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Using a multitissue, genome-wide gene expression approach, we recently identified a gene module linked to the extent of human atherosclerosis. This atherosclerosis module was enriched with inherited risk for coronary and carotid artery disease (CAD) and overlapped with genes in the transendothelial migration of leukocyte (TEML) pathway. Among the atherosclerosis module genes, the transcription cof
Background Androgens acting via the androgen receptor (AR) stimulate production of prostate specific antigen (PSA), which is a clinical marker of prostate cancer (PCa). Since genetic variants in the AR may have a significant impact on the risk of being diagnosed with PCa, the aim was to investigate if AR-variants were associated with the risk of having PSA above clinically used cut-off thresholds
We report on a theoretical study of the electronic structure of semiconductor nanocrystals, based on a tight-binding method. Both one- and zero-dimensional structures have been studied. Concerning the one-dimensional structures, the effect of the confinement on the band structure of nanowires has been studied. We find that a transition from direct to indirect band gap occurs in the band structure
We examined prospectively the association between weight change during adulthood and breast cancer risk, using data on 1358 incident cases that developed during 5.8 years of follow-up among 40 429 premenopausal and 57 923 postmenopausal women from six European countries, taking part in the European prospective investigation into cancer and nutrition study. Multivariate Cox regression models were u
A new type of polymer gel dosimeter, which responds well to absorbed dose even when manufactured in the presence of normal levels of oxygen, was recently described by Fong et al. [Phys. Med. Biol. 46, 3105-3113 (2001)] and referred to by the acronym MAGIC. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of using this new type of gel for intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) verific
Early age at first birth and multiparity have been associated with a decrease in the risk of breast cancer in women in the general population. We examined whether this relationship is also present in women at high risk of breast cancer due to the presence of a mutation in either of the 2 breast cancer susceptibility genes, BRCA1 or BRCA2. We performed a matched case-control study of 1,260 pairs of
Fludarabine, cyclophosphamide and rituximab (FCR) is first-line treatment for medically fit chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients, however despite good response rates many patients eventually relapse. Whilst recent high-throughput studies have identified novel recurrent genetic lesions in adverse-prognostic CLL, the mechanisms leading to relapse after FCR therapy are not completely understoo
Context: Limited data are available exploring the associations between sex hormones, multiple domains of sexual functioning, and sexual function-related distress in nonpatient samples in Europe. Objectives: The aim of the study was to investigate the relationships between serum testosterone (T), estradiol (E2), and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and sexual function in a multicenter population-based stu
Occlusive vascular disease is a widespread abnormality leading to lethal or debilitating outcomes such as myocardial infarction and stroke. It is part of atherosclerosis and is evoked by clinical procedures including angioplasty and grafting of saphenous vein in bypass surgery. A causative factor is the switch in smooth muscle cells to an invasive and proliferative mode, leading to neointimal hype
Survival following a diagnosis of multiple myeloma (MM) varies between patients and some of these differences may be a consequence of inherited genetic variation. In this study, to identify genetic markers associated with MM overall survival (MM-OS), we conduct a meta-analysis of four patient series of European ancestry, totalling 3,256 patients with 1,200 MM-associated deaths. Each series is geno
Genes encoding the DNA helicase TWINKLE (C10orf2) or the two subunits of mtDNA polymerase γ (POLγ) (POLG1 and POLG2) have a direct effect on the mitochondrial DNA replication machinery and were reported in many mitochondrial disorders. Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA) is the common cause of ataxia often associated with the expansion of a GAA repeat in intron 1 of the frataxin gene (FXN). Mitochondrial D
Characterization of normal breast stem cells is important for understanding their role in breast development and in breast cancer. However, the identity of these cells is a subject of controversy and their localization in the breast epithelium is not known. In this study, we utilized a novel approach to analyze the morphogenesis of mammary lobules, by combining one-dimensional theoretical models a
Sertoli cells (SCs) provide immune protection and nutritive support to the developing germ cells in the testis. Sertoli cells have also been shown to provide immune protection to islets transplanted outside the testes. In this study, the ability of these cells to diminish the infiltration/activation of microglia into a neural graft implanted in the lesioned striatum of a hemiparkinsonian rat was i
Background: The contribution of smoking to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is hypothesized to be mediated through formation of anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA). In RA, however, autoantibodies such as ACPA, rheumatoid factor (RF), and anti-carbamylated protein antibodies (anti-CarP) often occur together, and it is thus unclear whether smoking is specifically associated with some autoantibodie
Summary: Why do forest productivity and biomass decline with elevation? To address this question, research to date generally has focused on correlative approaches describing changes in woody growth and biomass with elevation. We present a novel, mechanistic approach to this question by quantifying the autotrophic carbon budget in 16 forest plots along a 3300 m elevation transect in Peru. Low growt
The best current model of breast cancer evolution suggests that most cancers arise from certain premalignant lesions. We have identified a common (34%) somatic mutation in the estrogen receptor (ER)-alpha gene in a series of 59 typical hyperplasias, a type of early premalignant breast lesion. The mutation, which affects the border of the hinge and hormone binding domains of ER-alpha, showed increa
BACKGROUND: Recent outbreaks of poliomyelitis caused by vaccine-derived virus have raised concerns that vaccine-derived poliovirus may continue to circulate after eradication. In these outbreaks, the virus appears to have replicated for > or =2 years before detection. Early detection is critical for an effective response to these outbreaks. Although acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance will
Although the involvement of the tumor suppressor gene p53 in normal hematopoiesis is uncertain, it can give rise to differentiation signals in leukemic cells. It is not clear, however, whether differentiation merely is a consequence of the ability of p53 to arrest cell proliferation or whether hitherto unknown molecular mechanisms are responsible for the p53-mediated differentiation. To further ex
