Abstract P5-03-09: Cell composition changes in healthy breast tissue is associated with advancing age and epigenetic age acceleration

Introduction: Risk factors for breast cancer include advancing age, lifetime estrogen exposure, and breast density. DNA methylation-based estimates of age are elevated in breast tissue of healthy women compared with paired blood samples, and the degree of age acceleration is associated with lifetime estrogen exposure. However, no prior work has examined cell compositional changes associated with breast epigenetic aging. In this study we estimated the abundance of different cell types in healthy breast, computed using gene expression data, and investigate cell composition changes that accompany advancing chronologic age and breast epigenetic age acceleration. Methods: DNA/RNA were extracted (AllPrep, Qiagen) from breast tissue specimens from 192 healthy women aged 19-90 years who donated breast tissue to the Susan G. Komen Tissue Bank at the Indiana University Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center. Transcriptome analysis was performed using the QuantSeq 3’mRNA-SeqFWD kit to generate RNA sequencing libraries. DNA methylation age was estimated using beta-values from Illumina EPIC 850K array platform. Age acceleration is defined using the residual of a linear regression of methylation age on chronologic age. Cell deconvolution was performed using CIBERSORTx to estimate the abundance of adipocytes, luminal epithelial cells, basal myoepithelial cells, vascular endothelial cells, lymphatic endothelial cells, immune cells (dendritic cells & macrophages), pericytes & smooth muscle cells, and fibroblasts. We examined cell composition changes with chronologic age, and with age-adjusted measures of acceleration in 6 epigenetic clocks: the Horvath Pan-tissue, Hannum, Phenotypic, Grim, Skin & Blood, and Epigenetic Pacemaker clocks, as well as the DNA methylation-based estimate of telomere length, DNAmTL. Results: Advancing chronologic age was associated with an increase in the imputed proportion of adipocytes (R=0.40, p< 0.0001), vascular endothelial cells (R=0.23, p=0.0033), and immune cells (dendritic cells & macrophages) (R=0.29, p=0.00016), and a decrease in the proportion of luminal epithelial cells (R=-0.43, p< 0.0001), and basal myoepithelial cells (R=-0.27, p=0.00047). Epigenetic age acceleration was significantly associated with increases in proportions of luminal epithelial cells (p< 0.0001 for age-adjusted Hannum, Phenotypic, Grim, and Skin & Blood clocks, p< 0.05 for Pan-tissue) and basal myoepithelial cells (p< 0.0001 for Phenotypic and Skin & Blood clocks), and decreased proportions of adipocytes and vascular endothelial cells (p< 0.0001 for Hannum, Phenotypic, Grim, and Skin & Blood clocks, p< 0.05 for Pan-tissue). Conclusion: Using gene expression data in healthy female breast tissue, we identified significant changes in cell-type-specific abundance that accompany advancing chronologic age, with an increase in adipocytes and immune cells, and a decline in luminal epithelial cells and basal myoepithelial cells. By contrast, epigenetic age acceleration in breast tissue is associated with decreasing proportions of adipocytes and vascular endothelial cells and a rise in basal myoepithelial cells and luminal epithelial cells. Our findings suggest distinct patterns of cellular composition changes that accompany normal aging compared with accelerated aging in breast tissue.

Citation Format: Mary E. Sehl, Wenbin Guo, Collin Farrell, Natascia Marino, Jill Henry, Anna Maria Storniolo, Jeanette Papp, Jingyi Li, Steve Horvath, Matteo Pellegrini, Patricia A. Ganz. Cell composition changes in healthy breast tissue is associated with advancing age and epigenetic age acceleration [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2022 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2022 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(5 Suppl):Abstract nr P5-03-09.

Bruins-in-Genomics: Evaluation of the impact of a UCLA undergraduate summer program in computational biology on participating students

Recruiting, training and retaining scientists in computational biology is necessary to develop a workforce that can lead the quantitative biology revolution. Yet, African-American/Black, Hispanic/Latinx, Native Americans, and women are severely underrepresented in computational biosciences. We established the UCLA Bruins-in-Genomics Summer Research Program to provide training and research experiences in quantitative biology and bioinformatics to undergraduate students with an emphasis on students from backgrounds underrepresented in computational biology. Program assessment was based on number of applicants, alumni surveys and comparison of post-graduate educational choices for participants and a control group of students who were accepted but declined to participate. We hypothesized that participation in the Bruins-in-Genomics program would increase the likelihood that students would pursue post-graduate education in a related field. Our surveys revealed that 75% of Bruins-in-Genomics Summer participants were enrolled in graduate school. Logistic regression analysis revealed that women who participated in the program were significantly more likely to pursue a Ph.D. than a matched control group (group x woman interaction term of p = 0.005). The Bruins-in-Genomics Summer program represents an example of how a combined didactic-research program structure can make computational biology accessible to a wide range of undergraduates and increase participation in quantitative biosciences.

Abstract 4614: Genome-wide association analysis of pro-inflammatory cytokines and gene-lifestyle interaction for invasive breast cancer risk: The WHI Database for Genotypes and Phenotypes Study

Purpose: Pro-inflammatory biomarkers and their genetic variants may interact with obesity and obesity-related lifestyle factors, influencing breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women, but the interrelated metabolic pathways are incompletely understood.

