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Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase A1298C genotypes are associated with the risks of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and chronic myelogenous leukaemia in the Korean population.

Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) is a key enzyme involved in folate metabolism, DNA methylation and synthesis. We investigated the association between MTHFR polymorphisms and the risks of acute and chronic leukaemias. MTHFR C677T and A1298C were genotyped in 396 Korean individuals using multiplex polymerase chain reaction/restriction fragment-length polymorphism. They were acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL, n = 89), acute myeloid leukaemia (AML, n = 55), biphenotypic acute leukaemia (n = 12), chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML, n = 40), and normal controls (n = 200). C677T genotypes were not associated with the risk of each disease. A1298C variants, however, significantly decreased the risks of ALL and CML compared with 1298AA. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals of 1298AC and 1298AC + CC were 0.53 (0.31-0.93) and 0.54 (0.31-0.93) in ALL, and 0.34 (0.14-0.80) and 0.40 (0.18-0.89) in CML, respectively, compared with 1298AA. These findings demonstrate that the development of ALL and CML is more dependent on folate status, and more susceptible to DNA instability than that of AML. In addition, A1298C rather than C677T may be a more important genetic risk modifier in leukaemogenesis at least in the Korean population.

Adolescent↗

Genetic variation at the perilipin (PLIN) locus is associated with obesity-related phenotypes in White women.

Perilipin coats intracellular lipid droplets and modulates adipocyte lipolysis. We have evaluated the association between several polymorphisms at the perilipin (PLIN) locus (PLIN1 : 6209T > C, PLIN4 : 11482G > A, PLIN5 : 13041A > G, and PLIN6 : 14995A > T) with obesity-related phenotypes in 1589 White subjects randomly selected from a general Spanish population. In women (n = 801), the less common alleles of PLIN1 and PLIN4, in strong linkage disequilibrium (D' : 0.96), were significantly associated with lower body mass index. Carriers of the allele 2 (6209C) at the PLIN1 locus weighed significantly less (-2.2 kg; p = 0.007) than women homozygotes for the wild-type genotype. The same was true for 11482A carriers at PLIN4 (p = 0.01). Moreover, the PLIN4 variant was associated with significantly lower waist-to-hip ratio, plasma glucose, and triacylglycerol concentrations. No significant associations with these obesity-related phenotypes were found in men. In agreement with these results, statistically significant gene-gender interactions were obtained when the risk of obesity was estimated (281 subjects were obese and 1308 non-obese). Only in women, PLIN1 and PLIN4 variant alleles (6209C and 11482A) were associated with a lower obesity risk [Odds ratio (OR) = 0.58, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.38-0.93 and OR = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.36-0.89, respectively]. In summary, our data suggest that common alleles at the PLIN locus modulate body weight and metabolic variables in humans.

Adolescent↗

Molecular features of adult glioma associated with patient race/ethnicity, age, and a polymorphism in O6-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase.

BACKGROUND: Risk factors for adult glioma in the San Francisco Bay Area include well-known demographic features such as age and race/ethnicity, and our previous studies indicated that these characteristics are associated with the TP53 mutation status of patients' tumors. We enlarged our study to assess the relationships of risk factors with TP53 as well as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and murine double minute-2 (MDM2) gene amplification and expression and the germ line Leu84Phe polymorphism in the DNA repair protein O6-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase (MGMT). MGMT expression may depend on the TP53 status of cells. METHODS: Molecular analyses were carried out on 556 incident astrocytic tumors. MGMT genotype data were collected on germ line DNA from 260 of these cases. RESULTS: The tumor data confirm the inverse relationships between TP53 mutation and MDM2 (P = 0.04) or EGFR (P = 0.004) amplification and that patients whose tumors contain TP53 mutations are younger than those without (P < 0.001). Although there was little difference in age of patient by EGFR amplification or expression among glioblastoma multiforme cases, EGFR gene amplification was associated with much older age of onset of anaplastic astrocytoma; for example, EGFR-amplified anaplastic astrocytoma cases were on average 63 years old compared with 48 years for nonamplified cases (P = 0.005). An increased prevalence of TP53 mutation positive glioblastoma multiforme was noted among nonwhites (African American and Asian) compared with whites (Latino and non-Latino; P = 0.004). Carriers of the MGMT variant 84Phe allele were significantly less likely to have tumors with TP53 overexpression (odds ratio, 0.30; 95% confidence interval, 0.13-0.71) and somewhat less likely to have tumors with any TP53 mutation (odds ratio, 0.47; 95% confidence interval, 0.13-1.69) after adjusting for age, gender, and ethnicity. Interestingly, EGFR gene amplification and EGFR protein overexpression were also inversely associated with the MGMT 84Phe allele. CONCLUSIONS: Our results are consistent with ethnic variation in glioma pathogenesis. The data on MGMT show that an inherited factor involving the repair of methylation and other alkylation damage, specifically to the O6 position of guanine, may be associated with the development of tumors that proceed in their development without TP53 mutations or accumulation of TP53 protein and possibly also those that do not involve amplification of the EGFR locus.

