Search

Would the use of genome-wide genotyping be an advantageous strategy to identify the molecular aetiology of two brothers from a non-consanguineous family, clinically diagnosed with total globozoospermia?Two related Spanish globozoospermic patients were studied. Eight first- and second-degree family members were also included in the study. The clinical procedure included anamnesis, physical examination and semen analyses. Acrosome visualization was performed by fluorescein isothiocyanate-Pisum sativum agglutinin labelling and ultrastructural electron microscope sperm analysis. Sperm DNA fragmentation was determined by TUNEL and SCD. Molecular analysis included: the detection of deletion of the DPY19L2 gene by a BPa (break point "a") gap-polymerase chain reaction, and genotyping by using a high-throughput genome-wide genotyping platform and a genotype imputation strategy.The biological characteristics of the two globozoospermic siblings included round-headed spermatozoa without an acrosome; ultrastructural defects in spermatozoa; increased sperm fragmentation and aneuploidies, inability of spermatozoa to activate oocytes (correctable with artificial activation) and good developmental potential of embryos generated by IVF/intracytoplasmic sperm injection. This genetic study focused on a genome-wide compound heterozygote analysis that identified two deleterious rare coding variants in the DPY19L2 gene [rs771726551 (c.431TA exon 3) and rs147579680 (c.869GA exon 8)].A genome-wide compound heterozygote analysis strategy should be considered for molecular screening in globozoospermia and other rare congenital diseases, particularly in cases from non-consanguineous families.

Objective Behcet's disease is a complex systemic inflammatory vasculitis of incompletely understood etiology. This study was undertaken to investigate genetic associations with Behcet's disease in a diverse multiethnic population. Methods A total of 9,444 patients and controls from 7 different populations were included in this study. Genotyping was performed using an Infinium ImmunoArray-24 v.1.0 or v.2.0 BeadChip. Analysis of expression data from stimulated monocytes, and epigenetic and chromatin interaction analyses were performed. Results We identified 2 novel genetic susceptibility loci for Behcet's disease, including a risk locus in IFNGR1 (rs4896243) (odds ratio [OR] 1.25; P = 2.42 x 10(-9)) and within the intergenic region LNCAROD/DKK1 (rs1660760) (OR 0.78; P = 2.75 x 10(-8)). The risk variants in IFNGR1 significantly increased IFNGR1 messenger RNA expression in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated monocytes. In addition, our results replicated the association (P < 5 x 10(-8)) of 6 previously identified susceptibility loci in Behcet's disease: IL10, IL23R, IL12A-AS1, CCR3, ADO, and LACC1, reinforcing the notion that these loci are strong genetic factors in Behcet's disease shared across ancestries. We also identified >30 genetic susceptibility loci with a suggestive level of association (P < 5 x 10(-5)), which will require replication. Finally, functional annotation of genetic susceptibility loci in Behcet's disease revealed their possible regulatory roles and suggested potential causal genes and molecular mechanisms that could be further investigated. Conclusion We performed the largest genetic association study in Behcet's disease to date. Our findings reveal novel putative functional variants associated with the disease and replicate and extend the genetic associations in other loci across multiple ancestries., National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) [R01AR070148]; NIH [U54GM104938, U19AI082714, UM1AI144292, P30AR053483, P30AR073750], Supported by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant number R01AR070148 to Dr. Sawalha. Recruitment and genotyping of the EuropeanAmerican controls was supported by NIH grants number U54GM104938, U19AI082714, UM1AI144292, P30AR053483, and P30AR073750 to Drs. Guthridge and James. This work was supported by the use of study data downloaded from the dbGaP web site, under dbGaP accession phs000272. v1.p1.

The identification of new genes involved in sexual development and gonadal function as potential candidates causing male infertility is important for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Deficiency of the onco-miRNA cluster miR-17∼92 has been shown to disrupt spermatogenesis, whereas mutations in its paralog cluster, miR-106b∼25, that is expressed in the same cells, were reported to have no effect on testis development and function. The aim of this work is to determine the role of these two miRNA clusters in spermatogenesis and male fertility. For this, we analyzed miR-106b∼25 and miR-17∼92 single and double mouse mutants and compared them to control mice. We found that miR-106b∼25 knock out testes show reduced size, oligozoospermia and altered spermatogenesis. Transcriptomic analysis showed that multiple molecular pathways are deregulated in these mutant testes. Nevertheless, mutant males conserved normal fertility even when early spermatogenesis and other functions were disrupted. In contrast, miR-17∼92+/−; miR-106b∼25−/− double mutants showed severely disrupted testicular histology and significantly reduced fertility. Our results indicate that miR-106b∼25 and miR-17∼92 ensure accurate gene expression levels in the adult testis, keeping them within the required thresholds. They play a crucial role in testis homeostasis and are required to maintain male fertility. Hence, we have identified new candidate genetic factors to be screened in the molecular diagnosis of human males with reproductive disorders. Finally, considering the well-known oncogenic nature of these two clusters and the fact that patients with reduced fertility are more prone to testicular cancer, our results might also help to elucidate the molecular mechanisms linking both pathologies.

Context Approximately 70% of infertile men are diagnosed with idiopathic (abnormal semen parameters) or unexplained (normozoospermia) infertility, with the common feature of lacking etiologic factors. Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is essential for initiation and maintenance of spermatogenesis. Certain single-nucleotide variations (SNVs; formerly single-nucleotide polymorphisms [SNPs]) (ie, FSHB c.–211G > T, FSHR c.2039A > G) are associated with FSH, testicular volume, and spermatogenesis. It is unknown to what extent other variants are associated with FSH levels and therewith resemble causative factors for infertility. Objective We aimed to identify further genetic determinants modulating FSH levels in a cohort of men presenting with idiopathic or unexplained infertility. Methods We retrospectively (2010-2018) selected 1900 men with idiopathic/unexplained infertility. In the discovery study (n = 760), a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed (Infinium PsychArrays) in association with FSH values (Illumina GenomeStudio, v2.0). Minor allele frequencies (MAFs) were analyzed for the discovery and an independent normozoospermic cohort. In the validation study (n = 1140), TaqMan SNV polymerase chain reaction was conducted for rs11031005 and rs10835638 in association with andrological parameters. Results Imputation revealed 9 SNVs in high linkage disequilibrium, with genome-wide significance (P Conclusions This GWAS delineates the polymorphic FSHB genomic region as the main determinant of FSH levels in men with unexplained or idiopathic infertility. Given the essential role of FSH, molecular detection of one of the identified SNVs that causes lowered FSH and therewith decreases spermatogenesis could resolve the idiopathic/unexplained origin by this etiologic factor.

