Association of polymorphisms of IGF1R and genes in the transforming growth factor-beta bone morphogenetic protein pathway with Bacteremia in sickle cell anemia
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
Authors: Adewoye, Adeboye H.; Nolan, Vikki G.; Ma, Qianli; Baldwin, Clinton; Wyszynski, Diego F.; Farrell, John J.; Farrer, Lindsay A.; Steinberg, Martin H.
Abstract
Infection and bacteremia are common in sickle cell disease. We hypothesized that, consistent with evidence for the genetic modulation of other disease complications, the risk of developing bacteremia might also be genetically modulated. Accordingly, we studied the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in candidate genes with the risk of bacteremia in sickle cell anemia. We found significant associations with SNPs in IGF1R and genes of the TGF-beta/BMP pathway (BMP6, TGFBR3, BMPR1A, SMAD6 and SMAD3). We suggest that both IGF1R and the TGF-beta/BMP pathway could play important roles in immune function in sickle cell anemia and their polymorphisms may help identify a "bacteremia-prone" phenotype.
Partial Sleep Restriction Activates Immune Response-Related Gene Expression Pathways: Experimental and Epidemiological Studies in Humans
PLOS ONE
Authors: Aho, Vilma; Ollila, Hanna M.; Rantanen, Ville; Kronholm, Erkki; Surakka, Ida; van Leeuwen, Wessel M. A.; Lehto, Maili; Matikainen, Sampsa; Ripatti, Samuli; Harma, Mikko; Sallinen, Mikael; Salomaa, Veikko; Jauhiainen, Matti; Alenius, Harri; Paunio, Tiina; Porkka-Heiskanen, Tarja
Abstract
Epidemiological studies have shown that short or insufficient sleep is associated with increased risk for metabolic diseases and mortality. To elucidate mechanisms behind this connection, we aimed to identify genes and pathways affected by experimentally induced, partial sleep restriction and to verify their connection to insufficient sleep at population level. The experimental design simulated sleep restriction during a working week: sleep of healthy men (N = 9) was restricted to 4 h/night for five nights. The control subjects (N = 4) spent 8 h/night in bed. Leukocyte RNA expression was analyzed at baseline, after sleep restriction, and after recovery using whole genome microarrays complemented with pathway and transcription factor analysis. Expression levels of the ten most up-regulated and ten most down-regulated transcripts were correlated with subjective assessment of insufficient sleep in a population cohort (N = 472). Experimental sleep restriction altered the expression of 117 genes. Eight of the 25 most up-regulated transcripts were related to immune function. Accordingly, fifteen of the 25 most up-regulated Gene Ontology pathways were also related to immune function, including those for B cell activation, interleukin 8 production, and NF-kappa B signaling (P<0.005). Of the ten most up-regulated genes, expression of STX16 correlated negatively with self-reported insufficient sleep in a population sample, while three other genes showed tendency for positive correlation. Of the ten most down-regulated genes, TBX21 and LGR6 correlated negatively and TGFBR3 positively with insufficient sleep. Partial sleep restriction affects the regulation of signaling pathways related to the immune system. Some of these changes appear to be long-lasting and may at least partly explain how prolonged sleep restriction can contribute to inflammation-associated pathological states, such as cardiometabolic diseases.