Heat shock protein 70 gene polymorphisms in Mexican patients with spondyloarthropathies

Analysis of the heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) genetic variants in nonsegmental vitiligo patients

BACKGROUND

Vitiligo is an autoimmune disease that courses with skin depigmentation because of the destruction of melanocytes. Vitiliginous melanocyte is prone to damage because of oxidative stress which activates cellular stress response and the release of heat shock proteins such as HSP70 promoting immune activation against the melanocyte. Variants in HSP70 genes (HSPA) might alter their expression and thus modulate vitiligo susceptibility. Therefore, we sought to evaluate the role of the 5' untranslated region HSPA1A G/C (rs1043618) and the exonic HSPA1B A/G (rs1061581) and HSPA1L T/C (rs2227956) gene variants in nonsegmental vitiligo.

METHODS

A total of 200 nonsegmental vitiligo patients and 208 age/gender-matched healthy subjects were genotyped for rs1043618, rs1061581, and rs2227956 variants by PCR-RFLP.

RESULTS

Variants rs1043618 and rs1061581 were not associated with vitiligo susceptibility. On the other hand, the rs2227956 C allele and TC genotype were associated with protection against vitiligo. A similar effect was observed for the GAC haplotype. Any of the aforementioned HSP70 gene variants were associated with the clinical characteristics of vitiligo.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that the HSPA1L rs2227956 gene variant might influence the susceptibility to vitiligo. Being the first study of HSP70 gene variants in vitiligo, further research is encouraged to corroborate these results.

A Review of the Mechanism of Vascular Endothelial Injury in Immunoglobulin A Vasculitis

Immunoglobulin A (IgA) vasculitis (IgAV), also known as Henoch-Schönlein purpura, is the most common form of childhood vasculitis. It is characterized by cutaneous hemorrhage, resulting from red blood cell leakage into the skin or mucosae, possibly caused by damage to small blood vessels. These acute symptoms usually disappear without treatment. Endothelial cells are distributed on the inner surfaces of blood vessels and lymphatic vessels, and have important functions in metabolism and endocrine function, as well as being the primary targets of external stimuli and endogenous immune activity. Injury to endothelial cells is a feature of IgA vasculitis. Endothelial cell damage may be related to the deposition of immune complexes, the activation of complement, inflammatory factors, and chemokines, oxidative stress, hemodynamics, and coagulation factors. Both epigenetic mechanisms and genetic diversity provide a genetic background for endothelial cell injury. Here, research on the role of endothelial cells in allergic IgA vasculitis is reviewed.

Association of heat shock protein70-2 genotypes with hypertension among textile workers occupationally exposed to noise

Noise exposure is a primary cause of hearing loss with a broad range of auditory and non-auditory effects. It is one of the occupational health risks in both developed and industrialized countries. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are induced after severe noise exposure. Those proteins protect the ear from damage following excessive noise exposure. This protection showed high variability between individuals. The aim of the study was to investigate the variation in hearing loss and blood pressure in textile workers and its association with genetic predisposition related to HSP70 genes. Also, the role of smoking was studied. We genotyped HSP-70 (hsp70-1, hsp70-2, and hsp70-hom) genes in 109 textile workers working in a noisy environment. Diastolic and systolic blood pressure was measured for workers. Hearing was assessed using an audiogram. We reported significant variation in HSP70-homo genotypes among smoker workers and nonsmoker ones. Only HSP70-2 genotypes were associated with high significant variations in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure among textile workers. Positive correlation between duration of exposure and both systolic (P < 0.047) and diastolic blood pressure (P < 0.033) was observed among workers. Our study recorded that HSP70-2 genotypes were associated with hypertension among textile workers with absence of that association with either HSP70-1 or HSP70-homo genotypes. We also confirmed the relationship between noise exposure and blood pressure (both systolic and diastolic blood pressure). Furthermore, significant variation was shown in HSP70-hom genotypes among smoker and nonsmoker workers.

Heat-shock protein 70 (HSP70) polymorphisms affect the risk of coke-oven emission-induced neurobehavioral damage

OBJECTIVES

Epidemiology studies indicated that coke-oven workers with long-term exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) often have some neurobehavioral abnormalities especially impairment for cognitive function, while the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Numerous studies have indicated the antioxidant and anti-apoptosis roles of heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70). The genetic polymorphisms in HSP70 genes are associated with multiple diseases including neurotoxicity. However, it is unclear whether HSP70 polymorphisms are related to the neurotoxicity of PAH. We, therefore, investigate the possible association between HSP70 polymorphisms and neurobehavioral abnormalities.

METHODS

188 coke-oven workers and 137 control workers were recruited in this study. Emotional and cognitive function was assessed using the WHO/NCTB. HSP70 polymorphisms (HSP70-1 G190C, HSP70-2 G1267 A and HSP70-hom T2437C) were checked by PCR-RFLP.

RESULTS

The results indicated that HSP70-1 CC genotypes in coke-oven workers were associated with poor neurobehavioral performance such as the attention /response speed and visual perception/memory, while the HSP70-2 AA genotypes were associated with lower short-term auditory memory.

CONCLUSIONS

HSP70-1 CC and HSP70-2 AA genotypes in coke-oven workers may increase the risk for neurobehavioral damage, especially attention, learning and memory.

Heat Shock Protein 70 Gene Single Nucleotide Polymorphism and Diabetic Foot Ulcer. Is There Any Relationship?

Objective: The study aims to investigate the potential role of C2437T (Met493Thr) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the heat shock protein (HSP) 70 in diabetic foot ulcer patients. Methods: In this prospective cohort study, SNP of the HSP70 hom gene, also called HSPA1L, was studied among diabetic patients with an ulcer (Group A: n = 50), diabetic patients without an ulcer (Group B: n = 50), and healthy subjects (Group C: n = 50). Results: There was a higher frequency of T/T genotype in group A (76%) as compared to group B (44%) and group C (14%). Moreover, the frequency of T allele was 7.3% in group A, 5.5% in group B, and 3.9% in group C. C allele frequency was 2.6%, 4.4%, and 6.1% in group A, group B, and group C, respectively. In group A, the odds ratio and risk ratio were 19-fold and 5-fold, respectively, for the HSP70 hom T/T homozygous gene compared to B (OR 19.45; RR 5.42; X² 38.8, p < 0.0001). Moreover, 4-fold and 1.75-fold ratios have been compared with group C (OR 4.03; RR 1.72; X² 10.6, p < 0.001). No significant difference in genotype was observed in group B and group C. Conclusions: There is a significant and positive association of hspHSP70 hom polymorphism restricted to T allele in homozygous and heterozygous states among diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) patients.