We aimed to analyze the role of the common genetic variants located in the PIN1 locus, a relevant prolyl isomerase required to control the proliferation of spermatogonial stem cells and the integrity of the blood–testis barrier, in the genetic risk of developing male infertility due to a severe spermatogenic failure (SPGF). Genotyping was performed using TaqMan genotyping assays for three PIN1 taggers (rs2287839, rs2233678 and rs62105751). The study cohort included 715 males diagnosed with SPGF and classified as suffering from non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA, n = 505) or severe oligospermia (SO, n = 210), and 1058 controls from the Iberian Peninsula. The allelic frequency differences between cases and controls were analyzed by the means of logistic regression models. A subtype specific genetic association with the subset of NOA patients classified as suffering from the Sertoli cell-only (SCO) syndrome was observed with the minor alleles showing strong risk effects for this subset (ORaddrs2287839 = 1.85 (1.17–2.93), ORaddrs2233678 = 1.62 (1.11–2.36), ORaddrs62105751 = 1.43 (1.06–1.93)). The causal variants were predicted to affect the binding of key transcription factors and to produce an altered PIN1 gene expression and isoform balance. In conclusion, common non-coding single-nucleotide polymorphisms located in PIN1 increase the genetic risk to develop SCO., Plan Andaluz de Investigacion, Desarrollo e Innovacion (PAIDI 2020) PY20_00212 P20_00583, Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through the Spanish National Plan for Scientific and Technical Research and Innovation SAF2016-78722-R PID2020-120157RB-I00, Proyectos I + D + i del Programa Operativo FEDER 2020 B-CTS-584-UGR20 B-CTS-260-UGR20, Spanish Government RYC-2014-16458, Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through the "Juan de la Cierva Incorporacion" program (MCIN/AEI) IJC2018038026-I, European Commission, MCIN/AEI, FSE "El FSE invierte en tu futuro" FPU20/02926 BES-2017-081222, Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) - European Social Funds (COMPETE-FEDER) Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology IF/01262/2014, FCT from the Portuguese State Budget of the Ministry for Science, Technology and High Education SFRH/BPD/120777/2016, European Social Fund through the Programa Operacional do Capital Humano, Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology European Commission UID/BIM/00009/2013 UIDB/UIDP/00009/2020, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (FEDER funds/European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)-a way to build Europe) DTS18/00101, Generalitat de Catalunya 2017SGR191, SNS-Dpt. Salut Generalitat de Catalunya CES09/020 MCIN/AEI BES-2017-081222 PEstC/SAU/LA0003/2013 POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007274

This research was funded by the Institute of Health Carlos III (PI13/01559), including the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) and the Regional Health Council of Andalusia (Spain) (PI-0405-2014)., This study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, and the protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of “Consejería de Salud y Familias, Junta de Andalucía” (PI-0405-2014). and “Consejería de Igualdad, Salud y Políticas Sociales, Junta de Andalucía” (PI13/01559)We follow the standards described in Andalusian and Spanish laws of personal data protection and biomedical research for the treatment of information and biological samples of human origin., Women were informed of all study procedures and gave their informed consent for inclusion before they participated in the study., The authors thank the team of the i-Diet software for their support in the estimation of daily energy and nutrient intake. Likewise, a special mention to the pregnant women who participated in this study and the health professionals from El Poniente Hospital, Almeria., Identification of causal factors that influence fetal growth and anthropometry at birth is of great importance as they provide information about increased risk of disease throughout life. The association between maternal genetic polymorphism MTHFR(677)C>T and anthropometry at birth has been widely studied because of its key role in the one-carbon cycle. MTHFR(677) CT and TT genotypes have been associated with a greater risk of low birth weight, especially in case of deficient intake of folic acid during pregnancy. This study aimed to analyze the association between the maternal MTHFR(677)C>T genetic polymorphism and anthropometry at birth in a population with adequate folate consumption. We included 694 mother-newborn pairs from a prospective population-based birth cohort in Spain, in the Genetics, Early life enviroNmental Exposures and Infant Development in Andalusia (GENEIDA) project. Women were genotyped for MTHFR(677)C>T SNP by Q-PCR using TaqMan (c) probes. Relevant maternal and newborn information was obtained from structured questionnaires and medical records. Results showed that maternal MTHFR(677)C>T genotype was associated with newborn anthropometry. Genotypes CT or CT/TT showed statistically significant associations with increased or decreased risk of large-for-gestational-age (LGA) or small-for-gestational-age (SGA) based on weight and height, depending on the newborn's sex, as well as with SGA in premature neonates. The relationships between this maternal genotype and anthropometry at birth remained despite an adequate maternal folate intake., Instituto de Salud Carlos III PI13/01559, European Commission, Regional Health Council of Andalusia (Spain) PI-0405-2014

Infertility is a growing concern in developed societies. Two extreme phenotypes of male infertility are non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) and severe oligospermia (SO), which are characterized by severe spermatogenic failure (SpF). We designed a genetic association study comprising 725 Iberian infertile men as a consequence of SpF and 1058 unaffected controls to evaluate whether five single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), previously associated with reduced fertility in Hutterites, are also involved in the genetic susceptibility to idiopathic SpF and specific clinical entities. A significant difference in the allele frequencies of USP8-rs7174015 was observed under the recessive model between the NOA group and both the control group (p = 0.0226, OR = 1.33) and the SO group (p = 0.0048, OR = 1.78). Other genetic associations for EPSTI1-rs12870438 and PSAT1-rs7867029 with SO and between TUSC1-rs10966811 and testicular sperm extraction (TESE) success in the context of NOA were observed. In silico analysis of functional annotations demonstrated cis-eQTL effects of such SNPs likely due to the modification of binding motif sites for relevant transcription factors of the spermatogenic process. The findings reported here shed light on the molecular mechanisms leading to severe phenotypes of idiopathic male infertility, and may help to better understand the contribution of the common genetic variation to the development of these conditions., Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through the Spanish State Plan for Scientific and Technical Research and Innovation SAF201678722-R, Spanish Government RYC-2014-16458, "Juan de la Cierva Incorporacion" program IJC2018-038026-I, European Union (EU), Spanish Government FIS-ISCIII DTS18/00101, Generalitat de Catalunya 2017SGR191, "Plan Propio" program of the University of Granada ("Becas de Iniciacion a la Investigacion para estudiantes de Grado"), "Researchers Consolidation Program" from the SNS-Dpt. Salut Generalitat de Catalunya CES09/020, FCT/MCTES, through national funds attributed to Center for Toxicogenomics and Human Health-ToxOmics UIDB/00009/2020, Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology SFRH/BPD/120777/2016, Portuguese State Budget of the Ministry for Science, Technology and High Education, European Social Fund through the Programa Operacional do Capital Humano, Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology IF/01262/2014, FCT in the framework of the project "Institute for Research and Innovation in Health Sciences" POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007274

Objective: To evaluate whether SOHLH2 intronic variation contributes to the genetic predisposition to male infertility traits, including severe oligospermia (SO) and different nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA) clinical phenotypes. Design: Genetic association study. Setting: Not applicable. Patient(s): Five hundred five cases (455 infertile patients diagnosed with NOA and 50 with SO) and 1,050 healthy controls from Spain and Portugal. Intervention(s): None. Main outcome measure(s): Genomic DNA extraction from peripheral blood mononuclear cells, genotyping of the SOHLH2 polymorphisms rs1328626 and rs6563386 using the TaqMan allelic discrimination technology, case-control association analyses using logistic regression models, and exploration of functional annotations in publicly available databases. Result(s): Evidence of association was observed for both rs6563386 with SO and rs1328626 with unsuccessful sperm retrieval after testicular sperm extraction (TESE-) in the context of NOA. A dominant effect of the minor alleles was suggested in both associations, either when the subset of patients with the manifestation were compared against the control group (rs6563386/SO: P=.021, odds ratio [OR] = 0.51; rs1328626/TESE-: P=.066, OR = 1.46) or against the group of patients without the manifestation (rs6563386/SO: P=.014, OR = 0.46; rs1328626/TESE-: P=.012, OR = 2.43). The haplotype tests suggested a combined effect of both polymorphisms. In silico analyses evidenced that this effect could be due to alteration of the isoform population. Conclusion(s): Our data suggest that intronic variation of SOHLH2 is associated with spermatogenic failure. The genetic effect is likely caused by different haplotypes of rs6563386 and rs1328626, which may predispose to SO or TESE- depending on the specific allelic combination. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

