Populations Of Different Ethnic Origins Research Articles

Emerging insights into ethnic-specific TP53 germline variants.

The recent expansion of human genomics repositories has facilitated the discovery of novel TP53 variants in populations of different ethnic origins. Interpreting TP53 variants is a major clinical challenge because they are functionally diverse, confer highly variable predisposition to cancer (including elusive low-penetrance alleles), and interact with genetic modifiers that alter tumor susceptibility. Here, we discuss how a cancer risk continuum may relate to germline TP53 mutations on the basis of our current review of genotype-phenotype studies and an integrative analysis combining functional and sequencing datasets. Our study reveals that each ancestry contains a distinct TP53 variant landscape defined by enriched ethnic-specific alleles. In particular, the discovery and characterization of suspected low-penetrance ethnic-specific variants with unique functional consequences, including P47S (African), G334R (Ashkenazi Jewish), and rs78378222 (Icelandic), may provide new insights in terms of managing cancer risk and the efficacy of therapy. Additionally, our analysis highlights infrequent variants linked to milder cancer phenotypes in various published reports that may be underdiagnosed and require further investigation, including D49H in East Asians and R181H in Europeans. Overall, the sequencing and projected functions of TP53 variants arising within ethnic populations and their interplay with modifiers, as well as the emergence of CRISPR screens and AI tools, are now rapidly improving our understanding of the cancer susceptibility spectrum, leading toward more accurate and personalized cancer risk assessments.

Compilation and functional classification of telomere length-associated genes in humans and other animal species.

Telomeres are the terminal regions of chromosomes that ensure their stability while cell division. Telomere shortening initiates cellular senescence, which can lead to degeneration and atrophy of tissues, so the process is associated with a reduction in life expectancy and predisposition to a number of diseases. An accelerated rate of telomere attrition can serve as a predictor of life expectancy and health status of an individual. Telomere length is a complex phenotypic trait that is determined by many factors, including the genetic ones. Numerous studies (including genome-wide association studies, GWAS) indicate the polygenic nature of telomere length control. The objective of the present study was to characterize the genetic basis of the telomere length regulation using the GWAS data obtained during the studies of various human and other animal populations. To do so, a compilation of the genes associated with telomere length in GWAS experiments was collected, which included information on 270 human genes, as well as 23, 22, and 9 genes identified in the cattle, sparrow, and nematode, respectively. Among them were two orthologous genes encoding a shelterin protein (POT1 in humans and pot-2 in C. elegans). Functional analysis has shown that telomere length can be influenced by genetic variants in the genes encoding: (1) structural components of telomerase; (2) the protein components of telomeric regions (shelterin and CST complexes); (3) the proteins involved in telomerase biogenesis and regulating its activity; (4) the proteins that regulate the functional activity of the shelterin components; (5) the proteins involved in telomere replication and/or capping; (6) the proteins involved in the alternative telomere lengthening; (7) the proteins that respond to DNA damage and are responsible for DNA repair; (8) RNA-exosome components. The human genes identified by several research groups in populations of different ethnic origins are the genes encoding telomerase components such as TERC and TERT as well as STN1 encoding the CST complex component. Apparently, the polymorphic loci affecting the functions of these genes may be the most reliable susceptibility markers for telomere-related diseases. The systematized data about the genes and their functions can serve as a basis for the development of prognostic criteria for telomere length-associated diseases in humans. Information about the genes and processes that control telomere length can be used for marker-assisted and genomic selection in the farm animals, aimed at increasing the duration of their productive lifetime.

Frequencies of pathogenic CFTR variants in Greek cystic fibrosis patients with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis and Aspergillus fumigatus chronic colonization: A retrospective cohort study.

