Genetic risk factors of Alzheimer’s disease

Introduction. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases, which is a serious health problem for societies that live longer. Spontaneous dominant mutations and polymorphisms of selected genes play an important role in development of AD. Aim. Several polymorphisms in selected genes strongly associated with development of Alzheimer’s disease were highlighted in this review: APOE, CYP46, APP, PSEN1, PSEN2, UBQLN1, BACE1, PRND, APBB2, TOMM 40. These gene polymorphisms have a significant role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease and they have potential to be biomarkers. Researchers combine efforts to find significant polymorphisms that would ensure that a person is predisposed to the occurrence of disease symptoms. This topic is often taken up by scientists seeking to develop effective genetic tests for diagnosing AD. Material and methods. Analysis of literature from web of knowledge: Web of Science (all database), NCBI and PubMed. Results. We reviewed the selected important genes and polymorphisms which are most often associated with development of AD. Conclusion. It should be noted that nowadays scientists strive not to focus on only one polymorphism in the gene but on several polymorphisms in different genes concomitantly and above all on interactions between them to the diagnosis of this disease. Only this approach to AD will contribute to the creation of appropriate identification methods. Moreover, we should use the new generation tools - the platform for collecting data and personalized medicine

Genetic risk factors of Alzheimer’s disease

Introduction. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases, which is a serious health problem for societies that live longer. Spontaneous dominant mutations and polymorphisms of selected genes play an important role in development of AD. Aim. Several polymorphisms in selected genes strongly associated with development of Alzheimer’s disease were highlighted in this review: APOE, CYP46, APP, PSEN1, PSEN2, UBQLN1, BACE1, PRND, APBB2, TOMM 40. These gene polymorphisms have a significant role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease and they have potential to be biomarkers. Researchers combine efforts to find significant polymorphisms that would ensure that a person is predisposed to the occurrence of disease symptoms. This topic is often taken up by scientists seeking to develop effective genetic tests for diagnosing AD. Material and methods. Analysis of literature from web of knowledge: Web of Science (all database), NCBI and PubMed. Results. We reviewed the selected important genes and polymorphisms which are most often associated with development of AD. Conclusion. It should be noted that nowadays scientists strive not to focus on only one polymorphism in the gene but on several polymorphisms in different genes concomitantly and above all on interactions between them to the diagnosis of this disease. Only this approach to AD will contribute to the creation of appropriate identification methods. Moreover, we should use the new generation tools - the platform for collecting data and personalized medicine

An Assessment of Serum Selenium Concentration in Women with Endometrial Cancer

Background: Numerous studies have shown a relationship between low serum selenium levels and an increased risk of developing cancer. Methods: A total of 306 women participated in the study: 153 patients diagnosed with endometrial cancer and 153 healthy women who were matched, in terms of birth year (+/−3 years), to the patients from the study group. The quantitative measurement of selenium content in the collected blood samples was performed using a mass spectrometer with excitation in inductively coupled plasma. In order to determine the relationship between the risk factors and the incidence of endometrial cancer, analyses based on single- and multi-factor conditional logistic regression models were performed. Results: The mean concentration of selenium was lower in patients with endometrial cancer than in healthy controls (60.63 µg/L (0.77 µmol/L) vs. 78.74 µg/L (0.99 µmol/L), respectively). When compared in quartiles, a significant association of lower selenium concentration with the incidence of endometrial cancer was recorded. The highest OR was observed in the first and second quartiles (OR-22.0, p-value < 0.001; medium selenium level 46.95 µg/L (0.59 µmol/L), and OR-5.94; p-value < 0.001; medium selenium level 63.60 µg/L (0.80 µmol/L), respectively). Conclusion: A strong correlation between the level of selenium in the blood serum and the risk of endometrial cancer indicates that patients with low levels should be a candidate group requiring appropriate preventive examinations. Further research on a larger group of patients is required

Association of <i>ACTN3</i> Polymorphism with Body Somatotype and Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Young Healthy Adults