PTPN22 encodes a lymphoid-specific tyrosine phosphatase (LYP) that is a master regulator of the immune response. This gene is a major susceptibility factor for a wide range of autoimmune conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA) for which it represents the strongest non-HLA contributor to disease risk. A missense PTPN22 allele (R620W) affecting the protein-protein interaction of LYP with other relevant players was described as the functional variant of the association. This review will focus on the role of PTPN22 in the pathogenic mechanisms underlying RA predisposition and discuss the possibility of developing LYP-based treatment strategies with a potential application in clinical practice. Areas covered: This review covers the literature showing how PTPN22 is implicated in signalling pathways involved in the autoimmune and autoinflammatory processes underlying RA. Insights obtained from studies aimed at developing novel selective LYP suppressors for treating RA are summarized. Expert opinion: Targeting key risk factors during the early steps of the disease may represent a good strategy to accomplish complete disease remission. As cumulating evidences suggest that PTPN22 R620W is a gain-of-function variant, a growing interest in developing LYP inhibitors has arisen. The potential efficacy and possible application of such compounds are discussed., FDC was recipient of a grant from the 'Ramon y Cajal' programme of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (RYC-2014-16458). JM was founded by Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Spain, through the RETICS Program RD16/0012/0004 (RIER), and the EU/EFPIA Innovative Medicines Initiative Joint Undertaking PRECISESADS (ref: 115565).

Inflammation plays a central role in the pathophysiology of acute pancreatitis (AP). We hypothesized that changes in the function of key components of the inflammatory cascade, caused by genetic polymorphisms, could determine the development and/or severity of AP. We studied the following polymorphisms in 269 patients: IL23R rs11209026, TNF rs1800629, RIPK2 rs42490, NOD2 rs9302752, MCP1 rs1024611 and NFKB1 rs28362491. The rs11209026 A allele was related to the presence of AP (p = 0.007261; OR = 1 .523). Epistasis analysis revealed that AP susceptibility was increased by interaction between IL23R rs11209026 and TNF rs1800629 (p = 1.205 x 10(-5); ORinteraction = 4.031). The rs42490-G allele was associated with an increased risk of severe pancreatitis (p = 0.01583; OR = 2.736), severe or moderately severe pancreatitis (p = 0.04206; OR = 1.609), and death (p = 0.03226; OR = 3.010). In conclusion, these results point to a plausible role for genetic polymorphisms in IL23R and RIPK2 in the development and severity of AP., This work was supported by the grants from Instituto de Salud Carlos III co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund [PI11/01386, PI16/00752, RETIC RD 06/020, RD09/0076/00165] and the Andalusian Regional Government in Spain (CTS-143). FDC received a "Ramon y Cajal" grant [RYC-2014-16458] from the Ministerio de Economia, Industria y Competitividad, Spain.

Objective To investigate the genetic background influencing the development of cardiovascular (CV) disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in which, after quality control and imputation, a total of 6,308,944 polymorphisms across the whole genome were analyzed in 2,989 RA patients of European origin. Data on subclinical atherosclerosis, obtained through assessment of carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and presence/absence of carotid plaques by carotid ultrasonography, were available for 1,355 individuals. Results A genetic variant of the RARB gene (rs116199914) was associated with CIMT values at the genome-wide level of significance (minor allele [G] beta coefficient 0.142, P = 1.86 x 10(-8)). Interestingly, rs116199914 overlapped with regulatory elements in tissues related to CV pathophysiology and immune cells. In addition, biologic pathway enrichment and predictive protein-protein relationship analyses, including suggestive GWAS signals of potential relevance, revealed a functional enrichment of the collagen biosynthesis network related to the presence/absence of carotid plaques (Gene Ontology no. 0032964; false discovery rate-adjusted P = 4.01 x 10(-3)). Furthermore, our data suggest potential influences of the previously described candidate CV risk loci NFKB1, MSRA, and ZC3HC1 (P = 8.12 x 10(-4), P = 5.94 x 10(-4), and P = 2.46 x 10(-4), respectively). Conclusion The present findings strongly suggest that genetic variation within RARB contributes to the development of subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with RA., Supported in part by the European Union FEDER fund and the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) (Fondo de Investigacion Sanitaria grants PI06/0024, PS09/00748, PI12/00060, PI15/00525, and CP16/00033), the ISCIII RETICS programs (RD12/0009 and RD16/0012), the European IMI BTCure Program. Dr. Lopez-Mejias is recipient of the Miguel Servet type I Program Fellowship from the ISCIII and the European Social Fund (ESF) (grant CP16/00033). Dr. Carmona's work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Ramon y Cajal Program grant RYC-2014-16458). Dr. Genre is recipient of a Sara Borrell postdoctoral fellowship from the ISCIII and ESF (grant CD15/00095). Dr. Remuzgo-Martinez' work was supported by the ISCIII and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) (RETICS Program RD16/0012/0009). Ms Pulito-Cueto's work was supported by a predoctoral grant from the Instituto de Investigacion Sanitaria Valdecilla (PREVAL 18/01). Ms Mijares' work was supported by the Miguel Servet type I Program from the ISCIII and ESF (grant CP16/00033). Dr. Gualillo is staff personnel of Xunta de Galicia (Servizo Galego de Saude [SERGAS]) through a research-staff stabilization contract (ISCIII/SERGAS) and his work is funded by ISCIII and FEDER (grants RD16/0012/0014 [RIER] and PI17/00409). He is beneficiary of project funds from the Research Executive Agency (REA) of the European Union in the framework of MSCA-RISE Action of the H2020 Programme, project 734899-Olive-Net.

Giant cell arteritis is a complex immune-mediated disease that involves large blood vessels in individuals older than 50 years. Recent studies have confirmed a strong association of this form of vasculitis with the HLA region, particularly with HLA class II genes. However, other non-HLA loci, such as protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 22, may also account for the susceptibility to giant cell arteritis. In addition, genetic variants located in genes encoding proinflammatory cytokines seem to influence the phenotypic expression of the disease, including the risk of severe ischemic complications, the presence of polymyalgia rheumatica and the higher incidence of relapses observed in some patients. The identification of putative genetic markers of disease severity could have clear therapeutic implications, as it may allow us to identify patients who are potentially responders to specific treatments.

ObjetiveSystemic vasculitides represent a heterogeneous group of rare complex diseases of the blood vessels with a poorly understood aetiology. To investigate the shared genetic component underlying their predisposition, we performed the first cross-phenotype meta-analysis of genetic data from different clinically distinct patterns of vasculitis.MethodsImmunochip genotyping data from 2465 patients diagnosed with giant cell arteritis, Takayasu’s arteritis, antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis or IgA vasculitis as well as 4632 unaffected controls were analysed to identify common susceptibility loci for vasculitis development. The possible functional consequences of the associated variants were interrogated using publicly available annotation data.ResultsThe strongest association signal corresponded with an intergenic polymorphism located between HLA-DQB1 and HLA-DQA2 (rs6932517, P=4.16E-14, OR=0.74). This single nucleotide polymorphism is in moderate linkage disequilibrium with the disease-specific human leucocyte antigen (HLA) class II associations of each type of vasculitis and could mark them. Outside the HLA region, we identified the KDM4C gene as a common risk locus for vasculitides (highest peak rs16925200, P=6.23E-07, OR=1.75). This gene encodes a histone demethylase involved in the epigenetic control of gene expression.ConclusionsThrough a combined analysis of Immunochip data, we have identified KDM4C as a new risk gene shared between systemic vasculitides, consistent with the increasing evidences of the crucial role that the epigenetic mechanisms have in the development of complex immune-mediated conditions.

