Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Robert E Ferrell

Publications and source records attributed to Robert E Ferrell.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

ELAC2 and prostate cancer risk in Afro-Caribbeans of Tobago.

To test the hypothesis that variation in the putative prostate cancer susceptibility gene ELAC2 contributes to the elevated risk of prostate cancer in Afro-Caribbean males from Tobago, we genotyped the S217L and A514T polymorphisms, previously reported to be associated with prostate cancer risk in a large sample of cases and controls. The frequency of the high-risk Leu allele at the S217L site was the same in cases and controls. Both cases and controls were homozygous for the low-risk Ala allele at the A514T site. In addition, we sequenced the exons and 3'- and 5'-flanking regions of ELAC2 in 24 individuals with histologically confirmed prostate cancer. We identified 17 new single nucleotide polymorphisms. An A(-1196)T polymorphism, which alters a predicted TATA box consensus sequence, was tested in cases and controls, and no significant difference in allele or genotype frequencies was observed. The absence of ELAC2 mutations and lack of association between polymorphisms in ELAC2 and prostate cancer in cases and controls leads us to conclude that ELAC2 does not contribute significantly to the elevated prevalence of prostate cancer in Afro-Caribbean males of Tobago.

Adult↗

Angiotensinogen M235T polymorphism associates with exercise hemodynamics in postmenopausal women.

We sought to determine whether the M235T angiotensinogen (AGT) polymorphism, either interacting with habitual physical activity (PA) levels or independently, was associated with cardiovascular (CV) hemodynamics during maximal and submaximal exercise. Sixty-one healthy postmenopausal women (16 sedentary, 21 physically active, and 24 endurance athletes) had heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), cardiac output, stroke volume (SV), total peripheral resistance (TPR), and arteriovenous O2 difference (a-vDO2) assessed during 40, 60, 80, and approximately 100% of VO2 max treadmill exercise. VO2 max did not differ among AGT genotype groups; however, maximal HR was 14 beats/min higher in AGT TT than MM genotype women (P < 0.05). AGT TT genotype women also had 19 beats/min higher HR during approximately 100% VO2 max exercise than AGT MM genotype women (P = 0.008). AGT genotype also interacted with habitual PA levels to associate with systolic BP and a-vDO2 during approximately 100% VO2 max exercise (both P < 0.01). AGT TT genotype women had 11 beats/min higher HR during submaximal exercise than MM genotype women (P < 0.05). AGT genotype interacted with habitual PA levels to associate with systolic BP during submaximal exercise (P = 0.009). AGT genotype, independently or interacting with habitual PA levels, did not associate significantly with diastolic BP, cardiac output, SV, or TPR during maximal or submaximal exercise. Thus this common genetic variant in the renin-angiotensin system appears to associate, both interactively with habitual PA levels and independently, with HR, systolic BP, and a-vDO2 responses to maximal and submaximal exercise in postmenopausal women.

Angiotensinogen↗

Association and linkage analyses of RGS4 polymorphisms in schizophrenia.

Gene expression analyses of postmortem cerebral cortex suggest that transcription of the regulator of G-protein signaling 4 (RGS4) is decreased in a diagnosis-specific manner in subjects with schizophrenia. To evaluate the possible role of RGS4 in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia, we conducted genetic association and linkage studies using samples ascertained independently in Pittsburgh and New Delhi and by the NIMH Collaborative Genetics Initiative. Using the transmission disequilibrium test, significant transmission distortion was observed in the Pittsburgh and NIMH samples. Among single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) spanning approximately 300 kb, significant associations involved four SNPs localized to a 10 kb region at RGS4, but the associated haplotypes differed. A trend for transmission distortion was also present in the Indian sample for haplotypes incorporating the same SNPs. Consistent with the linkage/association observed from the family-based tests, samples with affected siblings (NIMH, India) showed higher levels of allele sharing, identical by descent, at RGS4. When the US patients were contrasted to two population-based control samples, however, no significant differences were observed. To check the specificity of the transmission bias, we therefore examined US families with bipolar I disorder (BD1) probands. This sample also showed a trend for transmission distortion, and differed significantly from the population-based controls for the four-SNP haplotypes tested in the other samples. The transmission distortion is unlikely to be due to chance, but its mechanism and specificity require further study. Our results illustrate the potential power of combining gene expression profiling and genomic analyses to identify susceptibility genes for genetically complex disorders.

