PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

L Tiret

Publications and source records attributed to L Tiret.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Serum myeloperoxidase concentration in a healthy population: biological variations, familial resemblance and new genetic polymorphisms.

Myeloperoxidase (MPO) has been involved in the pathogenesis of several diseases through excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) as well as through its genetic polymorphism. The aims of this study were to identify the factors affecting MPO serum concentration, to study the familial resemblance of MPO levels and to investigate the association between newly described MPO polymorphisms as well as the G-463A one and MPO levels in a healthy population. MPO serum concentrations were measured by an enzymatic immuno-assay (EIA) in 82 healthy families of the STANISLAS Cohort and MPO genotype, determination was performed using PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism or allele specific oligonucleotide assay. MPO concentrations were significantly higher in parents than in offspring. The factors affecting MPO levels were age, the number of white cells, smoking in fathers and oral contraceptive intake in mothers. They explain from 12.4% up to 35.9% of MPO variability in men and women, respectively. Family correlations of MPO concentrations were of similar magnitude. The -129A allele of a newly described G-129A substitution was significantly associated with decreased MPO levels, whereas the -463A allele was suggested to be associated with increased levels of lipid variables. In this study, we identified factors affecting MPO serum concentrations and showed that molecular variations of the gene have only a weak influence on MPO variability. In contrast, the association between the G-463A polymorphism and lipid levels would suggest a possible implication of MPO in the risk of cardiovascular diseases. These results have to be confirmed and further investigations will be conducted in that way.

Adolescent↗

New polymorphisms in the interleukin-10 gene--relationships to myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: Interleukin-10 (IL-10) is a cytokine with anti-inflammatory and B-cell-stimulating activity. IL-10 is expressed in human atherosclerotic plaques and recent studies have shown the involvement of IL-10 in the atherosclerotic process. Therefore, we hypothesized that polymorphisms in the IL-10 gene might be associated with a predisposition to coronary heart disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To identify new polymorphisms in the human IL-10 gene, the entire coding sequence and the 3' flanking sequence of the gene were screened by polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCR) followed by sequencing. The polymorphisms identified, and three others which have been previously described in the promoter region of the IL-10 gene (G-1082A, C-819T, C-592A), were then investigated in the ECTIM Study, a large population-based case-control study of myocardial infarction. RESULTS: Four new polymorphisms were identified: one in exon 1 (G+78/ex1A), which predicts a Glycine to Arginine change at position 15 in the putative signal peptide of the protein, two in the intron 3 (C+19/in3T, T+953/in3C) and one in the 3' flanking region (C+117T). All the IL-10 polymorphisms were in complete or nearly complete pairwise linkage disequilibrium. No case-control difference was found in genotype or allele frequencies for any of the polymorphisms. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that IL-10 polymorphisms are not associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction.

Adult↗

Association between P-selectin gene polymorphisms and soluble P-selectin levels and their relation to coronary artery disease.

P-selectin is a cellular adhesion molecule that mediates the interaction of activated endothelial cells or platelets with leukocytes. Increased levels of soluble P-selectin have been reported in various cardiovascular disorders. We measured serum soluble P-selectin levels as well as 3 polymorphisms of the P-selectin gene (C-2123G, A-1969G, and Thr715Pro) in a large cohort of patients with documented coronary artery disease (n=869) and a healthy control group (n=334). The 3 P-selectin polymorphisms were strongly associated with P-selectin levels and altogether explained 7.3% and 18.6% of the P-selectin variability in patients and controls, respectively. Genotype distributions did not significantly differ between patients and controls. P-selectin levels were increased in patients younger than 55 years of age compared with controls (135.2 vs 114.3 ng/mL, P<0.01). On the contrary, patients older than 65 years of age had significantly lower P-selectin levels than did controls (121.5 vs 134.7 ng/mL, P<0.02). In intermediate age groups, P-selectin levels did not significantly differ between the 2 groups. In conclusion, this study revealed a strong association between P-selectin gene polymorphisms and serum P-selectin levels and a complex age-dependent relation between soluble P-selectin levels and coronary artery disease, which suggests that this molecule might have different roles in the atherothrombotic process.

