analysis of heterogeneity mechanisms must be integrated within the process of segregation of genetic changes in tumor cells during the clonal expansion and progression of neoplasms. The evaluation of these mechanisms must also consider the redundancy and pleiotropism of molecular pathways, for which appropriate surrogate markers would support the presence or not of heterogeneous genetics and the main mechanisms responsible. This knowledge would constitute a solid scientific background for future therapeutic planning.

Pros and cons of HaloPlex enrichment in cancer predisposition genetic diagnosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agnès Collet

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Panel sequencing is a practical option in genetic diagnosis. Enrichment and library preparation steps are critical in the diagnostic setting. In order to test the value of HaloPlex technology in diagnosis, we designed a custom oncogenetic panel including 62 genes. The procedure was tested on a training set of 71 controls and then blindly validated on 48 consecutive hereditary breast/ovarian cancer (HBOC patients tested negative for BRCA1/2 mutation. Libraries were sequenced on HiSeq2500 and data were analysed with our academic bioinformatics pipeline. Point mutations were detected using Varscan2, median size indels were detected using Pindel and large genomic rearrangements (LGR were detected by DESeq. Proper coverage was obtained. However, highly variable read depth was observed within genes. Excluding pseudogene analysis, all point mutations were detected on the training set. All indels were also detected using Pindel. On the other hand, DESeq allowed LGR detection but with poor specificity, preventing its use in diagnostics. Mutations were detected in 8% of BRCA1/2-negative HBOC cases. HaloPlex technology appears to be an efficient and promising solution for gene panel diagnostics. Data analysis remains a major challenge and geneticists should enhance their bioinformatics knowledge in order to ensure good quality diagnostic results.

Muscle fibers inside a fat tumor: A non-specific imaging finding of benignancy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Donato, M.; Vanel, D.; Alberghini, M.; Mercuri, M.

2009-01-01

Introduction: The differential diagnosis between benign and low-grade well-differentiated malignant lipomatous tumors might be very difficult for both the radiologist and the pathologist, although it has practical consequences. Among the criteria, muscular fibers detected inside the lesion are considered radiologically and histologically as a reliable sign of a benign intramuscular lipoma. New genetic criteria are now available. We report two cases of fat tumors containing muscular fibers both radiologically and histologically, but which are definitely malignant, considering genetic criteria. Material and methods: Two cases of soft tissue fat tumors, containing muscular fibers on imaging examinations as well as histologically, had an aggressive behaviour, suggesting malignancy. Genetic criteria were therefore used to confirm the clinical impression. Results: MDM2 and CDK4 confirmed the malignancy in the two cases. Conclusion: Intra lesional muscular fibers detected on imaging or histological examinations should not be considered as a completely reliable sign of a benign intramuscular lipoma. In case of atypical clinical behaviour, genetic criteria should be used to prove the aggressiveness of the tumor.

[Assisted Reproduction and Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis in Patients Susceptible to Breast Cancer].

Science.gov (United States)

Veselá, K; Kocur, T; Horák, J; Horňák, M; Oráčová, E; Hromadová, L; Veselý, J; Trávník, P

2016-01-01

Assisted reproduction, as well as pregnancy itself, in patients with breast cancer or other hereditary type of cancer, is a widely discussed topic. In the past, patients treated for breast cancer were rarely involved in the discussion about reproductive possibilities or infertility treatment. However, current knowledge suggests, that breast cancer is neither a contraindication to pregnancy, nor to assisted reproduction techniques. On the contrary, assisted reproduction and preimplantation genetic diagnosis methods might prevent the transmission of genetic risks to the fetus. In this review we summarize data concerning pregnancy risks in patients with increased risk of breast cancer. In addition, we introduce current possibilities and approaches to fertility preservation prior to assisted reproduction treatment as well as novel methods improving the safety of fertility treatment. In the second part of this review, we focus on karyomapping--an advanced molecular genetic tool for elimination of germinal mutations in patients with predisposition to cancer. Moreover, the rapid development of preimplantation genetic diagnosis methods contributes to detection of both chromosomal aneuploidy and causal mutations in a relatively short time-span.

Genetic variations in DNA repair genes, radiosensitivity to cancer and susceptibility to acute tissue reactions in radiotherapy-treated cancer patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chistiakov, Dimitry A.; Voronova, Natalia V.; Chistiakov, Pavel A.

2008-01-01

Ionizing radiation is a well established carcinogen for human cells. At low doses, radiation exposure mainly results in generation of double strand breaks (DSBs). Radiation-related DSBs could be directly linked to the formation of chromosomal rearrangements as has been proven for radiation-induced thyroid tumors. Repair of DSBs presumably involves two main pathways, non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and homologous recombination (HR). A number of known inherited syndromes, such as ataxia telangiectasia, ataxia-telangiectasia like-disorder, radiosensitive severe combined immunodeficiency, Nijmegen breakage syndrome, and LIG4 deficiency are associated with increased radiosensitivity and/or cancer risk. Many of them are caused by mutations in DNA repair genes. Recent studies also suggest that variations in the DNA repair capacity in the general population may influence cancer susceptibility. In this paper, we summarize the current status of DNA repair proteins as potential targets for radiation-induced cancer risk. We will focus on genetic alterations in genes involved in HR- and NHEJ-mediated repair of DSBs, which could influence predisposition to radiation-related cancer and thereby explain interindividual differences in radiosensitivity or radioresistance in a general population

Genetic variations in DNA repair genes, radiosensitivity to cancer and susceptibility to acute tissue reactions in radiotherapy-treated cancer patients

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chistiakov, Dimitry A. (Dept. of Pathology, Univ. of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh (US)); Voronova, Natalia V. (Dept. of Molecular Diagnostics, National Research Center GosNIIgenetika, Moscow (RU)); Chistiakov, Pavel A. (Dept. of Radiology, Cancer Research Center, Moscow (RU))