The clinical spectrum of Aspergillus fumigatus diseases in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, including allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) and Aspergillus fumigatus chronic colonization, has recently gained attention due to its association with the progression of lung disease. Our aim was to examine whether there is a difference on pathogenic variant frequencies of the CFTR gene between CF patients with ABPA and those with A. fumigatus chronic colonization. Greek CF patients diagnosed with ABPA and/or A. fumigatus chronic colonization were grouped according to their CFTR genotype. Patients with "minimal" CFTR function were defined as carrying a combination of class I or II pathogenic variants, while patients with "residual" function as carrying at least one class III, IV, V or VI pathogenic variant. Fifty-four CF patients were included and all except one were defined as having "minimal" CFTR function. Among the 108 CFTR alleles, 69 (63.9%) of pathogenic variants belonged to class II, and 32 (29.6%) to class I. Five patients had a history of both ABPA and A. fumigatus chronic colonization. No significant difference was detected among patients diagnosed only with ABPA (n=29) and those who had only a positive history of A. fumigatus chronic colonization (n=20). The median age of ABPA diagnosis was significantly lower than the median age of A. fumigatus chronic colonization (P=0.011), while no significant difference was detected on median FEV1% predicted. No significant differences were detected in the type of CFTR pathogenic variants among patients with ABPA and those with A. fumigatus colonization. Similar studies should be performed in larger CF populations of different ethnic origin to further confirm our results.

Benign SNPs in the Coding Region of TP53: Finding the Needles in a Haystack of Pathogenic Variants.

With the recent explosion in high-throughput genotyping technology, the amount and quality of SNP data have increased exponentially, facilitating the discovery of multiple uncommon SNPs in the human population. To provide unified and centralized resources for the scientific community, several repositories have been developed that aggregate numerous population studies and serve widely as references to filter natural variants in genetic analyses. However, they are largely biased toward European populations. TP53 gene is the most frequently mutated gene in human cancer, and pathogenic germline TP53 variants are associated with several cancer susceptibility disorders such as Li-Fraumeni syndrome. For these reasons, it is essential that TP53 SNPs are rigorously evaluated to avoid misclassifications that could impair patient management. The recent discovery of numerous benign SNPs within the coding region of TP53 can be attributed to surveillance of both global repositories and population-specific databases, with the latter enabling the recognition of additional TP53 SNPs in Japanese, African, and Indian populations. This review summarizes the body of evidence behind the identification of 21 TP53 variants and the information defining them as bona fide SNPs. This illustrates the need to include populations of different ethnic origins in genetic studies and the substantial benefits that can be derived from the information.

Comprehensive Genetic Analysis of a Hungarian Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Cohort.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by the degeneration of motor neurons. Genetic factors play a key role in ALS, and identifying variants that contribute to ALS susceptibility is an important step toward understanding the etiology of the disease. The frequency of protein altering variants in ALS patients has been extensively investigated in populations of different ethnic origin. To further delineate the genetic architecture of the Hungarian ALS patients, we aimed to detect potentially damaging variants in major and minor ALS genes and in genes related to other neurogenetic disorders. A combination of repeat-sizing of C9orf72 and next-generation sequencing (NGS) was used to comprehensively assess genetic variations in 107 Hungarian patients with ALS. Variants in major ALS genes were detected in 36.45% of patients. As a result of repeat sizing, pathogenic repeat expansions in the C9orf72 gene were detected in 10 patients (9.3%). According to the NGS results, the most frequently mutated genes were NEK1 (5.6%), NEFH, SQSTM1 (3.7%), KIF5A, SPG11 (2.8%), ALS2, CCNF, FUS, MATR3, TBK1, and UBQLN2 (1.9%). Furthermore, potentially pathogenic variants were found in GRN and SIGMAR1 genes in single patients. Additional 33 novel or rare known variants were detected in minor ALS genes, as well as 48 variants in genes previously linked to other neurogenetic disorders. The latter finding supports the hypothesis that common pathways in different neurodegenerative diseases may contribute to the development of ALS. While the disease-causing role of several variants identified in this study has previously been established, other variants may show reduced penetrance or may be rare benign variants. Our findings highlight the necessity for large-scale multicenter studies on ALS patients to gain a more accurate view of the genetic pattern of ALS.

