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Background: Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) is involved in various pathophysiological conditions including renal function. ACE levels are under genetic control. Objectives: This study was designed to investigate the association between the donors and recipients ACE-I/D gene polymorphism and risk of acute rejection outcome in renal allograft recipients. Patients and Methods: ACE-I/D polymorphism was determined in 200 donor-recipient pairs who had been referred to Afzalipour hospital in Kerman. ACE-I/D polymorphism was detected using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Acute rejection (AR) during at least six months post-transplantation was defined as a 20% increase in creatinine level from the postoperative baseline in the absence of other causes of graft dysfunction which responded to antirejection therapy. Results: The observed allele frequencies were II 9.8%, ID 35.6% and DD 44.4% in donors and II 9.8%, ID 35.1% and DD 52.7% in recipients. There were no significant association between ACE genotypes and AR episodes (ORID=0.96 [0.18-5.00] and ORDD: 1.24 [0.25-6.07] for the donors) and (ORID: 0.29 [0.06-1.45] and ORDD: 0.75 [0.19-2.90] for the recipients). Conclusions: It seems that donor and recipient ACE-I/D genotype might not be a risk factor for acute renal allograft rejection. However, due to conflicting results from this and other studies, multicenter collaborative studies with more participants and concomitant evaluation of ACE polymorphism with other polymorphisms in renin–angiotensin system (RAS) are suggested to determine whether ACE genotypes are significant predictors of renal allograft rejection.

Background: Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) is involved in various pathophysiological conditions including renal function. ACE levels are under genetic control. Objectives: This study was designed to investigate the association between the donors and recipients ACE-I/D gene polymorphism and risk of acute rejection outcome in renal allograft recipients. Patients and Methods: ACE-I/D polymorphism was determined in 200 donor-recipient pairs who had been referred to Afzalipour hospital in Kerman. ACE-I/D polymorphism was detected using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Acute rejection (AR) during at least six months post-transplantation was defined as a 20% increase in creatinine level from the postoperative baseline in the absence of other causes of graft dysfunction which responded to antirejection therapy. Results: The observed allele frequencies were II 9.8%, ID 35.6% and DD 44.4% in donors and II 9.8%, ID 35.1% and DD 52.7% in recipients. There were no significant association between ACE genotypes and AR episodes (ORID =0.96 [0.18-5.00] and ORDD: 1.24 [0.25-6.07] for the donors) and (ORID : 0.29 [0.06-1.45] and ORDD : 0.75 [0.19-2.90] for the recipients). Conclusions: It seems that donor and recipient ACE-I/D genotype might not be a risk factor for acute renal allograft rejection. However, due to conflicting results from this and other studies, multicenter collaborative studies with more participants and concomitant evaluation of ACE polymorphism with other polymorphisms in renin-angiotensin system (RAS) are suggested to determine whether ACE genotypes are significant predictors of renal allograft rejection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Endotoxins stimulate T helper 1 cell maturation and send a negative signal to T helper 2 polarisation. This causes a decrease IgE levels and prevents atopy (Hygiene hypothesis). It is shown that this response is under genetic control by polymorphisms in CD14 and TLR4 genes in some researchs. We aimed to investigate the effects of genetic variants of CD14 (-) and TLR4 (Asp299Gly, Thr399Ile) genes on asthma phenotypes in adults with asthma. Methods Asthma patients (n = 131) and healthy control cases (n = 75) were included in the study. Relations between CD14 C-159 T, TLR4 299 and TLR4 399 genotypes and duration of asthma history of allergic rhinitis-dermatitis, total IgE, eosinophil, skin prick test, forced expiratory volume 1 (FEV1) and severity of disease were evaluated. Real time PCR (RTPCR) was used for genotyping. Results For CD14-159, presence of the C allele (CC + CT) was more frequent among those with low median log (logarithm) IgE levels, but no statistically significant difference in all asthma group (p = 0.09). C allele was significantly correlated with low total IgE levels and T allele with high total IgE levels in atopics (p = 0.04). CC + CT genotype was more frequent in moderate and severe asthma group in atopics (p = 0.049). TLR4 299 and TLR4 399 genotypes and asthma phenotypes were not found to be significantly correlated (p > 0.05). Conclusions Total IgE levels were found to be low among patients with the CC + CT genotype, and high among patients with the TT genotype contrary to the results of many other studies, which is therefore an important finding. Another important finding was that the C allele is a risk factor for moderate and severe asthma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) stimulates the expression of collagen mRNA in cultured human peritoneal mesangial cells, which may predispose them to developing peritoneal fibrosis. Polymorphisms in the signal sequence genetically may be responsible for increased TGF-β1 production (i.e., a substitution at amino acid position 10 and 25, +869 Leu10-Pro and +915 Arg25-Pro, respectively). The aim of this study was to find out whether there is any relation between peritoneal equilibration test (PET) results and TGF-β1 gene polymorphism. Thirty-two CAPD patients and 72 healthy subjects were included into the study. Each CAPD patient had undergone two PET with a two-year interval. The patients were classified according to the results of a baseline PET as high (high-high average) and low (low-low average) transporters. In high transporters group (n = 20), the genotype frequencies were found as 45% Leu/Leu, 55% Leu/Pro for codon 10; and 85% Arg/Arg, 15% Arg/Pro for codon 25. In low transporters group (n = 12), the genotype frequencies were detected as 66.7% Leu/Leu and 33.3% Leu/Pro for codon 10; and 83.3% Arg/Arg, 16.7% Arg/Pro for codon 25. The distribution of the TGF-β1 genotypes in our control population was compatible with a Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. We found no relation between TGF-β1 genotypes and peritoneal transport group (χ2 test, p > 0.5). There was no relation between TGF-β1 genotype and longitudinal change in peritoneal transport. This study is the first study analyzing the possible link between TGF-βl gene polymorphisms and the characteristics of peritoneal transport and longitudinal change of peritoneal transport characteristics in CAPD patients. Further work is needed to clarify the functional importance of these two polymorphisms in TGF-β1 production and in the development of peritoneal fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) ε4 genotype is the most clearly documented risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Epidemiological studies demonstrate an accelerated rate of progression to dementia and AD in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). We assessed the ApoE allele and genotypes frequencies in Cuban patients with MCI., Methods: We performed ApoE genotyping of 74 Cuban patients more than 65 years old. Cognitive assessments included the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and a cognitive battery for evaluating memory, attention, perception, and executive function., Results: Cognitive impairments were characterized by amnesia and executive deficits in patients with MCI. The Apo ε4 allele frequency was 0.196 in patients with MCI, 10-fold higher than that in the controls. Patients carrying the ε4 allele exhibited poorer performance in MMSE and tests assessing executive function and short-term memory than noncarriers., Conclusions: The patients exhibited amnestic MCI multiple domains. Cognitive performance was worse in patients who carried the ApoE ε4 allele.