Methods: We used data from the Women's Health Initiative Database for Genotypes and Phenotypes Study including 16,088 postmenopausal women, a population highly susceptible to obesity and increased risk for breast cancer. We conducted a genome-wide association (GWA) analysis in two steps: 1) with six GWA substudies, GWA meta-analysis of pro-inflammatory cytokines (Interleukin-6 [IL-6] and C-reactive protein [CRP]) for their gene-lifestyle interactions and 2) test for the association between identified single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at the genome-wide level and breast cancer risk.

Results: In women overall and stratified by obesity status (body mass index, waist circumference, and waist-to-hip circumference) and obesity-related lifestyle factors (physical activity and high fat-diet), 88 loci were associated with pro-inflammatory phenotypes at genome-wide significance: 3 associated with IL-6 (1 index SNP in MAPK1 and 1 independent SNP in DEC1); 85 with CRP (3 index SNPs in CRP/CRPP1/HNF1A and 2 SNPs in APOE/APOC1, independently). Of those, 27 loci had significantly increased risk for breast cancer.

Conclusions: We found a number of novel genetic markers in relation to pro-inflammatory phenotypes, which interacted with obesity and related lifestyle factors. A substantial proportion of those SNPs' susceptibility influences breast cancer risk in the identical subgroup populations. Our findings may contribute to improved prediction accuracy for cancer and suggest intervention strategies for women who carry the risk genotypes, eventually reducing breast cancer risk.

Citation Format: Su Yon Jung, Peter Scott, Sihao Han, Matteo Pellegrini, Jeanette Papp, Eric Sobel, Herbert Yu, Zuo-Feng Zhang. Genome-wide association analysis of pro-inflammatory cytokines and gene-lifestyle interaction for invasive breast cancer risk: The WHI Database for Genotypes and Phenotypes Study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 4614.

Abstract 2361: Mendelian randomization study: The association between metabolic pathways and colorectal cancer risk

Purpose: The roles of obesity-related biomarkers and their molecular pathways in the development of postmenopausal colorectal cancer (CRC) have been inconclusive. We examined insulin resistance (IR) as a major hormonal pathway mediating the association between obesity and CRC risk in a Mendelian randomization (MR) framework.

Methods: We performed MR analysis using individual-level data of 11,078 non-Hispanic white postmenopausal women from our earlier genome-wide association study. We identified four independent single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with fasting glucose (FG), three with fasting insulin (FI), and six with homeostatic model assessment-IR (HOMA-IR), which were not associated with obesity. We estimated hazard ratios (HRs) for CRC by adjusting for potential confounding factors plus genetic principal components.

Results: Overall, we observed no direct association between the combined 13 IR genetic instruments and CRC risk (HR = 0.96, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.78 - 1.17). In phenotypic analysis, genetically raised HOMA-IR exhibited its effects on the increased risk while FG and FI on the reduced risk for CRC, but with a lack of statistical power. Subgroup analyses by physical activity level and dietary fat intake with combined phenotypes showed that genetically determined IR was associated with reduced CRC risk in both physical activity-stratified (single contributor: MTRR rs722025; HR = 0.12, 95% CI: 0.02 - 0.62) and high-fat diet subgroups (main contributor: G6PC2 rs560887; HR = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.37 - 0.94).

Conclusions: Complex evidence was observed for a potential causal association between IR and CRC risk, which may contribute to an additional value of intervention trials to lower IR and reduce CRC risk.

Citation Format: Su Yon Jung, Jeanette Papp, Eric Sobel, Zuo-Feng Zhang. Mendelian randomization study: The association between metabolic pathways and colorectal cancer risk [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 2361.

Abstract 1201: A mendelian randomization study for the potential causal effect of genetically driven insulin resistance on invasive breast cancer

Objectives

Insulin resistance (IR), traditionally measured by fasting blood levels of glucose (FG) and fasting insulin (FI), has been considered a potential risk factor for breast cancer development. However, findings from previous epidemiologic studies of the relationships between IR and breast cancer were inconsistent, partially due to selection bias, confounding, short time exposure to biomarkers, measurement errors, and reverse causation. We tried to address those challenges by using a Mendelian Randomization (MR) method where FG and FI were analyzed via genetic instrumental variables. Our study aimed to examine the potential causal effect of genetically driven IR on breast cancer development and hoped to understand the underlying mechanisms between IR and breast cancer.

Methods

We conducted a two-sample MR analysis using the most updated publicly available data from a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of Meta-Analysis of Glucose and Insulin related traits Consortium (MAGIC), Breast Cancer Association Consortium (BCAC), and Atlas of GWAS Summary Statistics (ATLAS), focusing on European women. We utilized different datasets for breast cancer outcomes to complement MR analyses with the inverse-variance weighted method. To determine the extent of pleiotropic signal, we applied Cochran's Q test and the MR-Egger regression analysis. Given obesity and diabetes's established role for breast cancer, we excluded those related single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from the MR analysis.

Results

Of 44 SNPs associated with IR, 38 FG SNPs showed slightly positive effects on breast cancer risk across datasets (OncoArray/iCOGS, odds ratio (OR) = 1.002, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.831- 1.209; ATLAS-General: OR = 1.146, 95% CI: 0.507 - 2.592; ATLAS-GEEA: OR = 1.034, 95% CI: 0.748 - 1.429; ATLAS-GEEAB: OR = 1.029, 95% CI: 0.747 - 1.416). After excluding SNPs associated with diabetes and obesity, the directions of the association between FG and breast cancer in the OncoArray/iCOGS datasets changed but not in the ATLAS-General dataset. Similarly, 6 FI SNPs had a positive association with breast cancer across the datasets. No significant directional pleiotropy was observed.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate a marginal association between genetically driven IR and breast cancer risk suggesting complex evidence for causal association. Our study may support the potential value of interventions to lower IR, thus reducing breast cancer risk.