Analysis of two birth tissues provides new insights into the epigenetic landscape of neonates born preterm

BackgroundPreterm birth (PTB), defined as child birth before completion of 37 weeks of gestation, is a major challenge in perinatal health care and can bear long-term medical and financial burden. Over a million children die each year due to PTB complications, and those who survive can face developmental delays. Unfortunately, our understanding of the molecular pathways associated with PTB remains limited. There is a growing body of evidence suggesting the role of DNA methylation (DNAm) in mediating the effects of PTB on future health outcomes. Thus, epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS), where DNAm sites are examined for associations with PTB, can help shed light on the biological mechanisms linking the two.ResultsIn an Asian cohort of 1019 infants (68 preterm, 951 full term), we examined and compared the associations between PTB and genome-wide DNAm profiles using both cord tissue (n = 1019) and cord blood (n = 332) samples on Infinium HumanMethylation450 arrays. PTB was significantly associated (P < 5.8e−7) with DNAm at 296 CpGs (209 genes) in the cord blood. Over 95% of these CpGs were replicated in other PTB/gestational age EWAS conducted in (cord) blood. This replication was apparent even across populations of different ethnic origin (Asians, Caucasians, and African Americans). More than a third of these 296 CpGs were replicated in at least 4 independent studies, thereby identifying a robust set of PTB-linked epigenetic signatures in cord blood. Interrogation of cord tissue in addition to cord blood provided novel insights into the epigenetic status of the neonates born preterm. Overall, 994 CpGs (608 genes, P < 3.7e−7) associated with PTB in cord tissue, of which only 10 of these CpGs were identified in the analysis using cord blood. Genes from cord tissue showed enrichment of molecular pathways related to fetal growth and development, while those from cord blood showed enrichment of immune response pathways. A substantial number of PTB-associated CpGs from both the birth tissues were also associated with gestational age.ConclusionsOur findings provide insights into the epigenetic landscape of neonates born preterm, and that its status is captured more comprehensively by interrogation of more than one neonatal tissue in tandem. Both these neonatal tissues are clinically relevant in their unique ways and require careful consideration in identification of biomarkers related to PTB and gestational age.Trial registrationThis birth cohort is a prospective observational study designed to study the developmental origins of health and disease, and was retrospectively registered on 1 July 2010 under the identifier NCT01174875.

HLA II genes distribution in Epstein–Barr virus-associated nasopharyngeal carcinoma and other tumors of the oral cavity patients in Russia

Background. It has been proved that for the nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) the etiological agent is the Epstein–Barr virus (EBV). Being an ubiquitous infection, EBV, under certain conditions, is able to display its oncogenic potential. Among a wide range of tumors associated with EBV, the NPC occupies a special place because it is characterized by a geographically and ethnically heterogeneous distribution, suggesting that in the pathogenesis of NPC, in addition to EBV, an important role is played by other factors, such as genetic predisposition to this neoplasm. Among known genetic factors influencing the frequency of NPC development, the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) complex occupies an important place, as it plays a central role in the presentation of viral antigens to the immune system. In Russia, the association of HLA alleles with the risk of EBV associated forms of NPC development and with development of other oral cavity tumors (OOCT), not associated with the virus, has not been studied. In the literature there are contradictory information about HLA genes, which determine the predisposition to the emergence of these tumors, and their role in the initiation and formation an immune response to EBV proteins. Objective: to study the distribution of the of DQA1-, DQB1-, DRB1-HLA class II gene variants associated with respectively the risk or resistance to the development of NPC and OOCT and with a high and low level of antibody response to EBV main proteins. A group of healthy persons served as a control. Materials and methods. Blood samples from 62 patients with NPC, 44 patients with OOCT, and as control, 300 healthy individuals, were used in the study. The blood serum samples of NPC and OOCT patients were tested for the presence of immunoglobulin classes G and A antibodies to capsid and early EBV antigens by indirect immunofluorescence. All serum samples of patients and healthy individuals were genotyped on HLA-DQA1, -DQB1 and -DRB1 by the method of multi-primer amplification by sequence-specific primers by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results. In NPC patients, an increase in the frequency of HLA-DRB1*08 was found when compared with the frequency of a similar allele in healthy individuals (5.6 % vs 1.8 %; odds ratio (OR) 3.2; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.1–9.1; p = 0.02), and, on the contrary, a lower HLA-DQB1*0301 frequency was detected (16.1 % vs 25.3 %; p <0.05) than in healthy individuals. The data obtained suggest that the HLA-DRB1*08 gene is associated with an increased sensitivity to NPC. In OOCT patients, HLA-DQB1*0502–4 and HLA-DRB1*16 variants were less common than in healthy individuals (1.1 % vs 6.8 %; p <0.05 and 1.1 % vs 6.7 %; OR 0.16; 95 % CI 0.01–1.08; p <0.05, respectively), suggesting that the HLA-DQB1*0301 gene is associated with resistance to NPC, and HLA-DQB1*0502–4 and HLA-DRB1*16 variants – with resistance to OOCT. It is interesting to note the difference in the frequency of HLA-DRB1*13 between NPC and OOCT patients (17.7 % vs 6.8 %; OR 2.9; 95 % CI 1.1–8.6; p <0.05). One can suggest that this difference is related to the proven involvement of EBV in the NPC development. There were no other differences in the frequencies of class II HLA genes between the groups of NPC and OOCT patients. For the first time in Russia the importance of alleles DQA1, DQB1 and DRB1 of the HLA gene for the NPC and OOCT development, malignant tumors, respectively associated and non-associated with EBV, was studied. The results of the investigation completed together with known literature data allow us to conclude that the above alleles of the HLA class II gene can serve as a factor predisposing to the development of NPC in Russia. Conclusion. However, in order to establish a strict association between a specific HLA haplotype and the NPC and OOCT incidence, the information obtained is insufficient due to the complexity and variability of the genetic control of immune responses controlling the tumor process. A comprehensive study of this issue using different immune response genes and populations of different ethnic origins will probably help to elucidate the effect of genetic polymorphism on the risk of NPC and OOCT development in Russia.