2008-06-15

Ionizing radiation is a well established carcinogen for human cells. At low doses, radiation exposure mainly results in generation of double strand breaks (DSBs). Radiation-related DSBs could be directly linked to the formation of chromosomal rearrangements as has been proven for radiation-induced thyroid tumors. Repair of DSBs presumably involves two main pathways, non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and homologous recombination (HR). A number of known inherited syndromes, such as ataxia telangiectasia, ataxia-telangiectasia like-disorder, radiosensitive severe combined immunodeficiency, Nijmegen breakage syndrome, and LIG4 deficiency are associated with increased radiosensitivity and/or cancer risk. Many of them are caused by mutations in DNA repair genes. Recent studies also suggest that variations in the DNA repair capacity in the general population may influence cancer susceptibility. In this paper, we summarize the current status of DNA repair proteins as potential targets for radiation-induced cancer risk. We will focus on genetic alterations in genes involved in HR- and NHEJ-mediated repair of DSBs, which could influence predisposition to radiation-related cancer and thereby explain interindividual differences in radiosensitivity or radioresistance in a general population

Genetic Testing between Private and Public Interests: Some Legal and Ethical Reflections

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Judit Sándor

2018-01-01

Full Text Available In Europe, there is a wide variety of genetic tests that various private companies offer to patients or to consumers. More and more people have become curious about their genetic predisposition and susceptibility. Most public health-care systems, however, are not adequately prepared for responding to these new demands and to the results of these genetic tests as, quite often, there is no available therapy for the identified genetic condition. This discrepancy between the newly emerging expectations and the insufficient responses contributes to a further rift between the public and private sectors of health care. Individual genetic test results may also trigger the need for personalized medicine and may open up a competition between the two fields in offering further genetic tests and medical exams. Pro-active patients may need a different kind of information on genetic tests and their implications. In this context, how should the public health system deal with the challenges of private testing? Will private genetic testing transform health care from a solidarity-based system to an individualistic one? In this paper, I would like to explore the emerging legal and ethical issues related to genetic testing and the relevant legal framework that has developed so far. In the conclusion, I will examine the possibilities of further legal development.

Local heat stress and skin blood flowmotion in subjects with familial predisposition or newly diagnosed hypertension.

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Gryglewska, Barbara; Nęcki, Mirosław; Cwynar, Marcin; Baron, Tomasz; Grodzicki, Tomasz

2010-12-01

The aim of the study was to investigate the skin microcirculation blood flow and flowmotion response to heat stress in normotensive subjects with familial predisposition to hypertension and in hypertensive patients. Normotensives without [NT(-)] or with [NT(+)] familial predisposition and subjects with newly diagnosed hypertension (HT) were studied. Clinic blood pressure (BP) measurements and ambulatory BP monitoring as well as laboratory assessments were performed. Resting (RF), heat (HF) and maximal heat (MHF) blood flows were measured using PeriFlux laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) and expressed as absolute units (AU) and as index of cutaneous vascular conductance (CVC). Spectral analysis of the skin LDF signal was performed by means of the Perisoft dedicated software. Kruskall-Wallis analysis of variance, χ(2) statistic and multivariate reverse regression analysis were used for calculation. The studied population consisted of 70 persons (mean age 36.1 ± 10.3 years, 44.3% women): 17 NT(-), 22 NT(+) and 31 HT, age and gender matched. Higher values of body mass index (BMI), and insulin, glucose and triglyceride levels were observed in HT than in NT groups. RF, HF and MHF were similar in all study groups, but CVC of maximal heat flow differed (p=0.02); in particular, lower values were observed in the HT than in NT(-) group (p=0.01). The study groups differed with regard to total power (p=0.01) and myogenic (p=0.03) origin flowmotion with the lowest values in the NT(+) group. BMI and night BP characteristics were strong predictors of reduction of CVC, MHF and myogenic origin flowmotion. Skin microcirculation response to local heat stress is altered in hypertensive patients with decrease in maximal heat CVC values. Moreover, normotensive subjects with familial predisposition to hypertension are characterized by diminished myogenic origin of skin blood flowmotion.

New voters, new outlook? Predispositions, social networks, and the changing politics of gay civil rights.

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Becker, Amy B; Scheufele, Dietram A

2011-01-01

Objectives. This study examines the factors that shape public acceptance of homosexuality and support for same-sex marriage across age cohorts.Methods. We analyzed data from two national surveys. We constructed hierarchical logistic and hierarchical ordinary least squares regressions for relevant age cohorts in order to test our hypotheses and explore our research questions.Results. Our models suggest that personal contact has a greater impact on the attitudes of younger respondents, positively influencing public acceptance of homosexuality. Alternatively, religious and ideological predispositions have a greater impact on the attitudes of older individuals. When examining public support for gay marriage, we find that younger individuals have higher levels of deliberative engagement with the issue debate, while older individuals rely more heavily on their predispositions when determining issue stance. Interestingly, measures of media exposure are not significantly related to either public acceptance of homosexuality or support for same-sex marriage, suggesting that other factors may have a greater impact on public attitudes at this point in time.Conclusion. The implications of these findings are discussed in light of the emergence of a new political generation and the continuing struggle for gay civil rights.

Personality predispositions to depression in children of affectively-ill parents: the buffering role of self-esteem.

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Abela, John R Z; Fishman, Michael B; Cohen, Joseph R; Young, Jami F

2012-01-01

A major theory of personality predispositions to depression posits that individuals who possess high levels of self-criticism and/or dependency are vulnerable to developing depression following negative life events. The goal of the current study was to test this theory of personality predispositions and the self-esteem buffering hypothesis in a sample of youth using an idiographic approach, a high-risk sample, and a multiwave longitudinal design. One hundred forty children aged 6 to 14 completed measures of dependency, self-criticism, self-esteem, and depressive symptoms. Over the course of the following year, 8 follow-up assessments were conducted 6 weeks apart during which all children were administered measures assessing depressive symptoms and the occurrence of negative events. Results of hierarchical linear modeling analyses indicated that higher levels of dependency were associated with greater increases in depressive symptoms following negative events among children possessing low, but not high, self-esteem. In contrast, self-criticism was not associated with changes in depressive symptoms over time regardless of children's levels of stress and/or self-esteem.