Cohort Studies↗

Extensive association analysis between the CETP gene and coronary heart disease phenotypes reveals several putative functional polymorphisms and gene-environment interaction.

An extensive association analysis of a candidate gene for coronary heart disease, Cholesteryl Ester Transfer Protein (CETP) gene, was performed. Ten polymorphisms, out of which three were newly identified in regulatory regions, were investigated for association with myocardial infarction (MI) and 2 MI endophenotypes (CETP mass and HDL-cholesterol level) in 568 MI patients and 668 controls. The polymorphisms affecting codon 405 (Ile(405)Val) and the nucleotide 524 downstream from the stop codon (G(+524)T) were almost completely concordant and associated with plasma CETP mass (P < 0.001). The polymorphisms -629 (located in promoter), intron1 (Taq1B) and intron7 were almost completely concordant and associated with plasma CETP mass (P < 0.0001) and HDL-cholesterol levels (P < 0.0001). This latter association was not found in teetotalers and increased with the quantity of alcohol consumed. Heavy drinkers (>75g/day) homozygous for the (-628)A allele had a reduced risk of MI (OR = 0. 33, P < 0.02). Subjects both homozygous for (451)Arg and heterozygous for (373)Pro had decreased plasma HDL-cholesterol levels and this effect increased with alcohol consumption. The results illustrate the complexity of polymorphism-phenotype associations. They suggest that the CETP gene may carry several functional polymorphisms. Observed interactions between alcohol consumption and polymorphisms associated with HDL-cholesterol level constitute concrete examples of gene-environment interactions. Furthermore, the pattern of association between HDL-cholesterol levels and the polymorphisms at codons 373 and 451 illustrated how two polymorphisms may be confounders (in the usual epidemiological sense) one for the other: their marginal effects are neutralized because of linkage disequilibrium and thus are not detectable by standard univariate association analysis.

Adult↗

The Pro12Ala polymorphism in the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma2 gene is not associated with postprandial responses to glucose or fat tolerance tests in young healthy subjects: the European Atherosclerosis Research Study II.

This study investigated whether the Pro12Ala polymorphism of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma2 (PPARgamma2) gene is associated with glucose and lipid metabolism in young healthy subjects participating in the European Atherosclerosis Research Study II. Men aged 18-28 years (n=675) were recruited from 14 university student populations in 11 European countries. At their first visit subjects had an oral glucose tolerance test and 1 week later an oral fat tolerance test. Lipid variables and genotype were measured centrally. The Ala allele frequency exhibited a clearcut north-to-south gradient through Europe, decreasing from 0.21 in Baltic countries to 0.07 in Mediterranean countries. There was no significant effect of the Pro12Ala polymorphism on fasting lipid, glucose, or insulin levels, nor on the postprandial changes in these variables after glucose and fat tolerance tests. Neither was the Pro12Ala polymorphism associated with body mass index. This study provides no evidence for a major effect of the Pro12Ala polymorphism on glucose and lipid metabolism in young healthy subjects. Since PPARgamma has a major role in adipogenesis, the differential effect of its polymorphism on weight and related metabolic disorders may become apparent only later in life.

Adolescent↗

Intestinal fatty acid binding protein polymorphism at codon 54 is not associated with postprandial responses to fat and glucose tolerance tests in healthy young Europeans. Results from EARS II participants.

