Polymorphisms in promoter regions of IL-6 and IL-10 genes in breast cancer: a case-control study.

Polymorphisms in interleukin genes (IL-6 and IL-10) are involved in the pathogenesis of breast cancer. This study investigated polymorphisms in the promoter regions of IL-6 (-174G/C) and IL-10 (-1082G/A) through a case-control study employing 80 female subjects who were pathologically diagnosed with breast cancer. All patients received follow-up care at the Mansoura University Hospital, Mansoura, Egypt. We included another 80 females (controls) from the same population, showing no signs of malignancy. Clinicopathological features were examined in the patient groups, including the expression of estrogen and progesterone receptors, involvement of the lymph node, tumor morphology, and tumor grades. Genotyping of the promoter polymorphisms was performed using allele-specific polymerase chain reaction method. There was a significant decrease in the mean age of menarche in the patient group than that in the normal individuals. For the IL-6 -174G/C polymorphism, there was a significantly higher frequency of the CC genotype in the patients than that in the controls (odds ratio = 5.49). Furthermore, the CC genotype was significantly more prevalent among the patients who had lymph node involvement. For the IL-10 -1082G/A polymorphism, there was no difference in the distribution of genotypes among the patients and the control subjects. However, the tumor size was significantly larger in patients who were harboring the AA genotype than that in the patients who had AG or GG genotypes.

Distribution and clinal trends of the ABO and Rh genes in select Middle Eastern countries.

An understanding of the ABO and Rh blood group systems is important for blood transfusions and is also pertinent due to their potential association with certain morbidities and susceptibilities to infections. To investigate the diversity and differentiation of the ABO and Rh loci in Middle Eastern populations, data from twelve representative Middle Eastern populations were analyzed. Six populations were in conformity with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium at the ABO locus. The pooled heterozygosity at both loci was calculated to be highest in the sample from Jordan and lowest in Bahrain. Heterogeneity was pronounced in the Northern compared to the Southern Middle Eastern populations. Overall, the absolute gene diversity was 0.0046 and gene differentiation was calculated to be 0.0100. Genetic diversity of the studied loci across all populations (HT) was estimated to be 0.4594, while the diversity within the populations (HS) was 0.4548. Nei's genetic distance analyses revealed highest affinities between the populations of Kuwait and Qatar, Oman and Yemen, and between Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. These results were displayed through a UGPMA dendrogram and principal component analyses, which established clustering of certain populations. Clinal trends of the allelic systems were observed by generating contour maps that allow a detailed appreciation of the distributions of alleles across the geography of the Arabian Peninsula and the Middle East. Taken together, these analyses are helpful in understanding the differentiation of blood group loci and for designing prospective studies for establishing the associations of these loci with health variables in the populations studied.

Identification of a point mutation in the ace1 gene of Therioaphis trifolli maculata and detection of insecticide resistance by a diagnostic PCR-RFLP assay.

Aphids are important agricultural pests worldwide. Their control is largely based on chemical insecticides. One species that shows important invasive abilities and host-plant-related differences is Therioaphis trifolii (Monell) (Hemiptera: Aphididae). T. trifolii maculata, also known as spotted alfalfa aphid (SAA), can be very injurious to alfalfa crops in certain regions, such as in Saudi Arabia for effective control it is essential to diagnose and monitor the resistance mechanisms in the SAA populations. In the present study, we analysed acetylcholinesterase (ace) target site insensitivity mechanisms. A 650 bp length DNA containing the putative acetylcholinesterase (ace1) precursor was obtained and compared with other Hemipteran species. The sequences of many individual aphids collected from alfalfa crops in Saudi Arabia were analysed for the presence of resistance mutations: no resistance mutations were found at the resistance mutation loci 302; however, the presence of a serine-phenylalanine substitution (S431F) was identified in one individual. The S431F substitution, has been shown to confer significant levels of both organophosphate and carbamate resistance in other aphid species, and is now found for the first time in T. trifolii. We subsequently developed a simple polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism assays for the S431F mutation, using a TaqI restriction site destroyed by the S431F mutation. The novel diagnostic assay may support the implementation of Insecticide Resistance Management strategies, for the control of SAA in alfalfa crops in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and other countries worldwide.

Heterogeneity and diversity of ABO and Rh blood group genes in select Saudi Arabian populations.

In order to investigate the diversity of ABO and Rh blood group genes in the Saudi Arabian population, we assembled the phenotypic data of approximately 66,000 subjects from ten representative Saudi populations: Al-Khobar, Riyadh, Tabuk/Madina Al-Munawaara, Jeddah, Abha, South region, Sakaka, Domah, Al-Qurayat, and Sweer. The frequencies of p[A], q[B], and r[O] alleles at the ABO locus were observed to be 0.1688, 0.1242, and 0.7070, respectively, and the frequency of the D allele at the Rh locus was 0.7138. The heterozygosities at the ABO and Rh loci were 0.4563 and 0.4086, respectively, while the combined heterozygosity was 0.4324. Homogeneity tests revealed the population of Abha to be the most heterogeneous while that of Tabuk/Madina was found to be the least heterogeneous. Homogeneity was higher among the Northern populations while Southern populations demonstrated subdivisions and stratification. Gene diversity analyses yielded a total heterozygosity value of 0.4449. The coefficient of gene differentiation was 0.0090. Nei's genetic distance analyses showed that there was close affinity between the populations of Al-Khobar and Riyadh. The largest differences were observed between the populations of Sakaka and Domah. Furthermore, negative correlations were found between p[A] and r[O] alleles, and between q[B] and r[O] alleles at the ABO locus. Clinal analyses revealed that the r[O] allele showed an increasing trend from North-East to South-West, and conversely the q[B] allele exhibited a decreasing trend at these coordinates. These analyses present interesting aspects of the blood group allele distribution across the geography of Saudi Arabia.