Verification and diagnostic evaluation of the RealStar® Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (N gene) reverse transcription-PCR kit 1.0.

Aim: We report the diagnostic evaluation of a confirmatory reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) kit targeting the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) N gene. Material & methods: 33 patient samples from two collections sites in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which were pre-characterized via real-time RT-PCR targeting MERS-CoV orf1a and upE, and were tested using the MERS-CoV N gene, as a confirmatory assay. This diagnostic procedure follows a two-step diagnostics scheme, recommended by the WHO. Results: 18/33 samples tested positive, 11/33 tested negative for MERS-CoV RNA and 2/33 showed uncertain results. Conclusion: The results suggest, that the RealStar® MERS-CoV (N gene) RT-PCR kit 1.0 can be considered a suitable and reliable confirmatory assay in combination with the RealStar MERS-CoV RT-PCR kit 1.0 according to the diagnostic scheme recommended by WHO.

Linear isoforms of the long noncoding RNA CDKN2B-AS1 regulate the c-myc-enhancer binding factor RBMS1.

Variants in the long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) gene CDKN2B-AS1 (CDKN2B antisense RNA 1; ANRIL) are genome-wide associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D), atherosclerosis, and several forms of cancer. However, it is currently not understood how CDKN2B-AS1 transcripts translate into diabetes. We previously demonstrated trans-regulation of the proximal polyadenylated transcripts on several genes with functions in glucose and lipid metabolism. However, information on specific genes that are regulated at physiological concentrations by the distal polyadenylated CDKN2B-AS1 transcripts is lacking. To identify target genes of CDKN2B-AS1 trans-regulation, we designed inducible short hairpin RNA constructs and integrated them into the genome of T-Rex HEK293 cells. Changes of gene expression after induction were determined at defined time points by genome-wide mRNA expression analysis. We confirmed downregulation of RBMS1, located on chromosome 2 (RNA-binding motif, single-stranded interacting protein 1) at the transcript and protein level in stable-transfected, inducible HeLa cells, and demonstrated that the effect was independent of the cell type, known cis-regulatory effects, and regulation of the proximal polyadenylated CDKN2B-AS1 isoforms. Direct binding of CDKN2B-AS1 transcripts to RBMS1 was shown by RNA immunoprecipitation. RBMS1 encodes a cell cycle suppressor. We conclude that the distal and proximal polyadenylated CDKN2B-AS1 transcripts have separate functions in gene regulation, which are independent of the circular CDKN2B-AS1 isoforms and of the genes CDKN2A/2B.

Genetic evidence for PLASMINOGEN as a shared genetic risk factor of coronary artery disease and periodontitis.

BACKGROUND: Genetic studies demonstrated the presence of risk alleles in the genes ANRIL and CAMTA1/VAMP3 that are shared between coronary artery disease (CAD) and periodontitis. We aimed to identify further shared genetic risk factors to better understand conjoint disease mechanisms. METHODS AND RESULTS: In-depth genotyping of 46 published CAD risk loci of genome-wide significance in the worldwide largest case-control sample of the severe early-onset phenotype aggressive periodontitis (AgP) with the Illumina Immunochip (600 German AgP cases, 1448 controls) and the Affymetrix 500K array set (283 German AgP cases and 972 controls) highlighted ANRIL as the major risk gene and revealed further associations with AgP for the gene PLASMINOGEN (PLG; rs4252120: P=5.9×10(-5); odds ratio, 1.27; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-1.4 [adjusted for smoking and sex]; 818 cases; 5309 controls). Subsequent combined analyses of several genome-wide data sets of CAD and AgP suggested TGFBRAP1 to be associated with AgP (rs2679895: P=0.0016; odds ratio, 1.27 [95% confidence interval, 1.1-1.5]; 703 cases; 2.143 controls) and CAD (P=0.0003; odds ratio, 0.84 [95% confidence interval, 0.8-0.9]; n=4117 cases; 5824 controls). The study further provides evidence that in addition to PLG, the currently known shared susceptibility loci of CAD and periodontitis, ANRIL and CAMTA1/VAMP3, are subjected to transforming growth factor-ß regulation. CONCLUSIONS: PLG is the third replicated shared genetic risk factor of atherosclerosis and periodontitis. All known shared risk genes of CAD and periodontitis are members of transforming growth factor-ß signaling.

The large non-coding RNA ANRIL, which is associated with atherosclerosis, periodontitis and several forms of cancer, regulates ADIPOR1, VAMP3 and C11ORF10.

The long non-coding RNA ANRIL is the best replicated genetic risk locus of coronary artery disease (CAD) and periodontitis (PD), and is independently associated with a variety of other immune-mediated and metabolic disorders and several forms of cancer. Recent studies showed a correlation of decreased concentrations of proximal ANRIL transcripts with homozygous carriership of the CAD and PD main risk alleles. To elucidate the relation of these transcripts to disease manifestation, we constructed a short hairpin RNA in a stable inducible knock-down system of T-Rex 293 HEK cell lines, specifically targeting the proximal transcripts EU741058 and DQ485454. By genome-wide expression profiling using Affymetrix HG1.0 ST Arrays, we identified the transcription of ADIPOR1, VAMP3 and C11ORF10 to be correlated with decreased ANRIL expression in a time-dependent manner. We validated these findings on a transcriptional and translational level in different cell types. Exploration of the identified genes for the presence of disease associated variants, using Affymetrix 500K genotyping and Illumina custom genotyping arrays, highlighted a region upstream of VAMP3 within CAMTA1 to be associated with increased risk of CAD [rs10864294 P = 0.015, odds ratio (OR) = 1.30, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.1-1.6, 1471 cases, 2737 controls] and aggressive PD (AgP; P = 0.008, OR = 1.31, 95% CI = 1.1-1.6, 864 cases, 3664 controls). In silico replication in a meta-analysis of 14 genome-wide association studies of CAD of the CARDIoGRAM Consortium identified rs2301462, located on the same haplotype block, as associated with P = 0.001 upon adjustment for sex and age. Our results give evidence that specific isoforms of ANRIL regulate key genes of glucose and fatty acid metabolism.

Validation of reported genetic risk factors for periodontitis in a large-scale replication study.

AIM: Many studies investigated the role of genetic variants in periodontitis, but few were established as risk factors. We aimed to validate the associations of recent candidate genes in aggressive periodontitis (AgP). MATERIAL AND METHODS: We analysed 23 genes in 600 German AgP patients and 1441 controls on the Illumina custom genotyping array Immunochip. We tested a suggestive association in a Dutch and German/Austrian AgP case-control sample, and a German chronic periodontitis (CP) case-control sample using Sequenom iPlex assays. We additionally tested the common known risk variant rs1333048 of the gene ANRIL for its association in a Turkish and Italian population. RESULTS: None of the analysed genes gave statistical evidence for association. Upon covariate adjustment for smoking and gender, in the pooled German-Austrian AgP sample, IL10 SNP rs6667202 was associated with p = 0.016, OR = 0.77 (95% CI = 0.6-0.95), and in the Dutch AgP sample, adjacent IL10 SNP rs61815643 was associated with p = 0.0009, OR = 2.31 (95% CI = 1.4-3.8). At rs61815643, binding of the transcription factor PPARG was predicted. ANRIL rs1333048 was associated in the Turkish sample (pallelic = 0.026, OR = 1.67 [95% CI = 1.11-2.60]). CONCLUSIONS: Previous candidate genes carry no susceptibility factors for AgP. Association of IL-10 rs61815643 with AgP is suggested. ANRIL is associated with periodontitis across different populations.