Bipolar Disorder↗

Genetic diversity and evolution of the human leptin locus tetranucleotide repeat.

To better understand the evolutionary history of the gene region containing the multifunctional adipose tissue hormone leptin, we genotyped 1,957 individuals from 12 world populations for a highly variable tetranucleotide repeat polymorphism located 476 bp 3' of exon 3 of the leptin gene. Common alleles shared among populations, alleles specific to geographically defined populations, and the homologous alleles in the common and pygmy chimpanzee, the gorilla and the orangutan, were sequenced to define the allelic variation at the nucleotide level. These data reveal a common set of alleles shared among world populations, presumed to have arisen from a great ape ancestral allele prior to the divergence of the major geographical subdivisions of the human population, a subset of alleles specific to populations of African ancestry and a second set of alleles that arose by tandem duplication of the core repeat unit following the separation of African and non-African populations. These findings emphasize the complex evolutionary history of this locus and raise cautions about the pooling of alleles at this locus in association studies.

Animals↗

A mannosyltransferase gene at 11q23 is disrupted by a translocation breakpoint that co-segregates with bipolar affective disorder in a small family.

Bipolar affective disorder (BPAD) is a complex neuropsychiatric disease characterized by extreme mood swings. Genetic influences affect the disease susceptibility substantially, yet the underlying mechanisms are unknown. We previously described a pedigree in which all five individuals with BPAD and one individual with recurrent major depression were carriers of a reciprocal chromosomal translocation t(9;11)(p24;q23). Gene content analyses of the breakpoint junctions revealed disruption of a gene (DIBD1 ) at 11q23, a genomic region that has also been implicated in schizophrenia and Tourette syndrome. DIBD1 is predicted to encode a mannosyltransferase similar to Saccaromyces cerevisiae Alg9p of the protein N-glycosylation pathway. The in-born errors of protein N-glycosylation cause congenital disorders of glycosylation in humans. DIBD1 shows uniform expression in the tested subregions of the brain by Northern analysis. Sequence analysis revealed four intragenic single nucleotide polymorphisms. The valine residue at V289I was conserved in other eukaryotic species, whereas its frequency was approximately 65% in humans. We performed linkage and linkage disequilibrium analyses in two NIMH bipolar pedigree series using four tightly linked simple tandem repeat polymorphisms (STRPs) and the V289I. These analyses overall failed to support a role for DIBD1 in disease susceptibility. The most-significant finding was a lod score of 1.18 (P=0.0098), obtained by an intronic STRP D11S5025, in the subset of 22 multiplex pedigrees. In conclusion, we found that a mannosyltransferase gene at 11q23 is disrupted by a translocation breakpoint co-segregating with BPAD in a family. However, its role in the disease susceptibility remains unconfirmed.

Bipolar Disorder↗

Lymphedema-distichiasis syndrome and FOXC2 gene mutation.

PURPOSE: To describe the clinical characteristics of a family with autosomal dominant lymphedema-distichiasis syndrome and to report the results of analysis of the FOXC2 gene DESIGN: Observational and experimental study. METHODS: The setting was a clinical practice. The study population was 17 members of a family with lymphedema-distichiasis. Observation procedures were complete ophthalmologic examinations and collection of blood samples. DNA was extracted. Mutation analysis of the coding region of the FOXC2 gene was performed using direct sequencing of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) product and a restriction enzyme assay. The main outcome measure was inheritance of mutation in FOXC2 gene. RESULTS: Nine patients had distichiasis or lymphedema or both and eight did not. Sequencing of the coding region of the only translated exon of the FOXC2 gene revealed a C to A transversion at position 939 resulting in a Tyr313Stop codon with premature termination of translation and a truncated protein product. The mutation was present in all nine affected individuals and in an asymptomatic 9-year-old boy. CONCLUSIONS: Distichiasis-lymphedema syndrome results from mutations in FOXC2, a member of the forkhead/winged family of transcription factors. There is intrafamilial variation in the clinical expression of the mutation.

