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PubMed1988

Glycosylation of chicken haptoglobin: isolation and characterization of three molecular variants and studies of their distribution in hen plasma before and after turpentine-induced inflammation.

Chicken haptoglobin (Hp), a hemoglobin-binding protein isolated from chicken plasma, is composed of three molecular variants that react differently with concanavalin A (ConA). These glycosylation variants of chicken Hp have been isolated by affinity chromatography using Sepharose-bound ConA. They differ in their molecular weight, as determined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. Analysis of the glycopeptides obtained after pronase digestion of these variants yielded two types of structures: one, reactive with ConA, corresponded to a biantennary N-linked carbohydrate unit and one, unreactive with ConA, corresponded to a triantennary unit. The strongly ConA-reactive Hp variant bears only two biantennary units and the nonreactive Hp variant bears only two triantennary units; the weakly reactive Hp variant bears equal amounts of both units. The distribution of Hp glycosylation variant does not show any significant difference when obtained from the plasma of laying hens before and after turpentine-induced inflammation.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Molecular analysis of different allelic variants of wild-type human p53.

The p53 tumour suppressor gene is intensively studied because mutations in this gene are the most common genetic alteration so far identified in human cancer. Considerable emphasis has thus been placed on characterizing the biological differences between mutant and wild-type p53 protein. This has led to the realization that in cultured cells, mutant p53 behaves like an oncogene, whereas wild-type p53 is a tumor suppressor gene. The p53 protein is also a target for the tumour virus oncogene products SV40 large T, adenovirus E1B, and human papillomavirus type 16 E6, which are all capable of forming complexes to the p53 protein. Although p53 represents an extremely important cellular regulatory molecule which is well conserved, there exists two allelic variants of wild-type human p53 that differ both in primary and confirmational structure. One variant contains an arginine at amino acid 72 (p53Arg), whereas the other form contains a proline at this residue (p53Pro). The possible implications for more than one allelic variant of wild-type human p53 in the general population is unknown. The present study was undertaken to compare some of the biological features of the different wild-type p53 variants. We present data demonstrating that there was a post-transcriptional selection against accumulation of both variants of wild-type human p53 in 3T3-A31 cells, arguing that both forms are proliferation inhibitory in these cells. Both variants of human p53 were stabilized by SV40 large T, but did not displace mouse p53 from SV40 large T. Neither allelic variant of human p53 was able to reduce significantly SV40-mediated anchorage-independent growth of 3T3-A31 cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

3T3 Cells↗

PubMed1995

Postnatal development of the central skull base: normal variants.

PURPOSE: To illustrate the normal variants and developmental anomalies of the skull base on computed tomographic (CT) scans. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred eighty-nine children (age range, newborn to 18 years; median age, 4.0 years) without skull base deformity were referred for cranial CT. Normal developmental variants in the sphenoid and occipital bones were characterized. RESULTS: Sixteen normal variants of central skull base development were identified including anterior foramen in the presphenoid, remnant of the craniopharyngeal canal in the anterior portion of the postsphenoid, rounded defects in the central sphenoid, clefts and fissures along the basiocciput and basisphenoid, basioticum variants, notochordal remnant in the midline of the basiocciput, and fusion variants of the Kerckring ossicle with the supraoccipital portion of the occipital bone. CONCLUSION: The location and CT appearance of the 16 variants and anomalies are related to the known embryologic origin of this region. Recognition of such variants may prove necessary in evaluation of patients with skeletal dysplasias and disorders of skull base development.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1988

Aberrant responses to growth-regulatory signals by variant kidney epithelial cells.

Cultures that achieved a higher cell density than expected were noted during study of growth regulation in monkey kidney epithelial cells of the BSC-1 line. Multiplication of the variant cells was accelerated, compared with parental cells, as the cultures approached confluence. Cytogenetic analysis, immunofluorescence antibody reactions with specific monkey serum, isoenzyme analysis, microbiological studies, and lack of growth in soft agar indicated that the variant cells were not a contaminating cell type, lacked new isoenzymes, were free of microbial contamination, and were not transformed. Confluent variant cultures did not respond to a purified growth inhibitor protein produced by BSC-1 cells that inhibits multiplication and reduces cell Na content in subconfluent variant and parental cells. Vasopressin, which is a mitogen for parental cells, was a potent growth inhibitor for confluent cultures of variant cells. Low-K or high-Na media, which stimulate proliferation of parental cells, had no effect on growth of the variant cell line. These results suggest that enhanced multiplication of the variant cells is mediated by altered signal transduction pathways and/or receptors for growth-regulatory molecules.