An Evolutionary Genetic Perspective of Eating Disorders.

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Mayhew, Alexandra J; Pigeyre, Marie; Couturier, Jennifer; Meyre, David

2018-01-01

Eating disorders (ED) including anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and binge eating disorder (BED) affect up to 5% of the population in Western countries. Risk factors for developing an ED include personality traits, family environment, gender, age, ethnicity, and culture. Despite being moderately to highly heritable with estimates ranging from 28 to 83%, no genetic risk factors have been conclusively identified. Our objective was to explore evolutionary theories of EDs to provide a new perspective on research into novel biological mechanisms and genetic causes of EDs. We developed a framework that explains the possible interactions between genetic risk and cultural influences in the development of ED. The framework includes three genetic predisposition categories (people with mainly AN restrictive gene variants, people with mainly BED variants, and people with gene variants predisposing to both diseases) and a binary variable of either the presence or absence of pressure to be thin. We propose novel theories to explain the overlapping characteristics of the subtypes of AN (binge/purge and restrictive), BN, and BED. For instance, mutations/structural gene variants in the same gene causing opposite effects or mutations in nearby genes resulting in partial disequilibrium for the genes causing AN (restrictive) and BED may explain the overlap of phenotypes seen in AN (binge/purge). © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Antidepressant-like effects of ecstasy in subjects with a predisposition to depression.

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Majumder, Irina; White, Jason M; Irvine, Rodney J

2012-10-01

Positive effects of ecstasy on mood and self-esteem due to increased synaptic serotonin levels may indicate a potential antidepressant-like action. This effect may be more prominent in subjects with a pre-existing mood disturbance who may use ecstasy more frequently as a 'self-medication'. This study compared depressive symptoms and the immediate effects of ecstasy on mood in subjects with (WP) and without (NP) a predisposition to depression. Current ecstasy users were assessed using the profile of mood states (POMS) and beck depression inventory (BDI) when drug-free, and during social gathering, when 20 subjects voluntarily consumed ecstasy (ecstasy group) and 20 abstained from ecstasy (control group). Predisposition to depression was determined using the Brief Symptom Inventory. During social gathering, POMS and BDI were administered 60 min after ecstasy consumption, or at matched time for controls. 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) exposure was confirmed using saliva samples collected 60 min after pill ingestion. There was no difference in ecstasy use patterns between the groups. When drug-free, the WP subjects had greater mood disturbance and depressive symptoms than the NP group (POMS: NP 5.85±1.63, WP 14.5±2.81, pecstasy reported a significant decrease in depressive symptoms (F(1,35)=5.47, p<0.05). A decrease in depressive symptoms was observed in subjects predisposed to depression. This antidepressant-like action of MDMA may contribute to its use, particularly among people with an existing or latent depressive disorder. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Genes and genetic variations involved in the development of hypertension: focusing on a Greek patient cohort.

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Kouremenos, Nikolaos; Zacharopoulou, Ioanna V; Triantafyllidi, Helen; Zacharopoulos, Georgios V; Mornos, Cristian; Filippatos, Gerasimos; Lekakis, John; Kremastinos, Dimitrios; Manolis, Athanasios I; Gavras, Haralambos

2014-01-01

Essential hypertension (HTN) is a multifactorial disease involving environmental, genetic and other factors. Over the past years, genetic studies of essential HTN have increased dramatically but the molecular mechanisms involved are still unknown. As part of a research program coordinated by Boston university (USA), we studied the role of various genes and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the inheritance or the onset of HTN in African-American, Caucasian-American and Greek families. Among 128 Greek families with a history of HTN, we studied 1474 people. Of the total examined, 273 men and 286 women were hypertensive. Based on 410 DNA samples from the hypertensive subjects, different SNPs were examined. An overall meta-analysis of the results from the Greek families, as well as a comparison with the 2 other groups (African-Americans and Caucasian-Americans), was performed. We report SNPs that are associated with the inheritance of HTN and are located either at the promoters of N-methyltransferase and catalase genes, or within the coding region of NEDD4L ubiquitin ligase gene, or SNPs in mitochondrial DNA of hypertensive probands. Furthermore, we clarified the role of hereditary predisposition in the development of HTN, showing that the presence of maternal HTN was significantly higher in African-Americans and Greeks compared to Caucasian-Americans (81.7%, 84.8%, and 65%), while the paternal HTN showed no such difference (50%, 48.3% and 44.9%), respectively. Although genetic factors that were correlated with HTN were identified, it was not possible to identify a single gene that should be targeted for the treatment of HTN. Nevertheless, the important role of the maternal hereditary predisposition to HTN in the Greek patients and the responsible genetic factors involved should be further examined.

Interaction of tumor cells with the microenvironment

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Lehnert Hendrik

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Recent advances in tumor biology have revealed that a detailed analysis of the complex interactions of tumor cells with their adjacent microenvironment (tumor stroma is mandatory in order to understand the various mechanisms involved in tumor growth and the development of metastasis. The mutual interactions between tumor cells and cellular and non-cellular components (extracellular matrix = ECM of the tumor microenvironment will eventually lead to a loss of tissue homeostasis and promote tumor development and progression. Thus, interactions of genetically altered tumor cells and the ECM on the one hand and reactive non-neoplastic cells on the other hand essentially control most aspects of tumorigenesis such as epithelial-mesenchymal-transition (EMT, migration, invasion (i.e. migration through connective tissue, metastasis formation, neovascularisation, apoptosis and chemotherapeutic drug resistance. In this mini-review we will focus on these issues that were recently raised by two review articles in CCS.

Long-term effects of an inpatient weight-loss program in obese children and the role of genetic predisposition-rationale and design of the LOGIC-trial

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Rank Melanie

2012-03-01

measured. Discussion Apart from illustrating the short, middle and long-term effects of an inpatient weight-loss program, this study will contribute to a better understanding of inter-individual differences in the regulation of body weight, taking into account the role of genetic predisposition and lifestyle factors. Trial Registration NCT01067157.