Base Sequence↗

Inter- and intrafamilial variability in premature pubarche and polycystic ovary syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To ascertain the extent of phenotypic heterogeneity for premature pubarche and polycystic ovary syndrome between and within families. DESIGN: Association study. SETTING: Academic research environment. PATIENT(S): Three families in which the propositus had presented with either premature pubic hair or adolescent hyperandrogenism. INTERVENTION(S): Detailed medical histories, hormone determinations, and genotype analyses. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Clinical phenotype. Genotypes for CYP21, HSD3B2, G972R variant of IRS-1, N363S variant of GRL, W64R variant of ADRB3, CAG repeat in exon 1 of AR, MspAI polymorphism in CYP17, and R264C variant of CYP19. RESULT(S): Significant phenotypic and genetic heterogeneity was observed both within and between families. In one family, CYP21 and IRS-1 variants were observed to co-segregate with symptoms of androgen excess and obesity. No genetic markers were consistently noted to associate with clinical features of hyperandrogenism in the other two families. CONCLUSION(S): The difficulties in classifying female family members as clearly affected or unaffected and lack of definitive male phenotype complicate the use of linkage analysis to identify the polycystic ovary syndrome genes. Each family is best considered on an individual basis to identify genetic markers that segregate with the clinical features of androgen excess.

Age Factors↗

Central nervous system serotonergic responsivity and aggressive disposition in men.

To determine whether normative variability in aggressive behavior correlates negatively with central nervous system (CNS) serotonergic function among men, plasma prolactin (PRL) responses to a standard fenfluramine challenge (administered to assess central serotonergic responsivity) were examined in relation to interview-assessed aggression histories among 118 adult males derived from a nonpatient, community sample. Fenfluramine-induced, peak PRL rises were smaller in subjects whose 'aggression' scores fell above the sample median, compared to their less aggressive counterparts (P<.002). Across subjects, participants' peak PRL responses likewise covaried inversely with aggression history (r(s)=-.32, P<.0005). Additional analyses were conducted on data of 58 subjects who had also been genotyped for a functional polymorphism in the promoter region of the X chromosomal, monoamine oxidase-A (MAO-A) gene. The four variants of this repeat polymorphism were grouped for analysis (alleles '1+4' vs. '2+3') based on prior report of enhanced transcriptional efficiency in MAO-A promoter constructs containing alleles 2 and 3 (repeats of intermediate length). Men in the 2/3 allele group had significantly higher aggression scores (P<.05) and smaller peak PRL responses to fenfluramine (P<.009) than men in the 1/4 allele group. When adjusted by analysis of covariance for concomitant variability in subjects' PRL responses, aggressive disposition no longer varied significantly by genotype. This finding suggests that association of the MAO-A promoter polymorphism with this behavioral phenotype may be mediated, in part, by allele-specific variation in central serotonergic responsivity.

Adult↗

Nephropathy in type 1 diabetes: a manifestation of insulin resistance and multiple genetic susceptibilities? Further evidence from the Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complication Study.

BACKGROUND: The pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy remains unclear, although previous reports implicate a wide range of putative genetic and metabolic factors. METHODS: Incident and prevalent cases of overt nephropathy (ON), defined as an albumin excretion rate>200 microg/min in at least two of the three timed urines, from the Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complication Study (a prospective epidemiologic study of an incident cohort of childhood onset type 1 diabetic subjects) were studied. RESULTS: Incidence analyses reveal differences in univariate baseline risk factors that predict ON within 5 years of measurement [low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, triglycerides, white blood cell count, and hypertension] and those that predict in the long-term, that is, 6 to 10 years after baseline, hemoglobin A1 (Hb A1). Estimated glucose disposal rate (calculated using a formula derived from euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp studies), however, strongly (P < 0.001) predicted ON throughout follow-up. Comparing individuals who were most susceptible to ON (those with an onset before 20 years duration of type 1 diabetes and before the development of other advanced complications) with the least susceptible (late or no occurrence of ON despite the development of other advanced complications) revealed otherwise undetected genetic associations [that is, apolipoprotein E (Apo E), angtiotensin-converting enzyme insertion/deletion (ACE I/D), and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) HindIII polymorphism) with odds ratios ranging from 2.9 to 7.1. CONCLUSIONS: In type 1 diabetes insulin resistance is an underlying risk state for ON, which may be accelerated by other disturbances (for example, hypertension and dyslipidemia). A novel approach to classifying (that is, phenotyping) subjects, which compares those at the extremes of susceptibility, reveals strong genetic associations and important interactions with other risk factors not otherwise apparent.