Animals↗

PubMed2026

Bayesian Integration of Tumor Mutational Signatures and Somatic Features Refines Pathogenicity Assessment of Germline Mismatch Repair Variants.

Variants of uncertain significance (VUS) in mismatch repair (MMR) genes represent a persistent bottleneck in germline interpretation for Lynch syndrome, creating a critical opportunity to leverage tumor biology to refine pathogenicity assessment. Although tumor features such as microsatellite instability (MSI) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) are routinely evaluated, they are typically interpreted separately from germline classification, and their quantitative contribution within ACMG/AMP frameworks remains poorly defined. We therefore analyzed paired germline and tumor sequencing data from 1110 tumors across 1073 patients with colorectal or endometrial cancer to determine whether mismatch repair-deficient (MMR-d) mutational signatures can be quantitatively integrated into Bayesian germline variant interpretation. Using COSMIC single-base substitution signatures, tumors were classified as MMR-d or MMR proficient, and an empirically derived likelihood ratio (LR) quantified the association between MMR-d signatures and pathogenic germline MMR variants. The presence of an MMR-d signature increased the likelihood of an underlying pathogenic germline MMR variant approximately eightfold (LR ≈ 8; log10 LR ≈ 0.90), whereas its absence provided moderate-to-strong benign evidence (LR ≈ 0.156; log10 LR ≈ -0.81). Applying this integrative framework to 45 germline MMR VUS, joint modeling of tumor mutational signatures with additional somatic and variant-level evidence resulted in clinically significant reclassification of 38 (84.4%) variants, including three reclassified as pathogenic or likely pathogenic and 35 as likely benign. A total of 16 downgraded variants were independently downgraded by Invitae. These findings demonstrate that tumor mutational signatures can be formally incorporated into Bayesian germline interpretation, transforming tumor data into quantitative pathogenicity evidence and offering a principled strategy to reduce VUS burden in hereditary cancer genetics.

Humans↗

PubMed2006

Implications of gene-environment interaction in studies of gene variants in breast cancer: an example of dietary isoflavones and the D356N polymorphism in the sex hormone-binding globulin gene.

Studies to identify common genetic variants contributing to breast cancer risk often yield inconsistent results. Breast cancer is a complex disease involving both genetic and environmental determinants. Dietary isoflavones are thought to reduce breast cancer risk by stimulating circulating sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) levels. The SHBG gene contains a D356N polymorphism and the N variant is associated with reduced SHBG clearance compared with the D variant. In this study, we show a significant gene-environment interaction between SHBG D356N polymorphism and dietary isoflavone exposure on circulating SHBG levels in 1,988 postmenopausal women. SHBG levels were positively associated with isoflavones in women carrying the N variant (etap2 = 1.9%; P = 0.006) but not in women carrying only the D variant (etap2 = 0.0%; P = 0.999; P(interaction) = 0.019). This finding shows that the subtle effects of some genetic variants may be magnified and only become detectable in the presence of certain exposures. This gene-environment interaction might explain heterogeneity in studies associating SHBG gene variants and soy consumption with breast cancer risk in Far East population exposed to high isoflavone levels compared with populations with lower levels.

Aromatase↗

PubMed2006

Mesothelin variant 1 is released from tumor cells as a diagnostic marker.