We wish to specially thank Begoña Ubilla, Verónica Mijares, Virginia Portilla González, Rodrigo Ochoa, Marta Conde-Jaldón, Lourdes Ortiz-Fernández, Ana Márquez, Luis Sala-Icardo, Javier Rueda-Gotor, Belén Sevilla-Perez, Vanesa Calvo-Río, Natalia Palmou, María C. González-Vela, Francisca González Escribano, J. Gonzalo Ocejo-Vinyals, Javier Sánchez-Pérez, Antonio Navas Parejo, Diego de Argila, Maximiliano Aragües, Esteban Rubio, Manuel León Luque, Juan María Blanco-Madrigal, Eva Galíndez- Aguirregoikoa, José A. Miranda-Filloy, Trinitario Pina and Norberto Ortego-Centeno that have been involved in our studies., Immunoglobulin-A vasculitis (IgAV) is classically a childhood small-sized blood vessel vasculitis with predominant involvement of the skin. Gastrointestinal and joint manifestations are common in patients diagnosed with this condition. Nephritis, which is more severe in adults, constitutes the most feared complication of this vasculitis. The molecular bases underlying the origin of IgAV have not been completely elucidated. Nevertheless, several pieces of evidence support the claim that genes play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of this disease. The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) region is, until now, the main genetic factor associated with IgAV pathogenesis. Besides a strong associationwith HLA class II alleles, specifically HLA-DRB1 alleles, HLA class I alleles also seemto influence on the predisposition of this disease. Other gene polymorphisms located outside the HLA region, including those coding cytokines, chemokines, adhesionmolecules aswell as those related to T-cells, aberrant glycosylation of IgA1, nitric oxide production, neoangiogenesis, renin-angiotensin system and lipid, Pyrin and homocysteine metabolism, may be implicated not only in the predisposition to IgAV but also in its severity. An update of the current knowledge of the genetic component associated with the pathogenesis of IgAV is detailed in this review., RL-Mis supported by the Miguel Servet I programme of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through the grant CP16/ 00033. FG is recipient of a Sara Borrell postdoctoral fellowship from the “Instituto Carlos III de Salud” at the Spanish Ministry of Health (Spain) (CD15/00095). SR-M is supported by funds from the RETICS Program (RIER) (RD16/0012/0009). FDC is supported by the Ramón y Cajal programme of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through the grant RYC-2014-16458.

Tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2) is a member of the Janus kinases family implicated in the signal transduction of type I interferons and several interleukins. It has been described that genetic mutations within TYK2 lead to multiple deleterious effects in the immune response. In this work, we have analyzed three functional independent variants from the frequency spectrum on the TYK2 gene (common and low-frequency variants) suggested to reduce the function of the gene in mediating cytokine signaling and the susceptibility to infections by Trypanosoma cruzi and/or the development of Chagas cardiomyopathy in the Colombian population. A total of 1,323 individuals from a Colombian endemic region for Chagas disease were enrolled in the study. They were classified as seronegative (n = 445), seropositive asymptomatic (n = 336), and chronic Chagas Cardiomyopathy subjects (n = 542). DNA samples were genotyped using TaqMan probes. Our results showed no statistically significant differences between the allelic frequencies of the three analyzed variants when seropositive and seronegative individuals were compared, therefore these variants were not associated with susceptibility to Chagas disease. Moreover, when Chagas cardiomyopathy patients were compared to asymptomatic patients, no significant associations were found. Previous reports highlighted the association of this gene in immune-related disorders under an autoimmunity context, but not predisposing patients to infectious diseases, which is consistent with our findings. Therefore, according to our results, TYK2 gene variants do not seem to play an important role in Chagas disease susceptibility and/or chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy., This work has received support from the grant nº 1102-519-29071 from the Departamento Administrativo de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación, Colciencias (http://www.colciencias.gov.co), and the Universidad Industrial de Santander, Bucaramanga, Colombia, CIG. This study is part of the “Red Iberoamericana de Medicina Genómica en Enfermedad de Chagas” (RIMGECH-217RT0524). MAH is recipient of a Juan de la Cierva fellowship (FJCI-2015-24028) and FDC is recipient of a grant from the Ramon y Cajal programme (RYC-2014-16458), both from the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness.

The genetic component of Immunoglobulin-A (IgA) vasculitis is still far to be elucidated. To increase the current knowledge on the genetic component of this vasculitis we performed the first genome-wide association study (GWAS) on this condition. 308 IgA vasculitis patients and 1,018 healthy controls from Spain were genotyped by Illumina HumanCore BeadChips. Imputation of GWAS data was performed using the 1000 Genomes Project Phase III dataset as reference panel. After quality control filters and GWAS imputation, 285 patients and 1,006 controls remained in the datasets and were included in further analysis. Additionally, the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) region was comprehensively studied by imputing classical alleles and polymorphic amino acid positions. A linkage disequilibrium block of polymorphisms located in the HLA class II region surpassed the genome-wide level of significance (OR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.46–0.68). Although no polymorphic amino acid positions were associated at the genome-wide level of significance, P-values of potential relevance were observed for the positions 13 and 11 of HLA-DRB1 (P = 6.67E-05, P = 1.88E-05, respectively). Outside the HLA, potential associations were detected, but none of them were close to the statistical significance. In conclusion, our study suggests that IgA vasculitis is an archetypal HLA class II disease., This study was supported by European Union FEDER funds and “Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias” (grant PI12/00193) from ‘Instituto de Salud Carlos III’ (ISCIII, Health Ministry, Spain). RL-M was supported by the Miguel Servet I programme of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through the grant CP16/00033. FDC was supported by the Ramón y Cajal programme of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through the grant RYC-2014-16458. FG was recipient of a Sara Borrell postdoctoral fellowship from the “Instituto Carlos III de Salud” at the Spanish Ministry of Health (Spain) (CD15/00095). SR-M and BU were supported by funds from the RETICS Program (RIER) (RD16/0012/0009 and RD12/0009/0013, respectively).

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is the most common form of vasculitis in individuals older than 50 years in Western countries. To shed light onto the genetic background influencing susceptibility for GCA, we performed a genome-wide association screening in a well-powered study cohort. After imputation, 1,844,133 genetic variants were analyzed in 2,134 case subjects and 9,125 unaffected individuals from ten independent populations of European ancestry. Our data confirmed HLA class II as the strongest associated region (independent signals: rs9268905, p = 1.94 × 10−54, per-allele OR = 1.79; and rs9275592, p = 1.14 × 10−40, OR = 2.08). Additionally, PLG and P4HA2 were identified as GCA risk genes at the genome-wide level of significance (rs4252134, p = 1.23 × 10−10, OR = 1.28; and rs128738, p = 4.60 × 10−9, OR = 1.32, respectively). Interestingly, we observed that the association peaks overlapped with different regulatory elements related to cell types and tissues involved in the pathophysiology of GCA. PLG and P4HA2 are involved in vascular remodelling and angiogenesis, suggesting a high relevance of these processes for the pathogenic mechanisms underlying this type of vasculitis.

