scholarly journals Nutrigenomics, individualism and public health

2004 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 161-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth Chadwick

Issues arising in connection with genes and nutrition policy include both nutrigenomics and nutrigenetics. Nutrigenomics considers the relationship between specifc nutrients or diet and gene expression and, it is envisaged, will facilitate prevention of diet-related common diseases. Nutrigenetics is concerned with the effects of individual genetic variation (single nucleotide polymorphisms) on response to diet, and in the longer term may lead to personalised dietary recommendations. It is important also to consider the surrounding context of other issues such as novel and functional foods in so far as they are related to genetic modification. Ethical issues fall into a number of categories: (1) why nutrigenomics? Will it have important public health benefits? (2) questions about research, e.g. concerning the acquisition of information about individual genetic variation; (3) questions about who has access to this information, and its possible misuse; (4) the applications of this information in terms of public health policy, and the negotiation of the potential tension between the interests of the individual in relation to, for example, prevention of conditions such as obesity and allergy; (5) the appropriate ethical approach to the issues, e.g. the moral difference, if any, between therapy and enhancement in relation to individualised diets; whether the 'technological fix' is always appropriate, especially in the wider context of the purported lack of public confidence in science, which has special resonance in the sphere of nutrition.

2015 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 553-563 ◽  
Author(s):  
Corey E. Ventetuolo ◽  
Nandita Mitra ◽  
Fei Wan ◽  
Ani Manichaikul ◽  
R. Graham Barr ◽  
...  

Sex hormones are linked to right ventricular (RV) function, but the relationship between genetic variation in these pathways and RV function is unknown.We performed a cross-sectional study of 2761 genotyped adults without cardiovascular disease. The relationships between RV measures and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 10 candidate genes were assessed. Urinary oestradiol (E2) metabolites produced by cytochrome P4501B1 (CYP1B1) and serum testosterone were measured in women and men respectively.In African-American (AA) women, the CYP1B1 SNP rs162561 was associated with RV ejection fraction (RVEF), such that each copy of the A allele was associated with a 2.0% increase in RVEF. Haplotype analysis revealed associations with RVEF in AA (global p<7.2×10−6) and white (global p=0.05) women. In white subjects, higher E2 metabolite levels were associated with significantly higher RVEF. In men, androgen receptors SNPs (rs1337080; rs5918764) were significantly associated with all RV measures and modified the relationship between testosterone and RVEF.Genetic variation in E2 metabolism and androgen signalling was associated with RV morphology in a sex-specific manner. The CYP1B1 SNP identified is in tight linkage disequilibrium with SNPs associated with pulmonary hypertension and oncogenesis, suggesting these pathways may underpin sexual dimorphism in RV failure.


Author(s):  
Marcos Jessé Abrahão Silva ◽  
Marceli Batista Martins Lima ◽  
Karla Valéria Batista Lima ◽  
Luana Nepomuceno Gondim Costa Lima

The proinflammatory response induced by Toll-Like receptors (TLR) is considered the host's first defense line. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) correspond to the most frequent type of variation in the human genome, and due to the importance of TLR2 in the immune response, SNPs in the TLR gene are related to susceptibility or resistance to various diseases. Thus, the objective of the present study was to identify the polymorphisms existing in the TLR2 gene that may cause susceptibility or protection against infectious diseases. We conducted a systematic review of the literature in the databases Science Direct, National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health of the USA (PUBMED), Cochrane Collaboration and Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE) between 2000 to 2020. The search resulted in 32 articles, all of which in English. Thus, it was demonstrated that the related polymorphisms are extremely important for the identification of related pathologies, whether for the susceptibility or protection of the individual to the diseases, also being essential for the mechanisms of signal generation and immune responses, and finally indicating that a balance between activation and inactivating these receptors to prevent an excessive inflammatory or immune response.