Normative Values of Bone Mineral Content and Bone Mineral Density Assessed by Double X-ray Absorptiometry in Congolese Urban Women

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Introduction: &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;The World Health Organization (WHO) have validated dual X-ray absorptiometry as the “gold standard” densitometric technique for assessing Bone Mineral Density and the definitions of osteopenia and osteoporosis are based on its results Loss of bone mass with ageing or osteoprosis leads to decline of bone strength and fragility fractures.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;There are racial/ethnic differences in bone mass parameters for populations of different ethnic origins although living in the same environmental.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;WHO criteria for the diagnosis of osteoporosis and the associated risks of fractures are based on bone parameters assessed by dual x absorptiometry in postmenopausal Caucasian women.&lt;/em&gt; &lt;em&gt;Studies have shown the necessity to establish reference data for bone mass measurements for each population according to habit and ethnicity these data are lacking for Congolese populations.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;This study aims to establish spine and hip normative values in healthy Congolese women population and to compare them with those for Caucasian, Asian, and others ethnical groups.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Materials and methods:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;em&gt;604 bantoues women were recruited after public media advertising and undergoes DXA of spine and hip.&lt;/em&gt; &lt;em&gt;To be included in the study, women must fulfill the conditions of absence of factor affecting bone metabolism.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Results:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt; Bone mass parameters shows a growth up to the peak that is reached in the fourth decade followed by a slow decay that causes a loss of nearly 14.2% in BMD and BMC over a period of 20 years and, then a decrease more pronounced towards the sixtieth year (1.5% yearly), higher than among Caucasians Asians and Arabs. We found that the references curves for the lumbar spine and total hip are significantly differences from the Caucasian, ASEAN or Arab.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Validation of bioelectrical impedance analysis in Ethiopian adults with HIV.

Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is an inexpensive, quick and non-invasive method to determine body composition. Equations used in BIA are typically derived in healthy individuals of European descent. BIA is specific to health status and ethnicity and may therefore provide inaccurate results in populations of different ethnic origin and health status. The aim of the present study was to test the validity of BIA in Ethiopian antiretroviral-naive HIV patients. BIA was validated against the 2H dilution technique by comparing fat-free mass (FFM) measured by the two methods using paired t tests and Bland-Altman plots. BIA was based on single frequency (50 kHz) whole-body measurements. Data were obtained at three health facilities in Jimma Zone, Oromia Region, South-West Ethiopia. Data from 281 HIV-infected participants were available. Two-thirds were female and the mean age was 32·7 (sd 8·6) years. Also, 46 % were underweight with a BMI below 18·5 kg/m2. There were no differences in FFM between the methods. Overall, BIA slightly underestimated FFM by 0·1 kg (-0·1, 95 % CI -0·3, 0·2 kg). The Bland-Altman plot indicated acceptable agreement with an upper limit of agreement of 4·5 kg and a lower limit of agreement of -4·6 kg, but with a small correlation between the mean difference and the average FFM. BIA slightly overestimated FFM at low values compared with the 2H dilution technique, while it slightly underestimated FFM at high values. In conclusion, BIA proved to be valid in this population and may therefore be useful for measuring body composition in routine practice in HIV-infected African individuals.

