Characterisation and expression of the paired box protein 7 (Pax7) gene in polymorphic Arctic charr (<em>Salvelinus alpinus</em>).

Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus L.) from Lake Thingvallavatn, Iceland occur as four distinct morphs: large benthivorous (LB), dwarf benthivorous (DB), piscivorous (PI) and planktonivorous (PL). The morphs differ with respect to body size, head morphology, growth rate, and life history. The aim of this study was to investigate the paired box protein 7 (Pax7) gene as a candidate for such polymorphisms due to its importance in cranio-facial, skeletal muscle, and central nervous system development. No variation in coding and intronic sequences was found between morphs. We identified 10 alternate Pax7 isoforms with insertions/deletions: a four-residue (GNRT) deletion, a GEASS insertion truncated by the first serine residue (GEAS), and a thirteen-residue insertion (GQYA/TGPEYVYCGT). The latter insertion with a threonine (T) contains a putative casein kinase II (CK-2) phosphorylation site. Pax7 spatial expression patterns were identical in embryos of DB-, LB-, and PL-morphs, and were similar to those described for zebrafish Pax7c, but a difference in temporal expression for segmentation was observed between DB and LB morphs. At the end of segmentation, novel expression was observed in the mandibular region as two bilateral domains. The potential role of multiple alternative splicing of the Pax7 gene for the generation of different Arctic charr morphs is briefly discussed. (c) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.</p

Longitudinal changes in size and composition of carotid artery plaques using ultrasound: Adaptation and validation of methods (inter-and intraobserver variability)

Introduction.—B-mode ultrasonography of the carotid arteries enables quantitative measurements of atherosclerotic plaque area and composition assessed as grayscale median (GSM). The purpose of this study was to set up a standardized ultrasound protocol to measure longitudinal changes in plaque area and composition and to determine the intra-and interobserver variability of the measurements in a longitudinal population based study, the Age Gene/ Environment Susceptibility Reykjavik study. Method.—A total of 219 participants from the Age Gene/Environment Susceptibility Reykjavik study (76 \ub1 6 years old, 36% males) underwent 2-dimensional, B-mode ultrasound examination of the carotid arteries approximately 5 years apart for a longitudinal assessment of plaque area and composition. Standardized protocol was used to acquire comparable images from both visits. Ultrasound was performed bilaterally on the common carotid artery, internal carotid artery, and bifurcation. An image analysis program was modified and adapted for a longitudinal assessment of plaque area and plaque composition by GSM. Twenty-five subjects were selected from the group of 219 for intra-and interobserver variability assessment. Results.—Intraobserver variability for plaque area ranged from 12.10 to 18.63% and 0.89 to 0.96 for coefficient of variation and correlation (r), respectively, for plaque GSM ranged from 7.77 to 8.04% and 0.86 to 0.90. Interobserver variability for plaque area was 23.29% and 0.81 and 8.55% and 0.87 for plaque GSM. Conclusion.—The results from this study show that ultrasound can be used consistently for assessment of changes in plaque area and GSM over time. This can be achieved by proper training of ultrasound sonographers and by applying and following strict image acquisition and image analysis protocols

Discordancia lipídica y placa carotídea en pacientes obesos en prevención primaria

El texto completo de este trabajo no está disponible en el Repositorio Académico UPC por restricciones de la casa editorial donde ha sido publicado.Introduction Obese patients with lipid discordance (non-HDL cholesterol levels 30mg/dL above the LDL-c value) may have a greater prevalence of carotid atherosclerotic plaque (CAP). Our study objectives were: 1) To assess the prevalence of lipid discordance in a primary prevention population of obese patients; 2) To investigate the association between lipid discordance and presence of CAP. Methods Obese subjects aged >18 years (BMI ≥30kg/m2) with no cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or lipid-lowering treatment from six cardiology centers were included. Lipid discordance was defined when, regardless of the LDL-c level, the non-HDL cholesterol value exceeded the LDL-c value by 30mg/dL. Presence of CAP was identified by ultrasonography. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to explore the association between lipid discordance and presence of CAP. Results The study simple consisted of 325 obese patients (57.2% men; mean age, 52.3 years). Prevalence of lipid discordance was 57.9%. CAP was found in 38.6% of patients, but the proportion was higher in subjects with lipid discordance as compared to those without this lipid pattern (44.4% vs. 30.7%, P=.01). In both the univariate (OR: 1.80; 95% CI: 1.14-2.87; P=.01) and the multivariate analysis (OR: 2.07; 95% CI: 1.22-3.54; P=.007), presence of lipid discordance was associated to an increased probability of CAP. Conclusion In these obese patients, lipid discordance was associated to greater prevalence of CAP. Evaluation of obese patients with this strategy could help identify subjects with higher residual cardiovascular risk.Revisión por pare