The mesothelin family comprises (at least) three variants and includes the precursor for megakaryocyte potentiating factor (MPF). Assaying soluble mesothelin-related protein (SMRP) molecules in serum and other body fluids from patients with certain cancers can provide diagnostically useful information. We have constructed fusion proteins of mesothelin variants 1, 2, and 3, made monoclonal antibodies, and investigated the binding specificity of these and three previously generated monoclonal antibodies to each of the three mesothelin variants. According to flow cytometry, the molecule that is most frequently expressed at the surface of cells from ovarian carcinomas and certain other tumors is mesothelin variant 1. Similarly, SMRP released into ascites from a patient with ovarian carcinoma was shown to have a molecular weight of approximately 40 kDa and, according to sequencing, to be variant 1. A published sandwich ELISA was shown to detect variants 1 and 3 and to be much more sensitive than a newly constructed ELISA, which detects only variant 3, the former being positive in 28 of 41 (68%) sera from patients with ovarian cancer as compared with 6 of 41 sera (15%). A standard curve was constructed to measure SMRP with a limit of detection of 200 pg/mL to facilitate future quantitative studies.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2005

Effect of common CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 variants on the pharmacokinetics of the cytochrome P450 3A phenotyping probe midazolam in cancer patients.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of naturally occurring variants in genes encoding the cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoforms CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 in patients with cancer receiving midazolam as a phenotyping probe. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Five variants in CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 were evaluated in 58 patients (21 women and 37 men) receiving a short i.v. bolus of midazolam (dose, 0.0145 or 0.025 mg/kg). Midazolam concentrations in plasma were determined using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and pharmacokinetic variables were calculated using noncompartmental analysis. Genomic DNA was characterized for the variants by PCR-RFLP, and all genotypes were confirmed by direct nucleotide sequencing. RESULTS: The mean clearance of midazolam was 24.4 +/- 9.12 L/h, and phenotypic CYP3A activity varied about 4-fold in this population (range, 10.8-44.3 L/h). There were six carriers of the CYP3A4*1B allele (allele frequency, 0.061). No variant alleles for CYP3A4*17, CYP3A4*18A, or CYP3A5*6 were identified. Forty-eight of the 58 patients were homozygous variant for CYP3A5*3C, eight were heterozygous, and two were homozygous wild type (allele frequency, 0.897). No associations were noted between any of the studied genotypes and the phenotypic measures (P > or = 0.16). Likewise, a common variant in exon 26 in the gene encoding P-glycoprotein [i.e., ABCB1 (MDR1) 3435C>T] that was previously reported to be linked to CYP3A4 mRNA levels was unrelated to any of the studied phenotypic measures (P > or = 0.49). CONCLUSIONS: The studied genetic variants in CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 are unlikely to have an important functional significance to phenotypic CYP3A activity in patients with cancer.

ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters↗

PubMed2006

Variant diphtheria toxin-interleukin-3 fusion proteins with increased receptor affinity have enhanced cytotoxicity against acute myeloid leukemia progenitors.

A fusion protein linking a truncated form of diphtheria toxin (DT(388)) to human interleukin-3 (DT(388)IL3) kills malignant progenitors from some patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) while sparing normal progenitors. This study evaluated two variants of DT(388)IL3 with increased affinity for the IL-3 receptor (IL-3R) for their cytotoxicity to AML progenitors and determined the ability of quantitative reverse transcription-PCR assessment of expression of the IL-3R subunits to predict the effectiveness of wild-type DT(388)IL3 and its variants. Both the IL-3 deletion variant (Delta125-133) and the amino acid substitution variant (K116W) showed enhanced toxicity against AML colony-forming cells (AML-CFC; but not normal CFC) compared with wild-type DT(388)IL3 with the K116W variant achieving >90% AML-CFC kill with 17 of 23 patient samples. This variant was also more effective against AML cells engrafting in nonobese diabetic severe combined immunodeficient mice. There was a significant correlation between the expression of the alpha and, particularly, the common beta subunit of the IL-3R on AML blasts detected by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR and AML-CFC kill. Thus, the combined use of IL-3R expression to select patients most likely to respond to DT(388)IL3 and the improved cytotoxicity of the K116W DT(388)IL3 variant against leukemic progenitors may enhance the clinical usefulness of these fusion proteins.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Substance P-immunoreactive nerves in endobronchial biopsies in cough-variant asthma and classic asthma.