Citation Format: Sihao Han, Nicholas Mancuso, Zuofeng Zhang, Jeanette Papp, Eric Sobel, Jiemin Yao, Su Yon Jung. A mendelian randomization study for the potential causal effect of genetically driven insulin resistance on invasive breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 1201.

Abstract 1596: Genome-wide gene-environmental interaction and random survival forest analyses: Insulin resistance and breast cancer risk

Purpose: Obesity–insulin connections have been considered potential risk factors for postmenopausal breast cancer, and the association between insulin resistance (IR) genotypes and phenotypes can be modified by obesity-lifestyle factors, affecting breast cancer risk. We explored the role of IR in those pathways at the genome-wide level. With identified IR genetic factors and selected lifestyles, we further generated risk profiles for breast cancer risk.

Methods: Using large-scale cohort data from postmenopausal women in the Women’s Health Initiative Database for Genotypes and Phenotypes Study, our previous genome-wide association gene–behavior interaction study identified 58 loci for associations with IR phenotypes (homeostatic model assessment–IR, hyperglycemia, and hyperinsulinemia). We evaluated those single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and additional 31 lifestyles in relation to breast cancer risk by conducting a two-stage multimodal random survival forest analysis.

Results: We identified the most predictive genetic and lifestyle variables in overall and subgroup analyses (stratified by body mass index [BMI], exercise, and dietary fat intake). Two SNPs (LINC00460 rs17254590 and MKLN1 rs117911989), endogenous and exogenous factors related to lifetime cumulative exposure to estrogen, BMI, and dietary alcohol intake were the most common influential factors across the analyses. Individual SNPs did not have significant associations with breast cancer, but the combined SNPs and lifestyles synergistically increased the risk of breast cancer in a dose-dependent manner. In subgroup analysis, we further stratified women by the two strongest variables (durations of oral contraceptive [OC] and opposed estrogen use). Shorter-duration OC and ever-opposed estrogen users with both risks of genotypes and lifestyles had greater risk (2.5 times and 6.3 times, respectively) than their counterparts without risks in both. This indicates the combined effect of SNPs and lifestyles and the joint effect with OC use and opposed estrogen on breast cancer risk.

Conclusions: Our findings may contribute to more accurate prediction of breast cancer and suggest intervention strategies for those women with genetic risk to reduce their breast cancer risk.

Citation Format: Su Yon Jung, Herbert Yu, Matteo Pellegrini, Jeanette Papp, Eric Sobel, Zuo-Feng Zhang. Genome-wide gene-environmental interaction and random survival forest analyses: Insulin resistance and breast cancer risk [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1596.

Post genome-wide gene-environment interaction study: The effect of genetically driven insulin resistance on breast cancer risk using Mendelian randomization

PURPOSE

The role of insulin resistance (IR) in developing postmenopausal breast cancer has not been thoroughly resolved and may be confounded by lifestyle factors such as obesity. We examined whether genetically determined IR is causally associated with breast cancer risk.

METHODS

We conducted Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses using individual-level data from our previous meta-analysis of a genome-wide association study (GWAS) (n = 11,109 non-Hispanic white postmenopausal women). Four single-nucleotide polymorphisms were associated with fasting glucose (FG), 2 with fasting insulin (FI), and 6 with homeostatic model assessment-IR (HOMA-IR) but were not associated with obesity. We used this GWAS to employ hazard ratios (HRs) for breast cancer risk by adjusting for potential confounding factors.

RESULTS

No direct association was observed between comprising 12 IR genetic instruments and breast cancer risk (HR = 0.93, 95% CI: 0.76-1.14). In phenotype-specific analysis, genetically elevated FG was associated with reduced risk for breast cancer (main contributor of this MR-effect estimate: G6PC2 rs13431652; HR = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.35-0.99). Genetically driven FI and HOMA-IR were not significantly associated. Stratification analyses by body mass index, exercise, and dietary fat intake with combined phenotypes showed that genetically elevated IR was associated with greater breast cancer risk in overall obesity and inactive subgroups (single contributor: MTRR/LOC729506 rs13188458; HR = 2.21, 95% CI: 1.03-4.75).

CONCLUSIONS

We found complex evidence for causal association between IR and risk of breast cancer, which may support the potential value of intervention trials to lower IR and reduce breast cancer risk.

Genome-Wide Meta-analysis of Gene-Environmental Interaction for Insulin Resistance Phenotypes and Breast Cancer Risk in Postmenopausal Women

Insulin resistance (IR)-related genetic variants are possibly associated with breast cancer, and the gene-phenotype-cancer association could be modified by lifestyle factors including obesity, physical inactivity, and high-fat diet. Using data from postmenopausal women, a population highly susceptible to obesity, IR, and increased risk of breast cancer, we implemented a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in two steps: (1) GWAS meta-analysis of gene-environmental (i.e., behavioral) interaction (G*E) for IR phenotypes (hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, and homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance) and (2) after the G*E GWAS meta-analysis, the identified SNPs were tested for their associations with breast cancer risk in overall or subgroup population, where the SNPs were identified at genome-wide significance. We found 58 loci (55 novel SNPs; 5 index SNPs and 6 SNPs, independent of each other) that are associated with IR phenotypes in women overall or women stratified by obesity, physical activity, and high-fat diet; among those 58 loci, 29 (26 new loci; 2 index SNPs and 2 SNPs, independently) were associated with postmenopausal breast cancer. Our study suggests that a number of newly identified SNPs may have their effects on glucose intolerance by interplaying with obesity and other lifestyle factors, and a substantial proportion of these SNPs' susceptibility can also interact with the lifestyle factors to ultimately influence breast cancer risk. These findings may contribute to improved prediction accuracy for cancer and suggest potential intervention strategies for those women carrying genetic risk that will reduce their breast cancer risk.

