Genotype analysis of the human endostatin variant p.D104N in benign and malignant adrenocortical tumors

OBJECTIVE: Endostatin is a potent endogenous inhibitor of angiogenesis. It is derived from the proteolytic cleavage of collagen XVIII, which is encoded by the COL18A1 gene. A polymorphic COL18A1 allele encoding the functional polymorphism p.D104N impairs the activity of endostatin, resulting in a decreased ability to inhibit angiogenesis. This polymorphism has been previously analyzed in many types of cancer and has been considered a phenotype modulator in some benign and malignant tumors. However, these data are controversial, and different results have been reported for the same tumor types, such as prostate and breast cancer. The purpose of this study was to genotype the p.D104N variant in a cohort of pediatric and adult patients with adrenocortical tumors and to determine its possible association with the biological behavior of adrenocortical tumors. METHODS: DNA samples were obtained from 38 pediatric and 56 adult patients (0.6-75 yrs) with adrenocortical tumors. The DNA samples were obtained from peripheral blood, frozen tissue or paraffin-embedded tumor blocks when blood samples or fresh frozen tissue samples were unavailable. Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis was used to genotype the patients and 150 controls. The potential associations of the p.D104N polymorphism with clinical and histopathological features and oncologic outcome (age of onset, tumor size, malignant tumor behavior, and clinical syndrome) were analyzed. RESULTS: Both the patient group and the control group were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The frequencies of the p.D104N polymorphism in the patient group were 81.9% (DD), 15.9% (DN) and 2.2% (NN). In the controls, these frequencies were 80.6%, 17.3% and 2.0%, respectively. We did not observe any association of this variant with clinical or histopathological features or oncologic outcome in our cohort of pediatric and adult patients with adrenocortical tumors

Novel nutraceutical supplements with yeast β-glucan, prebiotics, minerals, and Silybum marianum (silymarin) ameliorate obesity-related metabolic and clinical parameters: A double-blind randomized trial

PurposeIt is known that obesity has a multifactorial etiology that involves genetic and environmental factors. The WHO estimates the worldwide prevalence of 1.9 billion overweight adults and more than 650 million people with obesity. These alarming data highlight the high and growing prevalence of obesity and represent a risk factor for the development and aggravation of other chronic diseases, such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) that is frequently considered the hepatic outcome of type 2 diabetes. The use of non-pharmacological therapies such as food supplements, nutraceuticals, and natural integrative therapies has grown as an alternative tool for obesity-related diseases compared to conventional medications. However, it is a still little explored research field and lacks scientific evidence of therapeutic effectiveness. Considering this, the aim is to evaluate whether a new nutraceutical supplement composition can improve and supply essential mineral nutrients, providing an improvement of obesity-related metabolic and endocrine parameters.MethodsSedentary volunteers (women and men) with body mass index (BMI) ≤34.9 kg/m2 were divided into two groups: Novel Nutraceutical Supplement_(S) (n = 30) and Novel Nutraceutical Supplement (n = 29), differing in the absence (S) or presence of silymarin, respectively. Volunteers were instructed to take two capsules in the morning and two capsules in the evening. No nutritional intervention was performed during the study period. The data (anthropometrics and anamneses) and harvest blood (biochemistry and hormonal exams) were collected at three different time points: baseline time [day 0 (T0)], day 90 (T90), and day 180 (T180) post-supplementation.ResultsIn the anthropometric analysis, the waist circumference in middle abdomen (WC-mid) and waist circumference in iliac crest (WC-IC) were reduced. Also, the waist-to-height ratio (WHt R) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) seem to slightly decrease alongside the supplementation period with both nutraceutical supplements tested as well as transaminase enzyme ratio [aspartate aminotransferase (AST)/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ratio (AAR)], a known as a biomarker of NAFLD, and endocrine hormones cortisol and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) at 90 and 180 days post-supplementation.ConclusionsIn a condition associated with sedentary and no nutritional intervention, the new nutraceutical supplement composition demonstrated the ability to be a strong and newfangled tool to improve important biomarkers associated with obesity and its comorbidities

Estudos citogeneticos em pacientes com sindrome de Kallmann

Orientador: Christine HackelDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de BiologiaMestrad

Estudo citogenetico e molecular em pacientes com hipogonadismo hipogonadotrofico com e sem anosmia : sindorme de Kallmann e hipogonadismo hipogonadotropico