Astrocytoma↗

Association of polymorphisms in ERCC2 gene with non-familial thyroid cancer risk.

The ERCC2 protein is an evolutionary conserved ATP-dependent helicase that is associated with a TFIIH transcription factor complex and plays an important role in nucleotide excision repair. Mutations in this gene are responsible for xeroderma pigmentosum and also for Cocayne syndrome and trichothiodystrophy. Several single nucleotide polymorphisms have been identified in the ERCC2 locus. Among them, a G23591A polymorphism in the codon 312 results in an Asp --> Asn substitution in a conserved region and a A35931C polymorphism in the codon 751 results in a Lys --> Gln substitution. Because these polymorphisms have been associated with an increased risk for several types of cancers, we carried out an hospital based case-control study in a Caucasian Portuguese population to evaluate the potential role of these polymorphisms on the individual susceptibility to thyroid cancer. The results obtained did not reveal a significant association between each individual polymorphism studied (G23591A and A35931C) and an increased thyroid cancer risk, but individuals homozygous for non-wild-type variants are overrepresented in patients group. The evaluation of the different haplotypes generated by these polymorphisms showed that individuals simultaneously homozygous for rare variants of both polymorphisms have an increased risk for thyroid cancer [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 3.084; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.347-7.061; P = 0.008] and for papillary thyroid-type tumors (adjusted OR, 2.997; 95% CI, 1.235-7.272; P = 0.015) but not for follicular thyroid-type tumors. These results suggest that genetic polymorphisms in this gene might be associated with individual susceptibility towards thyroid cancer, mainly papillary-type tumors, but larger studies are required to confirm these results.

Adult↗

Single nucleotide polymorphism of pi-class glutathione s-transferase and susceptibility to endometrial carcinoma.

PURPOSE: Endometrial carcinoma is the most common gynecologic cancer in developed countries. Prolonged unopposed estrogen exposure has been identified as the major risk factor. The pi-class glutathione S-transferase (GSTP1) is a phase II metabolic enzyme that is important in the detoxification of a wide range of electrophiles including carcinogenic steroid-hormone intermediates generated through oxidative metabolism. In this study, we aimed at determining the association between the GSTP1 polymorphism and the risk of endometrial carcinoma in a Chinese population. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Genotyping of 180 cases and 200 age-matched controls were assessed by PCR-RFLP approach and confirmed by direct sequencing. RESULTS: Statistical analysis showed that patients of valine allele carriers had 2.03-fold of increased risk of developing endometrial carcinoma (P < 0.01). The allele frequencies for the Ile and Val variants between the cancer cases and controls were also significantly different (P < 0.01; odds ratio, 1.59; 95% confidence interval, 1.13-2.23). Such association was shown in endometrial cancers as a group and in type I endometrioid adenocarcinoma but not the type II nonendometrioid adenocarcinoma. In addition, the Val allele was found significantly associated with high-grade endometrial cancer and/or endometrial cancer of deep myometrial invasion (P < 0.01). Interestingly, the relatively low frequency of Val/Val genotype in both the cancer cases and controls, in parallel with the lower incidence of endometrial cancer in Chinese, was observed when compared with those in Caucasians. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggested that the GSTP1 Ile(105)Val polymorphism was associated with an increased risk of endometrial cancer. Further studies may be required to explore the possible significance of these polymorphisms on GSTP1-related metabolism that may affect the susceptibility of Asians to endometrial carcinoma.