UNLABELLED: Polymorphism Ala54Thr of the intestinal fatty acid-binding protein 2 (FABP2) has been reported to have an effect on the protein's affinity for long chain fatty acids and to be associated with serum lipid and insulin levels in fasting and especially postprandial states. We wanted to test whether this genetic variation is associated with fasting and postprandial glucose, insulin or lipid levels in 666 male university students participating in the second European Atherosclerosis Study (EARS II). We also studied whether the subgroup of 330 students with paternal history of myocardial infarction (MI) before the age of 55 have different genotype distribution than 336 matched controls. RESULTS: No difference in genotype distribution was observed between offspring with and without paternal history of MI or between populations from 11 European countries. The frequency of the threonine encoding allele was 0.276 in cases and 0.266 in controls. There were no differences in fasting or postprandial serum lipid, glucose or insulin levels between subjects having different genotypes. CONCLUSIONS: In this study FABP2 Ala54Thr polymorphism was not associated with lipid or glucose metabolism. In addition to environmental and genetic factors, selection of study population also may explain the difference between this and earlier studies.

Adolescent↗

Lack of association between polymorphisms of eight candidate genes and idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy: the CARDIGENE study.

OBJECTIVES: The study investigated the potential role of eight candidate genes in the susceptibility to idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDC). BACKGROUND: Idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy has a familial origin in 20% to 25% of cases, and several genetic loci have been identified in rare monogenic forms of the disease. These findings led to the hypothesis that genetic factors might also be involved in sporadic forms of the disease. In complex diseases that do not exhibit a clear pattern of familial aggregation, the candidate gene approach is a strategy widely used to identify susceptibility genes. All genes coding for proteins involved in biochemical or physiological abnormalities of cardiac function are potential candidates for IDC. METHODS: We studied 433 patients with IDC and 401 gender- and age-matched controls. Polymorphisms investigated were the I/D polymorphism of the angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) gene, the T174M and M235T polymorphisms of the angiotensinogen (AGT) gene, the A-153G and A+39C polymorphisms of the angiotensin-II type 1 receptor (AGTR1) gene, the T-344C polymorphism of the aldosterone synthase (CYP11B2) gene, the G-308A polymorphism of the tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) gene, the R25P polymorphism of the transforming growth factor beta1 (TGFB1) gene, the G+11/in23T polymorphism of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS3) gene and the C-1563T polymorphism of the brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) gene. RESULTS: None of the polymorphisms were significantly associated with the risk or the severity of the disease. CONCLUSIONS: We did not find evidence for an involvement of any of the 10 investigated polymorphisms in the susceptibility to IDC.

Adolescent↗

Applications of the estimating equations theory to genetic epidemiology: a review.

Unlike monogenic diseases for which considerable progress has been made in past years, the identification of susceptibility genes involved in multifactorial diseases still poses numerous challenges, including the development of new statistical methodologies. Recently, several authors have advocated the use of the estimating equations (EE) approach as an alternative to standard maximum likelihood methods for analysing correlated data. Since most genetic studies rely on family data, the EE found a natural field of application in genetic epidemiology. The objective of this review is to give a brief description of the EE principles, and to outline its applications in the main areas of genetic epidemiology, including familial aggregation analysis, segregation analysis, linkage analysis and association studies.

Epidemiologic Methods↗

Postprandial response to a fat tolerance test in young adults with a paternal history of premature coronary heart disease - the EARS II study (European Atherosclerosis Research Study).

BACKGROUND: The European Atherosclerosis Research Study (EARS) I had shown that fasting plasma concentrations of apolipoprotein B (apo B) and triglycerides were the most discriminant variables between offspring with a paternal history of coronary heart disease (CHD) and controls. The EARS II study was undertaken to investigate whether a paternal history of CHD was associated with differences in postprandial lipemia. DESIGN: Male subjects with a paternal history of CHD (cases, n = 407) and age-matched male controls (n = 415) were recruited from 14 European universities. All subjects had an oral fat tolerance test. RESULTS: In the sample as a whole, the postprandial triglyceride responses did not significantly differ between the two groups. However, in the upper tertile of fasting triglycerides, cases displayed a higher area under the curve (5.71 vs. 4.49 mmol.h L-1, P < 0.001), a higher peak (1.76 vs. 1.43 mmol L-1, P < 0.001) and a more delayed time to peak (3.15 vs. 2.91 h, P < 0.05) than controls. In the upper tertile, fasting apo B levels (P < 0.05) and triglyceride area under the curve (P = 0.002) significantly discriminated cases from controls in a multivariate analysis. Cases had also higher Lp C-III:B levels at 4 h than controls (11.2 vs. 9.9 mg dL-1, P < 0.01) and this difference remained significant after adjustment for apo B and triglyceride levels. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that in subjects with a moderate elevation of fasting triglycerides, an impaired postprandial response to a fat load constitutes an early biological expression of a paternal history of premature CHD.