Orientador: Christine HackelTese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de BiologiaResumo: A síndrome de Kallmann (SK) é uma afecção relativamente rara, caracterizada pela associação de hipogonadismo hipogonadotrófico (HH) e anosmia/hiposmia. Embora a maioria dos casos de SK seja esporádica, diferentes padrões de herança, recessivo ligado ao X, autossômico dominante e autossômico recessivo têm sido descritos, sendo que a forma ligada ao X da síndrome (SKX) encontra-se genotípica e fenotipicamente melhor definida. O gene KAL-1 localizado em Xp22.3 escapa à inativação e codifica uma proteína, a anosmina, cujo papel tem sido relacionado ao processo de migração de neurônios produtores de GnRH que ocorre durante a embriogênese humana. No entanto, muitos casos de hipogonadismo hipogonadotrófico não podem ser relacionados a qualquer alteração olfativa, sendo estes classificados como hipogonadismo hipogonadotrófico normósmicos (HHn). Mutações no gene do receptor do hormônio liberador de gonadotrofinas (GnRH-R) têm sido descritas numa parcela desses casos. Além disso, os genes NELF (fator nasal embrionário do hormônio liberador de hormônio luteinizante) e EBF2 (¿early B-cell factor¿) têm sido relacionados ao processo de migração de neurônios produtores de GnRH, sendo considerados possivelmente envolvidos na gênese do HH. O presente trabalho foi elaborado com o objetivo de se investigar a base genética das diferentes formas do HH. Para tal, foram avaliados 31 indivíduos com hipogonadismo hipogonadotrófico (pertencentes a 26 famílias), 22 com anosmia e nove com olfação normal, mediante a análise do cariótipo pela técnica de bandamento GTG seguida da análise molecular dos genes KAL-1 e GnRH-R, por PCR e seqüenciamento. Todos os pacientes estudados apresentaram cariótipo normal, à exceção de um caso esporádico de SK com microdeleção do locus KAL-1 detectada somente por FISH em estudo anteriormente realizado. Entre os pacientes com SK, foram detectadas mutações na região codificante do gene KAL-1 nas três famílias com herança recessiva ligada ao X e em um caso esporádico. Duas famílias apresentaram duas deleções intragênicas similares envolvendo os éxons 5-10; na terceira família detectou-se uma mutação 721C>T no éxon 5 levando a um códon de parada prematuro. Esta mutação ainda não se encontra descrita na literatura. No caso esporádico identificou-se uma mutação ¿frameshift¿ 1956delC no éxon 12. Em relação aos pacientes com HHn, não foram identificadas mutações nos genes GnRH-R e KAL-1. Nesses casos, e nos pacientes com SK cuja etiologia não pôde ser esclarecida, foram ainda analisados os genes NELF e EBF2. Contudo, nenhuma alteração nas seqüências desses genes foi identificada entre os pacientes da nossa casuística. Em conclusão, não foram encontradas evidências cromossômicas da localização de outros genes candidatos responsáveis pelo surgimento do HH. Duas mutações novas e duas deleções intragênicas semelhantes foram identificadas no gene KAL-1 entre os casos esporádicos e familiais da SK, observando-se que essas mutações ocorreram numa freqüência relativamente elevada em nossa casuística. Os pacientes com HHn não apresentaram mutações nos genes KAL-1 e GnRH-R. Não foram observadas anomalias nas seqüências codificantes dos genes NELF e EBF2 em nenhuma das formas de HHAbstract: Kallmann syndrome (KS) is a relatively rare disorder characterized by the association of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (HH) with anosmia or hyposmia. Although the majority of KS cases are sporadic, the syndrome may be transmitted as an autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive and X-linked modes of inheritance. The KAL-1 gene responsible for the X linked form of KS (X-KS) was mapped in Xp22.3 and encodes a protein called anosmin, that could function in the migration of GnRH-secreting neurons during embryonic development. However, many cases of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism do not have olfactory alterations, and are referred as normosmic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (nHH). Mutations in the GnRH-R gene have been described in some of these cases. In addition, the NELF and EBF2 genes have been implicated in the neuronal GnRH migration and are considered promising candidate to HH manifestation. The aim of the present study was to investigate the genetic basis of different forms of HH. Thirty-one patients with HH (belonging to 26 families), 22 affected by KS and nine with normal olfaction, were evaluated by karyotype analysis using GTG banding technique followed by molecular analysis of the KAL-1 and GnRH-R genes, by PCR and sequencing techniques. All patients exhibited normal karyotypes, with exception of a previously studied KS sporadic case, where a microdeletion of the KAL-1 locus was detected only by FISH. Mutations were identified in the coding region of the KAL-1 gene in the three familial cases with X-linked inheritance and in one of the sporadic cases of KS. Two similar intragenic deletions involving exons 5-10 were observed in two families. In the third, a new point mutation on exon 5 (721C>T) leading to a premature stop codon was found, while a frameshift mutation caused by one nucleotide deletion (1956delC) within exon 12 was identified in the sporadic case. Mutations in the KAL-1 and GnRH-R genes were not observed in the patients with nHH. In these cases and in the KS patients without KAL-1 abnormalities, the coding sequences of genes NELF and EBF2 were analyzed. However, no mutation was detected in these genes in our sample. In conclusion, no chromosomal rearrangements or deletions that could be useful for the localization of other candidate genes responsible for HH were detected. Two new point mutations and two similar intragenic deletions of the KAL-1 gene were identified among sporadic and familial KS cases, with a relative high frequency in our sample. In the HHn patients, neither KAL-1 nor GnRH-R mutations were detected. No sequence abnormalities were demonstrated for the coding regions of the NELF and EBF2 genes in both forms of HHDoutoradoGenetica Humana e MedicaDoutor em Genetica e Biologia Molecula

Similar interstitial deletions of the KAL-1 gene in two Brazilian families with X-linked Kallmann Syndrome

Mutations in the KAL-1 gene localized at Xp22.3 have been shown to be responsible for the X-linked Kallmann syndrome (KS), a disorder characterized by the association of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and anosmia. In this paper, we describe the investigation of two families with X-linked KS, in which similar interstitial deletions ning exons 5 to 10 of the KAL-1 gene were identified. The presence of interspersed repetitive DNA sequences within the KAL-1 gene might have predisposed to this type of mutation

Two cases of Kallmann syndrome associated with empty sella

Kallmann syndrome (KS) is a developmental disease characterized by the association of isolated hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and anosmia/hyposmia. We report an unusual presentation of two females with KS and empty sella. These females, aged at 20 and 29-year-old, presented primary amenorrhea with prepubertal estradiol and low gonadotropin levels. No other significant clinical signs were observed. Empty sella was observed on MRI in both cases. Sequencing of FGFR1 gene, recently implicated in autosomal form of KS, was performed and one splicing mutation (IVS14 + 1G > A) was identified in one patient