Effects of ethnicity on the relationship between vertical jump and maximal power on a cycle ergometer

The aim of this study was to verify the impact of ethnicity on the maximal power-vertical jump relationship. Thirty-one healthy males, sixteen Caucasian (age: 26.3 ± 3.5 years; body height: 179.1 ± 5.5 cm; body mass: 78.1 ± 9.8 kg) and fifteen Afro-Caribbean (age: 24.4 ±2.6 years; body height: 178.9 ± 5.5 cm; body mass: 77.1 ± 10.3 kg) completed three sessions during which vertical jump height and maximal power of lower limbs were measured. The results showed that the values of vertical jump height and maximal power were higher for Afro-Caribbean participants (62.92 ± 6.7 cm and 14.70 ± 1.75 W∙kg-1) than for Caucasian ones (52.92 ± 4.4 cm and 12.75 ± 1.36 W∙kg-1). Moreover, very high reliability indices were obtained on vertical jump (e.g. 0.95 < ICC < 0.98) and maximal power performance (e.g. 0.75 < ICC < 0.97). However, multiple linear regression analysis showed that, for a given value of maximal power, the Afro-Caribbean participants jumped 8 cm higher than the Caucasians. Together, these results confirmed that ethnicity impacted the maximal power-vertical jump relationship over three sessions. In the current context of cultural diversity, the use of vertical jump performance as a predictor of muscular power should be considered with caution when dealing with populations of different ethnic origins.

P113: The protective effect of G1958A SNP on the MTHFD1 gene in susceptibility to non-Hodgkin malignant lymphomas

Background Methylation systems in the cells play an important role in the metabolic processes such as purine nucleotide biosynthesis and gene and protein activity regulation. An imbalance between entities in folic acid metabolism can adversely affect nucleotide synthesis and the DNA repair and methylation system, which can cause genome instability and impairments in chromosome segregation, and lead to abnormal expression of proto-oncogenes and inactivation of tumor suppressor genes. These processes may underlie the development of a range of cancer disease, including Non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas (NHL). Quite a few studies investigating the association of SNPs in the folate-metabolizing genes with NHL risk in populations of different ethnic origin are available to date. Because the low prevalence of this disease makes sampling difficult, most of these studies have small sizes, which may be one of the reasons why results obtained are often conflicting. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of some SNPs in folate genes (the C677T and A1298C SNPs in the MTHFR gene, A2756G in MTR, A66G in SHMT1, G1958A in MTHFD1 and 844ins68 in CBS) in genetic susceptibility to non-Hodgkin’s malignant lymphoma in the west-Siberian region. Methods 146 unrelated patients from the Haematological Center (Novosibirsk city) with various types of NHL were investigated. Genomic DNA was isolated from leukocytes in venous blood and from buccal epithelium, using the standard methods of DNA separation. A PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) assay was used to detect the MTHFD1 G1958A and CBS 844ins68 SNPs. Genotyping of the MTHFR, MTR, MTRR and SHMT1 gene SNPs was carried out by real-time PCR allelic discrimination with TaqMan probes. The alleles and genotypes distribution of SNPs in patients were compared with their distribution in healthy white Russian subjects from Novosibirsk. Results We determined the allele and genotype frequencies for seven SNPs in folate metabolism in NHL and control groups. For all these SNPs, the genotype frequencies were in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium in the control group. There were no statistically significant differences in the frequencies of alleles and genotypes of polymorphic loci of MTHFR, MTRR, CBS, SHMT1 genes between patients with NHL and controls. However, theG1958A MTHFD1 polymorphism showed a significant association with aggressive NHL. The 1958A allele (OR = 0.578, C.I. [0.415–0.805], p p Conclusion G1958A SNP in the MTHFD1 gene contributes to susceptibility to NHL. The mutant allele and genotype determine the protective effect, probably, by affecting the concentration of intracellular folic acid metabolites.