Administration, Oral↗

Polymorphisms of the human matrix gla protein (MGP) gene, vascular calcification, and myocardial infarction.

The matrix Gla protein (MGP) is an important inhibitor of vessel and cartilage calcification that is strongly expressed in human calcified, atherosclerotic plaques and could modulate plaque calcification and coronary heart disease risk. Using a genetic approach, we explored this possibility by identifying polymorphisms of the MGP gene and testing their possible association with myocardial infarction (MI) and plaque calcification. Eight polymorphisms were identified in the coding and 5'-flanking sequences of the MGP gene. All polymorphisms were investigated in 607 patients with MI and 667 control subjects recruited into the ECTIM Study (Etude Cas-Témoins de l'Infarctus du Myocarde) and in 717 healthy individuals with echographically assessed arterial calcification and atherosclerosis who were participating in the AXA Study. In the ECTIM Study, alleles and genotypes were distributed similarly in patients and controls in the whole study group; in only 1 subgroup of subjects defined as being at low risk for MI were the concordant A-7 and Ala 83 alleles more frequent in patients with MI than in controls (P<0.003). In the AXA Study among subjects with femoral atherosclerosis, the same alleles were more common in the presence than the absence of plaque calcification (P<0.025). The other MGP polymorphisms were not associated with any investigated clinical phenotype. Transient transfection experiments with allelic promoter-reporter gene constructs and DNA-protein interaction assays were carried out to assess possible in vitro functionality of the promoter variants detected at positions -814, -138, and -7 relative to the start of transcription. When compared with the -138 T allele, the minor -138 C: allele consistently conferred a reduced promoter activity of -20% (P<0.0001) in rat vascular smooth muscle cells and of -50% (P<0.004) in a human fibroblast cell line, whereas the other polymorphisms, including -7, displayed no evidence of in vitro functionality. We conclude that the A-7 or Ala 83 alleles of the MGP gene may confer an increased risk of plaque calcification and MI; however, the observed relationships are weak or limited to subgroups of patients and therefore need confirmation.

Adolescent↗

Targeting of the EphA4 tyrosine kinase receptor affects dorsal/ventral pathfinding of limb motor axons.

The Eph family of tyrosine kinase receptors has recently been implicated in various processes involving the detection of environmental cues such as axonal guidance, targeted cell migration and boundary formation. We have inactivated the mouse EphA4 gene to investigate its functions during development. Homozygous EphA4 mutant animals show peroneal muscular atrophy correlating with the absence of the peroneal nerve, the main dorsal nerve of the hindlimb. This phenotype is also observed, although with a lower penetrance, in heterozygotes. During normal hindlimb innervation, motor axons converge towards the sciatic plexus region at the base of the limb bud, where they must choose between dorsal and ventral trajectories within the limb. Among the axons emerging from the sciatic plexus, dorsal projections show higher levels of EphA4 protein than ventral axons. In EphA4 mutant mice, presumptive dorsal motor axons fail to enter the dorsal compartment of the limb and join the ventral nerve. Our data therefore suggest that the level of EphA4 protein in growing limb motor axons is involved in the selection of dorsal versus ventral trajectories, thus contributing to the topographic organisation of motor projections.

Animals↗

Apolipoprotein E polymorphism and serum concentration in Alzheimer's disease in nine European centres: the ApoEurope study. ApoEurope group.

