Browsing by Author "Hedley, Paula L."
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- ItemFc Gamma Receptor IIIB (FcɣRIIIB) Polymorphisms Are Associated with Clinical Malaria in Ghanaian Children(PLOS, 2012-09) Adu, Bright; Dodoo, Daniel; Adukpo, Selorme; Hedley, Paula L.; Arthur, Fareed K. N.; Gerds, Thomas A.; Larsen, Severin O.; Christiansen, Michael; Theisen, MichaelPlasmodium falciparum malaria kills nearly a million people annually. Over 90% of these deaths occur in children under five years of age in sub-Saharan Africa. A neutrophil mediated mechanism, the antibody dependent respiratory burst (ADRB), was recently shown to correlate with protection from clinical malaria. Human neutrophils constitutively express Fc gamma receptor-FcɣRIIA and FcɣRIIIB by which they interact with immunoglobulin (Ig) G (IgG)-subclass antibodies. Polymorphisms in exon 4 of FCGR2A and exon 3 of FCGR3B genes encoding FcɣRIIA and FcɣRIIIB respectively have been described to alter the affinities of both receptors for IgG. Here, associations between specific polymorphisms, encoding FcɣRIIA p.H166R and FcɣRIIIB-NA1/NA2/SH variants with clinical malaria were investigated in a longitudinal malaria cohort study. FcɣRIIA-p.166H/R was genotyped by gene specific polymerase chain reaction followed by allele specific restriction enzyme digestion. FCGR3B-exon 3 was sequenced in 585 children, aged 1 to 12 years living in a malaria endemic region of Ghana. Multivariate logistic regression analysis found no association between FcɣRIIA-166H/R polymorphism and clinical malaria. The A-allele of FCGR3B-c.233C>A (rs5030738) was significantly associated with protection from clinical malaria under two out of three genetic models (additive: p = 0.0061; recessive: p = 0.097; dominant: p = 0.0076) of inheritance. The FcɣRIIIB-SH allotype (CTGAAA) containing the 233A-allele (in bold) was associated with protection from malaria (p = 0.049). The FcɣRIIIB-NA2*03 allotype (CTGCGA), a variant of the classical FcɣRIIIB-NA2 (CTGCAA) was associated with susceptibility to clinical malaria (p = 0.0092). The present study is the first to report an association between a variant of FcɣRIIIB-NA2 and susceptibility to clinical malaria and provides justification for further functional characterization of variants of the classical FcɣRIIIB allotypes. This would be crucial to the improvement of neutrophil mediated functional assays such as the ADRB assay aimed at assessing the functionality of antibodies induced by candidate malaria vaccines.
- ItemThe KCNE genes in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy : a candidate gene study(BioMed Central, 2011-10) Hedley, Paula L.; Havndrup, Ole; Andersen, Paal S.; Aidt, Frederik H.; Jensen, Morten; Moolman-Smook, Johanna C.; Bundgaard, Henning; Christiansen, MichaelAbstract Background The gene family KCNE1-5, which encode modulating β-subunits of several repolarising K+-ion channels, has been associated with genetic cardiac diseases such as long QT syndrome, atrial fibrillation and Brugada syndrome. The minK peptide, encoded by KCNE1, is attached to the Z-disc of the sarcomere as well as the T-tubules of the sarcolemma. It has been suggested that minK forms part of an "electro-mechanical feed-back" which links cardiomyocyte stretching to changes in ion channel function. We examined whether mutations in KCNE genes were associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a genetic disease associated with an improper hypertrophic response. Results The coding regions of KCNE1, KCNE2, KCNE3, KCNE4, and KCNE5 were examined, by direct DNA sequencing, in a cohort of 93 unrelated HCM probands and 188 blood donor controls. Fifteen genetic variants, four previously unknown, were identified in the HCM probands. Eight variants were non-synonymous and one was located in the 3'UTR-region of KCNE4. No disease-causing mutations were found and no significant difference in the frequency of genetic variants was found between HCM probands and controls. Two variants of likely functional significance were found in controls only. Conclusions Mutations in KCNE genes are not a common cause of HCM and polymorphisms in these genes do not seem to be associated with a propensity to develop arrhythmia
- ItemMutations in Danish patients with long QT syndrome and the identification of a large founder family with p.F29L in KCNH2(BioMed Central, 2014-03) Christiansen, Michael; Hedley, Paula L.; Theilade, Juliane; Stoevring, Birgitte; Leren, Trond P.; Eschen, Ole; Sørensen, Karina M.; Tybjærg-Hansen, Anne; Ousager, Lilian B.; Pedersen, Lisbeth N.; Frikke-Schmidt, Ruth; Aidt, Frederik H.; Hansen, Michael G.; Hansen, Jim; Bloch Thomsen, Poul E.; Toft, Egon; Henriksen, Finn L.; Bundgaard, Henning; Jensen, Henrik K.; Kanters, Jorgen K.Background: Long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a cardiac ion channelopathy which presents clinically with palpitations, syncope or sudden death. More than 700 LQTS-causing mutations have been identified in 13 genes, all of which encode proteins involved in the execution of the cardiac action potential. The most frequently affected genes, covering > 90% of cases, are KCNQ1, KCNH2 and SCN5A. Methods: We describe 64 different mutations in 70 unrelated Danish families using a routine five-gene screen, comprising KCNQ1, KCNH2 and SCN5A as well as KCNE1 and KCNE2. Results: Twenty-two mutations were found in KCNQ1, 28 in KCNH2, 9 in SCN5A, 3 in KCNE1 and 2 in KCNE2. Twenty-six of these have only been described in the Danish population and 18 are novel. One double heterozygote (1.4% of families) was found. A founder mutation, p.F29L in KCNH2, was identified in 5 “unrelated” families. Disease association, in 31.2% of cases, was based on the type of mutation identified (nonsense, insertion/deletion, frameshift or splice-site). Functional data was available for 22.7% of the missense mutations. None of the mutations were found in 364 Danish alleles and only three, all functionally characterised, were recorded in the Exome Variation Server, albeit at a frequency of < 1:1000. Conclusion: The genetic etiology of LQTS in Denmark is similar to that found in other populations. A large founder family with p.F29L in KCNH2 was identified. In 48.4% of the mutations disease causation was based on mutation type or functional analysis.