BACKGROUND: Unlike classic asthma, cough-variant asthma does not show any evidence of airway obstruction. The main symptom is a dry cough with little known pathophysiology. Hypersensitivity of the cough receptors in cough-variant asthma and an increase in the sensory nerve density of the airway epithelium in persistent dry cough patients have been reported. Therefore, it is possible that there is a higher sensory nerve density in cough-variant asthma patients than in classic asthma patients. OBJECTIVES: This study was undertaken to compare the substance P (SP)-immunoreactive nerve density in mucosal biopsies of cough-variant asthma patients, classic asthma patients, and in control subjects. METHODS: Bronchoscopic biopsies were performed in 6 cough-variant asthma patients, 14 classic asthma patients, and 5 normal controls. The tissues obtained were stained immunohistochemically. The SP-immunoreactive nerve density was measured in the bronchial epithelium using a light microscope at 400 x magnification. RESULTS: SP- immunoreactive nerve density for the cough-variant asthma group was significantly higher than that of the classic asthma group (p = 0.001), and of the normal control group (p = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: It is possible that a sensory nerve abnormality within the airway may be related to hypersensitivity of the cough receptor, and that this may be one of the pathophysiologies of cough-variant asthma.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Identification of new splice variants and differential expression of the human kallikrein 10 gene, a candidate cancer biomarker.

The human kallikrein gene 10 (KLK10) is a member of the kallikrein gene family on chromosome 19q13.4. This gene was identified by its downregulation in breast cancer, and preliminary evidence suggests that it may act as a tumor suppressor. A computer-based analysis was performed on EST and SAGE clones from the Cancer Genome Anatomy Project and other databases. Experimental verification of differential expression of KLK10 in cancer was performed by PCR using gene-specific primers. The mRNA and EST analysis allowed the construction of the longest transcript of the gene and characterization of a 5' extension of the reported mRNA. In addition, seven new splice variants of KLK10 were identified. One of these variants, named KLK10 splice variant 3 (KLK10-SV3) which starts with a novel first exon, was experimentally verified. This variant is predicted to encode for the same protein as the 'classical' KLK10 mRNA, since the first exon is untranslated. One variant mRNA partially matches with the sequence of KLK10, while the rest of the mRNA matches with a portion of the polycystic kidney disease gene, found on chromosome 15. This variant could not be experimentally verified in either normal or cancerous tissues. There are 39 reported single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for the gene, in which three result in amino acid substitutions. SAGE analysis shows a clear upregulation of KLK10 in ovarian, pancreatic, colon, and gastric cancers. The gene is, however, downregulated in breast and prostate cancers. A three-fold decrease in expression levels was noted in actinic keratosis, compared to normal skin from the same patient. The differential regulation of KLK10 in ovarian and prostate cancers was experimentally verified by RT-PCR analysis. In addition, a significant number of clones were isolated from carcinomas of the head and neck. Fewer clones were found in carcinomas of the skin, brain and prostate. Orthologues were identified in three other species, with the highest degree of homology observed with the mouse and rat orthologues (42% in each). In conclusion new splice variants of the KLK10 gene were identified. These in silico analyses show a differential expression of the gene in various malignancies and provide the basis for directing experimental efforts to investigate the possible role of the gene as a cancer biomarker.

Databases, Genetic↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Plaque dissociation of herpes simplex viruses: biochemical and biological characters of the viral variants.

Polycaryocytogenic (P) and non-polycaryocytogenic, or aggregating (A), stable variants were selected from a herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and from a herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV 2) which had not been deliberately exposed to known mutagenic agents. The P variant of HSV-1 (FP) differed from the A variant (FA) in polypeptides and glycoprotein patterns, but no gross differences were evident between the two variants of HSV-2 (GP and GA). Each P variant proved more 'specific' than each A variant in immune neutralization tests. At high multiplicity, GP produced polycaryocytes but FP did not. Virulence tests in mice showed FP to be much more virulent than FA but GA to be more virulent than GP. Finally, A and P variants of each type could not be differentiated with respect to thermal resistance of virons, capacity to grow at high temperature, and buoyant density of DNA.

Cell Line↗

PubMed1987

Selection frequency of resistant variants by various beta-lactam antibiotics in clinical Enterobacter cloacae isolates.