On the influence of abiotic stress conditions on growth of barley and bean and their predisposition for pathogens

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oerke, E.C.; Schoenbeck, F.

1986-01-01

Shorttime changes of environmental conditions stressed barley and bean and affected plant growth and their predisposition for various pathogens. Moderate stress intensities as low or high temperatures, water or light deficits, increased the susceptibility to Erysiphe graminis var. hordei or Uromyces phaseoli and reduced disease level of spot blotch caused by Cochliobolus sativus, respectively. There was only little effect on plant growth in that case. Intensive stress as a result of combinations of unfavorable environmental conditions or longtime continuance of moderate stress reduced the plant growth and turned the predisposing effect to the opposite: after the treatment, plants were more resistent to diseases caused by biotrophic fungi, whereas there was increased susceptibility to the perthotrophic fungus. High intensities of fertilization acted as an additional stress and intensified the plant reaction to environmental alterations. The variation of the predisposition is discussed in relation to stress intensity.

Dermatitis Herpetiformis: From the Genetics to the Development of Skin Lesions

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Diletta Bonciani

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Dermatitis herpetiformis (DH is a rare autoimmune disease linked to gluten sensitivity with a chronic-relapsing course. It is currently considered to be the specific cutaneous manifestation of celiac disease (CD. Both conditions are mediated by the IgA class of autoantibodies, and the diagnosis of DH is dependent on the detection of granular deposits of IgA in the skin. There is an underlying genetic predisposition to the development of DH, but environmental factors are also important. This paper describes these different factors and discusses the known mechanism that lead to the development of skin lesions.

Subgroups of Paediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia Might Differ Significantly in Genetic Predisposition to Asparaginase Hypersensitivity.

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Nóra Kutszegi

Full Text Available L-asparaginase (ASP is a key element in the treatment of paediatric acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL. However, hypersensitivity reactions (HSRs to ASP are major challenges in paediatric patients. Our aim was to investigate genetic variants that may influence the risk to Escherichia coli-derived ASP hypersensitivity. Sample and clinical data collection was carried out from 576 paediatric ALL patients who were treated according to protocols from the Berlin-Frankfurt-Münster Study Group. A total of 20 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs in GRIA1 and GALNT10 genes were genotyped. Patients with GRIA1 rs4958351 AA/AG genotype showed significantly reduced risk to ASP hypersensitivity compared to patients with GG genotype in the T-cell ALL subgroup (OR = 0.05 (0.01-0.26; p = 4.70E-04, while no such association was found in pre-B-cell ALL. In the medium risk group two SNPs of GRIA1 (rs2055083 and rs707176 were associated significantly with the occurrence of ASP hypersensitivity (OR = 0.21 (0.09-0.53; p = 8.48E-04 and OR = 3.02 (1.36-6.73; p = 6.76E-03, respectively. Evaluating the genders separately, however, the association of rs707176 with ASP HSRs was confined only to females. Our results suggest that genetic variants of GRIA1 might influence the risk to ASP hypersensitivity, but subgroups of patients can differ significantly in this respect.

Improving adherence to healthy dietary patterns, genetic risk, and long term weight gain: gene-diet interaction analysis in two prospective cohort studies

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Wang, Tiange; Heianza, Yoriko; Sun, Dianjianyi; Huang, Tao; Ma, Wenjie; Rimm, Eric B; Manson, JoAnn E; Hu, Frank B; Willett, Walter C

2018-01-01

Abstract Objective To investigate whether improving adherence to healthy dietary patterns interacts with the genetic predisposition to obesity in relation to long term changes in body mass index and body weight. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Health professionals in the United States. Participants 8828 women from the Nurses’ Health Study and 5218 men from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Exposure Genetic predisposition score was calculated on the basis of 77 variants associated with body mass index. Dietary patterns were assessed by the Alternate Healthy Eating Index 2010 (AHEI-2010), Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH), and Alternate Mediterranean Diet (AMED). Main outcome measures Five repeated measurements of four year changes in body mass index and body weight over follow-up (1986 to 2006). Results During a 20 year follow-up, genetic association with change in body mass index was significantly attenuated with increasing adherence to the AHEI-2010 in the Nurses’ Health Study (P=0.001 for interaction) and Health Professionals Follow-up Study (P=0.005 for interaction). In the combined cohorts, four year changes in body mass index per 10 risk allele increment were 0.07 (SE 0.02) among participants with decreased AHEI-2010 score and −0.01 (0.02) among those with increased AHEI-2010 score, corresponding to 0.16 (0.05) kg versus −0.02 (0.05) kg weight change every four years (Pdietary patterns could attenuate the genetic association with weight gain. Moreover, the beneficial effect of improved diet quality on weight management was particularly pronounced in people at high genetic risk for obesity. PMID:29321156

Temporal order of RNase IIIb and loss-of-function mutations during development determines phenotype in pleuropulmonary blastoma / DICER1 syndrome: a unique variant of the two-hit tumor suppression model [version 2; referees: 2 approved

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Mark Brenneman

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Pleuropulmonary blastoma (PPB is the most frequent pediatric lung tumor and often the first indication of a pleiotropic cancer predisposition, DICER1 syndrome, comprising a range of other individually rare, benign and malignant tumors of childhood and early adulthood. The genetics of DICER1-associated tumorigenesis are unusual in that tumors typically bear neomorphic missense mutations at one of five specific “hotspot” codons within the RNase IIIb domain of DICER 1, combined with complete loss of function (LOF in the other allele. We analyzed a cohort of 124 PPB children for predisposing DICER1 mutations and sought correlations with clinical phenotypes. Over 70% have inherited or de novo germline LOF mutations, most of which truncate the DICER1 open reading frame. We identified a minority of patients who have no germline mutation, but are instead mosaic for predisposing DICER1 mutations. Mosaicism for RNase IIIb domain hotspot mutations defines a special category of DICER1 syndrome patients, clinically distinguished from those with germline or mosaic LOF mutations by earlier onsets and numerous discrete foci of neoplastic disease involving multiple syndromic organ sites. A final category of PBB patients lack predisposing germline or mosaic mutations and have sporadic (rather than syndromic disease limited to a single PPB tumor bearing tumor-specific RNase IIIb and LOF mutations. We propose that acquisition of a neomorphic RNase IIIb domain mutation is the rate limiting event in DICER1-associated tumorigenesis, and that distinct clinical phenotypes associated with mutational categories reflect the temporal order in which LOF and RNase IIIb domain mutations are acquired during development.

