Association study of FUT2 (rs601338) with celiac disease and inflammatory bowel disease in the Finnish population.

Homozygosity for a nonsense mutation in the fucosyltransferase 2 (FUT2) gene (rs601338G>A) leads to the absence of ABH blood groups (FUT2 non-secretor status) in body fluids. As the secretor status has been shown to be a major determinant for the gut microbial spectrum, assumed to be important in the gut immune homeostasis, we studied the association of rs601338-FUT2 with celiac disease (CelD) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in the Finnish population. Rs601338 was genotyped in CelD (n = 909), dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) (n = 116), ulcerative colitis (UC) (n = 496) and Crohn's disease (CD) (n = 280) patients and healthy controls (n = 2738). CelD showed significant genotypic [P = 0.0074, odds ratio (OR): 1.28] and recessive (P = 0.015, OR: 1.28) association with the rs601338-AA genotype. This was also found in the combined CelD+DH dataset (genotype association: P = 0.0060, OR: 1.28; recessive association: P < 0.011, OR: 1.28). The A allele of rs601338 showed nominal association with dominant protection from UC (P = 0.044, OR: 0.82) and UC+CD (P = 0.035, OR: 0.84). The frequency of non-secretors (rs601338-GG) in controls, CelD, DH, UC and CD datasets was 14.7%, 18%, 18.1%, 14.3% and 16.1%, respectively. No association was evident in the DH or CD datasets alone. In conclusion, FUT2 non-secretor status is associated with CelD susceptibility and FUT2 secretor status may also play a role in IBD in the Finnish population.

Genome-wide analysis of extended pedigrees confirms IL2-IL21 linkage and shows additional regions of interest potentially influencing coeliac disease risk.

Coeliac disease is a chronic inflammatory condition of the small intestine, triggered by dietary exposure to gluten in genetically susceptible individuals. Risk alleles at HLA-DQA1 and HLA-DQB1 are necessary for disease development, but are alone not sufficient for disease onset. We aimed to identify novel loci underlying susceptibility to coeliac disease through the use of extended Finnish and Hungarian families with multiple affected individuals. An initial whole-genome linkage approach yielded several loci that were followed up further using the Immunochip custom array. Loci with a parametric logarithm of odds (LOD) score of >1.3 were identified at 4q, 6p [human leukocyte antigen (HLA) region], 6q, 7p, 17p, 17q and at 22p. The 4q and 6q loci have been identified previously in coeliac disease risk, whereas follow-up analyses indicate that the 17p and 22p loci may be novel risk loci for coeliac disease. These loci harbour previously described risk variants for other autoimmune diseases, but their segregation patterns do not explain the linkage to coeliac disease. We followed up the linkage to the 4q region, containing the previously described interleukin (IL)2 and IL21 genes. The risk variants at 4q in the studied pedigrees are most likely distinct from previously described risk variants, indicating that the observed linkage may be due to rare high-risk variants of still unknown nature. The importance of this locus to coeliac disease risk was further shown by the finding that serum levels of IL21 were elevated in both untreated and treated coeliac patients compared to controls.

The shared CTLA4-ICOS risk locus in celiac disease, IgA deficiency and common variable immunodeficiency.

IgA deficiency (IgAD) and common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) often co-occur in families, associating with chronic inflammatory diseases such as celiac disease (CD). ICOS (inducible co-stimulator) and CTLA4 (cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein-4) may be important in both disorders, as ICOS is necessary for Ig class-switching and CTLA4 negatively regulates T-cell activation. Linkage and association of CD with CTLA4-ICOS is well documented, we thus aimed to further pinpoint CD susceptibility by haplotype-tagging analysis. We genotyped 663 CD families from Finland and Hungary, 575 additional CD patients from Finland, Hungary and Italy; 275 Swedish and Finnish IgAD individuals and 87 CVID individuals for 14-18 genetic markers in CTLA4-ICOS. Association was found between CTLA4-ICOS and both IgAD (P=0.0015) and CVID (P=0.0064). We confirmed linkage of CTLA4-ICOS with CD (LOD 2.38, P=0.0005) and found association of CTLA4-ICOS with CD (P=0.0009). Meta-analysis of the IgAD, CVID and CD materials revealed intergenic association (P=0.0005). Disease-associated markers were associated with lower ICOS and higher CTLA4 expression, indicating that the risk haplotypes contain functional variants. In summary, we identified a novel shared risk locus for IgAD, CVID and CD, the first report of association between CTLA4-ICOS and IgAD. Association between CD and CTLA4-ICOS was also confirmed in a large European data set.

