Dihydropyrimidinase and β-ureidopropionase gene variation and severe fluoropyrimidine-related toxicity

AIMS To assess the association of DPYS and UPB1 genetic variation, encoding the catabolic enzymes downstream of dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase, with early-onset toxicity from fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy. PATIENTS & METHODS The coding and exon-flanking regions of both genes were sequenced in a discovery subset (164 patients). Candidate variants were genotyped in the full cohort of 514 patients. RESULTS & CONCLUSIONS Novel rare deleterious variants in DPYS (c.253C > T and c.1217G > A) were detected once each in toxicity cases and may explain the occurrence of severe toxicity in individual patients, and associations of common variants in DPYS (c.1-1T > C: padjusted = 0.003; OR = 2.53; 95% CI: 1.39-4.62, and c.265-58T > C: padjusted = 0.039; OR = 0.61; 95% CI: 0.38-0.97) with 5-fluorouracil toxicity were replicated

Novel Genetic Variants in Carboxylesterase 1 Predict Severe Early-Onset Capecitabine-Related Toxicity

An important concern with the anticancer drug capecitabine (Cp), an oral prodrug of 5‐fluorouracil, are dose‐limiting adverse effects, in particular hand‐foot syndrome (HFS) and diarrhea. Here we evaluated the association of genetic variability in all enzymes of the Cp‐activation pathway to 5‐fluorouracil with Cp‐related early‐onset toxicity in 144 patients receiving Cp. We identified a haplotype encompassing five variants in the carboxylesterase 1 (CES1) gene region including an expression quantitative trait locus associated with early‐onset Cp‐toxicity (Haplotype A3: ORadditive = 2.2, 95% CI 1.2–4.0, Padjusted = 0.012; ORrecessive = 10.3, 95% CI 2.1–49.4, Padjusted = 0.0038). Furthermore, the association of two linked cytidine deaminase (CDA) promoter variants (c.1‐451C>T: ORdominant = 4.3, 95% CI 1.3–14.2, Padjusted = 0.017; and c.1‐92A>G: ORdominant = 4.4, 95% CI 1.3–14.5, Padjusted = 0.015) with Cp‐related diarrhea was replicated. This first study identifying an association of genetic variation in CES1 with Cp‐related toxicity provides further evidence for the existence of a functional noncoding CES1‐variant with a possible regulatory impact

Evaluating the role of ENOSF1 and TYMS variants as predictors in fluoropyrimidine-related toxicities: An IPD meta-analysis.

To assess the proposed associations of the c.742-227G>A (rs2612091) polymorphism within the Enolase Superfamily Member 1 gene (ENOSF1) and two variants in the adjacent Thymidylate Synthase gene (TYMS): the 5'VNTR 28bp-repeat (rs45445694) and 3'UTR 6bp-indel (rs11280056) with severe toxicity in fluoropyrimidine-treated cancer patients, we performed an individual patient data meta-analysis. Only studies investigating all three-abovementioned variants with fluoropyrimidine-related toxicities were considered for meta-analysis. Associations were tested individually for each study using multivariate regression. Meta-analysis was performed using a random-effects model. One-stage multivariate regressions including tests for independent SNP effects were applied to investigate individual effects of the variants. Multivariate haplotype regression analyses were performed on a pooled dataset to test multi-SNP effects. Of four studies including 2'067 patients, 1'912 were eligible for meta-analysis. All variants were exclusively associated with severe hand-foot-syndrome (HFS) (TYMS 2R: OR = 1.50, p = 0.0002; TYMS 6bp-ins: OR = 1.42 p = 0.0036; ENOSF1 c.742-227G: OR = 1.64 p A and the TYMS 28bp-repeat: each toxicity-associated allele increased the risk for severe HFS (OR = 1.32 per allele, p < 0.0001). Patients homozygous for both variants were at the 3-fold higher risk for severe HFS compared to wild-type patients. Our results confirm an essential role for ENOSF1 c.742-227G and TYMS 2R-alleles in the development of fluoropyrimidine-related HFS. This suggests an important function of these genes in the development of severe HFS. Furthermore, these variants might help stratify patients in studies investigating measures of HFS prevention

The Origins and Evolution of Leadership

How groups of individuals achieve coordination and collective action is an important topic in the natural sciences, but until recently the role of leadership in this process has been largely overlooked. In contrast, leadership is arguably one of the most important themes in the social sciences. In this synthesis, I draw upon key insights from the animal and human literature to lay the foundation for a new science of leadership inspired by an evolutionary perspective. Identifying the origins of human leadership and followership, as well as which aspects are shared with other animals and which are unique, offers ways of understanding, predicting, and improving leadership today. Although a review article, this has been extremely influential in my field, and has been cited 78 times (source: Google Scholar, Dec 2012)