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Biomedical subjects

E Bottini

Publications and source records attributed to E Bottini.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

ACP1 and offspring sex ratio in smoking puerperae: a study at population level.

BACKGROUND: Data from previous study by our group suggest that in smoking women sex ratio of offspring is higher in newborns carrying ACP1C allele than in other ACP1 genotypes, suggesting that differences observed among human population concerning the effect of smoking may depend in part on this genetic factor. OBJECTIVES: In order to further explore this issue we have studied another population and have analysed the relationship between sex ratio and ACP1C gene frequency at population level. METHODS: The analysis includes 719 consecutive births from Central Italy considered in a previous paper and 5510 consecutive births from Sardinia. Data from English and Japanese populations have also been considered in the analysis. RESULTS: Among newborns not carrying ACP1C there is a decrease of SR among the offspring of smoking mothers, while among newborns carrying the ACP1C allele there is an increase of SR among the offspring of smoking mothers relative to non-smoking mothers. Considering Sardinian, Italian, English and Japanese population there is a linear positive relationship between C allele frequency and SR in smoking mothers. CONCLUSIONS: The present observation suggests an interaction between smoking and ACP1 regarding their effects on sex ratio, by which the presence of the ACP1C allele appears to counteract the effect of smoking. This suggests that genetic background may modify the effects of toxic environmental factors on gamete production and functionality and/or on intrauterine survival.

Adult↗

Feto-maternal ACP1 activity ratio and intrauterine survival.

OBJECTIVE: Genetic differences in the activity of phosphotyrosine phosphatases between mother and embryo could result in a differential activation of signals induced by growth factors in the two sides of placenta. Previous observations suggest that this may have important effects on intrauterine development and survival. The aim of the present study is to confirm previous observations and show new data. STUDY DESIGN: We have studied 573 mother/newborn pairs, 169 wife/husband couples with repeated spontaneous abortion and 34 fertile wife/husband couples RESULTS: In mother/newborn pairs, the analysis of joint mother/infant ACP1 distribution has shown a deficit of pairs with the mother having low ACP1 S isoform concentration and the infant having high S isoform concentration, and an excess of pairs with the mother having high S isoform concentration and the infant having low S isoform concentration. In RSA couples there is an excess of couples in which the wife has low S isoform concentration and the husband has high S isoform concentration and a deficit of couples in which the wife has high S isoform concentration and the husband has low S isoform concentration. In fertile couples the pattern is reversed. CONCLUSION: The data suggest that when the mother to fetus S isoform concentration ratio is in favour of the mother, the probability of survival of the fetus is greater than in the opposite situation.

Abortion, Habitual↗

Genetic polymorphism within human growth hormone gene region and BMI in type 2 diabetes.

Currently there is a surge of interest in the association of obesity with growth hormone (GH). Our hypothesis is that genetic variation within the hGH area could predispose to obesity in type 2 diabetes. We examined 68 Caucasian subjects with type 2 diabetes from the central area of Continental Italy. In these subjects we examined four polymorphic loci (Msp1A, Msp1B, BglIIA and BglIIB) located in the hGH gene region (chromosome 17q22-9-24). A sample of 192 adults from the population of Central Italy were studied as controls. Msp1B and Msp1A polymorphisms are associated with BMI. For both polymorphisms the proportion of overweight subjects is greater in the *1/*1 genotype than in carriers of the *2 allele (97% vs. 79% and 94% vs. 86% respectively). For both polymorphisms, the mean value of BMI is greater in the *1/*1 genotype than in carriers of the *2 allele. The mean values of age at onset of diabetes are greater in Msp1B*1/*1 and Msp1A*1/*1 genotypes than in carriers of the *2 allele. BglIIA and BglIIB polymorphisms are not associated with being overweight. The present study suggests that the structural organisation of the hGH genomic area may have an important role in being overweight associated with type 2 diabetes.

Body Mass Index↗

Effect of ACP1*C on early life viability.

Associations with past malarial morbidity, season of conception, and common diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and allergy argue against neutrality of the ACP1 genetic polymorphism. Comparison of ACP1 distribution in mothers and their newborns and analysis of the joint wife-husband ACP1 phenotype distribution in couples with repeated spontaneous abortion suggest a negative effect of the ACP1*C allele on early life viability. Analysis of the polymorphism of the ACP1 gene suggests that, unlike the ACP1*A and ACP1*B alleles, the ACP1*C allele is independent of sequences in the 5' flanking region, resulting in an inverted F/S isoform ratio.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗

Rapid single tube genotyping of ACP1 by FRET based amplification and dual color melting curve analysis.

