Study fails to verify gene variations as risk factors for certain cardiovascular problemsApril 11, 2007New research has failed to confirm findings from smaller studies that 85 gene variations are associated with an increased risk for acute coronary syndromes (ACS), which includes heart attack and a type of angina, according to a study in the April 11 issue of JAMA. Previous studies have identified a number of genetic variations as potential cardiovascular risk factors, but few, if any, have been established definitively. "Before use in clinical care, potential genetic risk factors would ideally be replicated en masse in large, well-characterized patient populations. To date, no such comprehensive validation of genetic variants potentially associated with ACS or atherosclerosis has been reported," the authors write. Thomas M. Morgan M.D., formerly of the Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn., and colleagues conducted a study to validate genetic risk factors for ACS. The researchers identified genetic variants previously reported as significant susceptibility factors for atherosclerosis or ACS through a literature search of published articles. This study included 811 patients with ACS and 650 age- and sex-matched controls who were genotyped for 85 variants in 70 genes and attempted to replicate previously reported associations. Of 85 variants tested, only one of the gene variants was nominally statistically significant. Only four additional genes were positive in model-free analysis. Neither number of associations was more frequent than expected by chance, given the number of comparisons. Only 41 of 84 predefined risk variants were even marginally more frequent in cases than in controls (with 1 tie). "We were unable to confirm as risk factors for ACS 85 genetic variants because none were unequivocally validated in this large case-control study of 1,461 participants," the authors write. "We therefore conclude that our findings, in this large sample of well-characterized ACS patients and controls, cannot support that this panel of gene variants contains bona fide ACS risk factors." "Our findings come at a critical juncture in complex disease genetics. Some cardiovascular gene variants included in our study can already be ordered clinically, for indications that explicitly include possible ACS risk. However, our findings suggest that such clinical genetic testing is premature and underscore the importance of robust replication studies of reported associations prior to their application to clinical care." JAMA and Archives Journals |
|||||||||||||||||||||
| Related Gene Variation Current Events and Gene Variation News Articles Gene variation is 'major genetic determinant of psoriasis' A specific genetic region that has been increasingly identified as the strongest genetic link to psoriasis has an even more significant role in the chronic skin disease than has been suspected, University of Utah medical researchers show in a new study. Variation in prostate stem cell antigen gene raises bladder cancer risk Researchers have pinpointed a specific gene variation that causes increased risk of urinary bladder cancer, according to a scientific team led by The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. UMMS researchers isolate first 'neuroprotective' gene in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis A genetic variant that substantially improves survival of individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Study reveals specific gene in adolescent men with delinquent peers Birds of a feather flock together, according to the old adage, and adolescent males who possess a certain type of variation in a specific gene are more likely to flock to delinquent peers. Genes may make some people more prone to anxiety Inborn differences may help explain why trauma gives some people bad memories and others the nightmare of post-traumatic stress. Scientists in Germany and the United States have reported evidence linking genes to anxious behavior. The findings appear in the August issue of Behavioral Neuroscience, published by the American Psychological Association. Mental stress reduces blood flow to the heart in patients with gene variation University of Florida researchers have identified a gene variation in heart disease patients who appear especially vulnerable to the physical effects of mental stress - to the point where blood flow to the heart is greatly reduced. Cigarette after Valentine snuggle deadlier for some The proverbial cigarette after a Valentine's Day snuggle can prematurely end a love affair, as new evidence emerges that a common defect in a gene significantly increases a smoker's risk of an early heart attack. Researchers challenge previous findings regarding widely used asthma treatment A new study published recently in The Lancet reveals that one of the most commonly used asthma medicines -- long-acting beta-agonists -- may not be associated with adverse events in people based on their genotype (gene variation), as previous studies had shown. Gene variation may elevate risk of liver tumor in patients with cirrhosis A particular gene variation appears to significantly increase the risk that individuals with cirrhosis of the liver will go on to develop hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a liver tumor that is the third leading cause of cancer death. First new multiple sclerosis gene found in 30 years A newly identified gene may hold the promise of guiding future research into therapies for multiple sclerosis in what its discoverers say is the first major genetic advance in 30 years for understanding this nervous system disease. More Gene Variation Current Events and Gene Variation News Articles |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||