A Potential Role for the STXBP5-AS1 Gene in Adult ADHD Symptoms.

We aimed to detect Attention-deficit/hyperactivity (ADHD) risk-conferring genes in adults. In children, ADHD is characterized by age-inappropriate levels of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity and may persists into adulthood. Childhood and adulthood ADHD are heritable, and are thought to represent the clinical extreme of a continuous distribution of ADHD symptoms in the general population. We aimed to leverage the power of studies of quantitative ADHD symptoms in adults who were genotyped. Within the SAGA (Study of ADHD trait genetics in adults) consortium, we estimated the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based heritability of quantitative self-reported ADHD symptoms and carried out a genome-wide association meta-analysis in nine adult population-based and case-only cohorts of adults. A total of n = 14,689 individuals were included. In two of the SAGA cohorts we found a significant SNP-based heritability for self-rated ADHD symptom scores of respectively 15% (n = 3656) and 30% (n = 1841). The top hit of the genome-wide meta-analysis (SNP rs12661753; p-value = 3.02 × 10-7) was present in the long non-coding RNA gene STXBP5-AS1. This association was also observed in a meta-analysis of childhood ADHD symptom scores in eight population-based pediatric cohorts from the Early Genetics and Lifecourse Epidemiology (EAGLE) ADHD consortium (n = 14,776). Genome-wide meta-analysis of the SAGA and EAGLE data (n = 29,465) increased the strength of the association with the SNP rs12661753. In human HEK293 cells, expression of STXBP5-AS1 enhanced the expression of a reporter construct of STXBP5, a gene known to be involved in "SNAP" (Soluble NSF attachment protein) Receptor" (SNARE) complex formation. In mouse strains featuring different levels of impulsivity, transcript levels in the prefrontal cortex of the mouse ortholog Gm28905 strongly correlated negatively with motor impulsivity as measured in the five choice serial reaction time task (r2 = - 0.61; p = 0.004). Our results are consistent with an effect of the STXBP5-AS1 gene on ADHD symptom scores distribution and point to a possible biological mechanism, other than antisense RNA inhibition, involved in ADHD-related impulsivity levels.

Rare, low frequency and common coding variants in CHRNA5 and their contribution to nicotine dependence in European and African Americans.

The common nonsynonymous variant rs16969968 in the α5 nicotinic receptor subunit gene (CHRNA5) is the strongest genetic risk factor for nicotine dependence in European Americans and contributes to risk in African Americans. To comprehensively examine whether other CHRNA5 coding variation influences nicotine dependence risk, we performed targeted sequencing on 1582 nicotine-dependent cases (Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence score⩾4) and 1238 non-dependent controls, with independent replication of common and low frequency variants using 12 studies with exome chip data. Nicotine dependence was examined using logistic regression with individual common variants (minor allele frequency (MAF)⩾0.05), aggregate low frequency variants (0.05>MAF⩾0.005) and aggregate rare variants (MAF<0.005). Meta-analysis of primary results was performed with replication studies containing 12 174 heavy and 11 290 light smokers. Next-generation sequencing with 180 × coverage identified 24 nonsynonymous variants and 2 frameshift deletions in CHRNA5, including 9 novel variants in the 2820 subjects. Meta-analysis confirmed the risk effect of the only common variant (rs16969968, European ancestry: odds ratio (OR)=1.3, P=3.5 × 10(-11); African ancestry: OR=1.3, P=0.01) and demonstrated that three low frequency variants contributed an independent risk (aggregate term, European ancestry: OR=1.3, P=0.005; African ancestry: OR=1.4, P=0.0006). The remaining 22 rare coding variants were associated with increased risk of nicotine dependence in the European American primary sample (OR=12.9, P=0.01) and in the same risk direction in African Americans (OR=1.5, P=0.37). Our results indicate that common, low frequency and rare CHRNA5 coding variants are independently associated with nicotine dependence risk. These newly identified variants likely influence the risk for smoking-related diseases such as lung cancer.

Intellectual ability in the duchenne muscular dystrophy and dystrophin gene mutation location.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is the most common form of muscular dystrophy during childhood. Mutations in dystrophin (DMD) gene are also recognized as a cause of cognitive impairment. We aimed to determine the association between intelligence level and mutation location in DMD genes in Serbian patients with DMD. Forty-one male patients with DMD, aged 3 to 16 years, were recruited at the Clinic for Neurology and Psychiatry for Children and Youth in Belgrade, Serbia. All patients had defined DMD gene deletions or duplications [multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA), polymerase chain reaction (PCR)] and cognitive status assessment (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Brunet-Lezine scale, Vineland-Doll scale). In 37 patients with an estimated full scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ), six (16.22%) had borderline intelligence (70

Linear trend analysis of patients with cervical cancer treated at the Institute of Oncology Vojvodina in 2001-2007.

PURPOSE: Cervical cancer is the leading cause of death in women with gynecological cancers in Vojvodina. Serbia currently holds the leading place in Europe regarding the incidence of cervical carcinoma and comes second in terms of mortality. METHODS: Data were retrieved from the Register for malignant neoplasms of the Institute of Oncology Vojvodina for the period 2001-2007. The patients were divided in 3 groups according to the stage of disease based on the FIGO classification for cervical cancer. Data were analysed using linear trend and t-test. RESULTS: The linear trend of the number of registered cases in the group of stage I-IIA patients during 7 years showed no significant change in the prevalence of the disease. In the group of women diagnosed with stage IIB no statistical difference regarding either a rising or a decreasing trend was observed. The observed trend in an advanced disease stage (III and IV) showed a slight decrease in the number of patients, but without statistical significance. CONCLUSION: The linear trend of the number of patients with cervical carcinoma during a 7-year period points to the fact that the number of newly detected cases of advanced disease stages did not decrease significantly despite the affordable and simple methods of early detection. This result underlines the importance of implementation of a National screening programme in the general population for early detection of cervical neoplasms. The excellent results of National screening programmes in other European countries lend support to this approach.

[Peripheral blood T lymphocyte subtypes in multiple sclerosis--dependance of clinical course and duration of the disease]. / Subpopulacije limfocita T periferne krvi kod multiple skleroze--zavisnost od klinicke forme i trajanja bolesti.

Multiple sclerosis is a disease mediated by immunological mechanisms, with characteristics of an autoimmune prosses. We registered changes in distribution of immunophenotipisation markers CD2, CD3, CD4, CD8, CD56 and DR, by indirect immunoflourescence assay, on immune cells of peripheral blood. We tested 20 patients with clinically definite category of illness, in exacerbation, and 10 healthy individuals. Multiple sclerosis patients had changes in distribution of T cell subtypes in exacerbation, which correlated with clinical course and duration of the disease. Relapsing-remitting course of disease is followed by decrease of activated T lymphocytes and fluctuation of CD4+ T lymphocytes, while there are no changes in studied markers at patients with progressive course. Duration of the disease over 10 years is followed by decreases of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes, independent of course of the disease.