Sydänsähkökäyrän viitearvot ja poikkeavat löydökset terveillä vapaaehtoisilla tutkimushenkilöillä

Sydänsähkökäyrä eli elektrokardiogrammi (EKG) rekisteröidään tyypillisesti epäiltäessä tai seurattaessa sydänsairautta. Lisäksi EKG mitataan usein myös oireettomilta perusterveiltä terveystarkastuksien, leikkauskelpoisuutta arvioivien tutkimuksien tai urheilijoiden sydänterveyden arvioinnin yhteydessä. EKG:n normaalirajojen määrittäminen luo pohjan monien sydänsairauksien diagnostisten kriteerien luomiselle ja määrittämiselle. Tutkimuksessa käsiteltiin 1333 EKG-lyhytrekisteröintiä vapaaehtoisilta perusterveiltä täysi-ikäisiltä suomalaisilta. Rekisteröinnit tehtiin Orion Pharman lääketutkimuksien alkutarkastuksien yhteydessä vuosina 2003 - 2015. Toistomittauksien suodattamisen jälkeen käsiteltiin 898 EKG-rekisteröintiä, joista tarkasteltiin sekä käsin ECIMS- mittausjärjestelmällä mitattuja että EKG:n rekisteröintilaitteiden tulosteisiin määrittämiä automaattisen analyysin arvoja. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli muodostaa terveiden suomalaisten lääketutkimuksiin vapaaehtoisesti osallistuvien henkilöiden EKG-lyhytrekisteröintien normaalit johtumisajat, tutkia iän ja sukupuolen vaikutusta johtumisaikoihin, vertailla saatuja tuloksia kirjallisuuteen ja pohtia terveen väestön EKG:n johtumisaikojen normaalirajoja sekä tarkastella poikkeamalöydösten esiintyvyyttä terveessä populaatiossa. Tutkimuksen tulokset vastaavat johtumisaikojen normaalirajojen suhteen oleellisilta osin aikaisempia aikuisväestölle tehtyjä tutkimuksia, joissa havaittiin ikääntymisen ja sukupuolen vaikuttavan johtumisaikoihin. Tulosten ja kirjallisuuden perusteella pitäisi jatkossa pohtia iän ja sukupuolen mukaisten viiterajojen luomista EKG:n johtumisajoille. Tässä tutkimuksessa tehtyjen havaintojen ja kirjallisuuden perusteella voitaisiin esittää esimerkiksi seuraavia viiterajoja: PR- aika 120 – 210 ms, QRS-aika 70 – 110 ms, QRS-akseli -30° – 90° ja QTcF-ajan ylärajaksi miehille 450 ms ja naisille 460 ms. QTcB-ajan käytöstä tulisi luopua. EKG-poikkeavuuksia löytyi perusterveiltä tutkittavilta jonkin verran, mutta niiden kliininen merkitys vaikuttaa kirjallisuuden perusteella pieneltä. Löydösten esiintyvyys vastaa oleellisesti aikaisempia havaintoja kirjallisuudessa. (205 sanaa

Intrapartal cardiotocographic patterns and hypoxia-related perinatal outcomes in pregnancies complicated by gestational diabetes mellitus

Aims In previous reports, cardiotocographic (CTG) fetal heart rate (FHR) monitoring has shown only limited benefits in decreasing adverse perinatal outcomes in pregnancies complicated by gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether an association exists between the recently reported ZigZag pattern (FHR baseline amplitude changes of > 25 bpm with a duration of 2-30 min) and asphyxia-related neonatal outcomes in GDM pregnancies. Methods Intrapartal CTGs were recorded in a one-year cohort of 5150 singleton childbirths. The following CTG changes were evaluated: ZigZag pattern, saltatory pattern, late decelerations, episodes of tachycardia and bradycardia, reduced variability, and uterine tachysystole. The cohort was divided into three groups: women with GDM, women with normal oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), and women with no OGTT performed. Umbilical artery (UA) blood gases, Apgar scores, neonatal respiratory distress, and neonatal encephalopathy were used as outcome variables. Results GDM was diagnosed in 624 (12.1%), OGTT was normal in 4115 (79.9%), and OGTT was not performed in 411 (8.0%) women. Hypoxia-related ZigZag patterns (OR 1.94, 95% CI 1.64-2.34) and late decelerations (OR 1.65, 95% CI 1.27-2.13) of FHR, as well as a greater risk of fetal asphyxia (UA pH < 7.10 and/or UA BE < -12.0 meq/L and/or Apgar scores < 7 at 5-min) (OR 6.64, 95% CI 1.84-12.03) were observed in those with GDM compared with those without GDM. Conclusions GDM is associated with intrapartal ZigZag pattern and late decelerations, cord blood acidemia and low 5-min Apgar scores at birth indicating increased occurrence of fetal hypoxia in GDM pregnancies.Peer reviewe