ObjectiveTo evaluate whether the systemic sclerosis (SSc)-associated IRAK1 non-synonymous single-nucleotide polymorphism rs1059702 is responsible for the Xq28 association with SSc or whether there are other independent signals in the nearby methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 gene (MECP2).MethodsWe analysed a total of 3065 women with SSc and 2630 unaffected controls from five independent Caucasian cohorts. Four tag single-nucleotide polymorphisms of MECP2 (rs3027935, rs17435, rs5987201 and rs5945175) and the IRAK1 variant rs1059702 were genotyped using TaqMan predesigned assays. A meta-analysis including all cohorts was performed to test the overall effect of these Xq28 polymorphisms on SSc.ResultsIRAK1 rs1059702 and MECP2 rs17435 were associated specifically with diffuse cutaneous SSc (PFDR=4.12×10−3, OR=1.27, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.47, and PFDR=5.26×10−4, OR=1.30, 95% CI 1.14 to 1.48, respectively), but conditional logistic regression analysis showed that the association of IRAK1 rs1059702 with this subtype was explained by that of MECP2 rs17435. On the other hand, IRAK1 rs1059702 was consistently associated with presence of pulmonary fibrosis (PF), because statistical significance was observed when comparing SSc patients PF+ versus controls (PFDR=0.039, OR=1.30, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.58) and SSc patients PF+ versus SSc patients PF− (p=0.025, OR=1.26, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.55).ConclusionsOur data clearly suggest the existence of two independent signals within the Xq28 region, one located in IRAK1 related to PF and another in MECP2 related to diffuse cutaneous SSc, indicating that both genes may have an impact on the clinical outcome of the disease.

Vitamin D is an important modulator of the immune response. It acts over several immune cell types where the Vitamin D receptor (VDR) is expressed. Due to the high relevance of this signaling pathway, several studies have investigated the possible influence of genes involved in the metabolism of Vitamin D and its receptor in different human diseases. Here, we analyzed whether four single-nucleotide polymorphisms of the VDR gene (rs731236, rs7975232, rs1544410 and rs2228570) are involved in the susceptibility to infection by Trypanosoma cruzi and/or to chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy (CCC) in a Colombian endemic population for this parasite. Our results showed that the rs2228570*A allele is associated with CCC development (P = 4.46E−03, OR = 1.51). In summary, the data presented in this report suggest that variation within the VDR gene may affect the immune response against T. cruzi, increasing the probability of cardiac complications in infected individuals.

Objective.To evaluate the genetic background of systemic sclerosis (SSc) in the Turkish population.Methods.There were 354 cases and 718 unaffected controls from Turkey genotyped for the most relevant SSc genetic markers (IRF5-rs10488631, STAT4-rs3821236, CD247-rs2056626, DNASE1L3-rs35677470, IL12A-rs77583790, and ATG5-rs9373839). Association tests were conducted to identify possible associations.Results.Except for ATG5, all the analyzed genes showed either significant associations (IRF5: p = 1.32E–05, OR 1.76; CD247: p = 2.20E–03, OR 0.75) or trends of association (STAT4: p = 0.066, OR 1.21; IL12A: p = 0.079, OR 4.07; DNASE1L3: p = 0.097, OR 1.41) with the overall disease or with specific phenotypes.Conclusion.The genetic component of SSc seems to be similar between Turks and Europeans.

To further explore the potential role of chemokines in giant cell arteritis (GCA), we have studied whether the CCR5/Δ32CCR5 polymorphism is implicated in the susceptibility to the disease and its specific features. A total of 352 Spanish patients with biopsy-proven GCA and 479 matched controls were assessed. DNA was obtained from peripheral blood. Samples were genotyped by PCR with specific primers spanning the 32-bp deletion region. No statistically significant difference in the Δ32CCR5 allele frequency between GCA patients (6.1%) and controls (6.8%) was observed (p = 0.58). This was also the case when the CCR5 /Δ32CCR5 genotype distribution was assessed (p = 0.49). The Δ32CCR5 allele frequency did not differ between patients with or without specific manifestations of the disease, such as polymyalgia rheumatica, visual ischemic manifestations, or irreversible occlusive disease. Hence, our results do not support a potential influence of Δ32CCR5 in the susceptibility to or clinical spectrum of GCA.

Corneal development and structure were studied in the Iberian mole Talpa occidentalis, which has permanently closed eyelids, and the European mole Talpa europaea, in which the eyes are open. The vertebrate cornea typically maintains a three-layered structure – a stratified epithelium with protective and sensory function, an avascular, hypocellular, collagenous stroma, and an endothelium with both barrier and transport functions that regulates corneal hydration, hence maintaining transparency. Compared to mouse, both mole species had significant corneal specializations, but the Iberian mole had the most divergent phenotype, with no endothelium and a flattened monolayer epithelium. Nevertheless, normal epithelial cell junctions were observed and corneal transparency was maintained. Corneas of European moles have a dysmorphic phenotype that recapitulates the human disorder keratoconus for which no mouse model exists. Mole corneas are vascularized – a situation only previously observed in the manatee Trichechus– and have non-radial patterns of corneal innervation indicative of failure of corneal epithelial cell migration. The transcription factor Pax6 is required for corneal epithelial differentiation in mice, but was found to be dispensable in moles, which had mosaic patterns of PAX6 localization uniquely restricted, in European moles, to the apical epithelial cells. The apparently stalled or abnormal differentiation of corneas in adult moles is supported by their superficial similarity to the corneas of embryonic or neonatal mice, and their abnormal expression of cytokeratin-12 and cytokeratin-5. European moles seem to have maintained some barrier/protective function in their corneas. However, Iberian moles show a more significant corneal regression likely related to the permanent eyelid fusion. In this mole species, adaptation to the arid, harder, Southern European soils could have favoured the transfer of these functions to the permanently sealed eyelids.

Mammalian sex determination is the genetic process that commits the undifferentiated bipotential gonads to develop as either testes or ovaries. The differentiation of SOX9-expressing Sertoli cells is assumed to be necessary to initiate testis development. Insectivorous moles of the genus Talpa represent a unique case of generalized true hermaphroditism, as XX female moles constitutively develop two ovotestes instead of normal ovaries. In this work, we have investigated the expression patterns of a number of genes known to play key roles in gonad organogenesis, throughout the entire process of ovotestis development in female moles. Molecular and morphological evidence are provided that these ovotestes contain primary medullary testis-like cords, Leydig cells, peritubular myoid cells, and a testis-specific vasculature, but no Sertoli cells. Our results show for the first time that SOX9 is not required for the formation of the primary testis cords, but it is necessary for the maintenance and subsequent development of these cords. In addition, the expression pattern of WNT4 in male and female moles indicates that this gene inhibits Leydig cell differentiation and, contrary to the proposed scenario in the mouse, it is not required for the colonization and survival of primordial germ cells. According to our data, mole ovotestes result from a process of PDGFRalpha-mediated mesonephric cell migration, which occurs simultaneously in both sexes. The fact that FST remains inactive during the critical stages of female gonad development, explains the lack of migration inhibition, and may be a consequence of improper WNT4 signalling in the mole.