Genomic Heterogeneity of Breast Tumor Pathogenesis

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Ellsworth, Rachel E.; Hooke, Jeffrey A.; Shriver, Craig D.; Ellsworth, Darrell L.

2009-01-01

Pathological grade is a useful prognostic factor for stratifying breast cancer patients into favorable (low-grade, well-differentiated tumors) and less favorable (high-grade, poorly-differentiated tumors) outcome groups. Under the current system of tumor grading, however, a large proportion of tumors are characterized as intermediate-grade, making determination of optimal treatments difficult. In an effort to increase objectivity in the pathological assessment of tumor grade, differences in chromosomal alterations and gene expression patterns have been characterized in low-grade, intermediate-grade, and high-grade disease. In this review, we outline molecular data supporting a linear model of progression from low-grade to high-grade carcinomas, as well as contradicting genetic data suggesting that low-grade and high-grade tumors develop independently. While debate regarding specific pathways of development continues, molecular data suggest that intermediate-grade tumors do not comprise an independent disease subtype, but represent clinical and molecular hybrids between low-grade and high-grade tumors. Finally, we discuss the clinical implications associated with different pathways of development, including a new clinical test to assign grade and guide treatment options. PMID:20689613

Pituitary Tumors in Childhood: an update in their diagnosis, treatment and molecular genetics

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Keil, Margaret F.; Stratakis, Constantine A.

2008-01-01

Pituitary tumors are rare in childhood and adolescence, with a reported prevalence of up to 1 per million children. Only 2 - 6% of surgically treated pituitary tumors occur in children. Although pituitary tumors in children are almost never malignant and hormonal secretion is rare, these tumors may result in significant morbidity. Tumors within the pituitary fossa are of two types mainly, craniopharyngiomas and adenomas; craniopharyngiomas cause symptoms by compressing normal pituitary, causi...

Genetic testing for exercise prescription and injury prevention: AIS-Athlome consortium-FIMS joint statement.

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Vlahovich, Nicole; Hughes, David C; Griffiths, Lyn R; Wang, Guan; Pitsiladis, Yannis P; Pigozzi, Fabio; Bachl, Nobert; Eynon, Nir

2017-11-14

There has been considerable growth in basic knowledge and understanding of how genes are influencing response to exercise training and predisposition to injuries and chronic diseases. On the basis of this knowledge, clinical genetic tests may in the future allow the personalisation and optimisation of physical activity, thus providing an avenue for increased efficiency of exercise prescription for health and disease. This review provides an overview of the current status of genetic testing for the purposes of exercise prescription and injury prevention. As such there are a variety of potential uses for genetic testing, including identification of risks associated with participation in sport and understanding individual response to particular types of exercise. However, there are many challenges remaining before genetic testing has evidence-based practical applications; including adoption of international standards for genomics research, as well as resistance against the agendas driven by direct-to-consumer genetic testing companies. Here we propose a way forward to develop an evidence-based approach to support genetic testing for exercise prescription and injury prevention. Based on current knowledge, there is no current clinical application for genetic testing in the area of exercise prescription and injury prevention, however the necessary steps are outlined for the development of evidence-based clinical applications involving genetic testing.

Conjunctival Melanocytic Tumors-New Developments

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Hülya Gökmen Soysal

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Melanocytic lesions of the conjunctiva represent a wide spectrum of tumors that include benign, premalignant, and malignant tumors. There are many ongoing arguments about the definition, classification, and therapeutic options of the conjunctival melanocytic tumors with many different suggestions. Conjunctival nevi are the most common melanocytic tumors and their risk of malignant transformation is less than1%. Primary acquired melanosis (PAM histopathologically includes various types of lesions from increased melanin pigmentation without melanocyte proliferation to melanoma in situ and is accepted as a clinical definition, so that a new classification is recommended which is based on more objective criteria than before. Although conjunctival melanoma is seen rarely, it is associated with a high mortality rate. Management of these tumors mainly involves surgery and adjuvant topical chemotherapy, cryotherapy, and radiation therapy that help improving the survival, however, new options are being investigated related to genetic and molecular researches. (Turk J Ophthalmol 2014; 44: Supplement 15-21

Evidence of genetic predisposition for metabolically healthy obesity and metabolically obese normal weight

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Huang, Lam Opal; Loos, Ruth JF; Oskari Kilpeläinen, Tuomas

2018-01-01

Obesity has evolved into a global pandemic that constitutes a major threat to public health. The majority of obesity-related health care costs are due to cardiometabolic complications, such as insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and hypertension, which are risk factors for Type 2 diabetes and cardi......Obesity has evolved into a global pandemic that constitutes a major threat to public health. The majority of obesity-related health care costs are due to cardiometabolic complications, such as insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and hypertension, which are risk factors for Type 2 diabetes...... are located in or near genes that implicate pathways involved in adipogenesis, fat distribution, insulin signaling, and insulin resistance. It has been suggested that a threshold for subcutaneous adipose tissue expandability may be at play in the manifestation of MHO and MONW, where expiry of adipose tissue...... storage capacity could lead to ectopic lipid accumulation in non-adipose tissues such as liver, muscle, heart, and pancreatic beta cells. Understanding the genetic aspects of the mechanisms that underpin MHO and MONW is crucial to define appropriate public health action points and to develop effective...