Erythrocyte acid phosphatase (ACP1), also named low molecular weight phosphotyrosine phosphatase (LMW-PTP) is an enzyme involved in signal transduction pathways of tyrosine kinase receptor. The precise physiological role of ACP1 remains to be elucidated, however recent advancements suggest that it may play an important role in the control of cell proliferation. ACP1 is a highly polymorphic enzyme that has been investigated by case-control studies for decades. Initially based on protein electrophoresis, the phenotype of ACP1 is now detected by DNA-based techniques. Here, we report a new rapid single tube genotyping method for ACP1 by FRET based amplification and dual color melting curve analysis. This method does not require a post-procedure amplification process and allows unambiguous genotyping of 30 samples in less than 1 h.

Color↗

Genetic polymorphism and TH1/TH2 orientation.

BACKGROUND: It is likely that besides developmental and environmental factors, genetic factors also play an important role in Th1/Th2 orientation and susceptibility to related disorders. Thus, for each genetic factor involved one would expect an opposite pattern of susceptibility towards Th1- and Th2-associated diseases. METHODS: We report a comparative analysis of the pattern of association of four genetic polymorphisms with bronchial asthma (Th2 disease) and Crohn's disease (CD; Th1 disease). The study population included 291 Roman children with bronchial asthma and 72 adult Romans with CD, and haptoglobin, adenosine deaminase (ADA), acid phosphatase locus 1 (ACP1) and MN phenotypes were determined. RESULTS: Compared with controls from the same population, the pattern of phenotype association observed in bronchial asthma is exactly opposite to that observed in CD. The analysis of pairwise gametic type distribution for ACP1, ADA and MN polymorphisms has shown that the pattern of differences between bronchial asthma and controls is opposite to that observed between CD and controls. CONCLUSIONS: The pattern of differences between bronchial asthma versus CD is compatible with the hypothesis that some of the genetic systems considered contribute to Th1/Th2 orientation.

Adenosine Deaminase↗

Adaptation to past malarial endemia and susceptibility to common diseases in modern populations: a study of adenosine deaminase and MN blood group genetic polymorphisms.

We carried out a study of adenosine deaminase (ADA) and MN blood group genetic polymorphisms in relation to past malarial morbidity in Sardinia and in relation to susceptibility to allergic asthma (a Th2 disorder) and Crohn's disease (a Th1 disorder) in the population of Rome. Eight hundred and eight schoolchildren, aged 7--14 years from 14 Sardinian villages located in the central area of the island, were considered. One hundred and twenty-two children with allergic asthma and 39 adult patients with Crohn's disease from the population of Rome were also studied. The data suggest an interaction between the two systems concerning resistance/susceptibility, both to malaria and to the diseases considered. In Sardinia, the frequency of the *L(M)/ADA*2 gametic type is negatively correlated with past malarial endemia, suggesting an increased susceptibility to malaria leading to its decrease in areas with high malarial endemia. In Rome, this gametic type is correlated negatively to allergic asthma and positively to Crohn's disease, suggesting a protective effect against allergic asthma and increased susceptibility to Crohn's disease.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Is delayed childbearing changing gene frequencies in Western populations?

Experimental data and clinical observations suggest that delaying childbearing influences the biology of the mother-fetus relationship, with a negative effect on fetal development and predisposition to severe diseases such as type 1 diabetes. We reason that advanced maternal age may influence intrauterine selection, favoring genotypes that are more adapted to the intrauterine environment of less young women. In the present study we have investigated the relationship of maternal age to HP genotype and PGM1-Rh area (chromosome 1) that have been previously found to be associated with fertility and developmental parameters. HP phenotype was determined in 679 consecutive puerperae from the population of central Italy. PGM1 phenotype and Rh C phenotype were determined in 222 puerperae and 200 newborns. The HP 1,1 phenotype decreases and the HP 2,2 phenotype increases with maternal age. The proportion of phenotypes carrying both the Rh C and PGM1*1 alleles is much higher in puerperae older than 36 years than in puerperae of age 22 years. The frequency of the PGM1*1-Rh C haplotype increases and the frequency of the PGM1*2-Rh C haplotype decreases with maternal age. The changes in these genetic systems with advancing maternal age are similar in mothers and newborns. The delay of childbearing age, associated in Western countries with the fertility transition in addition to detrimental effects on intrauterine development and increased susceptibility to severe disorders, could bring about changes in the genetic composition of a population.

Adult↗

Type 2 diabetes and the genetics of signal transduction: a study of interaction between adenosine deaminase and acid phosphatase locus 1 polymorphisms.