Stress proteins in the pathogenesis of spondyloarthritis

Spondyloarthritis is an autoinflammatory rheumatic disease in which arthritis and osteoproliferation lead the patients who suffer from it to chronic disability. This disease is associated with the expression of class I MHC molecule HLA-B27, which tends to be misfolded in the endoplasmic reticulum and, therefore, expressed in aberrant forms. This phenomena lead to endoplasmic reticulum stress, which in time, evokes a whole response to cellular injury. Under these conditions, the molecules involved in restoring cell homeostasis play a key role. Such is the case of the "heat-shock proteins", which usually regulate protein folding, but also have important immunomodulatory functions, as well as some roles in tissue modeling. In this review, we attempt to summarize the involvement of cell stress and heat-shock proteins in the homeostatic disturbances and pathological conditions associated with this disease.

Association of A1538G and C2437T single nucleotide polymorphisms in heat shock protein-70 genes with diabetic nephropathy among South Indian population

Diabetic Nephropathy (DN) is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease, characterized by progressive albuminuria and conferring additional risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality. The crucial role of heat-shock proteins (HSPs) on renal function in patients with DN has been well documented. The present study was aimed to understand the association of HSP-70 gene variants on the susceptibility of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) and DN. A total of 946 subjects (549 Males; 397 Females) were recruited and divided into four groups according to the levels of urinary albumin excretion (UAE): those with normoalbuminuria (UAE <30 mg/24 h; n=230), those with microalbuminuria (30≤ UAE ≤300 mg/24 h; n=230), and those with macroalbuminuria (UAE> 300 mg/24 h; n=230). The control group randomly enrolled a consecutive population of 256 healthy subjects who had a routine medical check-up in our hospital. Those subjects had no history or clinical symptoms of diabetes. Subjects were genotyped for HSP70-2 (+1538 A/G; rs2763979) and HSP70-hom (+2437 C/T; rs2227956) by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). The ‘G’ allele of HSP70-2 (+1538 A/G) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) showed relative risk for normoalbuminuria, microalbuminuria and macroalbuminuria subjects whereas the ‘T’ allele of HSP70-hom (+2437 C/T) SNP showed significant protection against macroalbuminuria subjects. In conclusion, our results indicate that the HSP70-2 (+1538 A/G) and HSP70-hom (+2437 C/T) SNPs are highly associated with renal complications in T2DM among the South Indian population.

Polymorphisms of heat shock protein 70 genes (HSPA1A, HSPA1B and HSPA1L) and susceptibility of noise-induced hearing loss in a Chinese population: A case-control study

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is the second-most frequent form of sensorineural hearing loss. When exposed to the same noise, some workers develop NIHL while others do not, suggesting that NIHL may be associated with genetic factors. To explore the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) genes (HSPA1A, HSPA1B and HSPA1L) and susceptibility to NIHL in Han Chinese workers exposed to noise, a case-control association study was carried out with 286 hearing loss cases and 286 matched with gender, age, type of work, and exposure time, drawn from a population of 3790 noise-exposed workers. Four SNPs were selected and genotyped. Subsequently, the effects of the alleles and genotypes of the three HSP70 genes (HSPA1A, HSPA1B and HSPA1L) on NIHL were analyzed by using a conditional logistic regression. A generalized multiple dimensionality reduction (GMDR) was applied to further detect an interaction between the four SNPs. Compared with the combined genotypes CC/TC, carriers of the TT genotype of rs2763979 appeared to show greater susceptibility to NIHL (P = 0.042, adjusted OR = 1.731, 95% CI 1.021-2.935). A significant interaction between rs2763979 and CNE was found (P = 0.029), and a significant association was found between TT of s2763979 and NIHL (P = 0.024, adjusted OR = 5.694, 95%CI 1.256-25.817) in the 96 dB (A)≤CNE<101 dB (A) group. The results suggest that the rs2763979 locus of the HSP70 genes may be associated with susceptibility to NIHL in Chinese individuals, and other HSP70 genes may also be susceptibility genes for NIHL, but the results must be further replicated in additional independent sample sets.

A Case of Henoch-Schonlein Purpura Associated with Rotavirus Infection in an Elderly Asian Male and Review of the Literature

Patient: Male, 73

Final Diagnosis: Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP)

Symptoms: Abdominal pain • bloating • blood in stool • nausea • vomiting

Medication: —

Clinical Procedure: EGD • colonoscopy • kidney biopsy • skin biopsy • arthrocentesis

Specialty: Rheumatology

Expression of Heat Shock Protein 70 Gene and Its Correlation with Inflammatory Markers in Essential Hypertension

Objectives

Hypertension is characterized by systemic high blood pressure and is the most common and important risk factor for the development of cardiovascular diseases. Studies have shown that the circulating levels of certain inflammatory markers such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interlukin-6 (IL-6), c-reactive protein (CRP), and tumor suppressor protein-53 (p53) are upregulated and are independently associated with essential hypertension. However, mechanism of increase in the levels of HSP70 protein is not clear. No such studies are reported in the blood circulation of patients with essential hypertension. In the present study, we investigated the expression of circulating HSP70 at mRNA and protein levels and its relationship with other inflammatory markers in patients with essential hypertension.

Materials and Methods

We recruited 132 patients with essential hypertension and 132 normal controls from similar socio-economic-geographical background. The expression of HSP70 at mRNA levels was determined by Real Time PCR and at protein levels by indirect Elisa and Western Blot techniques.

Results

We found a significantly higher expression of HSP70 gene expression (approximately 6.45 fold, P < 0.0001) in hypertensive patients as compared to healthy controls. A significant difference (P < 0.0001) in the protein expression of HSP70 was also observed in plasma of patients as compared to that of controls.

Conclusion

Higher expression of HSP70 is positively correlated with inflammatory markers in patients with essential hypertension and this correlation could play an important role in essential hypertension.

