Adjustment for smoking does not alter the FOXO3A association with longevity

Evaluation of the Effect of rs13217795 Genotype and Minor Allele (C) on Clinical Chemistry and Genetic Risk of Diabetes Among the Elderly Individuals from Northern India

The forkhead box O family (FOXO) is expressed ubiquitously in a spatio-temporal manner and plays a key role in cellular metabolism, senescence, and aging. Genetic mutations in FOXO lead to metabolic diseases and cancer,and affect the longevity of individuals. Our study investigated how the genetic risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) altered due to an intronic variant rs13217795 of the longevity-associated <i>FOXO3</i> gene in the geriatric population of North India. Genotypic characteristics of rs13217795 were determined among 347 age sex-matched (177 diabetic cases, 170 healthy controls) elderly individuals by TaqMan SNP assays after clinical assessment. Clinical chemistry and circulating cytokines level were assessed by biochemical and immunoassays. Genotype frequencies were not significantly (<i>p</i> = 0.526) different between cases and controls. The minor allele (C) frequency in diabetic cases and controls was 0.47 and 0.49, respectively (OR = 0.94, 95% CI = 0.69–1.26, <i>p</i> &#x3e; 0.05). The minor allele was associated with lower fasting plasma glucose (FPG), fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, CRP, TNF-α, and IL-6 (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.05). The homozygous minor allele carriers showed significantly lower levels of FPG, HOMA-IR, and TNF-α in T2DM patients. The minor allele (C) of intronic polymorphism in <i>FOXO3</i> (rs13217795: T/C) confers the protective role characterized by its association with a decrease in glycemic and insulin resistance and proinflammatory markers.

The association between FOXO3a rs4946936 gene polymorphism and the levels of FOXO3a among chronic granulocytic leukemia patients treated with imatinib mesylate

Background: The gene  FOXO3a has been elucidated to govern the development of chronic granulocytic leukemia (CGL). Moreover, it has been suggested that the levels of  FOXO3a in circulation are affected by the  FOXO3a rs4946936 gene polymorphism. However, no study has assessed the correlation between the  FOXO3a rs4946936 gene polymorphism and the levels of  FOXO3a. The objective of this study was to assess the association between the  FOXO3a rs4946936 gene polymorphism and the levels of  FOXO3a in CGL patients treated with imatinib mesylate.  Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from February 2019 to February 2020. The genotyping of  FOXO3a rs4946936 gene polymorphism was conducted using PCR-RFLP, and the levels of  FOXO3a were assessed using ELISA. The association between the  FOXO3a rs4946936 gene polymorphism and the levels of  FOXO3a were assessed using multiple logistic regression.  Results: A total of 60 CGL patients were assessed in our study. Among them, the CC, CT, and TT genotypes of the  FOXO3a rs4946936 gene polymorphism were 35.0%, 48.3%, and 16.7% respectively. Our calculation revealed that elevated levels of  FOXO3a were found in CGL patients with the CC genotype of the  FOXO3a rs4946936 gene polymorphism. While we failed to clarify the association between either the CT or the TT genotype of  FOXO3a rs4946936 gene polymorphism and the levels of  FOXO3a.  Conclusion: Our study identifies that the CC genotype of the  FOXO3a rs4946936 gene polymorphism affects the elevated levels of  FOXO3a in CGL patients treated with imatinib mesylate.

The association between FOXO3a rs4946936 gene polymorphism and the levels of FOXO3a among chronic granulocytic leukemia patients treated with imatinib mesylate

