Use of Multilocus Variable Number of Tandem Repeats Analysis Genotyping to Determine the Role of Asymptomatic Carriers in Clostridium difficile Transmission

The dopamine D4 receptor (DRD4) has a predominant expression in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), brain area strictly involved in the modulation of reward processes related to both food and drug consumption. Additionally, the human DRD4 gene is characterized by a variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) in the exon 3 and, among the polymorphic variants, the 7-repeat (7R) allele appears as a contributing factor in the neurobiological mechanisms underlying drug abuse, aberrant eating behaviors and related comorbidities. The 7R variant encodes for a receptor with a blunted intracellular response to dopamine, and carriers of this polymorphism might be more tempted to enhance dopamine levels in the brain, through the overconsumption of drugs of abuse or palatable food, considering their reinforcing properties. Moreover, the presence of this polymorphism seems to increase the susceptibility of individuals to engage maladaptive eating patterns in response to negative environmental stimuli. This review is focused on the role of DRD4 and DRD4 genetic polymorphism in these neuropsychiatric disorders in both clinical and preclinical studies. However, further research is needed to better clarify the complex DRD4 role, by using validated preclinical models and novel compounds more selective for DRD4.

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Characterisation of Neisseria meningitidis C strains causing two clusters in the north of Italy in 2007 and 2008

Eurosurveillance ◽

10.2807/ese.14.16.19179-en ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 14 (16) ◽

Author(s):

C Fazio ◽

A Neri ◽

T Sofia ◽

A Carannante ◽

M G Caporali ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Tandem Repeats ◽

Clonal Complex ◽

Fatal Outcome ◽

Variable Number ◽

The North ◽

Surveillance Report ◽

Laboratory Surveillance ◽

Sporadic Cases ◽

Variable Number Tandem Repeats

Two clusters of invasive meningococcal disease in the north of Italy both due to serogroup C/ST-11 clonal complex are here described. The objective of the investigation was to analyse the phenotype and the genotype of meningococci involved in the two clusters which were of national relevance due to the fatal outcome of the majority of cases (six of the total of 10 cases). All the strains were C:2a:P1.5 ST-11/ET-37 clonal complex. Two pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and variable number tandem repeats (VNTR) profiles were identified, one for each cluster. VNTRs were different from those detected in Italy for C/ST-11 strains isolated from sporadic cases in the same period. This laboratory surveillance report highlights the importance and the crucial role of molecular characterisation to confirm the relatedness among meningococci responsible for clusters of cases.

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Dysglycemia is associated with Mycobacterium tuberculosis lineages in tuberculosis patients of North Lima - Peru

10.1101/2020.11.18.388124 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Kattya Lopez ◽

María B. Arriaga ◽

Juan G. Aliaga ◽

Nadia N. Barreda ◽

Oswaldo M. Sanabria ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽

Pulmonary Tuberculosis ◽

Latin American ◽

Tandem Repeats ◽

Scientific Evidence ◽

Variable Number ◽

Health Care Facilities ◽

Variable Number Tandem Repeats ◽

Epidemiological Characteristics

AbstractThis study was performed to investigate the role of dysglycemia on the genetic diversity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) among pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) patients to build scientific evidence about the possible mechanisms of TB transmission. MTB isolates obtained of patients affected by pulmonary tuberculosis from health care facilities of North Lima - Peru, were analyzed using whole genome sequencing and 24-locus mycobacterial interspersed repetitive-unit-variable-number tandem repeats (MIRU-VNTR). Subsequently, clinical and epidemiological characteristics were associated with clustering, lineages and comorbid conditions. The analysis carried out 112 pulmonary TB patients from various health centers in North Lima, 17 (15%) had diabetes mellitus (DM) and 33 (29%) had pre-diabetes (PDM). Latin American-Mediterranean, Haarlem and Beijing were the most frequent MTB lineages found in those patients. Previous TB (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]=3.65; 95%CI: 1.32-17.81), age (aOR=1.12; 95%CI: 1.03-1.45) and Beijing lineage (aOR=3.53; 95%CI: 1.08-13.2) were associated with TB-DM comorbidity. Alcoholism (aOR=2.92; 95%CI: 1.10-8.28), age (aOR=1.05; 95%CI: 1.03-1.12) and Haarlem lineage (aOR=2.54; 95%CI: 1.04-6.51) were associated with TB-PDM comorbidity. Beijing and Haarlem lineages were independently associated with TB-DM and TB-PDM comorbidities, respectively. Although these findings may be surprising, we must be cautious to suggest that dysglycemia could be associated with a highly clustering and predisposition of MTB lineages related to a serious impact on the severity of TB disease, which requires further research.

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Lack of Support for a Role of the Insulin Gene Variable Number of Tandem Repeats Minisatellite (INS-VNTR) Locus in Fetal Growth or Type 2 Diabetes-Related Intermediate Traits in United Kingdom Populations

The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism ◽

10.1210/jc.2003-030605 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 89 (1) ◽

pp. 310-317 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

Simon M. S. Mitchell ◽

Andrew T. Hattersley ◽

Beatrice Knight ◽

Tina Turner ◽

Bradley S. Metcalf ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Type 2 Diabetes ◽

United Kingdom ◽

Fetal Growth ◽

Tandem Repeats ◽

Variable Number ◽

Vntr Locus ◽

Ins Vntr ◽

Intermediate Traits

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Role of Asymptomatic Carriers in Long-Term Care Facility Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile Transmission

Clostridium Difficile Infection in Long-Term Care Facilities ◽

10.1007/978-3-030-29772-5_3 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 25-36