Heat shock protein 70-2 and tumor necrosis factor-α gene polymorphisms in Chinese children with Henoch-Schönlein purpura

BACKGROUND

Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) or IgA-associated vasculitis is related to immune disturbances. Polymorphisms of the heat shock protein 70-2 gene (HSP70-2) and the tumor necrosis factor-a gene (TNF-α) are known to be associated with immune diseases. The purpose of this study was to investigate the likely association of HSP70-2 (+1267A/G) and TNF-α (+308A/G) gene polymorphisms with HSP in children.

METHODS

The polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism method was used to detect the HSP70-2 and TNF-α polymorphisms in 205 cases of children with HSP and 53 controls; and the association of these polymorphisms with HSP and HSP nephritis (HSPN) was analyzed.

RESULTS

The G/G genotypic frequencies at the +1267A/G position of HSP70-2 in the HSP group (22.9%) were significantly higher than those in the healthy control group (9.4%) (χ(2)=4.764, P<0.05). The frequencies of the A/A, A/G and G/G genotypes of HSP70-2 in patients in the nephritis-free group and the HSPN group showed no statistically significant difference. The A/A genotype frequency at the +308G/A position of TNF-α in the HSP group was 8.3%, which was higher than that in the control group (χ(2)=6.447, P<0.05). The A allele frequency of TNF-α in the HSP group was higher than that in the control group, with a statistically significant difference (χ(2)=7.241, P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The HSP70-2 (+1267A/G) and TNF-α (+308G/A) gene polymorphisms were associated with HSP in children. The G/G homozygosity of HSP70-2 and the A/A homozygosity of TNF-α may be genetic predisposing factors for HSP.

Polymorphisms in Heat Shock Proteins A1B and A1L (HOM) as Risk Factors for Oesophageal Carcinoma in Northeast India

BACKGROUND

To investigate polymorphisms in heat shock proteins A1B and A1L (HOM) and associated risk of oesophageal carcinoma in Northeast India.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study includes oesophageal cancer (ECA) patients attending general outpatient department (OPD) and endoscopic unit of Gauhati Medical College. Patients were diagnosed based on endoscopic and histopathological findings. Genomic DNA was typed for HSPA1B1267 and HSPA1L2437 SNPs using the polymerase chain reaction with restriction fragment length polymorphisms.

RESULTS

A total of 78 cases and 100 age-sex matched healthy controls were included in the study with a male: female ratio of 5:3 and a mean age of 61.4±8.5 years. Clinico-pathological evaluation showed 84% had squamous cell carcinoma and 16% were adenocarcinoma. Dysphagia grades 4 (43.5%) and 5 (37.1%) were observed by endoscopic and hispathological evaluation. The frequency of genomic variation of A1B from wild type A/A to heterozygous A/G and mutant G/G showed a positive association [chi sq=19.9, p= <0.05] and the allelic frequency also showed a significant correlation [chi sq=10.3, with cases vs. controls, OR=0.32, p≤0.05]. The genomic variation of A1L from wild T/T to heterozygous T/C and mutant C/C were found positively associated [chi sq= 7.02, p<0.05] with development of ECA. While analyzing the allelic frequency, there was no significant association [chi sq= 3.19, OR=0.49, p=0.07]. Among all the risk factors, betel quid [OR =9.79, Chi square= 35.0, p<0.05], tobacco [OR = 2.95, chi square=10.6, p<0.05], smoking [OR=3.23, chi square=10.1, p<0.05] demonstrated significant differences between consumers vs. non consumers regarding EC development. Alcohol did not show any significant association [OR= 1.34, chi square=0.69, p=0.4] independently.

CONCLUSIONS

It can be concluded that the present study provides marked evidence that polymorphisms of HSP70 A1B and HSP70 A1L genes are associated with the development of ECA in a population in Northeast India, A1B having a stronger influence. Betel quid consumption was found to be a highly significant risk factor, followed by smoking and tobacco chewing. Although alcohol was not a potent risk factor independently, alcohol consumption along with tobacco, smoking and betel nut was found to contribute to development of ECA.

Analysis of heat shock protein 70 gene polymorphisms Mexican patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Background

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a fatal lung disease of unknown etiology. Genetic variation within different major histocompatibility complex (MHC) loci contributes to the susceptibility to IPF. The effect of 70 kDa heat shock proteins (HSP70) gene polymorphisms in the susceptibility to IPF is unknown. The aim of this study was to explore the association between HSP70 polymorphisms and IPF susceptibility in the Mexican population.

Methods

Four HSP70 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were evaluated using real time PCR assays in 168 IPF patients and 205 controls: +2763 C>T of HSPA1L (rs2075800), +2437 of HSP HSPA1L A>G (rs2227956), +190 of HSPA1A G>C (rs1043618) and +1267 of HSPA1B G>A (rs1061581).

Results

The analysis of the recessive model revealed a significant decrease in the frequency of the genotype HSPA1B AA (rs1061581) in IPF patients (OR = 0.27, 95 % CI = 0.13–0.57, Pc = 0.0003) when compared to controls. Using a multivariate logistic regression analysis in a codominant model the HSPA1B (rs1061581) GA and AA genotypes were associated with a lower risk of IPF compared with GG (OR = 0.22, 95 % CI = 0.07–0.65; p = 0.006 and OR = 0.17, 95 % CI = 0.07–0.41; p = <0.001). Similarly, HSPA1L (rs2227956) AG genotype (OR = 0.34, 95 % CI = 0.12–0.99; p = 0.04) and the dominant model AG + GG genotypes were also associated with a lower risk of IPF (OR = 0.24, 95 % CI = 0.08–0.67; p = 0.007). In contrast, the HSPA1L (rs2075800) TT genotype was associated with susceptibility to IPF (OR = 2.52, 95 % CI = 1.32–4.81; p = 0.005).