Background: The gene  FOXO3a has been elucidated to govern the development of chronic granulocytic leukemia (CGL). Moreover, it has been suggested that the levels of  FOXO3a in circulation are affected by the  FOXO3a rs4946936 gene polymorphism. However, no study has assessed the correlation between the  FOXO3a rs4946936 gene polymorphism and the levels of  FOXO3a. The objective of this study was to assess the association between the  FOXO3a rs4946936 gene polymorphism and the levels of  FOXO3a in CGL patients treated with imatinib mesylate.  Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from February 2019 to February 2020. The genotyping of  FOXO3a rs4946936 gene polymorphism was conducted using PCR-RFLP, and the levels of  FOXO3a were assessed using ELISA. The association between the  FOXO3a rs4946936 gene polymorphism and the levels of  FOXO3a were assessed using multiple logistic regression.  Results: A total of 60 CGL patients were assessed in our study. Among them, the CC, CT, and TT genotypes of the  FOXO3a rs4946936 gene polymorphism were 35.0%, 48.3%, and 16.7% respectively. Our calculation revealed that elevated levels of  FOXO3a were found in CGL patients with the CC genotype of the  FOXO3a rs4946936 gene polymorphism. While we failed to clarify the association between either the CT or the TT genotype of  FOXO3a rs4946936 gene polymorphism and the levels of  FOXO3a.  Conclusion: Our study identifies that the CC genotype of the  FOXO3a rs4946936 gene polymorphism affects the elevated levels of  FOXO3a in CGL patients treated with imatinib mesylate.

The association between FOXO3a rs4946936 gene polymorphism and the levels of FOXO3a among chronic granulocytic leukemia patients treated with imatinib mesylate

Background: The gene  FOXO3a has been elucidated to govern the development of chronic granulocytic leukemia (CGL). Moreover, it has been suggested that the levels of  FOXO3a in circulation are affected by the  FOXO3a rs4946936 gene polymorphism. However, no study has assessed the correlation between the  FOXO3a rs4946936 gene polymorphism and the levels of  FOXO3a. The objective of this study was to assess the association between the  FOXO3a rs4946936 gene polymorphism and the levels of  FOXO3a in CGL patients treated with imatinib mesylate.  Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from February 2019 to February 2020. The genotyping of  FOXO3a rs4946936 gene polymorphism was conducted using PCR-RFLP, and the levels of  FOXO3a were assessed using ELISA. The association between the  FOXO3a rs4946936 gene polymorphism and the levels of  FOXO3a were assessed using multiple logistic regression.  Results: A total of 60 CGL patients were assessed in our study. Among them, the CC, CT, and TT genotypes of the  FOXO3a rs4946936 gene polymorphism were 35.0%, 48.3%, and 16.7% respectively. Our calculation revealed that elevated levels of  FOXO3a were found in CGL patients with the CC genotype of the  FOXO3a rs4946936 gene polymorphism. While we failed to clarify the association between either the CT or the TT genotype of  FOXO3a rs4946936 gene polymorphism and the levels of  FOXO3a.  Conclusion: Our study identifies that the CC genotype of the  FOXO3a rs4946936 gene polymorphism affects the elevated levels of  FOXO3a in CGL patients treated with imatinib mesylate.

Longevity-Associated Forkhead Box O3 (FOXO3) Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms are Associated with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Chinese Elderly Women

Background

This study aimed to investigate the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of Forkhead box O3 (FOXO3) gene with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D).

Material/Methods

A total of 843 elderly residents from east China were enrolled in this study, which included 426 patients with type 2 diabetes and 417 controls. Four SNPs were analyzed by qPCR. Genotype frequencies of the 4 SNPs in FOXO3 of the patients and controls were analyzed using logistic regression analysis. The association between each SNP and clinical indicators was analyzed by linear regression analysis.

Results

None of the 4 FOXO3 variants, rs13217795, rs2764264, rs2802292, and rs13220810, were associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes compared to controls. However, rs13217795, rs2764264, and rs2802292 were associated with lower blood glucose levels. Notably, further subgroup analysis indicated that the longevity-associated alleles of FOXO3 SNP (rs13217795, rs2764264, and rs2802292) were associated with lower blood glucose levels in women (TC versus TT, −0.724 mmol/L, P=0.005; CC versus TT, −1.093 mmol/L, P=0.03; TC versus TT, −0.801 mmol/L, P=0.002; CC versus TT, −1.212 mmol/L, P=0.001; TG versus TT, −0.754 mmol/L, P=0.004; and GG versus TT, −1.150 mmol/L, P=0.001) but not in men.

Conclusions

The results indicated that longevity-associated FOXO3 variants were correlated with lower blood glucose levels in elderly women with type 2 diabetes in east China.

What Can We Learn About Human Disease from the Nematode C. elegans?