RAD51B in Familial Breast Cancer

Common variation on 14q24.1, close to RAD51B, has been associated with breast cancer: rs999737 and rs2588809 with the risk of female breast cancer and rs1314913 with the risk of male breast cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of RAD51B variants in breast cancer predisposition, particularly in the context of familial breast cancer in Finland. We sequenced the coding region of RAD51B in 168 Finnish breast cancer patients from the Helsinki region for identification of possible recurrent founder mutations. In addition, we studied the known rs999737, rs2588809, and rs1314913 SNPs and RAD51B haplotypes in 44,791 breast cancer cases and 43,583 controls from 40 studies participating in the Breast Cancer Association Consortium (BCAC) that were genotyped on a custom chip (iCOGS). We identified one putatively pathogenic missense mutation c.541C>T among the Finnish cancer patients and subsequently genotyped the mutation in additional breast cancer cases (n = 5259) and population controls (n = 3586) from Finland and Belarus. No significant association with breast cancer risk was seen in the meta-analysis of the Finnish datasets or in the large BCAC dataset. The association with previously identified risk variants rs999737, rs2588809, and rs1314913 was replicated among all breast cancer cases and also among familial cases in the BCAC dataset. The most significant association was observed for the haplotype carrying the risk-alleles of all the three SNPs both among all cases (odds ratio (OR): 1.15, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.11–1.19, P = 8.88 x 10−16) and among familial cases (OR: 1.24, 95% CI: 1.16–1.32, P = 6.19 x 10−11), compared to the haplotype with the respective protective alleles. Our results suggest that loss-of-function mutations in RAD51B are rare, but common variation at the RAD51B region is significantly associated with familial breast cancer risk.Public Library of Science open acces

Assembly of the beta 4-Integrin Interactome Based on Proximal Biotinylation in the Presence and Absence of Heterodimerization

Integrin-mediated laminin adhesions mediate epithelial cell anchorage to basement membranes and are critical regulators of epithelial cell polarity. Integrins assemble large multiprotein complexes that link to the cytoskeleton and convey signals into the cells. Comprehensive proteomic analyses of actin network-linked focal adhesions (FA) have been performed, but the molecular composition of intermediate filament-linked hemidesmosomes (HD) remains incompletely characterized. Here we have used proximity-dependent biotin identification (BioID) technology to label and characterize the interactome of epithelia-specific beta 4-integrin that, as alpha 6 beta 4-heterodimer, forms the core of HDs. The analysis identified similar to 150 proteins that were specifically labeled by BirA-tagged integrin-beta 4. In addition to known HDs proteins, the interactome revealed proteins that may indirectly link integrin-beta 4 to actin-connected protein complexes, such as FAs and dystrophin/dystroglycan complexes. The specificity of the screening approach was validated by confirming the HD localization of two candidate beta 4-interacting proteins, utrophin (UTRN) and ELKS/Rab6-interacting/CAST family member 1 (ERC1). Interestingly, although establishment of functional HDs depends on the formation of alpha 6 beta 4-heterodimers, the assembly of beta 4-interactome was not strictly dependent on alpha 6-integrin expression. Our survey to the HD interactome sets a precedent for future studies and provides novel insight into the mechanisms of HD assembly and function of the beta 4-integrin.Peer reviewe

Mutation screening of the RNF8, UBC13 and MMS2 genes in Northern Finnish breast cancer families