Conclusion

Our findings indicate that HSPA1B (rs1061581), HSPA1L (rs2227956) and HSPA1 (rs1043618) polymorphisms are associated with a decreased risk of IPF.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12890-015-0127-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Glutamine may repress the weak LPS and enhance the strong heat shock induction of monocyte and lymphocyte HSP72 proteins but may not modulate the HSP72 mRNA in patients with sepsis or trauma

Objective. We assessed the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or heat shock (HS) induction of heat shock protein-72 (HSP72) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients with severe sepsis (SS) or trauma-related systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), compared to healthy individuals (H); we also investigated any pre- or posttreatment modulating glutamine (Gln) effect. Methods. SS (11), SIRS (10), and H (19) PBMCs were incubated with 1 μg/mL LPS or 43°HS. Gln 10 mM was either added 1 h before or 1 h after induction or was not added at all. We measured monocyte (m), lymphocyte (l), mRNA HSP72, HSP72 polymorphisms, interleukins (ILs), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), and cortisol levels. Results. Baseline lHSP72 was higher in SS (p < 0.03), and mHSP72 in SIRS (p < 0.02), compared to H. Only HS induced l/mHSP72/mRNA HSP72; LPS induced IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and MCP-1. Induced mRNA was related to l/mHSP72, and was related negatively to cytokines. Intracellular l/mHSP72/HSP72 mRNA was related to serum ILs, not being influenced by cortisol, illness severity, and HSP72 polymorphisms. Gln did not induce mRNA in any group but modified l/mHSP72 after LPS/HS induction unpredictably. Conclusions. HSP72 mRNA and l/mHSP72 are higher among critically ill patients, further induced by HS, not by LPS. HSP72 proteins and HSP72 mRNA are related to serum ILs and are negatively related to supernatant cytokines, not being influenced by HSP72 polymorphisms, cortisol, or illness severity. Gln may depress l/mHSP72 after LPS exposure and enhance them after HS induction, but it may not affect early induced HSP72 mRNA.

Relationship between HSP70-2 A+1267G Polymorphism and Cardiovascular Events of Chinese Peritoneal Dialysis Patients

BACKGROUND

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are expressed by cells in response to various environmental stresses. A single-nucleotide polymorphism A+1267G of the HSPA1B gene affects the expression of HSP70-2, with the A allele being protective against inflammatory conditions. We investigated the relation between the HSP A+1267G polymorphism and the clinical outcomes of Chinese peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients.

METHODS

We studied 347 new PD cases (181 males, age 56.6 ± 13.7 years). Genotyping was done by standard methods. Patients were followed for 40.5 ± 20.7 months for survival analysis.

RESULTS

For the entire cohort, there was no difference in the 5-year survival between genotype groups. However, there was a significant interaction between HSP polymorphism and diabetic status on the cardiovascular event-free survival. In patients without pre-existing diabetes, 5-year cardiovascular event-free survival of the GG/AG genotype group was significantly better than that of the AA genotype group (57.2 vs. 32.1%, p = 0.011).

CONCLUSION

The G allele of the HSP70-2 A+1267G polymorphism confers survival advantages in non-diabetic PD patients. The role of HSP in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease in renal failure patients needs further investigation.

Polymorphisms in genes coding for HSP-70 are associated with gastric cancer and duodenal ulcer in a population at high risk of gastric cancer in Costa Rica

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Costa Rica has among the highest incidence and mortality rates for gastric cancer worldwide. The reasons for this are largely unknown. Polymorphisms of inflammatory response genes including genes encoding heat shock proteins (HSP) have been shown to be associated with the risk of gastric cancer in some populations. This study addresses the possible association between the HSP70-2 +1267 and HSP70-Hom +2437 polymorphisms and the risk of developing gastric cancer in a high-risk population in Costa Rica.

METHODS

DNA from 39 individuals diagnosed with gastric cancer, 79 healthy controls, 55 individuals with chronic gastritis and 52 individuals with duodenal ulcer was genotyped for the polymorphisms HSP70-2 +1267 and HSP70-Hom +2437 by RFLP. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine possible associations with the diagnoses and lineal regression analysis to determine associations with blood pepsinogen (PGs) levels as measured by serology.

RESULTS

The GA genotype of HSP70-2 was associated with increased risk of gastric cancer (OR = 3.42; 95% CI = 1.27-9.21; p = 0.015) and duodenal ulcer (OR = 2.57; 95% CI = 1.03-6.36; p = 0.042) as compared to the GG genotype. Persons with C carrier genotypes of HSP70-Hom were significantly less susceptible to gastric cancer than those with the TT genotype (OR = 0.29; 95% CI = 0.09-0.87; p = 0.027). The C carrier genotype was associated with lower PGI concentrations but none of the polymorphisms were associated with PGI/PGII.

CONCLUSIONS

Polymorphisms of HSP70 genes are associated with the development of gastric cancer and duodenal ulcers in a population at high risk for gastric cancer in Costa Rica.

Single-nucleotide polymorphisms in Toll-like receptor (TLR)-2, TLR4 and heat shock protein 70 genes and susceptibility to scrub typhus

Scrub typhus is a highly prevalent bacterial infection in India and South Asia that is caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi. The innate immune response to infections is modulated by Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and heat shock proteins (HSPs). This study was done to assess the prevalence and possible association of TLR and HSP polymorphisms in scrub typhus. TLR4 Asp299Gly, TLR4 Thr399Ile, TLR2 Arg753Gln and HSP70-2 A1267G are single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that may modulate their activities, and these SNPs were assessed in 137 scrub typhus patients and 134 controls by PCR restriction fragment length polymorphism. We found that the two TLR4 mutations, TLR4 D299G and TLR4T399I, were present in 19.5% and 22% of the study population, respectively, and was in significant linkage disequilibrium with a D' of 0.8. The TLR2 mutation was found to be rare, whereas the HSP A>G mutation was very common (77.5%). Compared with the controls, the prevalence of heterozygous genotype of the TLR4D299G SNP, but not any of the other SNPs, was significantly higher among scrub typhus patients. Further studies using a larger sample size and more candidate genes may better enable in determining the role of these associations in susceptibility and severity of scrub typhus.

Crohn's disease and polymorphism of heat shock protein gene HSP70-2 in the Chinese population

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Crohn's disease (CD) is a multifactorial disorder with a pivotal role of the genetic component. A single nucleotide polymorphism in heat shock protein 70-2 (HSP70-2) has been shown to be associated with a severe clinical course in CD. The purpose of this study was to identify associations between the HSP70-2 polymorphism and the clinical courses of CD in the Chinese population.

METHODS

One hundred patients with CD and 190 healthy individuals were genotyped for the HSP70-2 PstI polymorphism by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis.