The frequency of selection of resistant variants by 10 different broad-spectrum beta-lactam derivatives was evaluated for 10 clinical Enterobacter cloacae isolates. With respect to most penams or cephems, resistant variants could be selected up to 8- or 32-fold the MIC, respectively. However, with cefpirome as the selecting agent resistant variants were obtained only at twice the MIC, whereas resistant variants were barely detectable with temocillin and not detectable in any case with imipenem. The variants exhibited cross-resistance between penams and cephems including aztreonam, but not to temocillin and imipenem regardless of the beta-lactamase amount produced. Enzyme production of the variants ranged from 0.2 U to 19.0 U beta-lactamase/mg protein of the cell-free supernatants. Moreover, analysis of the outer membrane protein composition did not reveal marked alterations between wild strains and the corresponding variants. It is evident that 'overproduction of the chromosomal beta-lactamase' cannot explain entirely phenotypic resistance to broad-spectrum beta-lactam compounds, but a lack of porin production, i.e., major outer membrane proteins, cannot provide an explanation for the above findings.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

PubMed1996

Expression of CD44 splice variants in human transitional cell carcinoma.

The CD44 cell adhesion molecule is a surface glycoprotein mainly expressed in lymphoid tissues. Recently, abnormal variants of CD44 including alternatively-spliced large molecular variants, have been reported in many neoplastic tissues. We studied the variation in the size of CD44 molecules in 25 transitional cell carcinomas and 11 normal transitional epithelial tissues, using the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) followed by electrophoresis and Southern blot hybridization. Whereas 23 of 25 (92.0%) tumor tissues expressed CD44 splice variants with large molecular size, only 1 of 11 (9.1%) normal tissues expressed the abnormal variants. Urine sediments from 5 of 7 (71.4%) patients also was positive for the CD44 splice variants. CD44 splice variants are increased markedly in human transitional cell carcinoma. In conclusion, detection of CD44 splice variants using the RT-PCR, which is a convenient molecular biological technique, may be useful in combination with other diagnostic methods such as cytology, flow cytometry, and tumor antigens.

Alternative Splicing↗

PubMed2000

Contribution of apolipoprotein C-III gene variants to determination of triglyceride levels and interaction with smoking in middle-aged men.

Variation within and around the apolipoprotein C-III (APOC3) gene has been associated with elevated triglyceride (Tg) levels and cardiovascular disease. The associations of 4 polymorphic variants in the APOC3 gene (3238C>G in the 3' untranslated region [SST:I], 1100C>T in exon 3, -482C>T in the insulin-responsive element, and -2854T>G in the APOC3-A4 intergenic region) with plasma Tg and cholesterol levels and their interaction with smoking have been investigated in the Second Northwick Park Heart Study (NPHSII), a large cohort of healthy men (n=2745). Analyzing the variants separately showed that 3238G, 1100T, and -482T alleles were all associated with raised Tg levels. For the 3238C>G and -482C>T sites, the Tg-raising effect appeared to depend on smoking status (test for interaction, P:=0.042 and P:=0.009, respectively), but for the 1100C>T site, the effect was constant irrespective of smoking status (test for interaction, P:=0.27). The -2854T>G site was not associated with effects on Tg levels in this sample. Because all of the variants showed significant allelic association, regression modeling was used to quantify the relative size of each effect and to assess whether the effects of the separate variants were independent. The 1100C>T variant had an independent effect on Tg levels that was not influenced by smoking status (increase of 8.2% in Tg with each T1100 allele), whereas the -482C>T variant had a separate effect that was dependent on smoking (increase of 13.7% in Tg for each -482T allele in current smokers, 8.6% in exsmokers, and -7.4% in those who never smoked). The 3238C>G variant did not show a separate independent effect on Tg concentration. Thus, by use of the regression model, it was possible to estimate how mean Tg levels would vary in groups of individuals with respect to APOC3 genotype and smoking information. Analysis in this large group of healthy men has allowed the identification of a statistically robust APOC3 genotype-smoking interaction, which now warrants further molecular study.

Alleles↗

PubMed2002

Identification of genetic variants in endothelial lipase in persons with elevated high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.