ACTN3 encodes the protein &#945;-actinin-3, which affects the muscle phenotype. In the present study, we examined the association of ACTN3 R577X polymorphism with body somatotype and cardiorespiratory fitness in young, healthy adults. The study group included 304 young adults, in whom cardiorespiratory fitness was evaluated and the maximum oxygen uptake was determined directly. The somatotype components were calculated according to the Heath-Carter method. Genotyping for the ACTN3 gene was performed using a polymerase chain reaction followed by high-resolution melting analysis. In the female group, a lower maximal heart rate (HRmax) was more strongly associated with the RR genotype (p = 0.0216) than with the RX and XX genotypes. In the male group, the ACTN3 RX genotype, as compared with other genotypes, tended to be associated with a lower percentage of adipose tissue (p = 0.0683), as also reflected by the body mass index (p = 0.0816). ACTN3 gene polymorphism may affect cardiorespiratory fitness. Our analysis of ACTN3 gene polymorphism does not clearly illustrate the relationships among genotype, body composition, and somatotype in young, healthy adults

An Assessment of <i>GPX1</i> (rs1050450), <i>DIO2</i> (rs225014) and <i>SEPP1</i> (rs7579) Gene Polymorphisms in Women with Endometrial Cancer

Background: Numerous studies indicate a relationship between the presence of GPX1 (rs1050450), DIO2 (rs225014) and SEPP1 (rs7579) gene polymorphisms and the development of chronic or neoplastic diseases. However, there are no reports on the influence of these polymorphisms on the development of endometrial cancer. Methods: 543 women participated in the study. The study group consisted of 269 patients with diagnosed endometrial cancer. The control group consisted of 274 healthy women. Blood samples were drawn from all the participants. The PCR-RFLP method was used to determine polymorphisms in the DIO2 (rs225014) and GPX1 (rs1050450) genes. The analysis of polymorphisms in the SEPP1 (rs7579) gene was performed by means of TaqMan probes. Results: There was a 1.99-fold higher risk of developing endometrial cancer in CC homozygotes, DIO2 (rs225014) polymorphism (95% Cl 1.14–3.53, p = 0.017), compared to TT homozygotes. There was no correlation between the occurrence of GPX1 (rs1050450) and SEPP1 (rs7579) polymorphisms and endometrial cancer. Conclusion: Carriers of the DIO2 (rs225014) polymorphism may be predisposed to the development of endometrial cancer. Further research confirming this relationship is recommended

Whole-genome DNA methylation characteristics in pediatric precursor B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP ALL)

<div><p>In addition to genetic alterations, epigenetic abnormalities have been shown to underlie the pathogenesis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)—the most common pediatric cancer. The purpose of this study was to characterize the whole genome DNA methylation profile in children with precursor B-cell ALL (BCP ALL) and to compare this profile with methylation observed in normal bone marrow samples. Additional efforts were made to correlate the observed methylation patterns with selected clinical features. We assessed DNA methylation from bone marrow samples obtained from 38 children with BCP ALL at the time of diagnosis along with 4 samples of normal bone marrow cells as controls using Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip Array. Patients were diagnosed and stratified into prognosis groups according to the BFM ALL IC 2009 protocol. The analysis of differentially methylated sites across the genome as well as promoter methylation profiles allowed clear separation of the leukemic and control samples into two clusters. 86.6% of the promoter-associated differentially methylated sites were hypermethylated in BCP ALL. Seven sites were found to correlate with the BFM ALL IC 2009 high risk group. Amongst these, one was located within the gene body of the <i>MBP</i> gene and another was within the promoter region- <i>PSMF1</i> gene. Differentially methylated sites that were significantly related with subsets of patients with <i>ETV6-RUNX1</i> fusion and hyperdiploidy. The analyzed translocations and change of genes’ sequence context does not affect methylation and methylation seems not to be a mechanism for the regulation of expression of the resulting fusion genes.</p></div

Distribution of hyper- and hypomethylated sites differentially methylated between leukemic and control samples.

<p>Distribution of hyper- and hypomethylated sites differentially methylated between leukemic and control samples.</p

Unsupervised hierarchical clustering of promoter regions-associated methylation profiles in leukemic and control samples.

<p>Unsupervised hierarchical clustering of promoter regions-associated methylation profiles in leukemic and control samples.</p