As part of the ApoEurope Project, apolipoprotein E (apo E) common polymorphism and serum concentration were determined in 489 Alzheimer's disease patients and 429 controls. Patients and controls were recruited through nine centres in eight European countries. Age, sex ratios and education levels of both case and control populations were similar, although discrete differences appeared between centres. The prevalence of the epsilon4 allele was higher in Alzheimer's disease than in controls (increased by 140%), while serum apo E concentration was lower by 11.2% (p<0.001). In addition, serum total cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations were lower in Alzheimer's disease (p<0.001), while that of apo Al was not affected. The decrease in serum apo E concentration was not accounted for by the epsilon4 allele, age or gender, suggesting that apo E concentration might represent an additional risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, complementary and independent of the epsilon4 allele. Further analysis will be aimed at determining whether the quantitative link between apo E concentration and Alzheimer's disease occurs through the effect of apo E genotype on lipid parameters or by other mechanisms.

Age Factors↗

Genetic polymorphisms and coronary artery disease in the south of France.

Vascular disease is a multifactorial disease that involves atherosclerotic and thrombotic factors. Genetic polymorphisms have been associated with myocardial infarction and angina pectoris. The aim of the present study was to assess the relationship between some genetic polymorphisms and myocardial infarction (MI) or vasospastic angina pectoris in a population from southern France. Genetic polymorphisms of the renin angiotensin system (the D/I polymorphism of the ACE gene and the A1166C polymorphism of the angiotensin II type 1 receptor [AT1R]) and of haemostatic factors (the -675 4G/5G polymorphism of the plasminogen-activator inhibitor 1[PAI-1] gene, and the G to T common point mutation in exon 2, codon 34 of the Factor XIII A-subunit gene) were examined. We assessed the genotype distribution in consecutive coronary artery disease (CAD) patients with MI (n = 201) and vasospastic angina pectoris (n = 43) and in 244 healthy controls comparable in age, sex, body mass index and total cholesterol level. The genotype distribution of AT1R polymorphism was significantly different between controls and patients, the prevalence of the C allele carriers being higher in patients with MI after the age of 45 than in control individuals (61 vs 45%, p <0.01), leading to an odds ratio (OR) of 2 (CI: 1.2-3.4). When looking at the group of patients with vasospastic angina the difference was even higher (76 vs 45%, p <0.01) yielding an OR of 4.3 (CI: 1.4-17.4). Genotype distributions of ACE, PAI-1 and Factor XIII polymorphisms were similar in patients and in controls. This study is in favor of a role of ATIR gene polymorphism in myocardial infarction and vasospastic angina.

Adolescent↗

Bivariate familial correlation analysis of quantitative traits by use of estimating equations: application to a familial analysis of the insulin resistance syndrome.

Familial correlation analysis involving two traits may give a better insight into the etiology of multifactorial syndromes than familial analysis focused on single traits. Significant cross-trait correlations between biological relatives but not between spouses suggest that the two traits share common transmissible factors whereas correlations between spouses additionally suggest the influence of shared lifestyle factors. We apply the Estimating Equations (EE) technique to the estimation of intra-trait and cross-trait familial correlations on two quantitative traits. Unlike maximum likelihood methods, the EE method does not require one to specify the joint distribution of the traits. Estimation of correlations and of their variance involves an iterative three-stage algorithm which converges rapidly. The generalized Wald test can be used to test any specific hypothesis of familial resemblance. This method has great flexibility for handling covariates and incomplete family data. A simulation study indicated that the EE technique performed well in large samples (100 families), both in terms of type I error and coverage probability . However, in small samples (50 families), an increase of the type I error and a decrease of the coverage probability was observed. As an illustration, we applied this technique to a family study of metabolic factors involved in the Insulin Resistance Syndrome (body mass index, insulin, triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol, and diastolic blood pressure). The study was carried out in a sample of 216 healthy nuclear families with > or =2 offspring. The results suggested the existence of a common transmissible (genetic or cultural) factor influencing both body mass index and insulin, whereas the weak clustering of triglycerides and HDL-cholesterol would be more compatible with the influence of shared lifestyle factors.

Algorithms↗

Characterization of a unique genetic variant in the beta1-adrenoceptor gene and evaluation of its role in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. CARDIGENE Group.