Fine mapping of the CELIAC2 locus on chromosome 5q31-q33 in the Finnish and Hungarian populations.

Celiac disease is a chronic inflammation of the small intestine, arising in genetically predisposed individuals as a result of ingestion of dietary gluten. The only confirmed and functionally characterised genetic risk factors for celiac disease are the DQ2 or DQ8 heterodimers at the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II locus (CELIAC1). These genes are necessary but alone not sufficient for disease onset. Genome-wide linkage scans have suggested chromosome 5q31-q33 (CELIAC2) as an important risk locus for celiac disease. This region has also been associated to other inflammatory disorders, although as yet, no clear gene associations have been found. In the current study, 11 celiac disease candidate loci were screened for genetic linkage in the Hungarian population. As the CELIAC2 locus showed the strongest evidence for linkage, this locus was selected for follow-up. Seventeen candidate genes were selected from the CELIAC2 locus, and genotyped using 48 haplotype tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in large Finnish and Hungarian family materials. A subset of these, 40 tagging SNPs in 15 genes, were genotyped in an independent set of Finnish and Hungarian cases and controls. We confirmed linkage of this region with celiac disease and report strong linkage in both the Finnish and Hungarian populations. The association analysis showed modest associations throughout the whole region. These association findings were not replicated in the case-control datasets. Our study strongly supports the role of the CELIAC2 locus in celiac disease, but it also highlights the need for a more powerful study design in the region, to locate the true disease risk variants.

Linkage and association study of FcgammaR polymorphisms in celiac disease.

The Fcgamma receptor cluster on chromosome 1q23 contains a number of genes that may affect susceptibility to celiac disease, but previous studies have yielded contradictory results. We studied the FcgammaRIIa*A519G (rs1801274) and FcgammaRIIIa*A559C (rs396991) single nucleotide polymorphisms in celiac disease families from Hungary and Finland and in celiac disease case-control materials from Hungary and Italy. Neither the Hungarian nor the Italian case-control material or a meta-analysis of the combined case-control material showed significant single-marker or haplotype association. In addition, neither linkage nor family-based association tests showed evidence for association in the Finnish or Hungarian family material. This study thus does not support a previous publication showing FcgammaR association with celiac disease.

Myosin IXB gene region and gluten intolerance: linkage to coeliac disease and a putative dermatitis herpetiformis association.

BACKGROUND: Coeliac disease is caused by dietary gluten, which triggers chronic inflammation of the small intestine in genetically predisposed individuals. In one quarter of the patients the disease manifests in the skin as dermatitis herpetiformis. Recently, a novel candidate gene, myosin IXB on chromosome 19p13, was shown to be associated with coeliac disease in the Dutch and Spanish populations. The same gene has previously been associated with inflammatory bowel disease, systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis risk, making myosin IXB a potential shared risk factor in these inflammatory disorders. METHODS: In this study, previously reported myosin IXB variants were tested for genetic linkage and association with coeliac disease in 495 Hungarian and Finnish families and in an additional 270 patients and controls. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The results show significant linkage (logarithm of odds (LOD) 3.76, p = 0.00002) to 19p13 which supports the presence of a genuine risk factor for coeliac disease in this locus. Myosin IXB variants were not associated with coeliac disease in this study; however, weak evidence of association with dermatitis herpetiformis was found. The association could not explain the strong linkage seen in both phenotypes, indicating that the role of other neighbouring genes in the region cannot be excluded. Therefore, more detailed genetic and functional studies are required to characterise the role of the myosin IXB gene in both coeliac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis.

The Mutational Profile of Unicystic Ameloblastoma.