Author(s):

Ravina Kullar ◽

Ellie J. C. Goldstein

Keyword(s):

Clostridium Difficile ◽

Long Term Care ◽

Care Facility ◽

Term Care ◽

Term Care Facility ◽

Asymptomatic Carriers ◽

Long Term Care Facility

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Novel variable number of tandem repeats of gibbon MAOA gene and its evolutionary significance

Genome ◽

10.1139/gen-2014-0065 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 57 (8) ◽

pp. 427-432 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Yuri Choi ◽

Yi-Deun Jung ◽

Selvam Ayarpadikannan ◽

Akihiko Koga ◽

Hiroo Imai ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Evolutionary History ◽

Tandem Repeats ◽

Luciferase Activity ◽

Variable Number ◽

Monoamine Oxidase A ◽

Evolutionary Significance ◽

Maoa Gene ◽

Nomascus Concolor ◽

Luciferase Activity Assay

Variable number of tandem repeats (VNTRs) are scattered throughout the primate genome, and genetic variation of these VNTRs have been accumulated during primate radiation. Here, we analyzed VNTRs upstream of the monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) gene in 11 different gibbon species. An abundance of truncated VNTR sequences and copy number differences were observed compared to those of human VNTR sequences. To better understand the biological role of these VNTRs, a luciferase activity assay was conducted and results indicated that selected VNTR sequences of the MAOA gene from human and three different gibbon species (Hylobates klossii, Hylobates lar, and Nomascus concolor) showed silencing ability. Together, these data could be useful for understanding the evolutionary history and functional significance of MAOA VNTR sequences in gibbon species.

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TS Gene Polymorphisms Are Not Good Markers of Response to 5-FU Therapy in Stage III Colon Cancer Patients

Analytical Cellular Pathology ◽

10.1155/2010/731873 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 33 (1) ◽

pp. 1-11 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

A. Fariña-Sarasqueta ◽

M. J. E. M. Gosens ◽

E. Moerland ◽

I. van Lijnschoten ◽

V. E. P. P. Lemmens ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Colon Cancer ◽

Colon Carcinoma ◽

Gene Polymorphisms ◽

Tandem Repeats ◽

Therapy Response ◽

Positive Association ◽

Variable Number ◽

Stage Iii ◽

Predictive And Prognostic Value

Aim: Although the predictive and prognostic value of thymidylate synthase (TS) expression and gene polymorphism in colon cancer has been widely studied, the results are inconclusive probably because of methodological differences. With this study, we aimed to elucidate the role of TS gene polymorphisms genotyping in therapy response in stage III colon carcinoma patients treated with 5-FU adjuvant chemotherapy.Patients and Methods: 251 patients diagnosed with stage III colon carcinoma treated with surgery followed by 5-FU based adjuvant therapy were selected. The variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) and the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the 5′-untranslated region of the TS gene were genotyped.Results: There was a positive association between tumor T stage and the VNTR genotypes (p=0.05). In both univariate and multivariate survival analysis no effects of the studied polymorphisms on survival were found. However, there was an association between both polymorphisms and age. Among patients younger than 60 years, the patients homozygous for 2R seemed to have a better overall survival, whereas among the patients older than 67 this longer survival was seen by the carriers of other genotypes.Conclusion: We conclude that the TS VNTR and SNP do not predict response to 5-FU therapy in patients with stage III colon carcinoma. However, age appears to modify the effects of TS polymorphisms on survival.

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Dysglycemia is associated with Mycobacterium tuberculosis lineages in tuberculosis patients of North Lima—Peru

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0243184 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

pp. e0243184

Author(s):

Kattya Lopez ◽

María B. Arriaga ◽

Juan G. Aliaga ◽

Nadia N. Barreda ◽

Oswaldo M. Sanabria ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽

Pulmonary Tuberculosis ◽

Latin American ◽

Tandem Repeats ◽

Scientific Evidence ◽

Variable Number ◽

Health Care Facilities ◽

Variable Number Tandem Repeats ◽

Epidemiological Characteristics

This study was performed to investigate the role of dysglycemia on the genetic diversity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) among pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) patients to build scientific evidence about the possible mechanisms of TB transmission. MTB isolates obtained of patients affected by pulmonary tuberculosis from health care facilities of North Lima—Peru, were analyzed using whole genome sequencing and 24-locus mycobacterial interspersed repetitive-unit -variable-number tandem repeats (MIRU-VNTR). Subsequently, clinical and epidemiological characteristics were associated with clustering, lineages and comorbid conditions. The analysis carried out 112 pulmonary TB patients from various health centers in North Lima, 17 (15%) had diabetes mellitus (DM) and 33 (29%) had pre-diabetes (PDM). Latin American-Mediterranean, Haarlem and Beijing were the most frequent MTB lineages found in those patients. Previous TB (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 3.65; 95%CI: 1.32–17.81), age (aOR = 1.12; 95%CI: 1.03–1.45) and Beijing lineage (aOR = 3.53; 95%CI: 1.08–13.2) were associated with TB-DM comorbidity. Alcoholism (aOR = 2.92; 95%CI: 1.10–8.28), age (aOR = 1.05; 95%CI: 1.03–1.12) and Haarlem lineage (aOR = 2.54; 95%CI: 1.04–6.51) were associated with TB-PDM comorbidity. Beijing and Haarlem lineages were independently associated with TB-DM and TB-PDM comorbidities, respectively. Although these findings may be surprising, we must be cautious to suggest that dysglycemia could be associated with a highly clustering and predisposition of MTB lineages related to a serious impact on the severity of TB disease, which requires further research.

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