Adult↗

Beta 2-adrenergic receptor polymorphisms and haplotypes are associated with airways hyperresponsiveness among nonsmoking men.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship of common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the beta(2)-adrenergic receptor (AR) gene at codons 16 and 27, and the intermediate phenotype of airways hyperresponsiveness. DESIGN: A case-control study in 543 white men (152 case patients and 391 control subjects), who were nested in an ongoing longitudinal cohort. SETTING: Subjects were selected from the Normative Aging Study, an ongoing longitudinal cohort of healthy aging. PARTICIPANTS: Case patients were defined as those having a positive response to methacholine challenge testing. Control subjects were selected among those who did not have a diagnosis of asthma and who had no response to methacholine. RESULTS: There was a trend for an association of the Arg16 SNP genotype with airways hyperresponsiveness (odds ratio, 1.25; 95% confidence interval, 0.96 to 1.64 [in an additive model]). In stratified analyses, the effect of the Arg16 variant was seen mainly among nonsmokers. Smokers had increased risks for airway hyperresponsiveness regardless of genotype at either SNP. Using a program to estimate haplotype frequencies, three common haplotypes were identified. Adjusting for age, baseline FEV(1), serum IgE level, and smoking status, the Gly16/Gln27 haplotype was negatively associated with airways hyperresponsiveness in the full complement of case patients and control subjects (score statistic, - 2.43; p = 0.02). The effect of the beta(2)-AR haplotypes was much stronger among lifelong nonsmokers, among whom the Gly16/Gln27 haplotype remained negatively associated with airways hyperresponsiveness (score statistic, - 3.114; p = 0.002), whereas the Arg16/Gln27 haplotype was positively associated with airways hyperresponsiveness (score statistic, 3.142; p = 0.002). No effects were seen among ever-smokers. CONCLUSIONS: In this cohort of middle-aged to older white men, beta(2)-AR polymorphisms were associated with airways hyperresponsiveness, particularly among lifelong nonsmokers. Our results illustrate an instance in which greater power is obtained by performing haplotype analyses as opposed to single SNP analysis.

Adult↗

The ACAA-insertion/deletion polymorphism at the 3' UTR of the IGF-II receptor gene is associated with type 2 diabetes and surrogate markers of insulin resistance.

OBJECTIVE: The IGF-II receptor gene (IGFIIR) is located at chromosome 6q26, a region that harbors a genetic marker linked to insulin-resistant traits in Mexican-Americans. In the present study conducted in Spaniards, we tested a common polymorphism in IGFIIR for association with type 2 diabetes and insulin-resistant traits. DESIGN: Case-control association study. METHODS: One hundred and forty-five type 2 diabetic patients and 217 non-diabetic controls were genotyped for the ACAA-insertion/deletion polymorphism at the 3' UTR of IGFIIR. Phenotyping included anthropometrics and a metabolic profile, including serum lipid levels and surrogate indexes of insulin resistance whenever possible. RESULTS: Diabetic patients were more frequently homozygous for the wild type 144 bp allele of IGFIIR compared with controls (diabetic patients 77.2%, controls 51.6%, P<0.001) suggesting a potential protective role against type 2 diabetes for the IGFIIR 140 bp variant. Carrying 140 bp alleles was associated with an odds ratio of having diabetes of 0.290 (95% confidence interval 0.109-0.770), and controls homozygous for the wild type 144 bp allele presented with lower insulin and triglyceride levels, which are proxies for insulin resistance. CONCLUSIONS: The ACAA-insertion/deletion polymorphism at the 3' UTR of IGFIIR is associated with type 2 diabetes and influences surrogate markers of insulin resistance in non-diabetic subjects.

3' Untranslated Regions↗

DBP-CanPred: a machine learning model for predicting cancer-causing mutations in DNA-binding proteins.

INTRODUCTION: The fundamental cellular processes, including transcriptional regulation, chromatin organization, and genome maintenance, are regulated by DNA-binding proteins (DBPs). Mutations in DBPs can alter protein-DNA interactions, leading to tumor development. However, identifying such driver mutations remains a major challenge due to limitations of experimental approaches. METHODS: We have trained a machine learning model, DBP-CanPred, to identify driver mutations in DBPs. We used the sequence-derived evolutionary features, as well as structure-based features such as mutation-perturbed structural descriptors. RESULTS: We evaluated DBP-CanPred using a curated test set, achieving an AU-ROC of 0.86 and a balanced accuracy of 0.79. Further analysis based on substitution-type showed consistent performance across different categories, especially higher performance on charged residues. In addition, we applied the model on an independent dataset and identified potential driver mutations with high confidence scores. DISCUSSION: The study contributes to understanding mutation patterns in DNA-binding proteins and supports variant interpretation in cancer research.