RESULTS

The genotype frequency of the PstI polymorphism did not differ between patients and controls. The A allele was higher in CD patients than in controls (61% vs 52%, P = 0.047, odds ratio [OR] = 1.423, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.004-2.015). Furthermore, this polymorphism was higher in the penetrating or fistula surgery of CD patients than in controls (63% vs 52%, P = 0.049, OR = 1.530, 95% CI: 1.001-2.337; Table ). But there was no significant difference between the penetrating or fistula surgery patients and no surgery patients (P = 0.673, OR = 0.883, 95% CI: 0.495-1.574). We used multivariate analysis to determine the effects of genotypes on sex, disease behavior, disease location, and so on. No significant difference was observed between these parameters and genotype.

CONCLUSION

This study reported that the allele A of PstI polymorphism was the association between CD and HSP70-2 gene in the Chinese population. It was also association between penetrating or fistula surgery of CD and HSP70-2 gene in the Chinese population.

Interaction between hypertension and HSP70 variants increase the risk of cerebral ischemia in Chinese Han population: an association study

Cerebral infarction has become one of the leading diseases and a major mortality factor around the world. Atherosclerosis is recognized as one of the important causes of ischemic stroke. Recently, accumulating evidences have indicated that the anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic functions of the HSP70 family play an important role in cerebral ischemia. However, the association between HSP70 SNPs and ischemic stroke was also not well established. We chose 101 cases of cerebral ischemia and 100 healthy people from the Chinese Han population as our study subjects, and PCR-RFLP was employed to analyze HSP70 polymorphisms: HSP70-1+190G/C, HSP70-2+1267A/G and HSP70-hom+2437T/C. There were no significant differences in +1267A/G allele or genotype frequencies between patients with stroke and healthy controls. However, genotypes of +190CG and +2437TT were differentially distributed between the patients and controls. A significant difference of T allele distribution in the HSP70-hom+2437T/C site was observed. Logistic regression analysis indicated that genotypes of +190CG, +2437TT and T allele in HSP70-hom were risk factors of ischemic stroke. Moreover, the study has formulated that the interactions between hypertension and +190CG or +2437TT may increase the risks of ischemic stroke. The results from this study have suggested a clinical indicator for assessing the possibilities of cerebral stroke, and supply basis to clinicians to give precaution to people who are at risk of stroke.

The effect of the CCR5-delta32 deletion on global gene expression considering immune response and inflammation

Background

The natural function of the C-C chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5) is poorly understood. A 32 base pair deletion in the CCR5 gene (CCR5-delta32) located on chromosome 3 results in a non-functional protein. It is supposed that this deletion causes an alteration in T-cell response to inflammation. For example, the presence of the CCR5-delta32 allele in recipients of allografts constitutes as an independent and protective factor associated with a decreased risk of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and graft rejection. However, the mechanism of this beneficial effect of the deletion regarding GVHD is unknown. In this survey we searched for a CCR5-delta32 associated regulation of critical genes involved in the immune response and the development of GVHD.

Methods

We examined CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells derived from bone marrow samples from 19 healthy volunteers for the CCR5-delta32 deletion with a genomic PCR using primers flanking the site of the deletion.

Results

12 individuals were found to be homozygous for CCR5 WT and 7 carried the CCR5-delta32 deletion heterozygously. Global gene expression analysis led to the identification of 11 differentially regulated genes. Six of them are connected with mechanisms of immune response and control: LRG1, CXCR2, CCRL2, CD6, CD7, WD repeat domain, and CD30L.

Conclusions

Our data indicate that the CCR5-delta32 mutation may be associated with differential gene expression. Some of these genes are critical for immune response, in the case of CD30L probably protective in terms of GVHD.

Polymorphic analysis of MHClinked Heat Shock Protein 70 genes: Their susceptibility and prognostic implication in Kangri cancer cases of Kashmiri population

Kangri cancer is a unique thermally-induced squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of skin that develops due to persistent use of Kangri (a brazier), used by Kashmiri people, to combat the chilling cold during winter months. We designed a large scale case-control study to characterize the frequency of two polymorphisms within the MHC class III-linked HSP70genes, Hsp70-2 and Hsp70-hom, in order to find any association of these genotypic variants for predisposition to and clinical outcome of Kangri cancer patients from Kashmir valley in North India. Polymerase Chain Reaction and restriction enzymes were utilized to characterize the frequency of two polymorphisms with in Hsp70-2 and Hsp70-hom genes in 118 Kangri carcinoma cases and 95 healthy controls from the same population of Kashmir. Association of high frequency allelic variants of Hsp70genes with various clinicopathological features of prognostic significance was assessed by Chi-square test using SPSS software. In this study, allelic frequency of Hsp70-2 A/G heterozygote (0.87) (P = 0.012) was found to be significantly high in Kangri cancer cases compared to control (0.736) with a Relative Risk of 2.45 fold. Conversely, the allelic frequency of Hsp70-2 A/A allele in homozygous condition was significantly low in Kangri cancer cases and worked out to be 0.084 (Vs 0.252 in control) with P is equal to 0.001, implicating it as a protective allele against Kangri cancer in subjects with this genotype. Similarly, significantly high frequency of 0.50 (Vs 0.29 in control) of Hsp70-homC/C allele was found in homozygous condition in Kangri cancer cases suggestive of a positive relative risk associated with this genotype (RR is equal to 2.47) (P is equal to 0.002). The overall allele frequency data analysis of Hsp70-2 and Hsp70-hom genes was significant (χ² is equal to 12.38, P is equal to 0.002; and χ² is equal to 12.21, P is equal to 0.002). The study also reveals considerable association of high frequency alleles of HSP70 genes, especially of Hsp70-2 A/G or G/G in Kangri tumors with clinico-pathological features of poor prognosis. These results indicate that the relative risk of Kangri cancer associated with Hsp70-2 and Hsp70- hom gene polymorphisms is confined to Hsp70-2 A/G or G/G and Hsp70homC/C haplotype in our population. The study, therefore, suggests Hsp70-2 A/G or G/G and Hsp70homC/C genotypes as potential susceptibility markers and independent prognostic indicators in Kangri carcinoma patients in Kashmiri population.

The relationship between three heat shock protein 70 gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to lung cancer

BACKGROUND

Heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) has been shown to act as a chaperone and be associated with a variety of tumors. We investigated HSP70-1 G+190C, HSP70-2 A+1267G, and HSP70-hom T+2437C polymorphisms to assess whether genetic variation in HSP70 plays a role in the occurrence and development of lung cancer.

