scholarly journals Low α-defensin gene copy number increases the risk for IgA nephropathy and renal dysfunction

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (345) ◽  
pp. 345ra88-345ra88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhen Ai ◽  
Ming Li ◽  
Wenting Liu ◽  
Jia-Nee Foo ◽  
Omniah Mansouri ◽  
...  

Although a major source of genetic variation, copy number variations (CNVs) and their involvement in disease development have not been well studied. Immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) is the most common primary glomerulonephritis worldwide. We performed association analysis of the DEFA1A3 CNV locus in two independent IgAN cohorts of southern Chinese Han (total of 1189 cases and 1187 controls). We discovered three independent copy number associations within the locus: DEFA1A3 [P = 3.99 × 10−9; odds ratio (OR), 0.88], DEFA3 (P = 6.55 × 10−5; OR, 0.82), and a noncoding deletion variant (211bp) (P = 3.50 × 10−16; OR, 0.75) (OR per copy, fixed-effects meta-analysis). While showing strong association with an increased risk for IgAN (P = 9.56 × 10−20), low total copy numbers of the three variants also showed significant association with renal dysfunction in patients with IgAN (P = 0.03; hazards ratio, 3.69; after controlling for the effects of known prognostic factors) and also with increased serum IgA1 (P = 0.02) and galactose-deficient IgA1 (P = 0.03). For replication, we confirmed the associations of DEFA1A3 (P = 4.42 × 10−4; OR, 0.82) and DEFA3 copy numbers (P = 4.30 × 10−3; OR, 0.74) with IgAN in a Caucasian cohort (531 cases and 198 controls) and found the 211bp variant to be much rarer in Caucasians. We also observed an association of the 211bp copy number with membranous nephropathy (P = 1.11 × 10−7; OR, 0.74; in 493 Chinese cases and 500 matched controls), but not with diabetic kidney disease (in 806 Chinese cases and 786 matched controls). By explaining 4.96% of disease risk and influencing renal dysfunction in patients with IgAN, the DEFA1A3 CNV locus may be a potential therapeutic target for developing treatments for this disease.

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhao Cai ◽  
Huang Chen ◽  
Jingqiao Bai ◽  
Yang Zheng ◽  
Jianhui Ma ◽  
...  

BackgroundFinding effective prognostic signatures is of great urgency due to the high risk of recurrence and progression of bladder cancer (BC). Although a lot of genetic alterations are involved in the carcinogenesis, none of them were referred in the current risk group stratifications. In this study, we aimed to find significant copy number variations (CNVs) to predict prognosis for BC patients.MethodsCNVs with high aberration frequencies in BC were explored by array-based comparative genomic hybridization in 65 tumor samples. Candidates were validated in independent groups of BC tumor samples (n=219) and urine samples (n=123). 3D digital PCR was applied for detecting accurate gene copy numbers in BC urine. In order to explore the prognostic value of candidate CNVs, all enrolled patients were followed up for the disease-free survival (DFS). Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was performed to find the independent prognostic factors for DFS.ResultsCNVs of CEP63, FOSL2 and PAQR6 with high aberration frequencies (67.7%, 56.9% and 60.0%, respectively) were found in BC tumors. Copy numbers of CEP63, FOSL2 and PAQR6 were gained in 219 tumor samples. CNVs of CEP63 and FOSL2 were correlated with advanced tumor stage and high grade. Retrospective analysis (median follow-up time: 69 months) revealed that CNVs of CEP63 and FOSL2 were independent prognostic factors for DFS of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) patients, while CNVs of FOSL2 and PAQR6 were independent prognostic factors for DFS of muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) patients. Models for predicting DFS were constructed based on CNVs of three genes. Patients with high prognostic indexes tended to have poor DFS. Prognostic index can also help to identify those with worse outcomes among high risk NMIBC patients. Copy number gains of CEP63 and FOSL2 in urine were found to be significantly correlated with poor DFS of NMIBC patients.ConclusionsCNVs of CEP63, FOSL2 and PAQR6 were capable of predicting DFS and may serve as promising signatures for prognosis of BC.