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Currently known susceptibility genes such as <it>BRCA1 </it>and <it>BRCA2 </it>explain less than 25% of familial aggregation of breast cancer, which suggests the involvement of additional susceptibility genes. RNF8, UBC13 and MMS2 are involved in the DNA damage response pathway and play important roles in BRCA1-mediated DNA damage recognition. Based on the evidence that several players in the ubiquitin-mediated BRCA1-dependent DDR seem to contribute to breast cancer predisposition, <it>RNF8, UBC13 </it>and <it>MMS2 </it>were considered plausible candidate genes for susceptibility to breast cancer.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The entire coding region and splice junctions of <it>RNF8, UBC13 </it>and <it>MMS2 </it>genes were screened for mutations in affected index cases from 123 Northern Finnish breast cancer families by using conformation sensitive gel electrophoresis, high resolution melting (HRM) analysis and direct sequencing.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Mutation analysis revealed several changes in <it>RNF8 </it>and <it>UBC13</it>, whereas no aberrations were observed in <it>MMS2</it>. None of the found sequence changes appeared to associate with breast cancer susceptibility.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The present data suggest that mutations in <it>RNF8, UBC13 </it>and <it>MMS2 </it>genes unlikely make any sizeable contribution to breast cancer predisposition in Northern Finland.</p

Rare Copy Number Variants Observed in Hereditary Breast Cancer Cases Disrupt Genes in Estrogen Signaling and TP53 Tumor Suppression Network

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in developed countries, and the contribution of genetic susceptibility to breast cancer development has been well-recognized. However, a great proportion of these hereditary predisposing factors still remain unidentified. To examine the contribution of rare copy number variants (CNVs) in breast cancer predisposition, high-resolution genome-wide scans were performed on genomic DNA of 103 BRCA1, BRCA2, and PALB2 mutation negative familial breast cancer cases and 128 geographically matched healthy female controls; for replication an independent cohort of 75 similarly mutation negative young breast cancer patients was used. All observed rare variants were confirmed by independent methods. The studied breast cancer cases showed a consistent increase in the frequency of rare CNVs when compared to controls. Furthermore, the biological networks of the disrupted genes differed between the two groups. In familial cases the observed mutations disrupted genes, which were significantly overrepresented in cellular functions related to maintenance of genomic integrity, including DNA double-strand break repair (P = 0.0211). Biological network analysis in the two independent breast cancer cohorts showed that the disrupted genes were closely related to estrogen signaling and TP53 centered tumor suppressor network. These results suggest that rare CNVs represent an alternative source of genetic variation influencing hereditary risk for breast cancer

Role of Lipids in Spheroidal High Density Lipoproteins

We study the structure and dynamics of spherical high density lipoprotein (HDL) particles through coarse-grained multi-microsecond molecular dynamics simulations. We simulate both a lipid droplet without the apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) and the full HDL particle including two apoA-I molecules surrounding the lipid compartment. The present models are the first ones among computational studies where the size and lipid composition of HDL are realistic, corresponding to human serum HDL. We focus on the role of lipids in HDL structure and dynamics. Particular attention is paid to the assembly of lipids and the influence of lipid-protein interactions on HDL properties. We find that the properties of lipids depend significantly on their location in the particle (core, intermediate region, surface). Unlike the hydrophobic core, the intermediate and surface regions are characterized by prominent conformational lipid order. Yet, not only the conformations but also the dynamics of lipids are found to be distinctly different in the different regions of HDL, highlighting the importance of dynamics in considering the functionalization of HDL. The structure of the lipid droplet close to the HDL-water interface is altered by the presence of apoA-Is, with most prominent changes being observed for cholesterol and polar lipids. For cholesterol, slow trafficking between the surface layer and the regimes underneath is observed. The lipid-protein interactions are strongest for cholesterol, in particular its interaction with hydrophobic residues of apoA-I. Our results reveal that not only hydrophobicity but also conformational entropy of the molecules are the driving forces in the formation of HDL structure. The results provide the first detailed structural model for HDL and its dynamics with and without apoA-I, and indicate how the interplay and competition between entropy and detailed interactions may be used in nanoparticle and drug design through self-assembly