home   genetic news   bioinformatics   biotechnology   literature   journals   ethics   positions   events   sitemap
 
  HUM-MOLGEN -> Genetic News | search  
 

Heart Risk From Inflammmatory Gene Variant

 
  November, 16 2005 11:09
your information resource in human molecular genetics
 
     
A common variant of a gene involved in inflammation is associated with a significantly increased risk of heart attack in Americans of European and of African descent. The variant is associated with a greater risk in the African-American population in particular.

Anna Helgadottir and Kári Stefansson and colleagues report in a paper published online by Nature Genetics this week, that genetic markers surrounding the LTA4 gene encoding the leukotriene A4 hydrolase enzyme indicate the risk variant may originally have come from the European American population, where it is slightly more prevalent in those who have suffered myocardial infarction, or heart attack, the risk variant is 1.16-1.19. But this variant is 3.57 times more common in African American individuals who have had a heart attack than in African Americans who have not.

There are at least two possible reasons why the risk variant is more prevalent in African Americans who have had a heart attack. This difference may reflect the interaction of the risk variant with environmental or social influences that vary between the groups. Or the risk variant might interact with gene variants elsewhere in the genome that are themselves present at different frequencies in these two groups in the American population because of their divergent ancestral histories. Around 7.1 million Americans age 20 and older have survived a heart attack, and coronary heart disease is the United States' single leading cause of death.

Authors Contacts:

Kári Stefansson (deCODE Genetics Inc., Reykjavik, Iceland)
E-mail: kari.stefansson@decode.is

Edward M. Farmer - Director of Corporate Communication (deCODE Genetics Inc., Reykjavik, Iceland)
E-mail: edward.farmer@decode.is

Abstract available online: Helgadottir/Stefansson Paper.

(C) Nature Genetics press release.


Message posted by: Trevor M. D'Souza

print this article mail this article
Latest News
Variants Associated with Pediatric Allergic Disorder

Mutations in PHF6 Found in T-Cell Leukemia

Genetic Risk Variant for Urinary Bladder Cancer

Antibody Has Therapeutic Effect on Mice with ALS

Regulating P53 Activity in Cancer Cells

Anti-RNA Therapy Counters Breast Cancer Spread

Mitochondrial DNA Diversity

The Power of RNA Sequencing

‘Pro-Ageing' Therapy for Cancer?

Niche Genetics Influence Leukaemia

Molecular Biology: Clinical Promise for RNA Interference

Chemoprevention Cocktail for Colon Cancer

more news ...

Generated by News Editor 2.0 by Kai Garlipp
WWW: Kai Garlipp, Frank S. Zollmann.
7.0 © 1995-2023 HUM-MOLGEN. All rights reserved. Liability, Copyright and Imprint.