Numerous approaches have been taken in the hunt for human disease genes. The identification of such genes not only provides a great deal of information about the mechanism of disease development, but also provides potential avenues for better diagnosis and treatment. In this chapter, we review the use of the nonmammalian model organism C. elegans for the identification of human disease genes. Studies utilizing this relatively simple organism offer a good balance between the ability to recapitulate many aspects of human disease, while still offering an abundance of powerful cell biological, genetic, and genomic tools for disease gene discovery. C. elegans and other nonmammalian models have produced, and will continue to produce, key insights into human disease pathogenesis.

Genetic Association Analysis of Common Variants in FOXO3 Related to Longevity in a Chinese Population

Recent studies suggested that forkhead box class O3 (FOXO3) functions as a key regulator for the insulin/insulin-like growth factor-1signaling pathway that influence aging and longevity. This study aimed to comprehensively elucidate the association of common genetic variants in FOXO3 with human longevity in a Chinese population. Eighteen single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in FOXO3 were successfully genotyped in 616 unrelated long-lived individuals and 846 younger controls. No nominally significant effects were found. However, when stratifying by gender, four SNPs (rs10499051, rs7762395, rs4946933 and rs3800230) previously reported to be associated with longevity and one novel SNP (rs4945815) showed significant association with male longevity (P-values: 0.007–0.032), but all SNPs were not associated with female longevity. Correspondingly, males carrying the G-G-T-G haplotype of rs10499051, rs7762395, rs4945815 and rs3800230 tended to have longer lifespan than those carrying the most common haplotype A-G-C-T (odds ratio = 2.36, 95% confidence interval = 1.20–4.63, P = 0.013). However, none of the associated SNPs and haplotype remained significant after Bonferroni correction. In conclusion, our findings revealed that the FOXO3 variants we tested in our population of Chinese men and women were associated with longevity in men only. None of these associations passed Bonferroni correction. Bonferroni correction is very stringent for association studies. We therefore believe the effects of these nominally significant variants on human longevity will be confirmed by future studies.

Specific suppression of insulin sensitivity in growth hormone receptor gene-disrupted (GHR-KO) mice attenuates phenotypic features of slow aging

In addition to their extended lifespans, slow-aging growth hormone receptor/binding protein gene-disrupted (knockout) (GHR-KO) mice are hypoinsulinemic and highly sensitive to the action of insulin. It has been proposed that this insulin sensitivity is important for their longevity and increased healthspan. We tested whether this insulin sensitivity of the GHR-KO mouse is necessary for its retarded aging by abrogating that sensitivity with a transgenic alteration that improves development and secretory function of pancreatic β-cells by expressing Igf-1 under the rat insulin promoter 1 (RIP::IGF-1). The RIP::IGF-1 transgene increased circulating insulin content in GHR-KO mice, and thusly fully normalized their insulin sensitivity, without affecting the proliferation of any non-β-cell cell types. Multiple (nonsurvivorship) longevity-associated physiological and endocrinological characteristics of these mice (namely beneficial blood glucose regulatory control, altered metabolism, and preservation of memory capabilities) were partially or completely normalized, thus supporting the causal role of insulin sensitivity for the decelerated senescence of GHR-KO mice. We conclude that a delayed onset and/or decreased pace of aging can be hormonally regulated.

Aging and cardiovascular diseases: the role of gene-diet interactions

In the study of longevity, increasing importance is being placed on the concept of healthy aging rather than considering the total number of years lived. Although the concept of healthy lifespan needs to be defined better, we know that cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the main age-related diseases. Thus, controlling risk factors will contribute to reducing their incidence, leading to healthy lifespan. CVDs are complex diseases influenced by numerous genetic and environmental factors. Numerous gene variants that are associated with a greater or lesser risk of the different types of CVD and of intermediate phenotypes (i.e., hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, diabetes) have been successfully identified. However, despite the close link between aging and CVD, studies analyzing the genes related to human longevity have not obtained consistent results and there has been little coincidence in the genes identified in both fields. The APOE gene stands out as an exception, given that it has been identified as being relevant in CVD and longevity. This review analyzes the genomic and epigenomic factors that may contribute to this, ranging from identifying longevity genes in model organisms to the importance of gene-diet interactions (outstanding among which is the case of the TCF7L2 gene).