Adolescent↗

Changes in high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol subfractions with exercise training may be dependent on cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) genotype.

We sought to determine if a cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) gene locus variation contributes to the variability in the responses of plasma high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) and its subfractions to endurance exercise training. Middle- to older-aged men and women with at least 1 lipoprotein-lipid risk factor underwent 6 months of endurance exercise training while on a low-fat diet. Plasma lipid levels were measured by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Initial age, body composition, lipoprotein-lipid profiles, and VO(2)max did not differ between the 2 CETP genotype groups (B1B1, n = 16; B1B2, n = 14). With exercise training, VO(2)max increased, and body weight, total body fat, and computed tomographic (CT) intra-abdominal visceral fat decreased similarly in both CETP genotype groups. Plasma total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) levels did not change significantly with training in either genotype group. HDL(2NMR)-C levels increased with exercise training in CETP B1B1 (P <.05), but did not change in CETP B1B2 genotype individuals. HDL(3NMR)-C levels tended to decrease with training in CETP B1B1 persons and HDL(4NMR)-C levels tended to increase with training somewhat more in CETP B1B2 individuals, but these differences were not significant. HDL(5NMR)-C levels increased similarly with exercise training in the 2 groups. The integrated HDL(3-5NMR)-C levels increased with exercise training in CETP B1B2 (P <.05), but did not change in CETP B1B1 genotype individuals. Apolipoprotein E (APO E) or lipoprotein lipase (LPL) PvuII genotype did not associate with HDL-C subfraction changes with training. Thus, CETP genotype may contribute to the interindividual differences in plasma HDL-C subfraction changes occurring with endurance exercise training in sedentary middle- to older-aged men and women.

Apolipoproteins E↗

Effects of apolipoprotein E genotype on dietary-induced changes in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in obese postmenopausal women.

Lipid responses to a dietary intervention are highly variable between individuals. Part of this variation may be accounted for by individual differences in lipid-regulating genes that interact with diet to induce changes in lipoprotein metabolism. This study determined whether apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype affects lipid responses to a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet in obese, postmenopausal women. Body weight and lipoprotein lipid responses to a 10-week, dietary intervention (American Heart Association [AHA] Step I) were compared in 61 women with the APOE 2/3 and APOE 3/3 genotype (APOE4-) and 18 women with the APOE 3/4 genotype (APOE4+) of a similar age, body composition, and maximal aerobic capacity. Body weight decreased by 2% in both groups, but changes in body weight correlated only with changes in low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) (r =.27, P <.05). The dietary intervention decreased total cholesterol and LDL-C to a similar degree in both genotype groups. However, APOE4- women decreased high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) by 17% +/- 11% and increased triglycerides by 20% +/- 41% in response to the diet, while APOE4+ women had a smaller decrease in HDL-C (-8% +/- 12%) and no change in plasma triglyceride. These group differences were significant for HDL-C (P <.01) and approached significance for triglycerides (P =.08). Moreover, APOE4- women decreased HDL(2)-C by 32% +/- 45%, while APOE4+ women increased HDL(2)-C by 12% +/- 62% (P <.01 between groups). It may be prudent to genotype older women before initiating low-fat diet therapy, as those with the APOE4 allele benefit the most, while the lipid profile could worsen in women without the APOE4 allele.

Aged↗

Racial differences in the relation between uncoupling protein genes and resting energy expenditure.

BACKGROUND: Lower resting energy expenditure (REE) in African American women may contribute to their obesity. The identification of uncoupling protein (UCP) genes has fueled a search for genes involved in energy metabolism in humans. OBJECTIVE: We examined variation in REE in relation to variation in UCP1, UCP2, and UCP3 in 141 women aged 18-21 y. DESIGN: Standard methods were used for REE measurements and genetic analysis. Body composition was determined with the use of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Multivariate analysis was used to examine the effect of genotypes on REE and on fat mass in relation to other potentially confounding variables. RESULTS: REE was 295 kJ/d lower in African American women than in white women. No significant variation in REE was seen for UCP1, UCP2, and UCP3 (p-55; exon 3a; and exon 3b) variants after adjustment for other variables including smoking status. For the UCP3 exon 5 variant, REE was significantly (P = 0.019) lower in African American women with the CC genotype than in those with the TT genotype. In African American women, there was a significant trend (P = 0.012) toward lower REE and a weak but nonsignificant trend (P = 0.1) toward greater fat mass across the 3 genotypes (TT, CT, and CC). CONCLUSIONS: The significant and dose-dependent relation between lower REE and the C allele suggests that it may be a thrifty allele. The presence of this parsimonious energy metabolism in African American women, possibly linked to UCP3, may be implicated in their susceptibility to obesity. The absence of a UCP3 effect in white women is intriguing and needs to be explored to further understand possible interactions between UCP3 and other genes.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗

Variability within alpha- and beta-adrenoreceptor genes as a predictor of cardiovascular function at rest and in response to mental challenge.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association between polymorphic variation in alpha- and beta-adrenoreceptor genes and cardiovascular activity at rest and in response to psychological challenge in a sample in which the heritability of these cardiovascular phenotypes may be established. METHODS: Several common polymorphisms were characterized within ADRA1B (alpha1B), ADRA2A (alpha2A), ADRB1 (beta1) and ADRB2 (beta2) and examined in relation to heart rate (HR) and systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure, both at rest and in response to stress. Participants were 309 European-American, young adult men and women (including 101 monozygotic and 44 dizygotic twin pairs). RESULTS: In the full sample, participants carrying any G allele at base pair (bp) 1165 in ADRB1 exhibited elevated resting SBP and DBP and a larger DBP response to mental challenge compared to homozygotes for the C allele (P < 0.04). An AA genotype at bp 145 in ADRB1 was also associated with higher resting SBP and DBP than AG or GG genotypes (P < 0.03). At bp 46 in ADRB2, GG homozygotes had higher resting DBP than subjects possessing any A allele (P < 0.05). For the same polymorphism, however, AG heterozygotes showed lower SBP than both AA and GG homozygotes (P < 0.05). In a subsample of genetically unrelated individuals, ADRB1 (1165) continued to predict resting SBP, DBP and DBP response to stress (P < 0.03), while ADRB2 (46) was associated with resting SBP (P < 0.04) but not DBP. Finally, the degree of allele sharing at ADRB1 (1165) also predicted variability in SBP and DBP at rest among dizygotic twin pairs (P < 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that some polymorphic variation within adrenoreceptor genes contributes to interindividual variability in resting SBP and DBP and in DBP response to mental challenge.

Adult↗

Dopamine system genes and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a meta-analysis.

The dopamine system may play a major role in the development of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We applied a random-effects model meta-analysis to family-based studies of association between ADHD and the dopamine system genes DRD4, DRD5 and DAT1. A statistical test of heterogeneity was conducted for each group of studies. The meta-analysis of DRD4 included data from 13 studies, with a total of 571 informative meioses. The pooled odds ratio estimate was 1.41 (95% CI 1.20-1.64, =1.57 x 10 ), demonstrating positive association. For DRD5, data from five studies, with a total of 340 informative meioses, were combined yielding a pooled odds ratio of 1.57 (95% CI 1.25-1.96, =8.28 x 10 ). Eleven studies examining DAT1, with a total of 824 informative meioses, yielded a non-significant pooled odds ratio estimate of 1.27 (95% CI 0.99-1.63, 0.06). There was no support of heterogeneity between the studies. Overall, the meta-analyses support the involvement of the dopamine system genes in ADHD liability variation and suggest the need for studies examining interactions between these genes.

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity↗

A tale of two genotypes: consistency between two high-throughput genotyping centers.

Multiple genome-wide scans involving sib-pairs or limited pedigrees have been extensively used for a wide number of complex genetic conditions. Comparing data from two or more scans, as well as combining data, require an understanding of the sources of genotyping errors and data discrepancies. We have conducted two genome-wide scans for age-related maculopathy using the Center for Inherited Disease Research (CIDR) and the Mammalian Genotyping Service (MGS). Thirty individuals were typed in common, in order to allow for the alignment of alleles and comparison of the data sets. The analysis of these 8914 genotypes distributed over 321 markers in common demonstrated excellent agreement between these two laboratories, which have low rates of internal errors. Under the assumption that within each genotype, the smaller MGS allele should correspond to the smaller CIDR allele, the alleles align well between the two centers, with only a small fraction (less than 0.65%) of the aligned alleles showing large differences in sizes. However, since called allele sizes are integer "labels" which may not directly reflect the true underlying allele sizes, it is important to carefully prepare in advance if one wishes to merge data from different laboratories. In particular, it would not suffice to attempt to align alleles by typing only one or two controls in common. Fortunately, for the purposes of linkage analysis, one can avoid merging difficulties by simply carrying out linkage analyses using laboratory-specific allele labels and allele frequencies for each laboratory-specific subset of the data.