Granuloma genes in sarcoidosis

Nonnecrotizing granulomas in the affected organ are the hallmark of sarcoidosis. This review summarizes most recent genetic findings in sarcoidosis with a focus on genes that might influence granuloma formation or resolution. Specific results in multiple ethnic groups and certain clinical subphenotypes, such as extra-pulmonary organ involvement, are discussed. Associations of genetic variants in antigen-presenting molecules (HLA-DRB1) were shown to confer risk to sarcoidosis and certain disease phenotypes in populations of different ethnic origins. Specific DRB1 alleles, such as *0301 and *0302, appear to confer protection against chronic disease, but in an ethnic-specific manner illustrating the extensive genetic heterogeneity and complexity at this locus. Mechanistic studies of putative sarcoid antigens lend further credence to a role of HLA-DRB1 in disease pathogenesis. With relevance to granuloma formation, genes involved in apoptotic processes and immune cell activation were further confirmed (ANXA11 and BTNL2) in multiple ethnicities; others were newly identified (XAF1). Linking mechanism to clinical application, a TNF variant was shown to correlate with anti-TNF response in sarcoidosis patients. The investigation of known and novel risk variants for sarcoidosis and specific clinical phenotypes in various ethnicities highlights the genetic complexity of the disease. Detailed subanalysis of disease phenotypes revealed the potential for prediction of extra-pulmonary organ involvement and therapy response based on the patient's genotype.

Prevalence of the rs1801282 single nucleotide polymorphism of the PPARG gene in patients with metabolic syndrome.

This study aimed to get the genotypic and allelic frequencies of rs1801282 in 179 volunteer donors and 154 patients with Metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Brasilia, Brazil and also examine the association with anthropometric, biochemical and hemodynamic variables in the latter group. MetS comprises a group of diseases resulting from insulin resistance, in-creased risk of type 2 diabetes and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. MetS is defined by the presence of increased visceral fat, atherogenic dyslipidemia (elevated triglycerides (TGL)), with decreased high density lipoprotein (HDL) and increased low density lipoprotein (LDL) levels, hypertension (BPH) and disturbances in glucose homeostasis representing a significant burden across the world due to the alarming increase in the incidence over the last decades besides their significant morbidity and mortality. Peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-gamma (PPARg) has been mentioned as a candidate gene for determining the risk of MetS. It is a member of the nuclear receptors superfamily and a ligand-activated transcription factor, which regulates the expression of genes involved in the network lipogenesis and adipogenesis, insulin sensitivity, energy balance, inflammation, angiogenesis and atherosclerosis. Among the PPARG genetic variants, single nucleotide polymorphism rs1801282 has been the most extensively studied one since it was first described by Yen and cols. in 1997. This polymorphism is characterized by the replacement of a proline (CCC) to an alanine (GCA) at codon 12 of exon B, due to the exchange of a cytosine with a guanine. The Ala allele frequency varies in different ethnic groups. DNA was extracted using Chelex-100 method and determinations of genotypes were performed by allele-specific chain reaction. The distribution of genotype frequency of the MetS group was not statistically different from the frequency in the donor population at large. In the first group, genotype frequency was CC to 0.869 and 0.103 for CG, while allelic frequencies were 0.948 for C and 0.052 for G allele. In the group of donors, the genotype and allele frequencies were 0.882 for CC, 0.117 to CG; and 0.941 to 0.059 for G and C, respectively. GG genotype was not found in any of the two groups. The genotype distribution and allele frequencies were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. No marker could be detected from the analysis of anthropometric, biochemical and hemodynamic variables in the MetS group. Our data suggest that this polymorphism is not correlated with predisposition to MetS. The results obtained on a small sample of the population of Brasilia, corroborate the data reported in the literature on the prevalence of this polymorphism in PPAR in populations of different ethnic origins.