The skeleton of mammals has been the subject of detailed anatomical and functional studies for centuries, and investigations of its ontogeny enjoy a long tradition (Starck 1995). However, knowledge of the timing of ossification is restricted to few species. Most available data of this kind pertain to species used in the lab or domesticated animals (e.g., Curgy 1965). Here we report on the ossification timing in the Iberian mole Talpa occidentalis (Fig. 1), based on the study of a developmental series obtained in studies of reproductive biology and growth in this species (e.g., Barrionuevo et al., 2004 F.J. Barrionuevo, F. Zurita, M. Burgos and R. Jimenez, Developmental stages and growth rate of the mole Talpa occidentalis (Insectivora, Mammalia), J. Mammal. 85 (2004), pp. 120–125. Full Text via CrossRef | View Record in Scopus | Cited By in Scopus (5)Barrionuevo et al. 2004). This study complements those on the ossification patterns in the European mole Talpa europaea (Prochel 2006; Goswami and Prochel 2007) and in other eulipotyphlans (Prochel et al. 2004).

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a complex condition in which many loci across the genome may be involved in its susceptibility and phenotypic expression. However, recent large-scale genetic data has shown that the HLA system exerts most of the genetic influence to disease risk, particularly class II genes. This is in contrast with that observed in Takayasu arteritis, the other large vessel vasculitis, in which the HLA association is mainly driven by class I haplotypes. The use of novel imputation methods has made possible an analysis of the HLA system at the amino acid level in GCA. In this context, three polymorphic amino acid positions (positions 13 and 56 of the class II molecules HLA-DRβ1 and HLA-DQα-1, respectively, and position 45 of the class I molecule HLA-B) have been proposed as the causative variants for the HLA association with this type of vasculitis. Although functional experiments may be carried out to confirm these findings, the current data clearly reinforces the idea of GCA as an antigen-driven disease with a major role of T cells.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether the interleukin-33 (IL-33)-interleukin-1 receptor like 1 (IL-1RL1) signaling pathway is implicated in the risk of subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: A total of 576 Spanish RA patients from Northern Spain were genotyped for 6 well-known IL33-IL1RL1 polymorphisms (IL33 rs3939286, IL33 rs7025417, IL33 rs7044343, IL1RL1 rs2058660, IL1RL1 rs2310173 and IL1RL1 rs13015714) by TaqMan genotyping assay. The presence of subclinical atherosclerosis was determined by the assessment of carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) by carotid ultrasound (US). RESULTS: RA patients carrying the TT genotype of the IL33 rs3939286 polymorphism had lower cIMT values than those homozygous for the CC genotype (mean ± standard deviation (SD): 0.71 ± 0.14 mm versus 0.76 ± 0.16 mm, respectively) while patients carrying the CT genotype had intermediate cIMT values (mean ± SD: 0.73 ± 0.17 mm). Moreover, RA patients carrying the mutant allele T of the IL33 rs3939286 polymorphism exhibited significantly lower cIMT values than those carrying the wild allele C (mean ± SD: 0.72 ± 0.16 mm versus 0.75 ± 0.18 mm respectively; p = 0.04). The association of both genotype and allele frequencies of IL33 rs3939286 and cIMT levels remained statistically significant after adjustment for sex, age at the time of US study, follow-up and center (p = 0.006 and p = 0.0023, respectively), evidencing that the potential effect conferred by IL33 rs3939286 may be independent of confounder factors. No association with other IL33-IL1RL1 genetic variants was observed. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, our results may suggest a potential protective effect of the IL33 rs3939286 allele T in the risk of subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with RA., This study was supported by European Union FEDER funds and “Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria” (grants PI06/0024, PS09/00748 and PI12/00060) from ‘Instituto de Salud Carlos III’ (ISCIII, Health Ministry, Spain). It was also partially supported by RETICS Programs RD12/0009 (RIER) from ‘Instituto de Salud Carlos III’ (ISCIII, Health Ministry, Spain), and in part by grants from the European IMI BTCure Program. RLM is a recipient of a Sara Borrell postdoctoral fellowship from the “Instituto Carlos III de Salud” at the Spanish Ministry of Health (Spain) (CD12/00425). FG and BU are supported by funds from the RETICS Program (RIER) (RD12/0009/0013).

[Introduction] Prostaglandin E receptor 4 (PTGER4) is implicated in immune regulation and bone metabolism. The aim of this study was to analyze its role in radiological joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis (RA)., [Methods] Six independent cohorts of patients with RA of European or North American descent were included, comprising 1789 patients with 5083 sets of X-rays. The Hospital Clínico San Carlos Rheumatoid Arthritis, Princesa Early Arthritis Register Longitudinal study, and Hospital Universitario de La Paz early arthritis (Spain) cohorts were used as discovery cohorts, and the Leiden Early Arthritis Clinic (The Netherlands), Wichita (United States), and National Databank for Rheumatic Diseases (United States and Canada) cohorts as replication cohorts. First, the PTGER4 rs6896969 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was genotyped using TaqMan assays and available Illumina Immunochip data and studied in the discovery and replication cohorts. Second, the PTGER4 gene and adjacent regions were analyzed using Immunochip genotyping data in the discovery cohorts. On the basis of pooled p values, linkage disequilibrium structure of the region, and location in regions with transcriptional properties, SNPs were selected for replication. The results from discovery, replication, and overall cohorts were pooled using inverse-variance–weighted meta-analysis. Influence of the polymorphisms on the overall radiological damage (constant effect) and on damage progression over time (time-varying effect) was analyzed., [Results] The rs6896969 polymorphism showed a significant association with radiological damage in the constant effect pooled analysis of the discovery cohorts, although no significant association was observed in the replication cohorts or the overall pooled analysis. Regarding the analysis of the PTGER4 region, 976 variants were analyzed in the discovery cohorts. From the constant and time-varying effect analyses, 12 and 20 SNPs, respectively, were selected for replication. Only the rs76523431 variant showed a significant association with radiographic progression in the time-varying effect pooled analysis of the discovery, replication, and overall cohorts. The overall pooled effect size was 1.10 (95 % confidence interval 1.05–1.14, p = 2.10 × 10−5), meaning that radiographic yearly progression was 10 % greater for each copy of the minor allele., [Conclusions] The PTGER4 gene is a candidate risk factor for radiological progression in RA., This work was supported by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Ministry of Health, Spain [Miguel Servet research contract CP12/03129 (to LRR); Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias PI11/02413; and Red de Investigación en Inflamación y Enfermedades Reumáticas RD12/0009/0004, RD12/0009/0011, and RD12/0009/0017]. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Recent studies have focused attention on the involvement of NLRP1 to confer susceptibility for extended autoimmune/inflammatory disorders, being considered a common risk factor in autoimmunity.1–3 NLRP1 provides a scaffold for the assembly of the inflammasome that activates caspases 1 and 5, required for processing and activation of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin 1β (IL-1β), IL-18 and IL-33 and promoting inflammation.4 In this study, we examined for the first time whether NLRP1 is associated with giant cell arteritis (GCA), a chronic systemic vasculitis affecting large and medium-sized arteries derived from the aorta, in particular the cranial branches of the carotid artery. GCA is the most common vasculitis in the elderly in Western countries with a female predominance.5 To investigate the possible genetic association of NLRP1 with this disease, we genotyped a single-nucleotide polymorphism (rs8182352), which has been reported to confer risk to the development of autoimmune processes in previous studies,1 ,2 in a total of 3583 individuals, comprising a discovery set from Spain (574 patients diagnosed with biopsy-proven GCA and 2366 healthy controls) and a replication set of subjects from Italy (111 biopsy-proven GCA patients and 532 controls) using a predesigned TaqMan allele discrimination assay. All individuals were of …