BACKGROUND: Elevated high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) is associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, and variation in HDL-C levels has been shown to be approximately 50% heritable. Overexpression of endothelial lipase (EL), a member of the lipoprotein lipase gene family, markedly reduces HDL-C levels in mouse models. We hypothesized that genetic variation in EL might be associated with elevated HDL-C. METHODS AND RESULTS: All exons and 1.2 kilobase of promoter of the EL gene were sequenced in 20 unrelated human subjects with high HDL-C levels. A total of 17 variants were identified. Six of these were potentially functional and were confirmed by restriction enzyme analysis. Four variants result in amino acid changes (Gly26Ser, Thr111Ile, Thr298Ser, and Asn396Ser,) and 2 variants were in the promoter (-303A/C and -410C/G). The genotype frequencies of each variant were determined in 176 black controls, 165 white controls, and 123 whites with high HDL-C. The Thr111Ile variant was the most common, with an allele frequency of 10.3% in blacks, 31.2% in white controls, and 32.6% in the high HDL-C group. The remaining variants all had allele frequencies <5.0% but differed in frequency among the 3 groups. Interestingly, Gly26Ser, Thr298Ser, and -303A/C were found in the black and high HDL-C white cohorts but were absent in the control white group. CONCLUSIONS: Six new potentially functional variants in EL were discovered through sequencing of the EL gene in subjects with high HDL-C levels. Differences in allele frequencies exist between blacks and whites and between control subjects and those with high HDL-C levels.

Black People↗

PubMed2004

Functional variant of CYP4A11 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid synthase is associated with essential hypertension.

BACKGROUND: The CYP4A11 arachidonic acid monooxygenase oxidizes endogenous arachidonic acid (AA) to 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE), a metabolite with renovascular and tubular functions. Mice with targeted disruption of Cyp4a14, a murine homologue of CYP4A11, have severe hypertension. We combined molecular and biochemical approaches to identify a functional variant of the CYP4A11 20-HETE synthase and determine its association with hypertensive status in 2 independent human populations. METHODS AND RESULTS: A thymidine-to-cytosine polymorphism at nucleotide 8590 resulted in a phenylalanine-to-serine substitution at amino acid 434. Expression of cDNA with serine 434 resulted in a protein with a significantly reduced AA and lauric acid metabolizing activity. In a population of 512 whites from Tennessee, the age, body mass index, and gender-adjusted OR of having hypertension attributable to the 8590C variant was 2.31 (95% CI 1.41 to 3.78) compared with the reference 8590TT genotype. In subjects from the Framingham Heart Study, the adjusted ORs of hypertension associated with the 8590C variant were 1.23 (CI 0.94 to 1.59; n=1538) in all subjects and 1.33 (CI 1.01 to 1.77; n=1331) when subjects with diabetes were excluded. No association of the variant with hypertension was detected in a population of 120 blacks. CONCLUSIONS: We identified a variant of the human CYP4A11 (T8590C) that encodes for a monooxygenase with reduced 20-HETE synthase activity. The association of the T8590C variant with hypertension supports its role as a polygenic determinant of blood pressure control in humans, and results obtained from the large population database suggest that the relevance of the variant may vary according to hypertension comorbidity.

Adult↗

PubMed1982

A new anodal alpha 1-antitrypsin variant associated with emphysema: Pi Bsaskatoon.

A new anodal alpha 1-antitrypsin (alpha 1 AT) variant was identified in a 48-yr-old woman with severe pulmonary emphysema. Isoelectric focusing produced extra bands lying between those of the Pi B and Pi C variants. The new variant was present in 2 of her 3 siblings, 5 of 11 offspring, and probably in her father, all in the heterozygous state. Mean serum alpha 1 AT concentrations and elastase inhibitory capacities were the same in variant and M offspring. The father had reported emphysema, the 2 variant siblings had documented emphysema, and 1 of 5 variant offspring had an area of focal emphysema. The Pi type M sibling and the remaining 10 offspring had no emphysema. Despite normal concentrations and activities, this new variant, which has been designated "Bsaskatoon," may be associated with the development of emphysema within this family.

Female↗