Alleles↗

Research perspectives in inherited lymphatic disease.

The hereditary lymphedemas provide an opportunity to identify genes involved in normal and deranged lymphatic development. Genetic analysis of families with Milroy's disease identified mutations in VEGFR3 as a cause of congenital lymphedema, confirming the importance of VEGFC/VEGFR3 signaling in lymphatic development. These observations led to the identification of a mouse model for primary lymphedema, and subsequent analysis of this mouse model, using transgenic and gene transfer techniques, has provided initial clues to the development of a biologically based therapy for primary lymphedema. Of more importance from a public health perspective is the fact that manipulation of this pathway may lead to effective therapies for the more prevalent forms of secondary lymphedema. Identification of FOXC2 as the gene mutated in the lymphedema-distichiasis syndrome has revealed new molecular insight into lymphatic development. Molecular analysis of the FOXC2 pathway may provide clues to developmental pathways shared by the lymphatic system and the other developmental abnormalities associated with this complex syndrome. With improving knowledge of the human genome, genetic analysis of families with lymphedema continues to offer one of the most promising approaches to identifying genes influencing lymphatic development.

DNA-Binding Proteins↗

ACE insertion/deletion polymorphism and submaximal exercise hemodynamics in postmenopausal women.

We sought to determine whether the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) insertion (I)/deletion (D) polymorphism is associated with submaximal exercise cardiovascular hemodynamics. Postmenopausal healthy women (20 sedentary, 20 physically active, 22 endurance athletes) had cardiac output (acetylene rebreathing) measured during 40, 60, and 80% VO(2 max) exercise. The interaction of ACE genotype and habitual physical activity (PA) level was significantly associated with submaximal exercise systolic blood pressure, with only sedentary women exhibiting differences among genotypes. No significant effects of ACE genotype or its interaction with PA levels was observed for submaximal exercise diastolic blood pressure. ACE genotype was significantly associated with submaximal exercise heart rate (HR) with ACE II having approximately 10 beats/min higher HR than ACE ID/DD genotype women. ACE genotype did not interact significantly with habitual PA level to associate with submaximal exercise HR. ACE genotype was not independently, but was interactively with habitual PA levels, associated with differences in submaximal exercise cardiac output and stroke volume. For cardiac output, ACE II genotype women athletes had ~25% greater cardiac output than ACE DD genotype women athletes, whereas for stroke volume genotype-dependent differences were observed in both the physically active and athletic women. ACE genotype was not significantly associated, either independently or interactively with habitual PA levels, with submaximal exercise total peripheral resistance or arteriovenous O(2) difference. Thus the common ACE locus polymorphic variation is associated with many submaximal exercise cardiovascular hemodynamic responses.

Aged↗

Genetic testing considerations for oral medicine.

The availability and integration of genetic information into our understanding of normal and abnormal growth and development are driving important changes in health care. These changes have fostered the hope that the availability of genetic information will promote a better understanding of disease etiology and permit early, even pre-symptomatic diagnosis and preventative intervention to avoid disease onset. Expectations for this proactive health care approach are fueled by the technological and scientific advances that have fundamentally changed how we perceive human diseases. Among the clinical applications of this information, genetic testing applications are likely to expand significantly and may broadly impact the clinical practice of dentistry. In this changing environment, it is vital that dental care providers, policymakers, and consumers become aware of important issues related to genetic testing and the incorporation of genetic information into the diagnosis and treatment of common diseases that involve the oral cavity. We must also guard against unrealistic expectations and calls for genetic tests that are not valid. To realize the promise of this new molecular genetics, we must understand the possibilities and responsibly incorporate newly emergent technologies into the evolving discipline of dentistry. This paper overviews many of the important issues that need to be considered in the application of genetic testing to oral medicine.

Advisory Committees↗