Species of braconid wasps described by Christian Godfried Nees ab Esenbeck in 1811, 1812, 1816, 1818, 1834. A revisionary checklist (Hymenoptera, Braconidae)

In his five publications Nees (1811-1834) described 263 braconid species originating mainly from Germany and, less in number, from a further seven countries in Europe. The braconid species were assigned to 19 genera: twelve have been created by him and the rest (seven genera) by three other authors. The majority of the species (218) remained valid, the rest of the names (45) were placed in synonymy (by other authors). By his descriptions the species and genera are more or less recognizable, nevertheless their redescriptions are promoting their unambiguous recognition. In the first checklist provided, the genera and species are presented following Nees's original denominations and the current valid generic and species names are listed (denoted by an equals (=) sign). In the second checklist, the current valid generic and species names are compared with the original generic and species names. In the third checklist, the braconid species of 16 other authors included in Nees five publications are listed. New author's names for three species are provided: Doryctes leucogaster Ziegler, 1834 (Bacon), Microgaster nigricans Gyllenhal, 1834 and Microplitis sordipes (Ziegler, 1834) (Microgaster); the author of these three species was Nees. The Nees Collection (braconid and other material) was destroyed at the end of the Second World War.

The role of hemorheological factors in cardiovascular medicine

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the most frequent cause of death throughout the world. The coronary vessel system is a special part of the circulation since there is a continuous change in blood flow, perfusion pressure and shear rate during each cardiac cycle. It is also the place of the narrowest capillaries in the human body, therefore the role of rheological alterations may be of greater importance than in the other parts of the circulatory system. During the past decades, our group has investigated hemorheological parameters (HP) in over 1,000 patients diagnosed with various forms of ischemic heart disease (IHD). In one prospective study, we measured the HP of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). On admission, all examined variables were significantly worse than those of control subjects. During the hospital phase, some of the HP showed further deterioration, and HP remained in the pathologic range during the follow-up period. In another study, we showed that HP are in close correlation with the severity of coronary artery disease. In patients treated with percutaneous coronary intervention, changes in HP were very similar to those observed in subjects with ACS. In a recent study, we analyzed HP in patients undergoing CABG surgery. Our data suggest a hemorheological advantage of off-pump surgery. In another study low Hct/WBV ratio can be regarded as a risk factor of cardiac death in IHD. Our data indicate that rheological parameters are significantly altered in patients with IHD: the extent of the alterations is in excellent correlation with the clinical severity of the disease. Our findings prove that HP play a critical role in the pathogenesis of myocardial ischemia. In recent in vitro and in vivo studies we have investigated the effects of red wine on hemorheological parameters. Our results show that moderate red wine consumption has beneficial effects on hemorheological parameters which may contribute to the French paradox.

Orally given gastroprotective capsaicin does not modify aspirin-induced platelet aggregation in healthy male volunteers (human phase I examination)

Capsaicin is a well-known component of red pepper. Recent studies have shown that capsaicin could prevent gastric ulcer provoked by various NSAID-s like acetylsalicylic acid (ASA). Primary objective of this human clinical phase I trial was to investigate whether two different doses of capsaicin co-administered with ASA could alter the inhibitory effect of ASA on platelet aggregation. 15 healthy male subjects were involved in the study and treated orally with 400 μg capsaicin, 800 μg capsaicin, 500 mg ASA, 400 μg capsaicin+500 mg ASA and 800 μg capsaicin+500 mg ASA. Blood was drawn before and 1, 2, 6 and 24 hours after the drug administration. After that epinephrine induced platelet aggregation was measured by optical aggregometry. Between treatments, volunteers had a 6-day wash-out period. Our results showed that capsaicin had no effect on platelet aggregation, while as expected, ASA monotherapy resulted in a significant and clinically effective platelet aggregation inhibition (p ≤ 0.001). The combined ASA-capsaicin therapies reached equivalent effectiveness in platelet aggregation inhibition as ASA monotherapy. Our investigation proved that capsaicin did not influence the inhibitory effect of ASA on platelet aggregation, thus the capsaicin-ASA treatment would combine the antiplatelet effect of ASA with the possible gastroprotection of capsaicin.

