Syntropy, genetic testing and personalized medicine

Genetic outline of the hermeneutics of the diseases connection phenomenon in human

The structure of diseases in humans is heterogeneous, which is manifested by various combinations of diseases, including comorbidities associated with a common pathogenetic mechanism, as well as diseases that rarely manifest together. Recently, there has been a growing interest in studying the patterns of development of not individual diseases, but entire families associated with common pathogenetic mechanisms and common genes involved in their development. Studies of this problem make it possible to isolate an essential genetic component that controls the formation of disease conglomerates in a complex way through functionally interacting modules of individual genes in gene networks. An analytical review of studies on the problems of various aspects of the combination of diseases is the purpose of this study. The review uses the metaphor of a hermeneutic circle to understand the structure of regular relationships between diseases, and provides a conceptual framework related to the study of multiple diseases in an individual. The existing terminology is considered in relation to them, including multimorbidity, polypathies, comorbidity, conglomerates, families, "second diseases", syntropy and others. Here we summarize the key results that are extremely useful, primarily for describing the genetic architecture of diseases of a multifactorial nature. Summaries of the research problem of the disease connection phenomenon allow us to approach the systematization and natural classification of diseases. From practical healthcare perspective, the description of the disease connection phenomenon is crucial for expanding the clinician's interpretive horizon and moving beyond narrow, disease-specific therapeutic decisions.

Comparative systems genetics view of endometriosis and uterine leiomyoma: Two sides of the same coin?

Endometriosis (EM) and uterine leiomyoma (UL) are two most frequent benign tumors of monoclonal origin affecting about 30% of all women in their reproductive age. Modern molecular technologies have made a tremendous impact in understanding both disorders. Here is the first comparative analysis of molecular mechanisms underlying development of EM and UL as it looks from the platform of systems genetics. Similarities and differences of EM and UL at their incipient stages are enlightened with special emphasis on their gene networks, gene expression, and epigenetic regulation, of pathologic development. The analysis substantiates a new hypothesis postulating tumors as outgrowths of the stem cells with mesenchymal commitment lineage (mSC) which migrate from the endometrium/myometrium junctional zone of the uterus. Comparative analysis has revealed basic similarities of molecular pathogenesis of EM and UL suggesting molecular syntropy of both disorders. Peculiarities of the epigenetic landscape determining development of mSC may explain the existence of different clinical forms of EM and UL as well as their unique clinical manifestation. Some perspectives for practical and scientific application in EM and UL studies of this new hypothesis are outlined.

Insights into pathophysiology of dystropy through the analysis of gene networks: an example of bronchial asthma and tuberculosis

Co-existence of bronchial asthma (BA) and tuberculosis (TB) is extremely uncommon (dystropic). We assume that this is caused by the interplay between genes involved into specific pathophysiological pathways that arrest simultaneous manifestation of BA and TB. Identification of common and specific genes may be important to determine the molecular genetic mechanisms leading to rare co-occurrence of these diseases and may contribute to the identification of susceptibility genes for each of these dystropic diseases. To address the issue, we propose a new methodological strategy that is based on reconstruction of associative networks that represent molecular relationships between proteins/genes associated with BA and TB, thus facilitating a better understanding of the biological context of antagonistic relationships between the diseases. The results of our study revealed a number of proteins/genes important for the development of both BA and TB.