Acid phosphatase locus 1 (ACP1) is a highly polymorphic enzyme that has an important role in flavoenzyme activity and in the control of insulin receptor activity and band 3 protein phosphorylation status. Adenosine deaminase (ADA) is a polymorphic enzyme that catalyses the irreversible deamination of adenosine to inosine and has an important role in regulating adenosine concentration. Based on the hypothesis that ACP1 counteracts insulin signaling by dephosphorylating the insulin receptor and that adenosine has an anti-insulin action, we reasoned that low ACP1 activity (low dephosphorylating action on insulin receptor) when associated with high ADA activity (low adenosine concentration) would result in a cumulative effect towards an increased glucose tolerance. On the contrary, high ACP1 activity when associated with low ADA activity would result in a cumulative effect towards a decreased glucose tolerance. A total of 280 adult subjects with type 2 diabetes from the population of Penne (Italy) were studied. There was a nonsignificant trend toward an increase in the proportion of subjects with the complex type with high ACP1 activity and low ADA activity (ie, *B/*B; *A/*C; *B/*C; *C/*C//ADA*1/*2 and *2/*2) in type 2 diabetes relative to that observed in newborn infants from the same population. High ACP1 activity/low ADA activity joint genotype was positively associated with high glycemic levels and with high body mass index (BMI) values. Low ACP1 activity/high ADA activity joint genotype was also positively associated with dyslipidemia. These findings suggest that both ACP1 and ADA contribute to the clinical manifestations of type 2 diabetes and probably also have a marginal influence on susceptibility to the disease. Both additive and epistatic interactions between the 2 systems seem to be operative.

Acid Phosphatase↗

An asthma-associated genetic variant of STAT6 predicts low burden of ascaris worm infestation.

Th-2 immune mechanisms are involved in the pathology of asthma and in the protective immune response to parasitic worms. Common upregulating genetic variants of Th-2 immune signalling are risk factors for asthma, and we tested whether they may confer a counteradvantage in protecting against parasitic worms. We examined the intensity of infection by the parasitic worm, Ascaris lumbricoides, by microsopic counting of ascaris eggs in the stool of 614 schoolchildren from an area of endemic ascaris infection in China. We investigated the relationship between the intensity of ascaris infection and common, asthma-associated genetic variants of Th-2 and Th-1 immune signalling. Ascaris egg counts per gram of stool (epg), mean 1068 epg, ranged from barely detectable (<240 epg) to heavy (approximately 9600 epg) in a skewed distribution. Logistic regression, after exploratory discriminant analysis, showed a major association between a common genetic variant of the 3'-UTR regulatory elements of the signal transducer and transactivating factor (STAT6) (P=0.0002) and egg counts, at the 77 th centile. Linear regression after log transformation of egg counts confirmed a highly significant association with this STAT6 variant (P=0.001). Thus, a common, asthma-associated, genetic variant of the pivotal transduction and transactivating factor for Th-2 immune signalling, STAT6, predicts increased resistance to ascaris worm infection. The evolution of enhanced resistance to parasitic worm infection, through human genetic variation in Th-2 immune signalling, may represent one origin for asthma.

3' Untranslated Regions↗

Maternal cigarette smoking, metabolic enzyme polymorphism, and developmental events in the early stages of extrauterine life.

The recent observation that maternal ACP1 genotype has an interactive effect with smoking on intrauterine development prompted us to search for a possible interaction effect between smoking and ACP1 genotype on haptoglobin (Hp) development in the neonatal period. ACP1 is a highly polymorphic protein tyrosine phosphatase involved in signal transduction of several growth factor receptors. The enzyme is composed of two isoforms, F and S. We studied 299 infants born in the Department of Obstetrics of the University Hospital of Rome La Sapienza. We found that an interaction between ACP1 genotype and smoking has an effect on haptoglobin development: A significant delay of haptoglobin development in infants born to smoking mothers is observed only in infants with the ACP1 *B/*B genotype, which shows the highest concentration of the ACP1 F isoform. The results indicate that the ACP1 genotype modifies the deleterious effects of smoking on development not only during intrauterine life but also during the early stage of extrauterine life.

Female↗

Intrauterine development and MNSs blood groups in repeated spontaneous abortion.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether the maternal MNSs genotype has an effect on the birth weight and gestation duration of the live offspring of women with repeated primary spontaneous abortion (RSA). METHODS: The study sample consisted of 239 healthy white women who had been delivered of a live infant, and 137 women with a history of primary RSA-54 of whom had recently been delivered of a live infant and 83 who had had a spontaneous abortion. Maternal MNSs phenotypes were determined by standard serological methods, and the results were analyzed for relationships between these phenotypes and the mothers' reproductive status and the infants' birth weight and gestational age. Analysis of variance, the chi(2)-test of independence, and the Mantel-Haenszel test for linear association were performed for data analysis. RESULTS: Infants born to mothers with the Ss genotype showed significantly lower birth weight and gestational duration compared with the infants of mothers with other genotypes. Additionally, the MNSs haplotype was found to be associated with birth weight. CONCLUSIONS: Previous studies have shown that the MNSs system influences the gestational age of aborted fetuses in cases of RSA. The present study supports the hypothesis that this genetic factor influences intrauterine growth and development in women experiencing RSA.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗

Identification of two SNPs in the 5' flanking region of the ACP1 gene and evaluation of disequilibrium among polymorphic sites.