BRAF V600E is the most common mutation in conventional ameloblastoma (AM) of the mandible. In contrast, maxillary AMs appear to harbor more frequently RAS, FGFR2, or SMO mutations. Unicystic ameloblastoma (UAM) is considered a less aggressive variant of ameloblastoma, amenable to more conservative treatment, and classified as a distinct entity. The aim of this study was to characterize the mutation profile of UAM ( n = 39) and to compare it to conventional AM ( n = 39). The associations between mutation status and recurrence probability were also analyzed. In the mandible, 94% of UAMs (29/31, including 8/8 luminal, 6/8 intraluminal, and 15/15 mural subtypes) and 74% of AMs (28/38) revealed BRAF V600E mutations. Among the BRAF wild-type cases, 1 UAM showed a missense SMO mutation (p.L412F), whereas 2 NRAS (p.Q61R), 2 HRAS (p.Q61R), and 2 FGFR2 (p.C383R) activating mutations were identified in AM. Of the 3 maxillary UAMs, only 1 revealed a BRAF V600E mutation. Taken together, our findings demonstrate high frequency of activating BRAF V600E mutations in both UAM and AM of the mandible. In maxillary UAMs, the BRAF V600E mutation prevalence appears to be lower as was shown for AM previously. It could therefore be argued that UAM and AM are part of the spectrum of the same disease. AMs without BRAF V600E mutations were associated with an increased rate of local recurrence ( P = 0.0003), which might indicate that routine mutation testing also has an impact on prognosis.

Performing routine follow-up biopsy 1 year after diagnosis does not affect long-term outcomes in coeliac disease.

BACKGROUND: A repeat biopsy is recommended, but often omitted in coeliac disease patients on a gluten-free diet. The effect of performing or not performing repeat biopsies is currently unknown. AIM: To identify factors associated with and the significance of lacking biopsy for long-term outcome. Predictors and the importance of incomplete histological recovery after 1 year was investigated in re-biopsied patients. METHODS: A total of 760 patients participated in a nationwide follow-up study. Medical data were gathered via interviews and patient records, and blood samples were drawn for serology. Current symptoms and well-being were assessed by validated PGWB, SF-36 and GSRS questionnaires. RESULTS: Malabsorption was more common among those with a repeat biopsy (46%) than those without repeat biopsy (33%), P < 0.001, as were severe symptoms at diagnosis (24% vs. 16%, P = 0.05) and concomitant gastrointestinal (40% vs. 32%, P = 0.049) or musculoskeletal (35% vs. 27%, P = 0.023) diseases such as arthritis, osteoporosis and back pain. Repeat biopsy was more rare in subjects diagnosed in private care (11% vs. 23%, P < 0.001) or by screening (10% vs. 16%, P = 0.010). The groups were comparable as to current symptoms and dietary adherence, but those without re-biopsy were less confident of their diet (89% vs. 94%, P = 0.002) and more often seropositive on diet (14% vs. 9%, P = 0.012). They reported better SF-36 physical functioning (P = 0.043) and less pain and indigestion (P = 0.013 and P = 0.046 respectively) and total GSRS (P = 0.052) score. Incomplete mucosal recovery was predicted by more advanced histological (P < 0.001) and serological (P = 0.001) disease at diagnosis, whereas the groups did not differ in long-term adherence, symptoms, seropositivity, questionnaire scores, frequency of fractures or malignancies. CONCLUSIONS: Severe disease at diagnosis predicted the record of a repeat biopsy and incomplete mucosal recovery. Neither lacking biopsy nor incomplete recovery in a relative short time span of 1 year was associated with poorer long-term outcome, although survival bias cannot be excluded.

Silica dust and lung cancer: results from the Nordic occupational mortality and cancer incidence registers.

Autopsy studies of the relationship between silicosis and lung cancer have been mainly negative; but recent epidemiologic studies have indicated a positive association, and an excess lung cancer risk has been observed in some occupational groups with exposure to silica dust. For the further shedding of light on the possible association between silica dust and lung cancer, analysis was made on mortality and cancer incidence data available in census-based record linkage studies from the Nordic countries for males in occupational groups with potential exposure to silica dust. The study showed an excess lung cancer risk for foundry workers in all the Nordic countries and for miners in Sweden. These results were consistent with findings from previous in-depth epidemiologic studies. The lung cancer risk did not differ significantly from that of the respective national populations for males working in excavation; stone quarries; sand and gravel pits; and glass, porcelain, ceramic, and tile manufacture. Stonecutters, who are probably not exposed to known lung carcinogens at the workplace but in some places to high concentrations of silica dust, showed a significant excess lung cancer risk in both Finland and Denmark. Excess lung cancer risks furthermore were seen for Finish miners, for Finnish males in excavation work, and for Danish glassworkers.

Activating ERBB4 mutations in non-small cell lung cancer.