Moderate red wine consumption improves hemorheological parameters in healthy volunteers

Pieces of epidemiological evidence have supported that moderate red wine consumption reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases (French-paradox). Our previous in vitro experiment has demonstrated favourable hemorheological effects of red wine, alcohol-free red wine extract and ethanol. Thirty-nine healthy, non-smoking male volunteers between 18-40 years were assigned into two groups: control group had drunk water, while red wine group had consumed 2 dl of red wine each day at dinner for 3 weeks. No alcohol had been drunk for one week prior to the study. Blood was obtained in the morning of the first and last day. Hematocrit (Hct), plasma (PV) and whole blood viscosity (WBV) (Hevimet 40 capillary viscometer), red blood cell (RBC) aggregation (Myrenne and LORCA aggregometer) and deformability (LORCA ektacytometer) were measured and Hct/WBV ratio was calculated to determine oxygen carrying capacity. Hct was adjusted to 40%. Hct and PV were not affected. WBV remained unchanged in controls, but it considerably decreased in the red wine group compared to the 3-week control group, while Hct/WBV ratio became significantly higher in the red wine group compared to the control (p < 0.05). RBC aggregation significantly decreased in the red wine group and became significantly lower compared to the 3-week controls (p < 0.05). Red wine significantly increased RBC deformability (p < 0.05) at high shear stress. Our results show that moderate red wine consumption has beneficial effects on hemorheological parameters which may contribute to the French-paradox.

Antiplatelet effect of acetylsalicylic acid, metamizole and their combination - in vitro and in vivo comparisons

BACKGROUND

Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) plays an important role in the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Metamizole (MET) is an analgesic and antipyretic medicine, it is not used as an antiplatelet drug.

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to examine the antiplatelet effect of MET and the possible interactions between the drugs.

METHODS

In our in vitro investigations different concentrations of ASA and MET solutions were added to blood. To examine the interactions MET and ASA were added together. In our in vivo crossover study intravenous MET, oral ASA or both drugs together were administered. Epinephrine and adenosine-diphosphate induced platelet aggregation was determined by optical aggregometry.

RESULTS

Epinephrine-induced aggregation was completely inhibited in all ASA and MET concentrations in vitro. Lower, ineffective concentration of MET prevented the antiplatelet effect of ASA. The inhibition was completely restored when higher concentration of ASA was used or when ASA was added first. Our in vivo study showed that in the MET group rapid onset of inhibition was developed and there was no inhibition after one day. In the ASA group platelet aggregation decreased slowly but still had significant inhibitory effect after 72 hours. Combined therapy showed similar changes to the MET group.

CONCLUSION

Antiplatelet effect of MET and ASA did not differ significantly in vitro. The observations may indicate a competitive interaction between the two drugs. The in vivo experiments showed that intravenously administered MET is an effective antiplatelet drug and can be considered as a therapeutic alternative, when ASA cannot be used in oral form.

Differently ordered carbonaceous structures synthesized by bubbled Ar or He plasmas inside methylene blue solutions with contrasting Escherichia coli growth inhibition effects

A straightforward carbonaceous structure synthesis from methylene blue aided by Ar/He plasmas with different ordering and E. coli inhibition effects.

Abstract A107: Variation in the prolactin and prolactin receptor genes and familial breast cancer

Background: Breast cancer aggregates within some families, accounting for about 25% of incident cases. Known genetic variants, such as BRCA1/BRCA2 mutations, account for less than 10% of these familial breast cancer cases, thus, research into additional risk or protective genetic factors for familial breast cancer may provide valuable information for risk stratification. Serum levels of prolactin have been associated with sporadic breast cancer risk in previous studies. We sought to test the hypothesis that variation in the genes coding for prolactin (PRL) and the prolactin receptor (PRLR) would be associated with increased or decreased risk of familial breast cancer.

Methods: We designed a case-control study of probands recruited between 1998 and 2009 by the UCLA Family Cancer Registry; a population enriched with women having a strong family history of breast cancer and BRCA1/BRCA2 mutation carriers. Genotyping of tagSNPs in PRL (n=11) and PRLR (n=28) was performed in 351 unrelated women who developed breast cancer and 290 unaffected controls with similar family histories to the cases. Multivariate logistic regression models controlling for age, Ashkenazi Jewish heritage, education, and number of affected relatives were used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between SNPs and familial breast cancer. Genotype specific ORs as well as per-allele (additive model) ORs were calculated.

Results: Familial breast cancer risk was inversely associated with carriership of the minor alleles for three PRLR SNPs in the additive models, rs9292573 (OR=0.7, 95% CI=0.5-0.9), rs10805603 (OR=0.6, 95% CI=0.4-0.9), and rs1587607 (OR=0.7, 95% CI=0.5-1.0). PRLR SNP rs249522 was associated with increased risk of cancer in the additive model (OR=1.8, 95% CI =1.2-2.7). Minor allele carriers of the PRL SNP rs12210179, located in a putative transcription factor binding site, had a decreased risk of cancer in the additive model (OR=0.7, 95% CI=0.5-0.9).

Conclusion: These data suggest that genetic variation in PRL and PRLR are associated with breast cancer in a population with a strong family history of breast cancer.

Citation Format: Shehnaz K. Hussain, Mary Sehl, Daniel Conn, Janet S. Sinsheimer, Uma Dandekar, Jeanette Papp, Zuo-Feng Zhang, Patricia A. Ganz. Variation in the prolactin and prolactin receptor genes and familial breast cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eleventh Annual AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research; 2012 Oct 16-19; Anaheim, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Prev Res 2012;5(11 Suppl):Abstract nr A107.