DNA-binding proteins↗

Functional FAS promoter polymorphisms are associated with increased risk of acute myeloid leukemia.

The FAS (TNFRSF6/CD95/APO-1) gene is silenced in many tumor types, resulting in an inability to respond to proapoptotic signals. The FAS promoter is polymorphic, including a G to A substitution at -1377 bp and an A to G substitution at -670 bp, which occur within SP1 and signal transducers and activators of transcription 1 transcription factor binding sites, respectively. In a case-control study of adult acute myeloid leukemia (AML), we show a significantly increased risk of AML associated with heterozygotes (GA) and homozygote variants (AA) at position -1377 bp (32.3% in cases versus 22.0% in controls; odds ratio, 1.69; 95% confidence interval, 1.32-2.16). Extended haplotype analysis revealed that the -1377A/-670A haplotype was significantly associated with disease (3% versus 0.5%; odds ratio, 6.72; 95% confidence interval, 3.13-14.51). These data suggest that variation in the FAS gene promoter may affect FAS gene expression and modulate apoptotic signaling, contributing to an increased risk of AML.

Acute Disease↗

Introduction of potential helix-capping residues into an engineered helical protein.

MB-1 is an engineered protein that was designed to incorporate high percentages of four amino acid residues and to fold into a four-alpha-helix bundle motif. Mutations were made in the putative loop I and III regions of this protein with the aim of increasing the stability of the helix ends. Four variants, MB-3, MB-5, MB-11 and MB-13, have replacements intended to promote formation of an 'N-capping box'. The loop I and III sequences of MB-3 (both GDLST) and MB-11 (GGDST) were designed to cause alphaL C-terminal 'capping' motifs to form in helices I and III. MB-5 has a sequence, GPDST, that places proline in a favourable position for forming beta-turns, whereas MB-13 (GLDST) has the potential to form Schellman C-capping motifs. Size-exclusion chromatography suggested that MB-1, MB-3, MB-5, MB-11 and MB-13 all form dimers, or possibly trimers. Free energies for the unfolding of each of these variants were determined by urea denaturation, with the loss of secondary structure followed by CD spectroscopy. Assuming an equilibrium between folded dimer and unfolded monomer, MB-13 had the highest apparent stability (40.5 kJ/mol, with +/-2.5 kJ/mol 95% confidence limits), followed by MB-11 (39.3+/-5.9 kJ/mol), MB-3 (36.4+/-1.7 kJ/mol), MB-5 (34.7+/-2.1 kJ/mol) and MB-1 (29.3+/-1.3 kJ/mol); the same relative stabilities of the variants were found when a folded trimer to unfolded monomer model was used to calculate stabilities. All of the variants were relatively unstable for dimeric proteins, but were significantly more stable than MB-1. These findings suggest that it might be possible to increase the stability of a protein for which the three-dimensional structure is unknown by placing amino acid residues in positions that have the potential to form helix- and turn-stabilizing motifs.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Association of FOXC1 Duplications With Juvenile Open-Angle Glaucoma.