We have studied the 5' flanking region of the ACP1 gene looking for new polymorphisms. Two SNPs, DdeI and FokI restricted, have been found in this region. We determined the genotype of DdeI and FokI SNPs, as well as of three other known SNPs, codon 43 (CfoI restricted), codon 41 and codon 105 (TaqI restricted), located respectively in exons 3, 4 and 6 in 62 unrelated subjects from the Italian population. Haplotype distribution for the ten possible pairs of loci were determined by a maximum likelihood procedure. Overall, statistically significant deviations from expected frequencies assuming equilibrium have been observed for the following pairs: FokI/codon 41, FokI/TaqI, codon 41/TaqI (complete association), DdeI/FokI, DdeI/codon 41 and DdeI/TaqI. The data suggest that the FokI area could include sequences operating in strict functional association with sequences included in the codon 41/TaqI area, possibly in order to regulate the F/S isoforms ratio of the A* and *B alleles. Since the ratio between the concentration of the two F and S isoforms is different for the three ACP1 alleles, we suggest that the ACP1 locus has been subjected to strong selective pressure to obtain an optimal alternative splicing mechanism of the *A and *B alleles. The *C variant, on the other hand, seems completely independent from sequences in the FokI/codon 41/TaqI areas, resulting in an inverted F/S ratio compared to that found for *A and *B alleles.

5' Flanking Region↗

Preliminary report: BGLIIA-BGLIIB haplotype of growth hormone cluster is associated with glucose intolerance in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and with growth hormone deficit in growth retardation.

We studied 101 growth-retarded children from the population of Ancona (Italy). Plasma growth hormone (GH) levels at the end of insulin and clonidine tests were considered for classification of children into 3 categories according to severity of GH deficit: total deficit of GH (TD), partial deficit (PD, and familiar short stature (FSS; no deficit of GH). The BGLIIA*2/BGLIIB*1 haplotype of GH cluster that was previously found to be negatively associated with severe glucose intolerance in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) is negatively associated with GH deficit in growth-retarded children. The hypothesis that intrauterine growth retardation and glucose intolerance in adult life could be phenotypes of the same underlying genotype has been recently put forward. The present observation suggests that genes influencing both growth and glucose tolerance are encoded in the GH cluster.

Adult↗

Smoking and the genetics of signal transduction: an association study on retinopathy in type 1 diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies suggest a complex association between smoking and retinopathy that probably depends on the interaction between many variables. We have reported an association between ACP1 phenotype and retinopathy in type 1 diabetes. Additionally, the deleterious effects of smoking on intrauterine growth are dependent on ACP1, a low-molecular-weight tyrosine phosphatase that modifies signal transduction. We examine here the interaction between smoking and ACP1 as a mediator of susceptibility to diabetic retinopathy in a sample of puerperae with type 1 diabetes. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Seventy-eight women who had just delivered live infants were studied. ACP1 phenotype was determined by starch gel electrophoresis. Three-way contingency tables were analyzed. RESULTS: There is a significant epistatic interaction between smoking and ACP1 phenotype concerning their effects on retinopathy. In subjects with low ACP1 activity, frequency of retinopathy was slightly higher in smokers than in nonsmokers. However, in subjects with medium-high ACP1 activity, frequency of retinopathy was significantly lower in smokers than in nonsmokers. A logistic regression analysis using retinopathy as the dependent variable revealed that smoking, ACP1, and ACP1 by smoking interaction, as well as the interaction between smoking and age of the women, are the most robust predictors of retinopathy. CONCLUSIONS: The effect of smoking on retinopathy in women with type 1 diabetes depends on many variables, which supports the hypothesis of complex interactions between smoking and other variables in the pathogenesis of this disease. Variability of genetic factors involved in signal transduction may affect endothelium proliferation through the regulation of growth factors and through regulation of glycemic levels. Because cigarette smoke influences signal transduction, its impact on diabetic retinopathy may be mediated by ACP1.

Adult↗

The genetics of signal transduction and the effect of smoking on intrauterine growth.

We have studied cytosolic low molecular weight phosphotyrosine phosphatase (cLMWPTP or ACP1) in 364 healthy puerperae from the population of Penne, in 155 diabetic puerperae from the population of Rome and in 349 consecutive normal newborn infants from the population of Rome. The data from these independent samples point to a protective role of maternal ACP1 genotypes with medium-high activity against intrauterine growth retardation caused by smoking.

Analysis of Variance↗