Tumor dedifferentiation: diagnostic and therapeutic implications

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Abhimanyu Jha

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Some of the neoplasm especially malignant tumors are notorious in masquerading their cell of origin because of additional mutations which drives them to differentiate into unusual phenotype. This is implicated to a phenomenon of tumor dedifferentiation which can mislead into inappropriate categorization and therapy. Dedifferentiation is well recognized in sarcomas such as liposarcoma, chondrosarcoma and MPNST. However, it can also develop in carcinomas, melanomas and lymphomas at initial diagnosis, following therapy or at recurrence.  The phenomenon has been reported in both primary tumors as well as at metastatic foci. A correct and early pathological identification of this phenomenon might profoundly help in guiding appropriate therapy. Clinical and radiological findings, immunohistochemistry and genetic analysis are often required for correct lineage identification of these tumors.

Against Genetic Tests for Athletic Talent: The Primacy of the Phenotype.

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Loland, Sigmund

2015-09-01

New insights into the genetics of sport performance lead to new areas of application. One area is the use of genetic tests to identify athletic talent. Athletic performances involve a high number of complex phenotypical traits. Based on the ACCE model (review of Analytic and Clinical validity, Clinical utility, and Ethical, legal and social implications), a critique is offered of the lack of validity and predictive power of genetic tests for talent. Based on the ideal of children's right to an open future, a moral argument is given against such tests on children and young athletes. A possible role of genetic tests in sport is proposed in terms of identifying predisposition for injury. In meeting ACCE requirements, such tests could improve individualised injury prevention and increase athlete health. More generally, limitations of science are discussed in the identification of talent and in the understanding of complex human performance phenotypes. An alternative approach to talent identification is proposed in terms of ethically sensitive, systematic and evidence-based holistic observation over time of relevant phenotypical traits by experienced observers. Talent identification in sport should be based on the primacy of the phenotype.

Current ethical and legal issues in health-related direct-to-consumer genetic testing.

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Niemiec, Emilia; Kalokairinou, Louiza; Howard, Heidi Carmen

2017-09-01

A variety of health-related genetic testing is currently advertized directly to consumers. This article provides a timely overview of direct-to-consumer genetic testing (DTC GT) and salient ethical issues, as well as an analysis of the impact of the recently adopted regulation on in vitro diagnostic medical devices on DTC GT. DTC GT companies currently employ new testing approaches, report on a wide spectrum of conditions and target new groups of consumers. Such activities raise ethical issues including the questionable analytic and clinical validity of tests, the adequacy of informed consent, potentially misleading advertizing, testing in children, research uses and commercialization of genomic data. The recently adopted regulation on in vitro diagnostic medical devices may limit the offers of predisposition DTC GT in the EU market.

New perspectives on preimplantation genetic diagnosis and preimplantation genetic screening

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Chun-Kai Chen

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Preimplantation genetic diagnosis is a procedure that involves the removal of one or more nuclei from oocytes (a polar body or embryos (blastomeres or trophectoderm cells in order to test for problems in genome sequence or chromosomes of the embryo prior to implantation. It provides new hope of having unaffected children, as well as avoiding the necessity of terminating an affected pregnancy for genetic parents who carry an affected gene or have balanced chromosomal status. Polymerase chain reaction-based molecular techniques are the methods used to detect gene defects with a known sequence and X-linked diseases. The indication for using this approach has expanded for couples who are prevented from having babies because they carry a serious genetic disorder to couples with conditions that are not immediately life threatening, such as cancer predisposition genes and Huntington disease. In addition, fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH has been widely applied for the detection of chromosome abnormalities. FISH allows the evaluation of many chromosomes at the same time, up to 15 chromosome pairs in a single cell. Preimplantation genetic screening, defined as a test that screens for aneuploidy, has been most commonly used in situations of advanced maternal age, a history of recurrent miscarriage, a history of repeated implantation failure, or a severe male factor. Unfortunately, randomized controlled trials have as yet shown no benefit with respect to preimplantation genetic screening using cleavage stage biopsy, which is probably attributable to the high levels of mosaicism at early cleavage stages and the limitations of FISH. Recently, two main types of array-based technology combined with whole genome amplification have been developed for use in preimplantation genetic diagnosis; these are comparative genomic hybridization and single nucleotide polymorphism-based arrays. Both allow the analysis of all chromosomes, and the latter also allows

Genetic ablation of soluble tumor necrosis factor with preservation of membrane tumor necrosis factor is associated with neuroprotection after focal cerebral ischemia

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Madsen, Pernille M; Clausen, Bettina H; Degn, Matilda

2016-01-01

Microglia respond to focal cerebral ischemia by increasing their production of the neuromodulatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor, which exists both as membrane-anchored tumor necrosis factor and as cleaved soluble tumor necrosis factor forms. We previously demonstrated that tumor necrosis factor...... reduced infarct volumes at one and five days after stroke. This was associated with improved functional outcome after experimental stroke. No changes were found in the mRNA levels of tumor necrosis factor and tumor necrosis factor-related genes (TNFR1, TNFR2, TACE), pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6...... knockout mice display increased lesion volume after focal cerebral ischemia, suggesting that tumor necrosis factor is neuroprotective in experimental stroke. Here, we extend our studies to show that mice with intact membrane-anchored tumor necrosis factor, but no soluble tumor necrosis factor, display...

Origins and molecular biology of testicular germ cell tumors.