The influence of on-pump and off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting on hemorheological parameters

Conditions during coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) performed on beating heart (off-pump) are more physiological than using extracorporeal perfusion (on-pump). The present study aims to examine the hemorheological aspects of the two techniques. Blood samples were taken from patients undergoing on-pump (n = 25) and off-pump (n = 22) CABG, upon arrival to the operating theatre, after 20 and 40 minutes during the operation, after closing the thorax, on the 1st and 2nd postoperative days, and during the 2nd and 6th month control check-ups. Hematocrit (Hct), plasma and whole blood viscosity (PV, WBV; Hevimet 40 capillary viscometer), red blood cell (RBC) aggregation (Myrenne RBC aggregometer, LORCA) and deformability (LORCA, Carat FT-1 filtrometer), and platelet aggregation (Carat TX4 aggregometer) were determined. The morphology of red blood cells was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Hct, PV, WBV and RBC aggregation decreased significantly during the early phase of the surgery, they started to recover during the postoperative period, and reached the baseline values by the 2nd and 6th month control check-ups. These parameters were significantly lower in samples taken after 20 and 40 minutes in the on-pump group. SEM showed rather damaged and malformed cells in case of on-pump surgery. Ektacytometry showed no significant difference, but RBC deformability was impaired during on-pump surgery when measured by filtrometry. The decrease in platelet aggregation was more pronounced by the end of surgery in case of on-pump technique. During CABG rheological parameters change less when using the off-pump method, and mechanical damage of RBCs are also smaller. The off-pump technique seems to be favorable from a hemorhelogical point of view.

CCL3 genotype and current depression increase risk of HIV-associated dementia

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated dementia (HAD) has continued to rise even as incidence has fallen. Several host genetic variants have been identified that modify risk for HAD. However, the findings have not been replicated consistently and most studies did not consider the multitude of factors that might themselves confer risk for HAD. In the current study, we sought to replicate the findings of previous studies in a neurologically and behaviorally well-characterized cohort. METHODS: The sample consisted of 143 HIV+ individuals enrolled in the National NeuroAIDS Tissue Consortium (NNTC). Based on consensus diagnosis, 117 were considered neurologically normal upon study entry, and 26 had HAD. Seven single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped within seven genes (CCL2, CCL3, CCL5, interleukin-1α [IL-1α], IL-10, stromal cell-derived factor 1, and tumor necrosis factor-α). Logistic regression analysis was used to predict group membership (normal vs HAD), with predictor variables including length of infection, age, current drug dependence, current depression, and genotype. RESULTS: The two groups were statistically similar with regards to demographic characteristics, current drug use, and disease factors. The HAD group had significantly greater number of individuals with current depression. Only one SNP, rs1130371 within the gene for CCL3, was entered into the analysis as the others showed symmetric distribution between groups. Logistic regression indicated that current depression and CCL3 genotype were significant predictors of HAD. Depression conferred a fivefold greater risk of HAD, while the TT genotype for CCL3 SNP (rs1130371) was associated with twofold risk for HAD. CONCLUSION: Depression and CCL3 genotype predicted HAD. The fact that SNPs previously found to be associated with HAD were not in our analysis, and that rs1130371 is in high linkage disequilibrium with neighboring genes indicates that more dense genotyping in significantly larger cohorts is required to further characterize the relationship between genotype and risk for HAD.

Mechanism of increased susceptibility to fibrillation of the hypothermic mammalian heart in situ

The susceptibility of auricles and ventricles to fibrillation during hypothermia of isolated hearts, and of hearts in situ in anaesthetized cats, was estimated by measuring the threshold for the production of fibrillation by electrical stimulation. Hypothermia reduced the threshold of in situ hearts, but increased the threshold of isolated perfused hearts and of heart-lung preparations. The increased sensitivity of in situ hearts to fibrillation could be induced by cooling the head only, and was abolished by cutting the vagi. At normal body temperature, section of the vagi had no influence on the fibrillation threshold. In contrast, cutting the sympathetic increased the fibrillation threshold of in situ hearts at normal temperature, but had no influence on the threshold during hypothermia. It was concluded that the increased susceptibility of anaesthetized animals to fibrillation could be attributed to changes in the central nervous control of the heart induced by the cooling of the head.

ATG16L1 and IL23 receptor (IL23R) genes are associated with disease susceptibility in Hungarian CD patients

BACKGROUND

North American and European genome-wide association scans have identified ATG16L1 and IL23R as novel inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) susceptibility genes and subsequent reports confirmed these findings in large independent populations. The aims of this study were to investigate the association and examine genotype-phenotype relationships in a Hungarian IBD cohort.

METHODS

415 unrelated IBD patients (CD: 266, age: 35.2+/-12.1 years, duration: 8.7+/-7.5 years and UC: 149, age: 44.4+/-15.4 years, duration: 10.7+/-8.9 years) and 149 healthy subjects were investigated. IL23R Arg381Gln (R381Q, rs11209026) and ATG16L1 Thr300Ala (T300A, rs2241880) polymorphisms were tested using LightCycler allele discrimination method. Detailed clinical phenotypes were determined by reviewing the medical charts.

RESULTS

The association between IL23R rs11209026, ATG16L1 rs2241880 and CD was confirmed (OR(IL23R381Q): 0.38, 95% CI: 0.16-0.87; OR(ATG16L1300AA): 1.86, 95% CI: 1.04-3.40). No difference was found between patients with UC and either controls or CD. In CD, IL23R 381Gln heterozygosity was associated with inflammatory disease (70% vs. 34%, p=0.037), while disease restricted to the colon was more prevalent in patients with the ATG16L1 300Ala/Ala homozygosity (33.3% vs. 21.1%, p=0.036). In addition, carriage of the variant alleles did not predict response to steroids, infliximab or need for surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

We confirmed that ATG16L1 and IL23R are susceptibility loci for CD in Hungarian CD patients. Further studies are needed to confirm the reported phenotype-genotype associations found in this study.