- ItemPolymorphisms in the RNASE3 Gene Are Associated with Susceptibility to Cerebral Malaria in Ghanaian Children(PLOS, 2011-12) Adu, Bright; Dodoo, Daniel; Adukpo, Selorme; Gyan, Ben A.; Hedley, Paula L.; Goka, Bamenla; Adjei, George O.; Larsen, Severin O.; Christiansen, Michael; Theisen, MichaelBackground: Cerebral malaria (CM) is the most severe outcome of Plasmodium falciparum infection and a major cause of death in children from 2 to 4 years of age. A hospital based study in Ghana showed that P. falciparum induces eosinophilia and found a significantly higher serum level of eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) in CM patients than in uncomplicated malaria (UM) and severe malaria anemia (SA) patients. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been described in the ECP encoding-gene (RNASE3) of which the c.371G.C polymorphism (rs2073342) results in an arginine to threonine amino acid substitution p.R124T in the polypeptide and abolishes the cytotoxicity of ECP. The present study aimed to investigate the potential association between polymorphisms in RNASE3 and CM. Methodology/Principal Findings: The RNASE3 gene and flanking regions were sequenced in 206 Ghanaian children enrolled in a hospital based malaria study. An association study was carried out to assess the significance of five SNPs in CM (n = 45) and SA (n = 56) cases, respectively. The two severe case groups (CM and SA) were compared with the non-severe control group comprising children suffering from UM (n = 105). The 371G allele was significantly associated with CM (p = 0.00945, OR = 2.29, 95% CI = 1.22–4.32) but not with SA. Linkage disequilibrium analysis demonstrated significant linkage between three SNPs and the haplotype combination 371G/*16G/*94A was strongly associated with susceptibility to CM (p = 0.000913, OR = 4.14, 95% CI = 1.79–9.56), thus, defining a risk haplotype. The RNASE3 371GG genotype was found to be under frequency-dependent selection. Conclusions/Significance: The 371G allele of RNASE3 is associated with susceptibility to CM and forms part of a risk associated haplotype GGA defined by the markers: rs2073342 (G-allele), rs2233860 (G-allele) and rs8019343 (A-allele) respectively. Collectively, these results suggest a hitherto unrecognized role for eosinophils in CM pathogenesis.
- ItemThe role of CAV3 in long QT : clinical and functional assessment of a caveolin-3/Kc11.1 compound heterozygote(American Heart Association, 2013) Hedley, Paula L.; Kanters, Jorgen K.; Dembic, Maja; Jesperson, Thomas; Skibsbye, Lasse; Aidt, Frederik H.; Eschen, Ole; Graff, Claus; Behr, Elijah R.; Schlamowitz, Sarah; Corfield, Valerie A.; McKenna, Willim J.; Christiansen, MichaelBackground— Mutations in CAV3, coding for caveolin-3, the major constituent scaffolding protein of cardiac caveolae, have been associated with skeletal muscle disease, cardiomyopathy, and most recently long–QT syndrome (LQTS) and sudden infant death syndrome. We examined the occurrence of CAV3 mutations in a large cohort of patients with LQTS. Methods and Results— Probands with LQTS (n=167) were screened for mutations in CAV3 using direct DNA sequencing. A single proband (0.6%) was found to be a heterozygous carrier of a previously described missense mutation, caveolin-3:p.T78M. The proband was also a heterozygous carrier of the trafficking-deficient Kv11.1:p.I400N mutation. The caveolin-3:p.T78M mutation was found isolated in 3 family members, none of whom had a prolonged QTc interval. Coimmunoprecipitations of caveolin-3 and the voltage-gated potassium channel subunit (Kv11.1) were performed, and the electrophysiological classification of the Kv11.1 mutant was carried out by patch-clamp technique in human embryonic kidney 293 cells. Furthermore, the T-wave morphology was assessed in mutation carriers, double mutation carriers, and nonmutation carriers by applying a morphology combination score. The morphology combination score was normal for isolated caveolin-3:p.T78M carriers and of LQT2 type in double heterozygotes. Conclusions— Mutations in CAV3 are rare in LQTS. Furthermore, caveolin-3:p.T78M did not exhibit a LQTS phenotype. Because no association has ever been found between LQTS and isolated CAV3 mutations, we suggest that LQTS9 is considered a provisional entity.