RESUMO
Quantitative fluorescent polymerase chain reaction (QF-PCR), in recent years, has been accepted as a rapid, high throughput, and sensitive method for prenatal diagnosis of common chromosomal aneuploidies. Since short tandem repeats (STRs) are the cornerstone of QF-PCR technique, selection of the most polymorphic STR markers is an essential step for a successful QF-PCR assay. The genetic variation parameters of each STR marker differ among different populations. In this study, we investigated the size, frequency, heterozygosity, polymorphism information content, power of discrimination, and other genetic polymorphism data for 21 STR markers on chromosomes 13, 18, 21, X, and Y in 1000 amniotic fluid samples obtained from south Iranian women. Our results showed that all the 21 STR markers are highly polymorphic and informative in our population. The heterozygosity, polymorphism information content, and power of discrimination of the markers were 62-91.1%, 0.61-0.91, and 0.830-0.976, respectively. The locus D18S386 was the most polymorphic STR, while the locus DXYS218 was the least polymorphic STR among all the studied STRs. The present study has provided extensive data regarding the efficiency of the 21 STR markers for diagnosis of chromosomes 13, 18, 21, X, and Y aneuploidies in the south Iranian population.
Assuntos
Cromossomos Humanos/genética , Repetições de Microssatélites , Diagnóstico Pré-Natal/métodos , População Branca/genética , Líquido Amniótico/química , Cromossomos Humanos Par 13/genética , Cromossomos Humanos Par 18/genética , Cromossomos Humanos Par 21/genética , Cromossomos Humanos X/genética , Cromossomos Humanos Y/genética , Feminino , Frequência do Gene , Variação Genética , Humanos , Irã (Geográfico) , Masculino , GravidezRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Male pattern baldness or androgenetic alopecia is a common disorder affecting almost 50% of men throughout their lifetime, with androgens and genetics having significant contributing aetiologies. In contrast to the positive regulatory effect of androgens on body hair growth, they are thought to alter scalp hair follicle behaviour pathophysiologically, leading to male pattern baldness. However, the exact mechanisms of this paradoxical action have not yet been elucidated. The role of microRNAs, a novel group of noncoding RNAs impacting almost every aspect of biology, health and human diseases, has been documented in hair follicle formation. In addition, their deregulation in cancer of the prostate, a target organ of androgens, has also been well established. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the possible contribution of microRNAs in the pathophysiology of male pattern baldness. METHODS: We initially screened microRNA expression profiles of balding and nonbalding hair follicle papillae with a sensitive microRNA cloning method, microRNA amplification profiling, and statistically analysed significant differentially expressed microRNAs in balding relative to nonbalding dermal papillae, with real-time polymerase chain reaction as a confirmatory method to quantify expression in eight individuals affected with the disorder. RESULTS: We detected the significant upregulation of miR-221, miR-125b, miR-106a and miR-410 in balding papilla cells. CONCLUSIONS: We found four microRNAs that could participate in the pathogenesis of male pattern baldness. Regarding the strong therapeutic potential of microRNAs and the easy accessibility of hair follicles for gene therapy, microRNAs are possible candidates for a new generation of revolutionary treatments.