A case-control study of the association of the polymorphisms and haplotypes of DNA ligase I with lung and upper-aerodigestive-tract cancers

Tobacco smoking is a major risk factor for lung and upper-aerodigestive-tract (UADT) cancers. One possible mechanism for the associations may be through DNA damage pathways. DNA Ligase I (LIG1) is a DNA repair gene involved in both the nucleotide excision repair (NER) and the base excision repair (BER) pathways. We examined the association of 4 LIG1 polymorphisms with lung and UADT cancers, and their potential interactions with smoking in a population-based case-control study in Los Angeles County. We performed genotyping using the SNPlex method from Applied Biosystems. Logistic regression analyses of 551 lung cancer cases, 489 UADT cancer cases and 948 controls showed the expected associations of tobacco smoking with lung and UADT cancers and new associations between the LIG1 haplotypes and these cancers. For lung cancer, when compared to the most common haplotype (rs20581-rs20580-rs20579-rs439132 = T-C-C-A), the adjusted odds ratio (OR) is 1.2 (95% confidence limits (CL) = 0.95, 1.5) for the CACA haplotype, 1.4 (1.0, 1.9) for the CATA haplotype and 1.8 (1.1, 2.8) for the CCCG haplotype, after controlling for age, gender, race/ethnicity, education and tobacco smoking. We observed weaker associations between the LIG1 haplotypes and UADT cancers. Our findings suggest the LIG1 haplotypes may affect the risk of lung and UADT cancers.

NOD1 gene E266K polymorphism is associated with disease susceptibility but not with disease phenotype or NOD2/CARD15 in Hungarian patients with Crohn's disease

BACKGROUND

NOD1/CARD4, a member of the pattern-recognition receptor family, is a perfect candidate as a susceptibility gene for Crohn's disease. Since only limited and conflicting data are available on G796A polymorphisms in inflammatory bowel disease patients, we set out to study the effect of this polymorphism on the susceptibility and course of Crohn's disease in the Hungarian population.

METHODS

Four hundred thirty-four unrelated Crohn's disease patients (age at presentation: 28.6+/-9.6 years, female/male: 210/224, duration of Crohn's disease: 8.2+/-6.9 years) and 200 healthy subjects (blood donors) and 136 non-inflammatory bowel disease gastrointestinal controls with chronic gastritis were investigated. NOD1 G796A was detected by using polymerase chain reaction/restriction fragment length polymorphism. Detailed clinical phenotypes were determined by reviewing the medical charts.

RESULTS

The frequencies of the variant alleles of NOD1 G796A differed significantly between the Crohn's disease patients and both healthy (GG 49.5% vs. 67%; AG 41.5% vs. 28%; and AA 9.0% vs. 5.2%; p<0.0001) and non-inflammatory bowel disease controls with chronic gastritis. Carriage of the single nucleotide polymorphism of NOD1 G796A proved to be a highly significant risk factor for Crohn's disease compared to both healthy (p<0.0001, OR: 2.1, 95% CI: 1.5-2.9) and non-inflammatory bowel disease controls with chronic gastritis (p=0.008). Significant associations were not found between the different genotypes and the demographic data on the patients or the clinical characteristics of Crohn's disease. The different polymorphisms of pattern-recognition receptors (e.g. NOD2/CARD15 SNP8, SNP12 and SNP13 mutations, the TLR4 D299G polymorphism and NOD1 G796A) did not reveal a mutual basis.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that carriage of the NOD1 G796A mutation increases susceptibility for Crohn's disease in the Hungarian population.

Breast cancer and DNA epair gene SNPs in a family cancer registry population

10514

Background: Alterations in the DNA double-strand break repair (DSBR) pathway are associated with cancer risk. Mutations in the genes BRCA1/2 disrupt DNA DSBR. Variations in breast cancer penetrance among BRCA1/2 mutation carriers, and familial patterns among women without known BRCA1/2 mutations may be related to polymorphisms of genes in the DNA-DSBR pathway. Methods: Using a case-control study design with individuals in the UCLA Family Cancer Registry (FCR), we examined the independent effects of 100 SNPs in 19 DNA-DSBR genes. SNPs were assayed using the Applied Biosystems SNPlex™ assay. Results: 630 consecutive females from 508 families in the UCLA FCR selected for familial risk of breast cancer were included in the study. Table 1 describes select subject characteristics. Preliminary association analysis of the Caucasian subset using a nonparametric permutation method, which controls for Ashkenazi Jewish heritage and dependencies among relatives, suggests that polymorphisms within RAD21 (p=0.0044, p=0.0005), XRCC2 (p = 0.0069), XRCC4 (p =0.0511), and BRIP1 (p =0.0107) may be associated with a change in risk of breast cancer. Using only unrelated Caucasian subjects in a logistic regression analysis with covariates such as age, BMI, and Ashkenazi Jewish heritage, the effects of these polymorphisms remain significant, with 32% to 74% change in the odds of breast cancer. Conclusions: We have identified five potential SNPs in genes in the DNA-DSBR pathway that appear to be associated with a change in risk of breast cancer. This hypothesis generating study lends support to a role for polymorphisms of the DNA-repair pathway in breast carcinogenesis. Assessment of gene-environment and gene-gene interactions will help to elucidate carcinogenic mechanisms. Further validation in similar populations is warranted. (Funded by the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and NIH/NCI CA87949 R25 Career Development Program.)

