202 research outputs found
Global well-posedness for a nonlocal Gross-Pitaevskii equation with non-zero condition at infinity
We study the Gross-Pitaevskii equation involving a nonlocal interaction
potential. Our aim is to give sufficient conditions that cover a variety of
nonlocal interactions such that the associated Cauchy problem is globally
well-posed with non-zero boundary condition at infinity, in any dimension. We
focus on even potentials that are positive definite or positive tempered
distributions.Comment: Communications in Partial Differential Equations (2010
Early start of enzyme replacement therapy in pediatric male patients with classical Fabry disease is associated with attenuated disease progression
Background
Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) slows disease progression of Fabry disease (FD), especially when initiated before the onset of irreversible organ damage. However, with the clinically asymptomatic progression of renal, cardiac and cerebral disease manifestations spanning decades, optimal timing of ERT initiation remains unclear.
Methods
In this cross-sectional retrospective study, seven male FD patients with a classical disease phenotype (cFD) who started treatment with agalsidase-beta in childhood were evaluated after 10 years of treatment (median age at evaluation 24 years, range 14–26). Cardiac imaging (echocardiography and MRI), electrophysiological and biochemical data of these patients were compared to those of untreated male cFD patients (n = 23, median age 22 years, range 13–27).
Results
Albuminuria was less common and less severe in treated patients (albumin to creatinine ratio, ACR 0–8.8 mg/mmol, median 0.4) compared to untreated patients (ACR 0–248 mg/mmol, median 3.7, p = 0.02). The treated group had a lower left ventricular mass, measured using echocardiography (median 80 g/m2 versus 94 g/m2, p = 0.02) and MRI (median 53 g/m2 versus 68 g/m2, p = 0.02). Myocardial fibrosis was absent in all included patients. eGFR was normal in all treated patients whereas 7/23 (30%) of untreated patients had abnormal eGFR. Cerebral manifestations did not differ.
Conclusions
Start of treatment with ERT before age 16, in male cFD patients is associated with reduced occurrence of renal and cardiac manifestations of FD, as assessed by intermediate endpoints. Confirmation that this approach delays or even prevents renal failure and cardiac events requires another decade of follow-up.publishedVersio
CYP1A2 and coffee intake and the modifying effect of sex, age, and smoking
Background: The enzyme CYP1A2 (cytochrome 1A2) is involved in the metabolism of certain drugs and caffeine, and its activity can be influenced by factors such as sex, age, and smoking. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs762551A>C, which has also been studied for its modifying effect on cardiovascular disease, has been reported to alter enzyme activity. Objective: The objective was to study the effect of CYP1A2, sex, age, and smoking on coffee intake. Design: Within the Rotterdam Study, a population-based cohort, all coffee drinkers for whom genome-wide association data were available were selected. Because SNP rs762551 was not on the Illumina 550 platform, SNP rs2472299 was used as a proxy, with the A allele of rs762551 linked to the G allele of rs2472299. Linear regression analyses were used to determine the effect and interaction of rs2472299, sex, age, and smoking on coffee intake. Adjusted geometric means of coffee intake were calculated per genotype for the different smoking and sex strata by using multivariable general linear models. A combined analysis, with the use of a "risk score,"was performed to determine the contribution of each separate factor. Results: rs2472299G>A, female sex, and nonsmoking were significantly inversely related to coffee intake. Coffee intake was lowest in nonsmoking women homozygous for rs2472299G>A (3.49 cups/d; ∼436 mL). All factors contributed almost linearly to the intake of coffee, with the highest coffee intake in smoking men without the A allele (5.32 cups/d; ∼665 mL). Conclusion: rs2472299G>A, linked to rs762551A>C, sex, age, and smoking significantly contribute to coffee intake
Interaction between vitamin D receptor genotype and estrogen receptor alpha genotype influences vertebral fracture risk
In view of the interactions of vitamin D and the estrogen endocrine
system, we studied the combined influence of polymorphisms in the estrogen
receptor (ER) alpha gene and the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene on the
susceptibility to osteoporotic vertebral fractures in 634 women aged 55 yr
and older. Three VDR haplotypes (1, 2, and 3) of the BsmI, ApaI, and TaqI
restriction fragment length polymorphisms and three ERalpha haplotypes (1,
2, and 3) of the PvuII and XbaI restriction fragment length polymorphisms
were identified. We captured 131 nonvertebral and 85 vertebral fracture
cases during a mean follow-up period of 7 yr. ERalpha haplotype 1 was
dose-dependently associated with increased vertebral fracture risk (P <
0.001) corresponding to an odds ratio of 1.9 [95% confidence interval
(CI), 0.9-4.1] per copy of the risk allele. VDR haplotype 1 was
overrepresented in vertebral fracture cases. There was a significant
interaction (P = 0.01) between ERalpha haplotype 1 and VDR haplotype 1 in
determining vertebral fracture risk. The association of ERalpha haplotype
1 with vertebral fracture risk was only present in homozygous carriers of
VDR haplotype 1. The risk of fracture was 2.5 (95% CI, 0.6-9.9) for
heterozygous and 10.3 (95% CI, 2.7-40) for homozygous carriers of ERalpha
haplotype 1. These associations were independent of bone mineral density.