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Reuter, Victor E

2005-02-01

Testicular germ cell tumors can be divided into three groups (infantile/prepubertal, adolescent/young adult and spermatocytic seminoma), each with its own constellation of clinical histology, molecular and clinical features. They originate from germ cells at different stages of development. The most common testicular cancers arise in postpubertal men and are characterized genetically by having one or more copies of an isochromosome of the short arm of chromosome 12 [i(12p)] or other forms of 12p amplification and by aneuploidy. The consistent gain of genetic material from chromosome 12 seen in these tumors suggests that it has a crucial role in their development. Intratubular germ cell neoplasia, unclassified type (IGCNU) is the precursor to these invasive tumors. Several factors have been associated with their pathogenesis, including cryptorchidism, elevated estrogens in utero and gonadal dysgenesis. Tumors arising in prepubertal gonads are either teratomas or yolk sac tumors, tend to be diploid and are not associated with i(12p) or with IGCNU. Spermatocytic seminoma (SS) arises in older patients. These benign tumors may be either diploid or aneuploid and have losses of chromosome 9 rather than i(12p). Intratubular SS is commonly encountered but IGCNU is not. The pathogenesis of prepubertal GCT and SS is poorly understood.

Phyllodes tumors with and without fibroadenoma-like areas display distinct genomic features and may evolve through distinct pathways.

Science.gov (United States)

Pareja, Fresia; Geyer, Felipe C; Kumar, Rahul; Selenica, Pier; Piscuoglio, Salvatore; Ng, Charlotte K Y; Burke, Kathleen A; Edelweiss, Marcia; Murray, Melissa P; Brogi, Edi; Weigelt, Britta; Reis-Filho, Jorge S

2017-01-01

Breast fibroepithelial lesions (fibroadenomas and phyllodes tumors) are underpinned by recurrent MED12 exon 2 mutations, which are more common in fibroadenomas and benign phyllodes tumors. TERT promoter hotspot mutations have been documented in phyllodes tumors, and found to be more frequent in borderline and malignant lesions. Several lines of evidence suggest that a subset of phyllodes tumors might arise from fibroadenomas. Here we sought to investigate the genetic differences between phyllodes tumors with fibroadenoma-like areas vs. those without. We retrieved data for 16 borderline/ malignant phyllodes tumors, including seven phyllodes tumors with fibroadenoma-like areas and nine phyllodes tumors without fibroadenoma-like areas, which had been previously subjected to targeted capture massively parallel sequencing. Whilst MED12 exon 2 mutations were significantly more frequent in tumors with fibroadenoma-like areas (71 vs. 11%), an enrichment in genetic alterations targeting bona fide cancer genes was found in those without fibroadenoma-like areas, in particular in EGFR mutations and amplifications (78 vs. 14%). No significant difference in the frequency of TERT genetic alterations was observed (71% in cases with fibroadenoma-like areas vs 56% in those without fibroadenoma-like areas). Our data suggest that the development of phyllodes tumors might follow two different evolutionary pathways: a MED12 -mutant pathway that involves the progression from a fibroadenoma to a malignant phyllodes tumor; and a MED12 -wild-type pathway, where malignant phyllodes tumors arise de novo through the acquisition of genetic alterations targeting cancer genes. Additional studies are warranted to confirm our observations and define whether the outcome differs between both pathways.

Genetic induction of the gastrin releasing peptide receptor on tumor cells for radiolabeled peptide binding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raben, David; Stackhouse, Murray; Buchsbaum, Donald J.; Mikheeva, Galeena; Khazaeli, M.B.; McLean, Stephanie; Kirkman, Richard; Krasnykh, Victor; Curiel, David T.

1996-01-01

Purpose/Objective: To improve upon existing radioimmunotherapy (RAIT) approaches, we have devised a strategy to genetically induce high levels of new membrane-associated receptors on human cancer cells targetable by radiolabeled peptides. In this context, we report successful adenoviral-mediated transduction of tumor cells to express the murine gastrin releasing peptide receptor (mGRPr) as demonstrated by 125 I-labeled bombesin binding. Materials and Methods: To demonstrate the feasibility of our strategy and to provide rapid proof of principle, we constructed a plasmid encoding the mGRPr gene. We cloned the mGRPr gene into the adenoviral shuttle vector pACMVpLpARS+ (F. Graham). We then utilized the methodology of adenovirus-polylysine-mediated transfection (AdpLmGRPr) to accomplish transient gene expression of mGRPr in two human cancer cell lines including A427 non-small cell lung cancer cells and HeLa cervical cancer cells. Murine GRPr expression was then measured by a live-cell binding assay using 125 I-labeled bombesin. In order to develop this strategy further, it was necessary to construct a vector that would be more efficient for in vivo transduction. In this regard, we constructed a recombinant adenoviral vector (AdCMVGRPr) encoding the mGRPr under the control of the CMV promoter based on in vivo homologous recombination methods. The recombinant shuttle vector containing mGRPr was co-transfected with the adenoviral rescue plasmid pJM17 into the E1A trans complementing cell line 293 allowing for derivation of replication-incompetent, recombinant adenoviral vector. Individual plaques were isolated and subjected to two further rounds of plaque purification. The identity of the virus was confirmed at each step by PCR employing primers for mGRPr. The absence of wild-type adenovirus was confirmed by PCR using primers to the adenoviral E1A gene. SKOV3.ip1 human ovarian cancer cells and MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells were transduced in vitro with AdCMVGRPr at

Genetic determinants of heart failure: facts and numbers.

Science.gov (United States)

Czepluch, Frauke S; Wollnik, Bernd; Hasenfuß, Gerd

2018-06-01

The relevance of gene mutations leading to heart diseases and hence heart failure has become evident. The risk for and the course of heart failure depends on genomic variants and mutations underlying the so-called genetic predisposition. Genetic contribution to heart failure is highly heterogenous and complex. For any patient with a likely inherited heart failure syndrome, genetic counselling is recommended and important. In the last few years, novel sequencing technologies (named next-generation sequencing - NGS) have dramatically improved the availability of molecular testing, the efficiency of genetic analyses, and moreover reduced the cost for genetic testing. Due to this development, genetic testing has become increasingly accessible and NGS-based sequencing is now applied in clinical routine diagnostics. One of the most common reasons of heart failure are cardiomyopathies such as the dilated or the hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Nearly 100 disease-associated genes have been identified for cardiomyopathies. The knowledge of a pathogenic mutation can be used for genetic counselling, risk and prognosis determination, therapy guidance and hence for a more effective treatment. Besides, family cascade screening for a known familial, pathogenic mutation can lead to an early diagnosis in affected individuals. At that timepoint, a preventative intervention could be used to avoid or delay disease onset or delay disease progression. Understanding the cellular basis of genetic heart failure syndromes in more detail may provide new insights into the molecular biology of physiological and impaired cardiac (cell) function. As our understanding of the molecular and genetic pathophysiology of heart failure will increase, this might help to identify novel therapeutic targets and may lead to the development of new and specific treatment options in patients with heart failure. © 2018 The Authors. ESC Heart Failure published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of the European

Breast cancer: determining the genetic profile from ultrasound-guided percutaneous biopsy specimens obtained during the diagnostic workups.