Author(s):  
Jacob Busch ◽  
Emilie Kirstine Madsen ◽  
Antoinette Mary Fage-Butler ◽  
Marianne Kjær ◽  
Loni Ledderer

Summary Nudging has been discussed in the context of public health, and ethical issues raised by nudging in public health contexts have been highlighted. In this article, we first identify types of nudging approaches and techniques that have been used in screening programmes, and ethical issues that have been associated with nudging: paternalism, limited autonomy and manipulation. We then identify nudging techniques used in a pamphlet developed for the Danish National Screening Program for Colorectal Cancer. These include framing, default nudge, use of hassle bias, authority nudge and priming. The pamphlet and the very offering of a screening programme can in themselves be considered nudges. Whether nudging strategies are ethically problematic depend on whether they are categorized as educative- or non-educative nudges. Educative nudges seek to affect people’s choice making by engaging their reflective capabilities. Non-educative nudges work by circumventing people’s reflective capabilities. Information materials are, on the face of it, meant to engage citizens’ reflective capacities. Recipients are likely to receive information materials with this expectation, and thus not expect to be affected in other ways. Non-educative nudges may therefore be particularly problematic in the context of information on screening, also as participating in screening does not always benefit the individual.


Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 363
Author(s):  
Sulochana K. Wasala ◽  
Dana K. Howe ◽  
Louise-Marie Dandurand ◽  
Inga A. Zasada ◽  
Dee R. Denver

Globodera pallida is among the most significant plant-parasitic nematodes worldwide, causing major damage to potato production. Since it was discovered in Idaho in 2006, eradication efforts have aimed to contain and eradicate G. pallida through phytosanitary action and soil fumigation. In this study, we investigated genome-wide patterns of G. pallida genetic variation across Idaho fields to evaluate whether the infestation resulted from a single or multiple introduction(s) and to investigate potential evolutionary responses since the time of infestation. A total of 53 G. pallida samples (~1,042,000 individuals) were collected and analyzed, representing five different fields in Idaho, a greenhouse population, and a field in Scotland that was used for external comparison. According to genome-wide allele frequency and fixation index (Fst) analyses, most of the genetic variation was shared among the G. pallida populations in Idaho fields pre-fumigation, indicating that the infestation likely resulted from a single introduction. Temporal patterns of genome-wide polymorphisms involving (1) pre-fumigation field samples collected in 2007 and 2014 and (2) pre- and post-fumigation samples revealed nucleotide variants (SNPs, single-nucleotide polymorphisms) with significantly differentiated allele frequencies indicating genetic differentiation. This study provides insights into the genetic origins and adaptive potential of G. pallida invading new environments.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 23
Author(s):  
Ariana M. Kelly ◽  
Mariana Bezamat ◽  
Adriana Modesto ◽  
Alexandre R. Vieira

The purpose of this study was to address the hypothesis that extreme outcomes of dental caries, such as edentulism or prematurely losing permanent teeth are associated with genetic variation in enamel-formation genes. After scanning 6206 individuals, samples of 330 were selected for this study. Tested phenotypes included patients who were edentulous by age 30, patients with missing first molars by age 30, patients with missing second molars by age 30, and caries-free patients. Fourteen single nucleotide polymorphisms were genotyped by TaqMan chemistry. The analyses of each phenotype were performed using the software PLINK with an alpha of 0.05. Nominal associations were found between rs12640848 in enamelin (p = 0.05), rs1784418 in matrix metallopeptidase 20 (p = 0.02), and rs5997096 in the tuftelin interacting protein 11 and being caries-free at the age of 60. When combining patients that were missing both first mandibular molars and missing both second mandibular molars, no associations were found. Matrix metallopeptidase 20, and tuftelin interacting protein 11 also showed trends for association with being caries-free. Genetic variation in TFIP11, MMP20, and ENAM may have a protective effect increasing the chances of individuals preserving their teeth caries-free over a lifetime.


2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (12) ◽  
pp. 20180642 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eiluned Pearce ◽  
Rafael Wlodarski ◽  
Anna Machin ◽  
Robin I. M. Dunbar

The ratio between the second and fourth digits (2D:4D) has been widely used as a proxy for fetal exposure to androgens and has been linked to a number of sociosexual traits in humans. However, the role of genes in this equation remains unknown. Here ( N = 474), we test, firstly, for associations between 2D:4D and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in nine neurochemical receptor genes ( AR, OXTR, AVPR1A, OPRM1, DRD1/2, ANKK1, 5HTR1A/2A ), and secondly, whether digit ratios mediate the relationship between genetic variation and sociosexuality. We demonstrate significant associations between AR , OPRM1 and AVPR1A and 2D:4D. Moreover, mediation analysis indicates that, in women, AR and OPRM1 variation drives digit ratios, which are related positively to impulsivity and, for OPRM1 , negatively to romantic relationship quality. Although these findings are subject to multiple testing issues, this study provides preliminary evidence that in women genetic factors may affect both impulsivity and perceived relationship quality through influencing factors indexed by digit ratios.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amal Ahmed Abd El-Fattah ◽  
Nermin Abdel Hamid Sadik ◽  
Olfat Gamil Shaker ◽  
Amal Mohamed Kamal