The genetic factors that underlie idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDCM) have not yet been elucidated. Since beta1-adrenoceptors are downregulated in patients with IDCM, and since beta-blocker therapy is consistently beneficial in this setting, we hypothesized that genetic variation in the beta1-adrenoceptor might affect susceptibility to and/or severity of IDCM. As no intragenic polymorphism was available, a systematic screening of the gene was first performed. The organization and sequence of the human beta1-adrenoceptor gene were established using polymerase chain reaction, single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis and sequencing. The gene comprises 1434 bp and no intron was observed. We found a unique and frequent polymorphism (C1165G) which predicts an Arg389Gly substitution. The association of this polymorphism with IDCM was then analysed using the PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism method in the CARDIGENE population, a clinically well-characterized population of IDCM. Genotypic distribution was in agreement with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. There were no differences in the beta1-adrenoceptor allele frequencies between IDCM (n=426; C/G=0.76/0.24) and age- and sex-matched control subjects (n=395; C/G=0.78/0.22). Within the patient group, no association was observed with the severity of the disease. In conclusion, the genomic organization of beta1-adrenoceptor is described here for the first time. We found a unique and frequent polymorphism in the coding sequence of the gene. No association was observed between IDCM and the genetic variant. Its possible involvement in other cardiac diseases related to the beta1-adrenoceptor remains to be analysed.

Adult↗

Sequence polymorphisms in the apolipoprotein(a) gene and their association with lipoprotein(a) levels and myocardial infarction. The ECTIM Study.

Lp(a) concentrations are largely determined by apo(a) isoform size, but several studies have shown that apo(a) isoforms could not entirely explain the increase of Lp(a) levels observed in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). Since up to 90% of the variance in Lp(a) levels has been suggested to be attributable to the apo(a) locus, the hypothesis that polymorphisms of the apo(a) gene other than size could contribute to the increase of Lp(a) levels in CHD patients must be considered. This hypothesis was tested in the ECTIM Study comparing 594 patients with myocardial infarction and 682 control subjects in Northern Ireland and France. In addition to apo(a) phenotyping, five previously described polymorphisms of the apo(a) gene were genotyped: a (TTTTA)n repeat at position -1400 from the ATG, a G/A at -914, a C/T at -49, a G/A at -21 and a Met/Thr affecting amino acid 4168. As reported earlier [Parra HJ, Evans AE, Cambou JP, Amouyel P, Bingham A, McMaster D, Schaffer P, Douste-Blazy P, Luc G, Richard JL, Ducimetiere P, Fruchart JC, Cambien F. A case-control study of lipoprotein particles in two populations at contrasting risk for coronary heart disease. The ECTIM study. Arterioscler Thromb 1992; 12:701-707], mean Lp(a) levels were higher in cases than in controls (20.7 vs 14.6 mg/dl in Belfast, 17.2 vs 8.9 mg/dl in France, P < 0.001 for case-control and population differences). In the present study, mean apo(a) isoform size differed significantly between cases and controls (25.7 vs 26.6 kr in Belfast, 25.9 vs 27.4 kr in France, P < 0.001 for case-control and P = 0.13 for population difference). After adjustment for apo(a) isoforms, Lp(a) levels remained significantly higher in cases than in controls (difference, 4.6 mg/dl; P < 0.001). Genotype and allele frequencies did not differ significantly between cases and controls for any of the five polymorphisms studied. The five polymorphisms were in strong linkage disequilibrium and had a combined heterozygosity of 0.83. In multivariate regression analysis adjusted for apo(a) isoforms, only the (TTTTA)n polymorphism was significantly associated with Lp(a) levels; it explained 4.5% of Lp(a) variability in cases and 3.1% in controls. The Lp(a) case/control difference was not reduced after taking into account the (TTTTA)n effect. We conclude that the increase of Lp(a) levels observed in MI cases, and which was not directly attributable to apo(a) size variation, was not related to the five polymorphisms of the apo(a) gene considered.

Adult↗