Recent efforts to comprehensively characterize the mutational landscape of non-small cell lung cancer have identified frequent mutations in the receptor tyrosine kinase ERBB4. However, the significance of mutated ERBB4 in non-small cell lung cancer remains elusive. Here, we have functionally characterized nine ERBB4 mutations previously identified in lung adenocarcinoma. Four out of the nine mutations, Y285C, D595V, D931Y and K935I, were found to be activating, increasing both basal and ligand-induced ErbB4 phosphorylation. According to structural analysis, the four activating mutations were located at critical positions at the dimerization interfaces of the ErbB4 extracellular (Y285C and D595V) and kinase (D931Y and K935I) domains. Consistently, the mutations enhanced ErbB4 dimerization and increased the trans activation in ErbB4 homodimers and ErbB4-ErbB2 heterodimers. The expression of the activating ERBB4 mutants promoted survival of NIH 3T3 cells in the absence of serum. Interestingly, serum starvation of NIH 3T3 cells expressing the ERBB4 mutants only moderately increased the phosphorylation of canonical ErbB signaling pathway effectors Erk1/2 and Akt as compared with wild-type ERBB4. In contrast, the mutations clearly enhanced the proteolytic release of signaling-competent ErbB4 intracellular domain. These results suggest the presence of activating driver mutations of ERBB4 in non-small cell lung cancer.

Early dental epithelial transcription factors distinguish ameloblastoma from keratocystic odontogenic tumor.

The aim of the study was to characterize the molecular relationship between ameloblastoma and keratocystic odontogenic tumor (KCOT) by means of a genome-wide expression analysis. Total RNA from 27 fresh tumor samples of 15 solid/multicystic intraosseous ameloblastomas and 12 sporadic KCOTs was hybridized on Affymetrix whole genome arrays. Hierarchical clustering separated ameloblastomas and KCOTs into 2 distinct groups. The gene set enrichment analysis based on 303 dental genes showed a similar separation of ameloblastomas and KCOTs. Early dental epithelial markers PITX2, MSX2, DLX2, RUNX1, and ISL1 were differentially overexpressed in ameloblastoma, indicating its dental identity. Also, PTHLH, a hormone involved in tooth eruption and invasive growth, was one of the most differentially upregulated genes in ameloblastoma. The most differentially overexpressed genes in KCOT were squamous epithelial differentiation markers SPRR1A, KRTDAP, and KRT4, as well as DSG1, a component of desmosomal cell-cell junctions. Additonally, the epithelial stem cell marker SOX2 was significantly upregulated in KCOT when compared with ameloblastoma. Taken together, the gene expression profile of ameloblastoma reflects differentiation from dental lamina toward the cap/bell stage of tooth development, as indicated by dental epithelium-specific transcription factors. In contrast, gene expression of KCOT indicates differentiation toward keratinocytes.

Biochemical effects of carbon monoxide poisoning in rat brain with special reference to blood carboxyhemoglobin and cerebral cytochrome oxidase activity.

Male Wistar rats exposed to 1000 ppm carbon monoxide for 3 h showed a rapid removal of carbon monoxide from the blood, and a cerebral cytochrome oxidase activity within the control range immediately after the end of the exposure. The cytochrome oxidase activity decreased while carboxyhemoglobin concentration diminished during the reoxygenation period. The effect might have been caused through a loss of mitochondria by increased lipid peroxidation as cerebral glutathione concentration decreased and lysosomal acid proteinase activity increased in glial cell fractions. The present results seem to indicate that the cerebral cytochrome oxidase may not be specifically inhibited in non-lethal carbon monoxide poisoning despite its proven interactions in vitro.

Dose-related effects of dichloromethane on rat brain in short-term inhalation exposure.

Male Wistar rats were exposed to 500, 1000 or 100 ppm as time-weighted average (t.w.a.) concentrations of dichloromethane vapour. The 1000 (t.w.a.) ppm exposure consisted of two 1-h peak concentrations (2800 ppm) on a basal exposure of 100 ppm. All exposures lasted for 6 h, 5 days weekly and for 2 weeks. The solvent burdens were analyzed in the perirenal fat samples which showed a relation to the dose with the highest values in the 1000 (t.w.a.) ppm exposures. The solvent concentrations increased in the perirenal fat between the two weeks of exposure. Blood carbon monoxide concentrations did not accurately reflect the body solvent burdens. Neurochemical effects also displayed a dose relationship, and included decreased succinate dehydrogenase activity in the cerebellum at the two higher doses and increased acid proteinase activity at 1000 ppm in the cerebrum. Withdrawal of the animals for 7 days from the 2-week exposure showed that the biochemical changes were largely abolished with the exception of decreased succinate dehydrogenase activity at 1000 ppm (t.w.a.).