Science.gov (United States)

López Ruiz, J A; Zabalza Estévez, I; Mieza Arana, J A

2016-01-01

To evaluate the possibility of determining the genetic profile of primary malignant tumors of the breast from specimens obtained by ultrasound-guided percutaneous biopsies during the diagnostic imaging workup. This is a retrospective study in 13 consecutive patients diagnosed with invasive breast cancer by B-mode ultrasound-guided 12 G core needle biopsy. After clinical indication, the pathologist decided whether the paraffin block specimens seemed suitable (on the basis of tumor size, validity of the sample, and percentage of tumor cells) before sending them for genetic analysis with the MammaPrint® platform. The size of the tumors on ultrasound ranged from 0.6cm to 5cm. In 11 patients the preserved specimen was considered valid and suitable for use in determining the genetic profile. In 1 patient (with a 1cm tumor) the pathologist decided that it was necessary to repeat the core biopsy to obtain additional samples. In 1 patient (with a 5cm tumor) the specimen was not considered valid by the genetic laboratory. The percentage of tumor cells in the samples ranged from 60% to 70%. In 11/13 cases (84.62%) it was possible to do the genetic analysis on the previously diagnosed samples. In most cases, regardless of tumor size, it is possible to obtain the genetic profile from tissue specimens obtained with ultrasound-guided 12 G core biopsy preserved in paraffin blocks. Copyright © 2015 SERAM. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Detection of genetic variants affecting cattle behaviour and their impact on milk production: a genome-wide association study.

Science.gov (United States)

Friedrich, Juliane; Brand, Bodo; Ponsuksili, Siriluck; Graunke, Katharina L; Langbein, Jan; Knaust, Jacqueline; Kühn, Christa; Schwerin, Manfred

2016-02-01

Behaviour traits of cattle have been reported to affect important production traits, such as meat quality and milk performance as well as reproduction and health. Genetic predisposition is, together with environmental stimuli, undoubtedly involved in the development of behaviour phenotypes. Underlying molecular mechanisms affecting behaviour in general and behaviour and productions traits in particular still have to be studied in detail. Therefore, we performed a genome-wide association study in an F2 Charolais × German Holstein cross-breed population to identify genetic variants that affect behaviour-related traits assessed in an open-field and novel-object test and analysed their putative impact on milk performance. Of 37,201 tested single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs), four showed a genome-wide and 37 a chromosome-wide significant association with behaviour traits assessed in both tests. Nine of the SNPs that were associated with behaviour traits likewise showed a nominal significant association with milk performance traits. On chromosomes 14 and 29, six SNPs were identified to be associated with exploratory behaviour and inactivity during the novel-object test as well as with milk yield traits. Least squares means for behaviour and milk performance traits for these SNPs revealed that genotypes associated with higher inactivity and less exploratory behaviour promote higher milk yields. Whether these results are due to molecular mechanisms simultaneously affecting behaviour and milk performance or due to a behaviour predisposition, which causes indirect effects on milk performance by influencing individual reactivity, needs further investigation. © 2015 Stichting International Foundation for Animal Genetics.

Tumor necrosis factor −308 polymorphism (rs1800629) is associated with mortality and ventilator duration in 1057 Caucasian patients

Science.gov (United States)

Watanabe, Eizo; Zehnbauer, Barbara A.; Oda, Shigeto; Sato, Yasunori; Hirasawa, Hiroyuki; Buchman, Timothy G.

2012-01-01

Purpose Management of sepsis in critically ill patients remains difficult and requires prolonged intensive care. Genetic testing has been proposed as a strategy to identify patients at risk for adverse outcome of critical illnesses. Therefore, we wished to determine the influence of heredity on predisposition to poor outcome and on duration of ventilator support of intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Methods A study was conducted from July 2001 to December 2005 in heterogeneous population of patients from 12 US ICUs represented by the Genetic Predisposition to Severe Sepsis (GenPSS) archive. In 1057 Caucasian critically ill patients with SAPS II probability of survival of >0.2 in the US, six functional single nucleotide polymorphisms in relation to inflammatory cytokines and innate immunity (rs1800629, rs16944, rs1800795, rs1800871, rs2569190, and rs909253) were evaluated in terms of mortality and ventilator free days. Results The AA homozygote of TNF(−308) (rs1800629) was most over-represented in the deceased patient group (P = 0.015 with recessive model). The carriage of the TNF(−308)* AA genotype showed significantly higher odds ratio of 2.67(1.29–5.55) (P = 0.008) after adjustment with the covariates. However, the presence of 1, 2, or 3 acute organ dysfunctions was larger prognostic factors for the adverse outcome (OR(95%CI) = 2.98(2.00–4.45), 4.01(2.07–7.77), or 19.95(4.99–79.72), P < 0.001 for all). Kaplan–Mayer plot on ventilator duration of TNF(−308)* AA patient significantly diverged from that of TNF(−308)* (GG + GA) ((AA v GG + GA), Adjusted HR(95%CI) = 2.53(1.11–5.79) with Cox regression, P = 0.028). Conclusions TNF(−308)* AA is significantly associated with susceptibility to adverse outcome and to longer ventilator duration. Therefore, heredity likely affects both predisposition to ICU prognosis as well as the resource utilization. PMID:22749237