METHODS

A case-control study was conducted using 159 patients with lung cancer and 202 control subjects. Genomic DNA was typed for HSP70 polymorphisms using polymerase chain reactions with restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Unconditional logistic regression was used to estimate the relative risks of lung cancer.

RESULTS

There were significant differences in genotype and allele distributions between patients and controls for the HSP70-1 G+190C polymorphisms with and without adjustment for age, gender, smoking history, drinking history and family history of cancer (p<0.05). No significant differences were found in the polymorphisms of HSP70-2 A+1267G and HSP70-hom T+2437C. The haplotype analysis showed that the G/A/C and C/G/T haplotypes were associated with a significantly increased risk of lung cancer compared to the G/G/T haplotype. After adjustments for other risk factors, such as age, gender, drinking history and family history of cancer, the interactions between the HSP70-1 and HSP70-hom genotypes and smoking were confirmed [I(AB), 2.56 and 5.12, respectively].

CONCLUSIONS

HSP70-1 G+190C may be a functional polymorphism and affect susceptibility to lung cancer, and homozygous C/C genotype may enhance the risk of lung cancer. In addition, smoking along with HSP70-1 G+190C and HSP70-hom T+2437C, may increase the risk of lung cancer.

Polymorphisms in TNF and HSP-70 show a significant association with gastric cancer and duodenal ulcer

Tumour Necrosis Factor (TNF) and Heat Shock Protein 70 (HSP70) are important molecules in inflammatory, infectious and tumoral processes. The genes codifying these molecules are polymorphic and certain alleles have been associated with susceptibility to disease. Gastric cancer is associated with an Helicobacter pylori-induced chronic inflammatory response. The aim of this work was to analyze whether polymorphisms in inflammation-related genes are associated with the development of gastric cancer. We studied 447 Mexican adult patients including 228 with non-atrophic gastritis, 98 with intestinal metaplasia, 63 with gastric cancer and 58 with duodenal ulcer, and 132 asymptomatic individuals as well. DNA from peripheral white blood cells was typed for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) -308 of TNF-alpha, +252 of TNF-beta, +190 of HSP70-1, +1267 of HSP70-2 and +2437 of HSP70-HOM. Compared with the asymptomatic group, we found a significant association of TNF-beta*A and HSP70-1*C alleles with gastric cancer (OR 5.69 and 3.76, respectively) and HSP70-1*C with duodenal ulcer (OR 3.08). Genotype TNF-beta G/G showed a significant gene-dose effect with gastric cancer (OR 0.09); whereas HSP70-1 C/G showed significant association with both, gastric cancer (OR 13.31) and duodenal ulcer (OR 16.19). Polymorphisms in TNF and HSP70 showed a significant severity-dose-response as risk markers from preneoplastic lesions to gastric cancer in Mexican population, probably because of their association with an intense and sustained inflammatory response.

Frequency of Carriers of 8.1 Ancestral Haplotype and its Fragments in Two Caucasian Populations

Within the human MHC region larger stretches of conserved DNA, called conserved ancestral haplotypes exist. However, many MHC haplotypes contain only fragments of an ancestral haplotype. Little is known, however, on relative distribution of the ancestral haplotypes to their fragments. Therefore we determined the frequency of carriers of the whole ancestral haplotype 8.1 (AH8.1) and its fragments in 127 healthy Hungarian people, 101 healthy Ohioian females, and in nine Hungarian families. The HLA-DQ2, HLA-DR3(17), RAGE -429C allele, the mono-S-C4B genotype, the HSP70-2 1267G allele and the TNF -308A (TNF2) allele were used as markers of the AH8.1. Frequency of carriers of the whole AH8.1 and its fragments was similar in the both populations. 18% of the subjects carried the whole AH8.1 in at least one chromosome, while 17-20%, 36-39%, and 24-29%, respectively carried two or three constituents of the haplotype, only one constituent or none of them. Similar results were obtained in the family study. In addition, marked differences were found in the relationship of the constituents' alleles to the whole AH8.1. In both populations, 29%, 50-59%, 52-56% and 76-96%, respectively of the carriers of HSP70-2 1267G, RAGE-429C, TNF2, and mono-S carriers carried the whole 8.1 haplotype. These findings may have important implications for studies of the disease associations with different MHC ancestral haplotypes.

Linkage analysis of the C4A/C4B copy number variation and polymorphisms of the adjacent steroid 21-hydroxylase gene in a healthy population

Genes encoding the steroid 21-hydroxylase (CYP21A2) and the complement component C4 proteins (C4A and C4B) are located in the MHC region in a strongly linked structure named RCCX module. Previous studies found that carriers of C4B gene deficiency (C4B*Q0) have higher risk for cardiovascular diseases. A potential explanation is that lacking the C4B gene may result in altered function of the neighboring CYP21A2 gene. Therefore we sequenced the CYP21A2 gene in 96 healthy individuals to identify polymorphisms and to characterize their linkage pattern. Fifty-three variations were detected including a new one which alters the TATA-box of the gene. Only three known mutations (V281L, Q318X and R479L) associated with congenital adrenal hyperplasia, were found in 7, 2 and 1 subjects, respectively. Linkage analysis revealed that some variations exhibit strong correlation with the C4 copy number polymorphism and constituents of the MHC III region. Rare alleles of three polymorphisms were identified as components of the 8.1 ancestral haplotype. Haplotyping and family study confirmed that the variant alleles of two intronic SNPs were constituents of haplotype blocks lacking the C4B gene. These results suggest that variations of CYP21A2 gene can be involved in disease associations of the 8.1 haplotype and the C4B*Q0 genotype.

Functional SNPs in HSPA1A gene predict risk of coronary heart disease

BACKGROUND

HSP70 plays crucial roles in endothelial cell apoptosis, which is involved in the early phase and progress of coronary heart disease (CHD). However, the association between polymorphisms of HSP70 genes and the risk of CHD still remains unclear. Our aim was to determine whether genetic variants in the HSPA1A gene are associated with the risk of CHD.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

By resequencing and genotyping, the associations of 2 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) +190G/C (rs1043618) and -110A/C (rs1008438) in the HSPA1A gene with risk of CHD were determined in a 1,003 pairs case-control study. The SNP function was further analyzed using a luciferase reporter assay in two cell lines. The results indicated that +190CC genotype was associated with significantly higher risk of CHD when compared with +190GG genotype (OR = 1.56, 95% CI: 1.10-2.20, P = 0.012), while association between -110A/C polymorphism and CHD was not statistically significant (P>0.05). However, the -110C/+190C haplotype had a significantly higher risk of CHD when compared with the -110A/+190G haplotype (OR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.01-1.34, P = 0.031). Luciferase reporter assays showed that the +190C allele resulted in 14% ~ 45% reduction in luciferase expression in endothelial and non-endothelial cells when compared with the +190G allele.

CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE

The identified genetic variants in the HSPA1A gene combinatorially contribute towards the susceptibility to CHD likely by affecting the level of synthesis of HSP70. This study may provide useful markers for identification of subjects at risk for CHD.

Heat-shock protein gene polymorphisms and the risk of nephropathy in patients with Type 2 diabetes

HSPs (heat-shock proteins) are molecular chaperones synthesized under stress conditions, and are involved in renal cell survival and matrix remodelling in acute and chronic renal diseases. In the present study, we investigated whether the HSP70 gene polymorphisms affect susceptibility to DN (diabetic nephropathy) in patients with T2DM (Type 2 diabetes mellitus). The study group consisted of 452 patients with nephropathy. Two control subgroups involved 340 healthy individuals and 132 patients with T2DM lasting > or =10 years who were free of nephropathy. Subjects were genotyped for the HSP70-1 +190 G/C and -110 A/C, HSP70-2 +1267 A/G and HSP70-hom +2437 T/C polymorphisms by PCR, followed by digestion with restriction endonucleases. There were no statistically significant differences in genotype distribution between patients with T2DM with DN and controls for the HSP70-hom polymorphism. Significant differences were observed for HSP70-1 and HSP70-2 polymorphisms. CC homozygotes of the -110 and +190 HSP70-1 polymorphisms were more frequent in patients with T2DM with DN compared with healthy controls (22 compared with 6% and 15 compared with 6.5% respectively; P<0.01). The OR (odds ratio) for the risk allele was 2.17 [95% CI (confidence interval), 1.73-2.72] for the -110 A/C and 1.74 (95% CI, 1.40-2.15) for +190 G/C polymorphisms. A strong association with DN was found for the +1267 HSP70-2 polymorphism. The GG genotype and the G allele were associated with DN, with the OR for the G allele being 4.77 (95% CI, 3.81-5.96). All GG homozygotes in the patient group had higher LDL (low-density lipoprotein)-cholesterol levels than AA homozygotes (P<0.01), suggesting that the observed effect might be associated with this cardiovascular risk factor. These patients progressed faster to end-stage renal failure than those with other genotypes. In conclusion, our results indicate that the HSP70-1 and HSP70-2 polymorphisms are associated with renal complications in T2DM and may be useful in identifying patients with increased risk of DN.

HLA-association of serum levels of natural antibodies

Natural antibodies of IgM or IgG types are present in sera of most healthy individuals and are important participants of the immune response. Little is known, however, about the genetic regulation of their plasma levels in humans. We determined the concentrations of three IgM type natural autoantibodies (NAAbs) reactive to certain conserved self-antigens (citrate synthase (A-CIT), chondroitin sulphate C (A-COS) and 60 kDa heat shock proteins (A-HSP) in the sera of 78 healthy individuals and in their 86 children. In case of all the 164 individuals alleles of several polymorphisms were determined in class II (HLA-DQ, -DR), class III (AGER-429T>C, HSP70-2 1267A>G, TNF-308G>A, CFB S/F, copy number of the C4A and C4B genes), and class I (HLA-A, -B) regions of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). Since the samples originated from a family study, extended MHC haplotypes were also determined for each study participant. Our results show that children of parents with low NAAb concentration have significantly lower serum concentrations of all the three NAAbs, as compared to offsprings of parents without reduced serum concentration. This indicates that the serum levels of these NAAbs were partly regulated by factors which are inherited from the parents to offsprings. In further studies performed only in genetically independent parents, we found significant differences in the serum levels of the IgM type A-CIT and A-COS antibodies (Abs) between carriers and non-carriers of the HLA-DR2 (15 and 16) antigens. In both cases the Ab concentrations were higher in the HLA-DR15 carriers (p=0.002 and p=0.008, respectively) and lower in DR16 carriers (p=0.029 and p=0.049, respectively) than in the non-carriers. Even more significant differences were found when the levels of two Abs were evaluated together. Frequency of the DR15 carriers was significantly lower among subjects with one or two low (in the lowest quartile) titers of A-CIT/A-COS Abs (p=0.014), A-CIT/A-HSP Abs (p=0.016) and A-COS/A-HSP Abs (p=0.013) as compared to those with normal Ab titers for both antigens. By contrast, frequency of the DR16 carriers was significantly higher among subjects with one or two low A-CIT/A-COS Abs (p=0.001), A-CIT/A-HSP Abs (p=0.002) and A-COS/A-HSP Abs (p=0.021) as compared to those with normal Ab titers for both antigens. Similar differences were found for both IgM type antibodies when carriers and non-carriers of the HLA-DR15-DQ6 and HLA-DR16-DQ5 haplotypes were considered. These novel observations indicate that not only adaptive immune response but also natural autoantibody pattern, as a part of innate immune response, is influenced by the MHC allele composition.

Protective role of genetic polymorphism of heat shock protein 70-2 for gastric cancer risk

BACKGROUND

Heat shock protein 70-2 (HSP70-2) has a cytoprotective role in various conditions and also protects the gastric mucosa. Recently, polymorphism of HSP70-2 at position 1267 was suggested to be associated with carcinogenesis. We investigated the association of this polymorphism with the risk of gastric cancer in the present study.

METHODS

We examined 223 patients (159 men and 64 women, mean age 64.8 years) with gastric cancer who underwent gastrointestinal endoscopy at our department. The controls were 200 age-matched patients (140 men and 60 women) without gastric cancer diagnosed by gastrointestinal endoscopy. Genotyping was done by PCR-based restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis, and the PCR products were digested with PstI. The two allelic forms, corresponding to the presence or absence of the PstI site, were designated as the P1 allele and P2 allele, respectively. Logistic regression analysis was performed to calculate an odds ratios (ORs) for differences of HSP70-2 polymorphism between the two groups.