IMPORTANCE: While FOXC1 single-nucleotide variants and deletions are well-established causes of Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome, few FOXC1 duplications have been reported. This study investigated families with duplications encompassing the FOXC1 gene to refine the associated phenotypic spectrum and contribution to glaucoma. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence and phenotype of FOXC1 duplications in 2 large glaucoma registries. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This retrospective observational genetic cohort study included participants recruited from the Australian & New Zealand Registry of Advanced Glaucoma (ANZRAG) and the Massachusetts Eye and Ear (MEE) cohort from 2008 through 2025. Participants with glaucoma, and available relatives, underwent genomic testing to identify duplications encompassing FOXC1 using exome sequencing and genotyping arrays (ANZRAG) or whole-genome sequencing (MEE). Data analyses were conducted from 2022 through 2025. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Prevalence of FOXC1 duplications, age at glaucoma onset, and phenotype, including ocular and systemic features. RESULTS: Twenty individuals from 10 families (50% female and 50% male; 70% self-described as broadly European [Australian/British, British, English/German, English/Polish, European, or Scottish], 25% as Asian [Chinese or Filipino], and 5% as Latin American [Salvadoran]) were identified with FOXC1 duplications. All genetically tested individuals were diagnosed with glaucoma, demonstrating high penetrance. Seventeen individuals were referred with juvenile open-angle glaucoma (JOAG), 1 with primary open-angle glaucoma, 1 with primary congenital glaucoma, and 1 with anterior segment dysgenesis. The diagnosis of 4 individuals from 1 family with ectropion uveae was revised to anterior segment dysgenesis. Systemic features were reported for 2 participants (10.5%), including subtle dental findings and mild facial dysmorphism. Duplications encompassing FOXC1 were among the most common monogenic contributors to JOAG. In the ANZRAG group, they accounted for 13.5% (95% CI, 6.7%-25.3%) of JOAG probands with a genetic diagnosis, second to MYOC (53.8%; 95% CI, 40.5%-66.7%). In the MEE group, FOXC1 duplications accounted for 9.5% (95% CI, 2.7%-28.9%) of JOAG probands with a genetic diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: These findings suggest FOXC1 duplications are an underrecognized, highly penetrant, but variably expressive, genetic variation associated with JOAG. Findings for the relatively modest number of individuals in the retrospective study were associated with wide confidence intervals. This limitation is often inherent to studies of JOAG, a rare condition for which individual genetic variants account for only a subset of cases. Despite this, the findings highlight the genetic heterogeneity of JOAG and support the potential importance of considering routine genetic copy-number variant analysis for individuals with JOAG.

Humans↗

Association between a CYP3A4 genetic variant and clinical presentation in African-American prostate cancer patients.

Prostate cancer incidence, clinical presentation, and mortality rates vary among different ethnic groups. A genetic variant of CYP3A4, a gene involved in the oxidative deactivation of testosterone, has been associated recently with prostate cancer development in Caucasians. To further investigate this variant, we evaluated its genotype frequencies in different ethnic groups and its association with clinical presentation of prostate cancer in African Americans. CYP3A4 genotypes were assayed in healthy male Caucasian (n = 117), Hispanic (n = 121), African-American (n = 116), Chinese (n = 46), and Japanese (n = 34) volunteers using the TaqMan assay. The association between CYP3A4 genotype and prostate cancer presentation was determined in 174 affected African-American men. Genotype frequency of the CYP3A4 variant differed substantially across ethnic groups, with African Americans much more likely to carry one or two copies than any other group (two-sided P < 0.0001). Among African Americans, 46% (80 of 174) of men with prostate cancer were homozygous for the CYP3A4 variant, whereas only 28% (32 of 116) of African-American healthy volunteers were homozygous (two-sided P < 0.005). A consistent positive association was observed between being homozygous for the CYP3A4 variant in African-American prostate cancer patients and clinical characteristics. Men homozygous for the CYP3A4 variant were more likely to present with higher grade and stage of prostate cancer in a recessive model [odds ratio (OR), 1.7; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.9-3.4]. This association was even stronger for men who were >65 years of age at diagnosis (n = 103; OR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.1-5.4). In summary, the CYP3A4 genotype frequency in different ethnic groups broadly followed trends in prostate cancer incidence, presentation, and mortality in the United States. African-American prostate cancer patients had a higher frequency of being homozygous for the CYP3A4 variant than healthy African-American volunteers who were matched solely based on ethnicity. Among the patients, those who were homozygous for the CYP3A4 variant were more likely to present with clinically more advanced prostate cancer.

Adult↗

MC-Fit: using Monte-Carlo methods to get accurate confidence limits on enzyme parameters.

A program is described for estimating enzymatic parameters from experimental data using Apple Macintosh computers. MC-Fit uses iterative least-square fitting and Monte-Carlo sampling to get accurate estimates of the confidence limits. This approach is more robust than the conventional covariance matrix estimation, especially in cases where experimental data is partially lacking or when the standard error on individual measurements is large. This happens quite often when analysing the properties of variant enzymes obtained by mutagenesis, as these can have severely impaired activities and reduced affinities for their substrates.