[Table: see text]

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Genome-wide mapping of human loci for essential hypertension

BACKGROUND

Blood pressure may contribute to 50% of the global cardiovascular disease epidemic. By understanding the genes predisposing to common disorders such as human essential hypertension we may gain insights into novel pathophysiological mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets. In the Medical Research Council BRItish Genetics of HyperTension (BRIGHT) study, we aim to identify these genetic factors by scanning the human genome for susceptibility genes for essential hypertension. We describe the results of a genome scan for hypertension in a large white European population.

METHODS

We phenotyped 2010 affected sibling pairs drawn from 1599 severely hypertensive families, and completed a 10 centimorgan genome-wide scan. After rigorous quality control, we analysed the genotypic data by non-parametric linkage, which tests whether genes are shared in excess among the affected sibling pairs. Lod scores, calculated at regular points along each chromosome, were used to assess the support for linkage.

FINDINGS

Linkage analysis identified a principle locus on chromosome 6q, with a lod score of 3.21 that attained genome-wide significance (p=0.042). The inclusion of three further loci with lod scores higher than 1.57 (2q, 5q, and 9q) also show genome-wide significance (p=0.017) when assessed under a locus-counting analysis.

INTERPRETATION

These findings imply that human essential hypertension has an oligogenic element (a few genes may be involved in determination of the trait) possibly superimposed on more minor genetic effects, and that several genes may be tractable to a positional cloning strategy.

A high-resolution allelotype of B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL)

The most frequent chromosomal aberrations in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) are deletions on 13q, 11q, and 17p, and trisomy 12, all of which are of prognostic significance. Conventional cytogenetic analysis and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) are used for their detection, but cytogenetic analysis is hampered by the low mitotic index of B-CLL cells, and FISH depends on accurate information about candidate regions. We used a set of 400 highly informative microsatellite markers covering all chromosomal arms (allelotyping) and automated polymerase chain reaction (PCR) protocols to screen 46 patients with typical B-CLL for chromosomal aberrations. For validation, we compared data with our conventional karyotype results and fine mapping with conventional single-site PCR. All clonal cytogenetic abnormalities potentially detectable by our microsatellite PCR (eg, del13q14 and trisomy 12) were picked up. Allelotyping revealed additional complex aberrations in patients with both normal and abnormal B-CLL karyotypes. Aberrations detectable in the samples with our microsatellite panel were found on almost all chromosomal arms. We detected new aberrant loci in typical B-CLL, such as allelic losses on 1q, 9q, and 22q in up to 25% of our patients, and allelic imbalances mirroring chromosomal duplications, amplifications, or aneuploidies on 2q, 10p, and 22q in up to 27% of our patients. We conclude that allelotyping with our battery of informative microsatellites is suitable for molecular screening of B-CLL. The technique is well suited for analyses in clinical trials, it provides a comprehensive view of genetic alterations, and it may identify new loci with candidate genes relevant in the molecular biology of B-CLL.

[Molecular genetics and gene therapy in diseases of the esophagus, stomach, colon and pancreas]

There has been a major improvement in our knowledge in the area of molecular genetics in the past 20 years. It has become evident that genetic factors are important in the initiation, progression and prognosis of most diseases. Many studies addressed the issue of tumorigenesis, which provided insight into the molecular basis of the sequencional development of cancer, driven by the accumulation of genomic defects. Most of the neoplasms are genetically heterogeneous, independent pathways and simultaneous tumorigenesis may exist within the same organ. As some mutations exist in benignant and also in malignant conditions, it is an important challenge to define the molecular characteristics of significant versus non-significant lesions. A new form of therapeutic intervention is gene therapy. During the next decade it will likely play an increasing role in clinical practice and particularly in the treatment of cancer.

Identification of the gene altered in Berardinelli-Seip congenital lipodystrophy on chromosome 11q13

Congenital generalized lipodystrophy, or Berardinelli-Seip syndrome (BSCL), is a rare autosomal recessive disease characterized by a near-absence of adipose tissue from birth or early infancy and severe insulin resistance. Other clinical and biological features include acanthosis nigricans, hyperandrogenism, muscular hypertrophy, hepatomegaly, altered glucose tolerance or diabetes mellitus, and hypertriglyceridemia. A locus (BSCL1) has been mapped to 9q34 with evidence of heterogeneity. Here, we report a genome screen of nine BSCL families from two geographical clusters (in Lebanon and Norway). We identified a new disease locus, designated BSCL2, within the 2.5-Mb interval flanked by markers D11S4076 and D11S480 on chromosome 11q13. Analysis of 20 additional families of various ethnic origins led to the identification of 11 families in which the disease cosegregates with the 11q13 locus; the remaining families provide confirmation of linkage to 9q34. Sequence analysis of genes located in the 11q13 interval disclosed mutations in a gene homologous to the murine guanine nucleotide-binding protein (G protein), gamma3-linked gene (Gng3lg) in all BSCL2-linked families. BSCL2 is most highly expressed in brain and testis and encodes a protein (which we have called seipin) of unknown function. Most of the variants are null mutations and probably result in a severe disruption of the protein. These findings are of general importance for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying regulation of body fat distribution and insulin resistance.