2016 ◽  
Vol 149 (3) ◽  
pp. 176-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olutobi A. Oluwole ◽  
Tamas Revay ◽  
Kiana Mahboubi ◽  
Laura A. Favetta ◽  
W. Allan King

Somatic mosaicism has become a focus in human research due to the implications of individual genetic variability in disease. Here, we assessed somatic copy number variations (CNVs) in Holstein bulls in 2 respects. We estimated genome-wide CNVs and assayed CNVs of the TSPY gene, the most variable bovine gene from the Y chromosome. Somatic tissues (blood, lung, heart, muscle, testis, and brain) of 4 bulls were arrayed on the Illumina Bovine SNP50k chip and qPCR tested for TSPY copy numbers. Our results showed extensive copy number divergence in tissues within the same animal as well as significant copy number alterations of TSPY. We detected a mean of 31 CNVs per animal among which 14 were of germline origin, as they were constantly present in all investigated tissues of the animal, while 18 were specific to 1 tissue. Thus, 57% of the total number of detected CNVs was the result of de novo somatic events. Further, TSPY copy number was found to vary significantly among tissues as well as among the same tissue type from different animals in a wide range from 7 to 224% of the calibrator. Our study shows significant autosomal and Y-chromosomal de novo somatic CNV in bulls.


Hereditas ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 154 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianmin Yuan ◽  
Jianlin Hu ◽  
Zhiqiang Li ◽  
Fuquan Zhang ◽  
Dexiang Zhou ◽  
...  

Hypertension ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 68 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryousuke Satou ◽  
Akemi Katsurada ◽  
Kayoko Miyata ◽  
Andrei Derbenev ◽  
Andrea Zsombok

The intrarenal renin-angiotensin system (RAS) has been shown to play crucial roles in the development of hypertension and RAS associated kidney injury including diabetic nephropathy. Although some circulating RAS components are filtered into kidneys and contribute to the regulation of intrarenal RAS activity, evaluating expression levels of RAS components in the kidney is important to elucidate the mechanisms underlying intrarenal RAS activation. Digital PCR is a new technique that has been established to quantify absolute target gene levels, which allows for comparisons of different gene levels. Thus, this study was performed to establish profiles of absolute gene copy numbers for intrarenal RAS components in wild-type (WT) rats, WT and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (N=5) and male C57BL/6J mice were used in this study. The mice were subjected to either control (N=5) or STZ (200 mg/kg, N=4) injection. Seven days after STZ injection, copy numbers of renal cortical angiotensinogen (AGT), angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), ACE2, angiotensin type 1 receptor a (AT1a), and AT2 mRNA were determined by a droplet digital PCR. Since (pro)renin proteins produced by juxtaglomerular cells are secreted to circulating system, analysis of renin mRNA was excluded from this evaluation. In the renal cortex of WT rats, the copy number of AGT was higher than other measured RAS components (AGT: 719.2±46.6, ACE: 116.0±14.9, ACE2: 183.6±21.5, AT1a: 196.0±25.2 copies in 1 ng total RNA). AT2 levels were lower than other components (0.068±0.01 copies). In WT mice, ACE exhibited the highest copy number in the components (AGT: 447.2±29.0, ACE: 1662.4±61.2, ACE2: 676.8±41.5, AT1a: 867.0±16.8, AT2: 0.049±0.01 copies). Although STZ-induced diabetes did not change ACE2 and AT1a, ACE levels were reduced (765.5±98.1 copies) and AT2 levels were augmented (0.10±0.01 copies) as previously demonstrated. Accordingly, the absolute quantification by digital PCR established precise gene profiles of intrarenal RAS components, which will provide rationales for targeting the each component in future studies. Furthermore, the results indicate that the high sensitive assay accurately quantifies rare target genes including intrarenal AT2.


2018 ◽  
Vol 62 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samaly Santos Souza ◽  
Mariangela L'Episcopia ◽  
Carlo Severini ◽  
Venkatachalam Udhayakumar ◽  
Naomi W. Lucchi

ABSTRACTPiperaquine is an important partner drug used in artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs). An increase in theplasmepsin 2and3gene copy numbers has been associated with decreased susceptibility ofPlasmodium falciparumto piperaquine in Cambodia. Here, we developed a photo-induced electron transfer real-time PCR (PET-PCR) assay to quantify the copy number of theP. falciparumplasmepsin 2gene (PfPM2) that can be used in countries whereP. falciparumis endemic to enhance molecular surveillance.


2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luc Friboulet ◽  
Ken A. Olaussen ◽  
Alexander Valent ◽  
Ximing Tang ◽  
Tao Tang ◽  
...  

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