Confidence Intervals↗

Metabolic gene variants and risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Genes involved in metabolism of environmental chemical exposures exhibit sequence variability that may mediate the risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. We evaluated associations between non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and 15 variants in AHR, CYP1A1, CYP1A2, CYP1B1, CYP2C9, CYP2E1, GSTP1, GSTM3, EPHX1, NQO1, and PON1. Cases were identified from four Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registries in the United States, and population-based controls were identified through random-digit dialing and Medicare eligibility files. Metabolic gene variants were characterized for the 1,172 (89% of total) cases and 982 (93%) controls who provided biological samples for genotyping. Subjects who were heterozygous or homozygous for the cytochrome P450 gene variant CYP1B1 V432L G allele were at slightly greater risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma [odds ratio (OR), 1.27; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 0.97-1.65]; these results were consistent across B-cell lymphoma subtypes and among both non-Hispanic White and Black subjects, although not statistically significant. The CYP2E1 -1054T allele was associated with decreased risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (CT and TT genotypes combined OR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.37-0.93), and this pattern was observed among all histologic subtypes. The numbers of cases of particular subtypes were rather small for stable estimates, but we noted that the PON1 L55M AA allele, associated with slightly increased risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (variant homozygotes OR, 1.36; 95% CI, 0.96-1.95), was most strongly associated with follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and T-cell lymphoma, with ORs for variant homozygotes of 2.12 and 2.93, respectively. There was no overall association with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma for the other gene variants we examined. The modest effects we observed may reflect the context of exposures within the general population represented in our study.

Adult↗

Simultaneous determination of 7 N-acetyltransferase-2 single-nucleotide variations by allele-specific primer extension assay.

BACKGROUND: Genotyping of N-acetyltransferase-2 (NAT2) is useful in predicting the risk for toxicity of NAT2 substrates. Current methods cannot detect the 7 most important single-nucleotide variations in NAT2 simultaneously in 1 tube. METHODS: We developed an assay that uses allele-specific primer extension (ASPE) and microsphere hybridization for the simultaneous detection of 7 single-nucleotide variations in NAT2. Using 12 samples previously genotyped by a TaqMan-based assay for method development and as positive controls, we amplified the genetic locus of NAT2 comprising the single-nucleotide variations of interest by PCR and then performed ASPE with allele-specific primers and biotinylated dCTP followed by bead hybridization and streptavidin-R-phycoerythrin binding. Genotypes were determined according to the allele-specific fluorescent signal ratios. RESULTS: The mean (SD) allelic ratios for homozygous common, heterozygous variant, and homozygous variant NAT2 genotypes were 0.0394 (0.0113) (n = 80), 0.4372 (0.0270) (n = 148), and 0.9331 (0.0127) (n = 325). The assay had 100% (95% confidence interval, 99%-100%) within-run reproducibility for 12 samples repeated 6 times and 100% (98%-100%) between-run reproducibility for a 5-sample subset run on 6 different days. NAT2 genotypes of 30 blinded samples determined by this assay were 100% (98%-100%) concordant with results obtained using the TaqMan method. CONCLUSIONS: The developed assay can simultaneously determine single-nucleotide variations in NAT2. The assay demonstrates no overlap in allele-specific signal ratios between homozygous common, heterozygous, and homozygous variant and shows agreement with a reference method and reproducibility of genotype identification.

Alleles↗

Microsomal epoxide hydrolase polymorphism and risk of spontaneous abortion.

We conducted a nested case-control study to examine the association of microsomal epoxide hydrolase polymorphism with spontaneous abortion. The analysis included 127 cases and 107 controls from a rural community in China. The prevalence of the homozygous wild-type (AA), the heterozygous variant (Aa), and the homozygous variant (aa) in exon 3 of epoxide hydrolase was 13.4%, 34.6%, and 52.0% in cases and 27.1%, 30.8%, and 42.1% in controls, respectively. In contrast, the variant genotypes in exon 4 of epoxide hydrolase were less frequent in cases than controls. Using women with genotype AA as the referent, the adjusted odds ratio of spontaneous abortion was 2.69 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.33-5.42] for those with genotype Aa or aa in exon 3; but it was 0.45 (95% CI = 0.22-0.94) for those with genotype Aa or aa in exon 4, indicating that the two variants have opposite associations with spontaneous abortion. The findings persisted after adjustment for age, education, parity, smoking, alcohol use, occupation, and pesticide exposure, as well as in subgroup analysis. Moreover, for the variant genotypes Aa or aa in exon 3, the odds ratio was twice as great in those cases with three or more spontaneous abortions than in those with fewer spontaneous abortions.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗

A prospective study of 2 major age-related macular degeneration susceptibility alleles and interactions with modifiable risk factors.