Important steps forwards have been taken during recent years towards the understanding of the genetic basis of autoimmunity. The increasing number of study cohorts is allowing better characterization of the genetic component of most autoimmune diseases. However, the molecular mechanisms leading to some less common diseases remain poorly understood. GCA, an antigen-driven systemic vasculitis affecting medium and large blood vessels of elderly people, represents one of these cases. However, although underpowered to detect low to moderate effect sizes and without replication steps, many genetic studies on this disease have been published in the past decade. These reports clearly point to genes located in the MHC region, in particular HLA-DRB1*04 alleles, and other key members of the immune and inflammatory response (including cytokines, adhesion molecules and regulators of innate immunity), as crucial players in the development and progression of GCA. Considering that no literature review has been published so far about the genetic component of this vasculitis, we aimed to summarize here the current knowledge on the genetics underlying GCA predisposition and severity.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a fibrotic autoimmune disease in which the genetic component plays an important role. One of the strongest SSc association signals outside the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) region corresponds to interferon (IFN) regulatory factor 5 (IRF5), a major regulator of the type I IFN pathway. In this study we aimed to evaluate whether three different haplotypic blocks within this locus, which have been shown to alter the protein function influencing systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) susceptibility, are involved in SSc susceptibility and clinical phenotypes. For that purpose, we genotyped one representative single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of each block (rs10488631, rs2004640, and rs4728142) in a total of 3,361 SSc patients and 4,012 unaffected controls of Caucasian origin from Spain, Germany, The Netherlands, Italy and United Kingdom. A meta-analysis of the allele frequencies was performed to analyse the overall effect of these IRF5 genetic variants on SSc. Allelic combination and dependency tests were also carried out. The three SNPs showed strong associations with the global disease (rs4728142: P = 1.34×10-8, OR = 1.22, CI 95% = 1.14-1.30; rs2004640: P = 4.60×10-7, OR = 0.84, CI 95% = 0.78-0.90; rs10488631: P = 7.53×10-20, OR = 1.63, CI 95% = 1.47-1.81). However, the association of rs2004640 with SSc was not independent of rs4728142 (conditioned P = 0.598). The haplotype containing the risk alleles (rs4728142*A-rs2004640*T-rs10488631*C: P = 9.04×10-22, OR = 1.75, CI 95% = 1.56-1.97) better explained the observed association (likelihood P-value = 1.48×10-4), suggesting an additive effect of the three haplotypic blocks. No statistical significance was observed in the comparisons amongst SSc patients with and without the main clinical characteristics. Our data clearly indicate that the SLE risk haplotype also influences SSc predisposition, and that this association is not sub-phenotype-specific. © 2013 Carmona et al.

Chagas disease is a parasitic disorder caused by the infection with the flagellated protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. According to the World Health Organization, more than six million people are currently infected in endemic regions. Genetic factors have been proposed to influence predisposition to infection and development of severe clinical phenotypes like chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy (CCC). Interleukin 18 (IL18) encodes a proinflammatory cytokine that has been proposed to be involved in controlling T. cruzi infection. In this study, we analyzed the possible role of six IL18 gene variants (rs5744258, rs360722, rs2043055, rs187238, rs1946518 and rs360719), which cover most of the variation within the locus, in the susceptibility to infection by T. cruzi and/or CCC. In total, 1,171 individuals from a Colombian region endemic for Chagas disease, classified as seronegative (n = 595), seropositive asymptomatic (n = 175) and CCC (n = 401), were genotyped using TaqMan probes. Significant associations with T. cruzi infection were observed when comparing seronegative and seropositive individuals for rs187238 (P = 2.18E-03, OR = 0.77), rs360719 (P = 1.49E-03, OR = 0.76), rs2043055 (P = 2.52E-03, OR = 1.29), and rs1946518 (P = 0.0162, OR = 1.22). However, dependence analyses suggested that the association was mainly driven by the polymorphism rs360719. This variant is located within the promoter region of the IL18 gene, and it has been described that it creates a binding site for the transcription factor OCT-1 affecting IL-18 expression levels. In addition, no evidence of association was observed between any of the analyzed IL18 gene polymorphisms and the development of CCC. In summary, our data suggest that genetic variation within the promoter region of IL18 is directly involved in the susceptibility to infection by T. cruzi, which provides novel insight into disease pathophysiology and adds new perspectives to achieve a more effective disease control., This work is part of the doctoral thesis “Estudio de las bases genéticas de la enfermedad de Chagas” from the Biomedicine PhD program at the Universidad de Granada (Spain).

There are increasing evidences pointing to a crucial role of the redox control in the maintenance of self-tolerance, and oxidative stress is emerging as a key factor contributing to susceptibility and progression of a wide spectrum of autoimmune diseases. For instance, oxidative stress at sites of chronic inflammation has been associated with the course of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Nevertheless, very little is known about the possible genetic background of oxidative stress that leads to pathologic conditions like RA despite the large genome-wide association studies performed during the last years. There are some genes that clearly represent good candidates to be important players in the pathophysiology of diseases influenced by oxidative stress. These include nuclear genes like HIF1A, MSRA, HO1, p53, NCF1, and NOS2A but also mitochondrial genes. Here we shall review the current knowledge about the molecular mechanisms affected by oxidative stress situations and will give some clues of how these changes may contribute to the development and progression of RA.

Objective.We evaluated whether a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of theTRAF6gene previously associated with systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis may be a common risk factor for systemic sclerosis (SSc) and giant cell arteritis (GCA).Methods.A total of 1185 patients with SSc, 479 patients with biopsy-proven GCA, and 1442 unrelated healthy controls of white Spanish origin were genotyped for the rs540386 variant using a specifically designed TaqMan©allele discrimination assay.Results.No significant associations of this SNP with global SSc or GCA were found. This was also the case when the potential associations of theTRAF6polymorphism with the main clinical phenotypes of the 2 diseases (e.g., limited cutaneous and diffuse cutaneous SSc, or presence of polymyalgia rheumatica and visual ischemic manifestations in GCA) were assessed.Conclusion.Our data do not support a role of the rs540386TRAF6variant as a key component of the genetic network underlying SSc and GCA.

Objective. To investigate whether a functional integrin alpha M (ITGAM) variant is involved in susceptibility to and clinical manifestations of giant cell arteritis (GCA). Methods. A Spanish cohort of 437 white patients with biopsy-proven GCA and 1388 healthy controls were genotyped using the TaqMan allele discrimination technology. Results. No association was observed between ITGAM rs1143679 and GCA (p = 0.80, OR 0.97). Similarly, subphenotype analyses did not yield significant differences between the case subgroups and the control set or between GCA patients with or without the main specific features of GCA. Conclusion. Our results suggest that the ITGAM rs1143679 variant does not play an important role in the pathophysiology of GCA. The Journal of Rheumatology Copyright © 2011. All rights reserved.