Population pharmacogenetics of Ibero-Latinoamerican populations (MESTIFAR 2014).

MESTIFAR 2014 28-30 November 2014, Panama City, Panama The CEIBA consortium was created within the Ibero-American network of Pharmacogenetics (RIBEF) to study population pharmacogenetics. The current status of these initiatives and results of the MESTIFAR project were analyzed in Panama, 28-30 November 2014. The MESTIFAR project focused on studying CYPs genetic polymorphisms in populations of different ethnic origin. So far, more than 6000 healthy volunteers have been evaluated, making this one of the largest population pharmacogenomic studies worldwide. Three symposia were organized, 'Pharmacogenetics of indigenous and mestizos populations and its clinical implications', 'Methodological innovation in pharmacogenetics and its application in health', and 'General discussion and concluding remarks', about mechanisms and proposals for training, diffusion of pharmacogenetics for Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking health professionals, and 'bench to bedside' pilot projects.

Genetic regulation of recurrent spontaneous abortion in humans.

Recurrent pregnancy loss, defined as a pregnancy failure occurring before 24 weeks of gestation more than two or three times according to most definitions, is a fertility defect encountered in 1-5% of the patients. This defect is of course of multifactorial origin. Among the possible origins of recurrent pregnancy loss are uterine structural defaults, defective ploidy control of the embryo, defective immunological dialog between the embryo (or the fetus) and the uterus sometimes in relation with immunological disorders (such as autoimmune diseases), thrombophilia, and free radical metabolism imbalance. Numerous studies attempted to correlate variants of genes supposed to be intervening in the different facets of the early maternal-fetal or maternal-embryonic dialog, and eventually modify the outcome of fertilization, leading to success or failure of post-implantation development. The objective of the present review is to portray the major genes and gene polymorphisms studied for their putative association with recurrent pregnancy loss. Most of these genes have been studied as candidate genes for which strong biological arguments were put forward as to their putative involvement in recurrent pregnancy loss. They were mostly studied by genetic analysis, often in various populations of different ethnic origins, throughout the world. Some of these studies were available only in English as abstracts and were nevertheless used if the information was given with enough detail. With the space being too short to depict all the available literature, different major pathways relevant to the scientific question are presented without any attempt to hide the fact that discordant views often aroused for a given gene.

Association study between the MDR1 gene and clinical characteristics in schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia is a complex psychiatric disorder, characterized by disturbed patterns of thought and affecting 0.3-2.0% of the world population. Previously, the multidrug resistance 1 (MDR1) gene has been associated with schizophrenia in treatment response studies in psychotic patients. The aim of this study was to determine the association between MDR1 gene polymorphisms and clinical characteristics in patients with schizophrenia. Positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia were assessed with the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) and the Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms (SAPS) in 158 Mexican patients with schizophrenia. Analyses of MDR1 gene polymorphisms were performed using TaqMan technology. A multivariate ANOVA was performed with MDR1 polymorphisms and gender as independent variables. Males with the G/G genotype of MDR1 rs2032582 presented significantly higher levels of delusions (p = 0.02). When comparing female vs. male groups, the difference was statistically significant (p = 0.0003). Analyses of the MDR1 gene rs1045642 variant showed no significant differences. Our findings suggest that male carriers of the G allele of variant rs2032582 exhibit greater severity of delusions; however, these results should be taken as preliminary, and replication studies in other populations of different ethnic origins are required to confirm these findings.

Screening for Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes

Screening for Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes

Genetic variants in FGFR2 and MAP3K1 are associated with the risk of familial and early-onset breast cancer in a South-American population