Disappearance of carbon monoxide from the blood: Comparison of the one-exponential and two-exponential elimination models for rat.

The elimination of carbon monoxide from rat blood was studied from a starting point of a nonsteady-state concentration of 40% for carboxyhemoglobin (COHb). The accuracy of the fit was statistically improved by the employment of a two-exponential elimination model rather than that of the one-exponential model. Yet, the differences in the COHb estimates attained with the two models were negligible. Therefore, for practical purposes, the one-exponential model seems reasonably reliable for estimating COHb.

Office employment, work with video display terminals, and course of pregnancy. Reference mothers' experience from a Finnish case-referent study of birth defects.

In an examination of the possible harmful effects of work in an office environment and the use of a video display terminal (VDT) on the course of pregnancy, the experience of 1,475 reference mothers from a Finnish case-referent study of birth defects was analyzed. The study was based on the national Register of Congenital Malformations, whose data were supplemented with special interviews on mothers' work conditions. The group which worked in an office environment consisted of 239 women, of whom 60 had worked with video display terminals; 805 mothers had not worked in an office. Only mothers who had worked during most of their pregnancy and who had a singleton birth were included; hence 431 women were excluded from the analysis. The information on threatened abortion, length of gestation, birthweight, placental weight, and maternal blood pressure was analyzed. Office work involved no elevated risk of threatened abortion when compared with nonoffice work, and among the VDT users the proportion with symptoms related to an impending early termination of pregnancy was similar to that of other office workers. No unfavorable effects on the length of gestation were observed between the compared groups, and there were no differences in the birthweight of the babies when adjustment was made for gestational age or the other aspects under consideration. Thus the results did not suggest that office employment or work with video display terminals would be harmful for pregnancy.

Occupational noise exposure and course of pregnancy.

The study examined the possible relation of occupational noise exposure to adverse pregnancy outcomes. The experience of 1,190 reference mothers from a case-referent study based on the Finnish Register of Congenital Malformations was scrutinized. Exposure to noise was blindly assessed from a description of the mother's workday by two industrial hygienists. Women with an estimated level of noise of around 80 dB LAeq(8 h) or higher were considered exposed. Threatened abortion was not associated with noise exposure alone, but, when it was combined with shift work, the adjusted risk was over twofold. The adjusted risk of pregnancy-induced hypertension was twice as high among the mothers exposed to noise in shift work, and the duration of their pregnancy was shorter. The analyses produced indications of a relation between noise and growth retardation which was not connected with shift work. There were significantly ascending trends in the proportions of these outcomes according to increasing exposure intensity.

Car painters' exposure to a mixture of organic solvents. Serum activities of liver enzymes.

The serum activities of liver enzymes of car painters (N = 102) exposed to a mixture of solvents [toluene, xylene, and other constituents; about half the threshold limit value recommended by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) in 1981] were compared with those of age-matched referents (N = 102). The activities of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, ornithine carbamoyl transferase, and gamma glutamyl transferase did not differ between the exposed and the nonexposed groups. Simultaneous neurophysiological and ophthalmological examinations of the same car painters had distinguished subgroups of "solvent-affected" and "non-affected" car painters. The enzyme activities were not higher in the "affected" subgroups than in the "nonaffected" ones. The results suggest that car painters' exposure to organic solvents (at the overall level of half the threshold limit value of the ACGIH) does not increase liver enzyme activities in routine tests.

Physical work load, fetal development and course of pregnancy.

The effects of physical work load during pregnancy were analyzed in connection with a nationwide case-referent study that screened for associations between selected structural malformations and occupational exposures. The strain of the occupational activities of 1475 mothers of malformed infants and an equal number of mothers of noncase babies was assessed from a description of the work tasks by an expert using a standardized method reflecting energy expenditure. The noncase mothers' experience revealed a relation between physical load and growth retardation that has also been suggested by other epidemiologic studies. No relation was found between an increase in mean physical load and the occurrence of threatened abortion; yet work involving much standing had an increased risk. Mothers whose work included occasional high physical loads had more pregnancy-induced hypertension. The data showed unexpected associations between physical load and structural malformations.