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading cancers throughout the world. It represents the third most common cancer and the fourth in mortality. Most of CRC are sporadic, arise with no known high-penetrant genetic variation and with no previous family history. The etiology of sporadic CRC is considered to be multifactorial and arises from the interaction of genetic variants of low-penetrant genes and environmental risk factors. The most common well-studied genetic variation is single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). SNP arises as a point mutation. If the frequency of the sequence variation reaches 1% or more in the population, it is referred to as polymorphism, but if it is lower than 1%, the allele is typically considered as a mutation. Lots of SNPs have been associated with CRC development and progression, for example, genes of TGF-β1 and CHI3L1 pathways. TGF-β1 is a pleiotropic cytokine with a dual role in cancer development and progression. TGF-β1 mediates its actions through canonical and noncanonical pathways. The most important negative regulatory protein for TGF-β1 activity is termed SMAD7. The production of TGF-βcan be controlled by another protein called YKL-40. YKL-40 is a glycoprotein with an important role in cancer initiation and metastasis. YKL-40 is encoded by the CHI3L1 gene. The aim of the present review is to give a brief introduction of CRC, SNP, and examples of some SNPs that have been documented to be associated with CRC. We also discuss two important signaling pathways TGF-β1 and CHI3L1 that influence the incidence and progression of CRC.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kai Rong ◽  
Zhiquan Liang ◽  
Wenyuan Xiang ◽  
Zhan Wang ◽  
Fengli Wen ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: IL-1R2, serves as a negative regulator of IL-1 signaling, is involved in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis. This study aimed to determine the correlation between IL-1R2 polymorphism and osteoporosis susceptibility among the Chinese Han population.Methods: We recruited 594 osteoporosis patients and 599 healthy controls. Six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in IL-1R2 were selected for genotyping using Agena MassARRAY platform. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated through logistic regression analysis with adjustment for age and sex. Linkage disequilibrium analysis was plotted by Haploview v4.2. Multifactor dimension reduction (MDR) was performed to estimate the SNP-SNP interaction of IL-1R2 variants.Results: Our result revealed that rs11674595 (OR = 1.86, p = 0.020), rs2072472 (OR = 1.26, p = 0.019) and rs4851527 (OR = 0.78, p = 0.007) were related to the risk of osteoporosis. Moreover, the contribution of IL-1R2 polymorphisms to osteoporosis risk presented age, sex and BMI difference. We found the relationship of Trs11674595Ars4851527 (OR = 0.80, p = 0.015), Crs11674595Grs4851527 (OR = 1.22, p = 0.043) and Ars3218977Grs2072472 (OR = 1.25, p = 0.022) haplotypes to osteoporosis occurrence, and a potential accumulated effect of IL-1R2 SNPs (testing accuracy = 0.5783 and CVC = 10/10) on osteoporosis susceptibility.Conclusion: IL-1R2 polymorphisms (rs11674595, rs4851527, rs2072472 and rs3218977) might contribute to osteoporosis risk among the Chinese Han population. Our finding may increase our understanding of the effects of IL-1R2 polymorphisms on the predisposition of osteoporosis.


Author(s):  
Philippe Henry

In the present research, I used an open access data set (Medicinal Genomics) consisting of nearly 200'000 genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) typed in 28 cannabis accessions to shed light on the plant's underlying genetic structure. Genome-wide loadings were used to sequentially cull less informative markers. The process involved reducing the number of SNPs to 100K, 10K, 1K, 100 until I identified a set of 42 highly informative SNPs that I present here. The two first principal components, encompass over 3/4 of the genetic variation present in the dataset (PCA1 = 48.6%, PCA2= 26.3%). This set of diagnostic SNPs is then used to identify clusters into which cannabis accession segregate. I identified three clear and consistent clusters; reflective of the ancient domestication trilogy of the genus Cannabis.


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