Genome-Wide Association Studies have identified several loci associated with breast cancer (BC) in populations of different ethnic origins. One of the strongest associations was found in the FGFR2 gene, and MAP3K1 has been proposed as a low-penetrance BC risk factor. In this study, we evaluated the associations among FGFR2 SNPs rs2981582, rs2420946, and rs1219648; and MAP3K1 rs889312, with BC risk in 351 BRCA1/2-negative Chilean BC cases and 802 controls. All the SNPs studied were significantly associated with increased BC risk in familial BC and in non-familial early-onset BC, in a dose-dependent manner. Subjects with 3 risk alleles were at a significantly increased risk of BC compared with subjects with 0-2 risk alleles, in both familial BC and early-onset non-familial BC (OR = 1.47, 95 % CI 1.04-2.07, P = 0.026 and OR = 2.04 95 % CI 1.32-3.24, P < 0.001, respectively). In the haplotype analysis, the FGFR2 rs2981582 T / rs2420946 T / rs1219648 G haplotype (ht2) was associated with a significantly increased BC risk compared with the rs2981582 C / rs2420946 C / rs1219648 A haplotype in familial BC and in non-familial early-onset BC (OR = 1.32, 95 % CI 1.06-1.65, P = 0.012; OR = 1.46, 95 % CI 1.11-1.91, P = 0.004, respectively). When the FGFR2 ht2 and MAP3K1 rs889312 were evaluated as risk alleles, the risk of BC increased in a dose-dependent manner as the number of risk alleles increased (P trend <0.0001), indicating an additive effect. Nevertheless, there is no evidence of an interaction between FGFR2 ht2 and the MAP3K1 rs889312 C allele. These findings suggest that genetic variants in the FGFR2 and MAP3K1 genes may contribute to genetic susceptibility to BC.

Study of NAT2 genetic polymorphism in West African subjects: example of an healthy non-smoker Senegalese population

The NAT2 genetic polymorphism determines the individual acetylator status and, consequently, the capacity to metabolize, or not, drugs and xenobiotics which are substrates of NAT2. As the nature and frequency of the NAT2 polymorphisms vary remarkably between populations of different ethnic origins, genotyping strategies used to predict the acetylation phenotype need to be adapted for each particular population regarding their genetic backgrounds at this locus. As few data on the genetic polymorphism of NAT2 are available in the Senegalese population, we performed an extensive identification of NAT2 variants in 105 healthy non-smoker Senegalese subjects by direct PCR sequencing of the coding region. Eleven previously described SNPs were identified in this Senegalese population. Upon allele analysis, the four most frequent alleles were of the NAT2*5- (35.7 %), NAT2*6- (21.0 %), NAT2*12- (16.7 %) and NAT2*14- (10.0 %) type, the remaining alleles, including the wild-type NAT2*4, having each a frequency lower than 10 %. According to the observed genotypes, 51 and 50 subjects were predicted to be of the rapid (48.6 %) and slow (47.6 %) acetylator phenotype, respectively, while four individuals (3.8 %) were considered of unknown phenotype as they carry at least one allele with a yet unknown functional effect. These baseline data would be of particular interest to set up an efficient genotyping strategy to predict the acetylation status of Senegalese patients with tuberculosis and, thus, to optimize their isoniazid treatment.

Analysis of spinocerebellar ataxias due to expanded triplet repeats in Greek patients with cerebellar ataxia

The relative frequency of different autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxias, commonly referred to as spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs), varies considerably among populations of different ethnic origin. No data exist at present on the frequency of different SCAs in the Greek population. In the present study we investigated the presence of triplet repeat expansion SCAs (SCA1, SCA2, SCA3, SCA6, SCA7, SCA8, SCA12, SCA17 and DRPLA) in a cohort of 83 Greek patients with slowly progressive cerebellar ataxia. Twenty patients came from autosomal dominant (AD) pedigrees, seven displayed recessive or unclear inheritance and 56 were sporadic. We found four patients with pathological SCA expansions, all from AD pedigrees. Two patients had SCA1, one SCA2 and one SCA7 (10.0, 5.0 and 5.0% of the AD group, respectively). The clinical features of these patients were within the expected spectrum. In total, a pathological expansion was detected in 20% of patients from AD pedigrees. Interestingly, no cases of SCA3 or SCA6 were detected in the AD group. No expansions were found in other familial cases or in sporadic patients. Overall, no cases of SCA3, SCA6, SCA12, SCA17 or DRPLA were identified in the Greek population. In conclusion, SCA1, SCA2 and SCA7 are present in Greek patients with AD cerebellar ataxia in frequencies similar to those observed in other populations. SCA3 and SCA6 appear however to be rare in Greece. The genetic cause for the majority of AD ataxias remains to be identified.