OBJECTIVES: To delineate the magnitude of susceptibility to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) due to common variants in the gene for complement factor H (CFH) and the predicted gene LOC387715 and to determine whether these variants interact with modifiable risk factors. METHODS: We compared cases who developed AMD (n = 457) with 1071 age- and sex-matched control subjects in a prospective nested case-control study within the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. We determined the incidence rate ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for AMD for each genotype and examined the interactions with modifiable risk factors. RESULTS: Participants with 1 or 2 copies of the Y402H variant of CFH were, respectively, 1.98 (95% CI, 1.64-2.40) and 3.92 (95% CI, 2.69-5.76) times more likely to develop AMD, whereas the incident rate ratios (95% CIs) for 1 and 2 copies of LOC387715 A69S were 2.38 (1.92-2.96) and 5.66 (3.69-8.76), respectively. The fraction of AMD cases attributable to these 2 variants was 63% (95% CI, 58%-68%). Subjects homozygous for both risk alleles had a 50-fold increased risk of AMD (95% CI, 10.8-237), and cigarette smoking and obesity multiplied the risks associated with these variants. CONCLUSION: Age-related macular degeneration has emerged as a paradigmatic example of a common disease caused by the interplay of genetic predisposition and exposure to modifiable risk factors.

Aged↗

Association of IL-10 promoter and IL-12 gene polymorphisms with the risk of symptomatic Helicobacter pylori infection.

BACKGROUND: The host's immune response to Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is largely determined by its cytokine profile. Genetic variations within crucial immunomodulatory genes, including those for interleukin-10 (IL-10) and interleukin-12 (IL-12), are thought to influence an individual's vulnerability to the infection and its clinical consequences by modifying cytokine production. Nonetheless, research data derived from diverse human populations continue to show inconsistent results. AIM: This case-control analysis sought to examine a potential link between symptomatic H. pylori infection susceptibility in an Iranian population and specific genetic variants in the IL-10 (-1082G&#x2009;>&#x2009;A, -819&#xa0;C&#x2009;>&#x2009;T) and IL-12 (+&#x2009;1188&#xa0;A&#x2009;>&#x2009;C) genes. METHODS: In this investigation, 68 individuals with confirmed symptomatic H. pylori infection diagnosed by a positive rapid urease test and elevated anti-H. pylori IgG levels exceeding 90 ng/ml via ELISA were enrolled alongside 68 healthy controls. The control group was carefully matched to the patient group based on age, sex, and ethnic background. Genotyping for the IL-10 (-1082G&#x2009;>&#x2009;A, -819&#xa0;C&#x2009;>&#x2009;T) and IL-12 (+&#x2009;1188&#xa0;A&#x2009;>&#x2009;C) polymorphisms was conducted using the Amplification Refractory Mutation System-PCR (ARMS-PCR) method. To evaluate associations, the distribution of genotypes and alleles between the groups was contrasted using logistic regression, applying additive, dominant, and recessive inheritance models. The strength of any association was expressed as odds ratios (ORs) accompanied by 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: The analysis revealed no statistically significant correlations linking the investigated IL-10 and IL-12 gene variants to an increased predisposition for H. pylori infection. A notable methodological observation was the deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) across all studied polymorphisms in the control group. Regarding the IL-10 -1082G&#x2009;>&#x2009;A locus, the AA genotype was associated with a marginally elevated risk estimate; however, this finding was not statistically significant (OR&#x2009;=&#x2009;3.45, 95% CI: 0.29-41.36; p&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.327). Likewise, for the IL-12&#x2009;+&#x2009;1188&#xa0;A&#x2009;>&#x2009;C polymorphism, the CC genotype, while more prevalent in the patient cohort, also demonstrated no significant association with infection risk (OR&#x2009;=&#x2009;1.43, 95% CI: 0.42-4.87; p&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.567). CONCLUSION: This investigation did not establish a significant link between the specific IL-10 and IL-12 gene variants analyzed and susceptibility to symptomatic H. pylori infection in the studied population. Although minor genetic associations were noted, they lacked statistical significance. Future research with larger sample sizes is required to validate these results and to investigate additional genetic determinants that may affect infection risk.

Humans↗