CD226 genetic variants have been associated with a number of autoimmune diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential implication of the CD226 loci in the susceptibility to and main clinical manifestations of giant cell arteritis (GCA).A Spanish Caucasian cohort of 455 patients diagnosed with biopsy-proven GCA and 1414 healthy controls were included in the study. Three CD226 polymorphisms, rs727088, rs34794968 and rs763361, were genotyped using the TaqMan® allelic discrimination technology. PLINK software was used for the statistical analyses.No significant association between the CD226 polymorphisms and susceptibility to GCA was found (rs727088: p=0.92, OR=1.01, CI 95% 0.86-1.18; rs34794968: p=0.61, OR=1.04, CI 95% 0.89-1.22; rs763361: p=0.88, OR=0.99, CI 95% 0.84-1.16). Similarly, when patients were stratified according to the specific clinical features of GCA such as polymyalgia rheumatica, visual ischaemic manifestations or irreversible occlusive disease, no association was observed either between the case subgroups and the control set or between GCA patients with and without the specific features of the disease. Furthermore, the haplotype analysis revealed no significant association with the clinical manifestations of the disease.Our results show that the three CD226 polymorphisms analysed do not play a relevant role in the susceptibility to GCA and clinical manifestations of this vasculitis.

Animals adapted to dark ecotopes may experience selective pressure for retinal reduction. No previous studies have explicitly addressed the molecular basis of retinal development in any fossorial mammal. We studied retinal development and function in the Iberian moleTalpa occidentalis, which was presumed to be blind because of its permanently closed eyes. Prenatal retina development was relatively normal, with specification of all cell types and evidence of dorsoventral regionalization. Severe developmental defects occurred after birth, subsequent to lens abnormalities. ‘Blind’ Iberian moles had rods, cones and rod nuclear ultrastructure typical of diurnal mammals. DiI staining revealed only contralateral projections through the optic chiasm. Y-maze experiments demonstrated that moles retain a photoavoidance response. Over-representation of melanopsin-positive retinal ganglion cells that mediate photoperiodicity was observed. Hence, molecular pathways of eye development in Iberian moles retain the adaptive function of rod/cone primary vision and photoperiodicity, with no evidence that moles are likely to completely lose their eyes on an evolutionary time scale.

Background: Fossorial mammals face natural selection pressures that differ from those acting on surface dwelling animals, and these may lead to reduced visual system development. We have studied eye development in a species of true mole, the Iberian mole Talpa occidentalis, and present the molecular basis of abnormal lens development. This is the first embryological developmental study of the eyes of any fossorial mammal at the molecular level. Results: Lens fibre differentiation is not completed in the Iberian mole. Although eye development starts normally (similar to other model species), defects are seen after closure of the lens vesicle. PAX6 is not down-regulated in developing lens fibre nuclei, as it is in other species, and there is ectopic expression of FOXE3, a putative downstream effector of PAX6, in some, but not all lens fibres. FOXE3-positive lens fibres continue to proliferate within the posterior compartment of the embryonic lens, but unlike in the mouse, no proliferation was detected anywhere in the postnatal mole lens. The undifferentiated status of the anterior epithelial cells was compromised, and most of them undergo apoptosis. Furthermore, β-crystallin and PROX1 expression patterns are abnormal and our data suggest that genes encoding β-crystallins are not directly regulated by PAX6, c-MAF and PROX1 in the Iberian mole, as they are in other model vertebrates. Conclusion: In other model vertebrates, genetic pathways controlling lens development robustly compartmentalise the lens into a simple, undifferentiated, proliferative anterior epithelium, and quiescent, anuclear, terminally differentiated posterior lens fibres. These pathways are not as robust in the mole, and lead to loss of the anterior epithelial phenotype and only partial differentiation of the lens fibres, which continue to express 'epithelial' genes. Paradigms of genetic regulatory networks developed in other vertebrates appear not to hold true for the Iberian mole., This work was supported by the Alfonso Martín Escudero Foundation and Junta de Andalucía through Group PAI CVI-109 (BIO-109). Work in JMC's laboratory is supported by Wellcome Trust grant 074127 and BBSRC grant BB/E015840/1.

Previous studies of the reproductive biology and genetics of European moles (Talpa spp.) showed that all females of these species have ovotestes (gonads with testicular and ovarian tissue) instead of normal ovaries, a unique specialization among mammals. Females are fertile as their ovarian tissue is fully functional. Testicular tissue is abnormal and sterile, but produces high levels of testosterone. This phenomenon also characterizes other talpid species from Europe and North America. To study the origin of this singular reproductive specialization, we examined the gonads of several female specimens belonging to two critical taxa. Although large Japanese moles (Mogera wogura) posses ovotestes, greater Japanese shrew moles (Urotrichus talpoides) are characterized by normal ovaries. The results fit parsimoniously with a recent phylogenetic study that places Urotrichus relatively basal in the talpid tree and separate from the American shrew mole. Parsimony reconstruction on alternative phylogenetic hypotheses clearly indicates that reversal(s) must have occurred and suggests that a relatively simple genetic mechanism must be associated with the evolution of female hermaphroditism in moles.

Background Immediate reactions to β-lactams are the most common causes of anaphylactic reactions and can be life-threatening. The few known genetic factors influencing these reactions suggest a link with atopy and inflammation. Objective We performed a fine-mapping genome-wide association study of the genetic predictors of β-lactam allergy to better understand the underlying mechanisms. Methods We studied 387 patients with immediate allergic reactions to β-lactams and 1124 paired control subjects from Spain. We replicated the results in 299 patients and 362 paired control subjects from Italy. Results We found significant associations with the single nucleotide polymorphisms rs4958427 of ZNF300 (c.64-471G>A, P = 9.9 × 10 −9 ), rs17612 of C5 (c.4311A>C [p.Glu1437Asp], P = 7.5 × 10 −7 ), rs7754768 and rs9268832 of the HLA-DRA | HLA-DRB5 interregion ( P = 1.6 × 10 −6 and 4.9 × 10 −6 ), and rs7192 of HLA-DRA (c.724T>G [p.Leu242Val], P = 7.4 × 10 −6 ) in an allelic model, with similar results in an additive model. Single nucleotide polymorphisms of HLA-DRA and ZNF300 predicted skin test positivity to amoxicillin and other penicillins but not to cephalosporins. A haplotype block in HLA-DRA and the HLA-DRA | HLA-DRB5 interregion encompassed a motif involved in balanced expression of the α- and β-chains of MHC class II, whereas rs7192 was predicted to influence α-chain conformation. HLA-DRA rs7192 and rs8084 were significantly associated with allergy to penicillins and amoxicillin ( P = 6.0 × 10 −4 and P = 4.0 × 10 −4 , respectively) but not to cephalosporins in the replication study. Conclusions Gene variants of HLA-DRA and the HLA-DRA | HLA-DRB5 interregion were significant predictors of allergy to penicillins but not to cephalosporins. These data suggest complex gene-environment interactions in which genetic susceptibility of HLA type 2 antigen presentation plays a central role.

Polymorphisms of the CC chemokine receptor 6 (CCR6) gene have been recently reported to be associated with a number of autoimmune diseases. We aimed to investigate the possible influence of CCR6 rs3093024 gene variant in the susceptibility to and clinical expression of GCA.The CCR6 polymorphism rs3093024 was genotyped in a total of 463 Spanish patients diagnosed with biopsy-proven GCA and 920 healthy controls using a TaqMan® allelic discrimination assay. PLINK software was used for the statistical analyses.No significant association between this CCR6 variant and GCA was observed (p=0.42, OR=0.94, CI95% 0.79-1.10). Similarly, when patients were stratified according to the specific clinical features of GCA such as polymyalgia rheumatica, visual ischaemic manifestations or irreversible occlusive disease, no statistical significant difference was detected either between the case subgroups and the control set or between GCA patients with and without the specific features of the disease.Our results suggest that the CCR6 rs3093024 polymorphism may not play a relevant role in the GCA pathophysiology.