EXPRESSION PROFILES OF MIR-155-5P AND MIR-518B MICRORNAS IN CIRCULATING LEUKOCYTES OF THE PREGNANT PATIENTS WITH PREECLAMPSIA AND POLYCYSTIC OVARY SYNDROME.

Context: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with increased prevalence of preeclampsia (PE); microRNAs (miRs) could play an important role in the pathogenesis of PE and PCOS. Objective: To investigate the expression levels of miRs 155-5p and 518b in blood leukocytes of patients with PE and PCOS. Design: Using real-time quantitative PCR method, miR-155-5p and miR-518b were examined from PE, PCOS, PE+PCOS, and controls. Subjects and Methods: The relative expression of the target miRs in patient samples was compared to control samples. The results were calculated as relative quantification values. Results: Confounding variables were controlled using analyses for covariance. Significant differences were observed in miR-155-5p (p=0.008) and miRNA-518 (p=0.016) expression levels among the groups. miR-155-5p (p=0.014) and miR-518b (p=0.036) were upregulated in PCOS patients and miR-518b (p=0.028) were increased in cases with PCOS+PE. Near significant difference was found (p=0.06) in miR-518b expression levels in cases with PE, compared to controls. miR-518b was observed to be positively correlated with alanine transaminase in cases with PE (r=0.80; P=0.017) and PE+PCOS (r=0.80, p=0.017). Conclusions: Our preliminary findings suggested that expression profiling of miR-155-5p and miR-518b in blood leukocytes were upregulated in pregnant women with PCOS. Moreover, miR-518b was found to be related to PE in cases with PCOS.

The rs2516839 variation of USF1 gene is associated with 4-year mortality of nonagenarian women: The Vitality 90+ study.

Upstream transcription factor 1 (USF1) regulates the transcription of many genes related to cell and organism survival processes such as stress and immune response, regulation of cellular senesce, and carcinogenesis. In this study, our aim was to investigate the effect of USF1 single nucleotide variations (SNVs) on longevity in the Vitality 90+ study, a population-based study of nonagenarians (90 ±1 years of age) living in the area of Tampere municipality, Finland. Altogether 509 voluntary nonagenarians (115 males, 394 females) were genotyped using the 5'-nuclease assay for rs2774279G > A, rs2516839T > C, and rs2073658C > T SNVs. During the 4 years of follow-up, the total mortality rate was 64.2%. In the study, we found that the frequency of C-allele of rs2516839 among nonsurviving nonagenarians (52.5%) was higher than those who survived (41.2%; P = 0.0006, odds ratio = 1.575, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.215-2.041). Furthermore, carriage of this variation and its haplotypes had a significant gender by genotype interaction (P < 0.05) on mortality. Kaplan-Meier log-rank test during 4-years of follow-up showed significantly higher mortality rate in the case of CC genotype carriage than other genotype carriages in nonagenarian women (P < 0.0001). In addition, after adjusting for age in Cox regression analysis, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, infectious disease, dementia, and living place (nursing home or home), CC genotype of rs2516839T > C was found to be associated with shorter life expectancy in nonagenarian women (hazard ratio = 2.27; 95% CI, 1.34-3.85 P = 0.002). In conclusion, rs2516839 variation and related haplotypes of the USF1 gene are strongly related to all-cause mortality in Finnish nonagenarians, especially among women.

Experimental study on copper uptake capacity in the Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis).

To investigate the effect of different sizes, sex, and exposure time on Cu uptake capacity, mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis of different shell sizes were exposed to different Cu concentrations in different aquariums. In another experiment, mussels were exposed to stable dissolved Cu for 6 days in the laboratory. All mussels tissue concentrations were analyzed using energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) spectrometry. At the end of uptake, the rate of increase of Cu level in the soft tissues of mussels in different aquariums was 3.84-7.92 times higher than before exposure. While the results of Cu concentrations were negatively correlated with the shell sizes in the control and second groups (r control = -0.862, r second = -0.851 p < 0.05), this relation was not observed in the other groups (p > 0.05). Also, results showed no significant difference between male and female (p > 0.05). On the other hand, Cu concentration values in soft tissue were monitored daily and observed to be increasing up to the third day but afterwards to be descending, thus indicating a significant effect of the exposure time-related Cu uptake by mussels. Therefore, the exposure time to Cu metal of the mussel should be taken into account in the marine pollution investigations. In addition, by using the obtained Cu heavy metal concentration results, the heavy metal intake by the human population was calculated by taking into account daily mussel consumption. The results were examined for potential human health risks and discussed. These results would be helpful to understand factors controlling Cu accumulation in mussels.

Assessment of the regional economic impacts of catastrophic events: CGE analysis of resource loss and behavioral effects of an RDD attack scenario.

We investigate the regional economic consequences of a hypothetical catastrophic event-attack via radiological dispersal device (RDD)-centered on the downtown Los Angeles area. We distinguish two routes via which such an event might affect regional economic activity: (i) reduction in effective resource supply (the resource loss effect) and (ii) shifts in the perceptions of economic agents (the behavioral effect). The resource loss effect relates to the physical destructiveness of the event, while the behavioral effect relates to changes in fear and risk perception. Both affect the size of the regional economy. RDD detonation causes little capital damage and few casualties, but generates substantial short-run resource loss via business interruption. Changes in fear and risk perception increase the supply cost of resources to the affected region, while simultaneously reducing demand for goods produced in the region. We use results from a nationwide survey, tailored to our RDD scenario, to inform our model values for behavioral effects. Survey results, supplemented by findings from previous research on stigmatized asset values, suggest that in the region affected by the RDD, households may require higher wages, investors may require higher returns, and customers may require price discounts. We show that because behavioral effects may have lingering long-term deleterious impacts on both the supply-cost of resources to a region and willingness to pay for regional output, they can generate changes in regional gross domestic product (GDP) much greater than those generated by resource loss effects. Implications for policies that have the potential to mitigate these effects are discussed.

Association of C-reactive protein (CRP) gene allelic variants with serum CRP levels and hypertension in Turkish adults.

OBJECTIVE: Serum C-reactive protein (CRP) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome (MetS). The aim of this study was to analyze the CRP gene allelic variations in the Turkish adult risk factor (TARF) study and relate them with serum CRP levels as well as MetS and its components. METHODS: We analyzed CRP gene polymorphisms (-286C>T>A [rs3091244], +1444C>T [rs1130864], +1059G>C [rs1800947], and +1846G>A [rs1205]) as well as their haplotypes, in addition to measuring CRP levels (n=1138) and collecting risk factor data from 1987 adults (mean age 54.3+/-11.9 years, 51.3% women) participating in the TARF Study. MetS was defined by using the criteria of the National Cholesterol Education Program modified for pre-diabetes and in men for abdominal obesity. RESULTS: After adjustment for the major cardiovascular risk factors, four CRP SNPs (-286C>T>A, +1059G>C, +1444C>T, and +1846G>A) were significantly associated with serum CRP levels in women (p<0.05), whereas the -286C>T>A and +1444C>T polymorphisms were associated with CRP levels in men (p<0.05). The haplotype analyses revealed four common CRP haplotypes. The haplotype 1 (CGCA) in women and the haplotype 3 (TGTG) in men were associated with serum CRP levels and hypertension (p<0.05). However, no haplotype association was observed for MetS or its components. CONCLUSION: CRP gene allelic variation is associated with serum CRP levels as well as hypertension in Turkish adults.