In conclusion, interaction between ERalpha and VDR gene polymorphisms
leads to increased risk of osteoporotic vertebral fractures in women,
largely independent of bone mineral density
Interaction between vitamin D receptor genotype and estrogen receptor alpha genotype influences vertebral fracture risk
In view of the interactions of vitamin D and the estrogen endocrine
system, we studied the combined influence of polymorphisms in the estrogen
receptor (ER) alpha gene and the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene on the
susceptibility to osteoporotic vertebral fractures in 634 women aged 55 yr
and older. Three VDR haplotypes (1, 2, and 3) of the BsmI, ApaI, and TaqI
restriction fragment length polymorphisms and three ERalpha haplotypes (1,
2, and 3) of the PvuII and XbaI restriction fragment length polymorphisms
were identified. We captured 131 nonvertebral and 85 vertebral fracture
cases during a mean follow-up period of 7 yr. ERalpha haplotype 1 was
dose-dependently associated with increased vertebral fracture risk (P <
0.001) corresponding to an odds ratio of 1.9 [95% confidence interval
(CI), 0.9-4.1] per copy of the risk allele. VDR haplotype 1 was
overrepresented in vertebral fracture cases. There was a significant
interaction (P = 0.01) between ERalpha haplotype 1 and VDR haplotype 1 in
determining vertebral fracture risk. The association of ERalpha haplotype
1 with vertebral fracture risk was only present in homozygous carriers of
VDR haplotype 1. The risk of fracture was 2.5 (95% CI, 0.6-9.9) for
heterozygous and 10.3 (95% CI, 2.7-40) for homozygous carriers of ERalpha
haplotype 1. These associations were independent of bone mineral density.
In conclusion, interaction between ERalpha and VDR gene polymorphisms
leads to increased risk of osteoporotic vertebral fractures in women,
largely independent of bone mineral density
A combined linkage and exome sequencing analysis for electrocardiogram parameters in the Erasmus Rucphen family study
Electrocardiogram (ECG) measurements play a key role in the diagnosis and prediction of cardiac arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. ECG parameters, such as the PR, QRS, and QT intervals, are known to be heritable and genome-wide association studies of these phenotypes have been successful in identifying common variants; however, a large proportion of the genetic variability of these traits remains to be elucidated. The aim of this study was to discover loci potentially harboring rare variants utilizing variance component linkage analysis in 1547 individuals from a large family-based study, the Erasmus Rucphen Family Study (ERF). Linked regions were further explored using exome sequencing. Five suggestive linkage peaks were identified: two for QT interval (1q24, LOD = 2.63; 2q34, LOD = 2.05), one for QRS interval (1p35, LOD = 2.52) and two for PR interval (9p22, LOD = 2.20; 14q11, LOD = 2.29). Fine-mapping using exome sequence data identified a C > G missense variant (c.713C > G, p.Ser238Cys) in the FCRL2 gene associated with QT (rs74608430; P = 2.8 × 10-4, minor allele frequency = 0.019). Heritability analysis demonstrated that the SNP explained 2.42% of the trait's genetic variability in ERF (P = 0.02). Pathway analysis suggested that the gene is involved in cytosolic Ca2+ levels (P = 3.3 × 10-3) and AMPK stimulated fatty acid oxidat
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