RESULTS

Among the 223 patients with gastric cancer, 46 (20.6%) had P1/P1, 177 (79.4%) were P1 carriers, and 6 (2.7%) were P2/P2. In the control group, 33 (16.5%) patients had P1/P1 polymorphism, 167 (83.5%) were P1 carriers, and 12 (6.0%) were P2/P2. The OR for gastric cancer of subjects with P2/P2 polymorphism relative to P1 carriers was 0.43 (95% CI = 0.16-1.17) (P = 0.097). Among females, the OR for gastric cancer of subjects with P2/P2 polymorphism relative to P1 carriers was 0.10 (95% CI = 0.012-0.838) (P = 0.014). This polymorphism was also associated with a lower risk of middle third cancer (OR = 0.13; 95% CI = 0.02-1.00).

CONCLUSIONS

P2/P2 polymorphism of HSP70-2 at position 1267 was associated with a lower risk of gastric cancer in females.

Variations in HSP70 genes associated with noise-induced hearing loss in two independent populations

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is one of the most important occupational health hazards. Millions of people worldwide are exposed daily to harmful levels of noise. NIHL is a complex disease resulting from an interaction between genetic and environmental factors. Although the environmental risk factors have been studied extensively, little is known about the genetic factors. Heat-shock proteins (HSPs) are induced after exposure to severe noise. When first induced by exposure to moderate sound levels, they can protect the ear from damage from excessive noise exposure. This protection is highly variable between individuals. An association of HSP70 genes with NIHL has been described by Yang et al (2006) in a Chinese sample set of noise-exposed workers. In this study, three polymorphisms (rs1043618, rs1061581 and rs2227956) in HSP70-1, HSP70-2 and HSP70-hom, respectively, were genotyped in 206 Swedish and 238 Polish DNA samples of noise-exposed subjects and analyzed. One SNP, rs2227956 in HSP70-hom, resulted in a significant association with NIHL in both sample sets. In addition, rs1043618 and rs1061581 were significant in the Swedish sample set. Analysis of the haplotypes composed of the three SNPs revealed significant associations between NIHL and haplotype GAC in both sample sets and with haplotype CGT in the Swedish sample set. In conclusion, this study replicated the association of HSP70 genes with NIHL in a second and third independent noise-exposed sample set, hereby adding to the evidence that HSP70 genes may be NIHL susceptibility genes.

Polymorphisms of TNF-alpha and LT-alpha genes in multiple myeloma

Allelic distribution of -308 G>A (TNF 1/2) polymorphism of the TNF-alpha, and the +252 A>G promoter polymorphism of the LT-alpha gene, the 1267 A>G polymorphism of the HSP70-2 gene as well as the -429 T>C promoter polymorphism of the RAGE gene were tested in 94 MM cases and 141 controls. Significantly less MM patients than controls carried the TNF2 allele (p=0.018) and the TNF2-LTA 252G haplotype (p=0.025). The difference was, however, restricted to the females, as well as the relatively young (<69 years) subjects. By contrast, we did not find differences with the other SNPs tested.

Interaction of serum 70-kDa heat shock protein levels and HspA1B (+1267) gene polymorphism with disease severity in patients with chronic heart failure

BACKGROUND

Circulating heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) is present in the circulation of healthy individuals and in patients with various disorders, including chronic heart failure (CHF). However, the source and routes of release of Hsp70 is only partially characterised in clinical samples.

AIMS

The purpose of this study was to study the clinical and biological correlates of Hsp70 in a CHF population and, for the first time, to investigate the association of HspA1B (also known as Hsp70-2) +1267 alleles with serum Hsp70 levels.

METHODS

A total of 167 patients (123 men, 44 women) with <45% left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) were enrolled; serum Hsp70 level was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and HspA1B +1267 polymorphism by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism.

RESULTS

Increased Hsp70 levels were present in patients with severe CHF (NYHA III-IV) as compared to the group of NYHA I-II (p = 0.003). Hsp70 levels correlated with LVEF, NT-proBNP, serum bilirubin, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, gammaGT (p < 0.05) concentrations in patients with severe CHF, although no correlation was observed between Hsp70 and CRP, TNF-alpha, or IL-6. HspA1B allele G was associated with higher Hsp70 levels (p = 0.001) in patients in NYHA IV class as compared to carriers of allele A.

CONCLUSIONS

Serum Hsp70 levels were associated with disease severity in heart failure patients. An interaction with the presence of HspA1B +1267 allele G was observed for Hsp70 concentrations. Hsp70 correlates with markers of heart function and hepatic injury, but not with signs of inflammation.

Association between heat-shock protein 70 gene polymorphisms and DNA damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes among coke-oven workers

Hsp70 has been shown to act as a chaperone and be associated with cytoprotection against DNA damage caused by environmental stresses. However, it is unknown whether genetic variation in HSP70 plays a role in stress tolerance and cytoprotection against DNA damage. We determined the frequencies of three polymorphisms, HSP70-1 G190C, HSP70-2 G1267A, and HSP70-hom T2437C from 251 steel-plant workers exposed to coke-oven emission and 130 controls. We estimated the association between the HSP70variants/haplotypes and the levels of DNA damage in their peripheral blood lymphocytes detected by single-cell gel electrophoresis assay. Our results showed that overall coke-oven workers had higher levels of the Olive tail moment (Olive TM) (1.27+/-1.12) than that of the controls (0.56+/-0.99, P<0.001). Coke-oven workers with the HSP70-1 C/C genotype had higher levels of Olive TM (2.19+/-0.65), compared with HSP70-1 G/C and G/G carriers (Olive TM=1.34+/-1.09 and 1.14+/-1.08, respectively, P=0.022 and 0.003, respectively). However, the HSP70-2 G1267A and HSP70-hom T2437C polymorphisms were not associated with the levels of Olive TM (P=0.929 and 0.795, respectively). Haplotype analysis showed that carriers of TCG/TCG haplotype pairs had the highest levels of Olive TM among both the exposed subjects (2.04+/-0.59) and the controls (0.81+/-0.59). Our results suggest that the individuals with the homozygous HSP70-1 C/C genotype among the coke-oven workers may be susceptible to DNA damage.

The pathogenesis of ankylosing spondylitis

✓ Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease that can cause significant functional complications by affecting the sacroiliac joints and axial skeleton. Despite a longstanding knowledge about the familial associations of this disease, particularly among patients positive for human leukocyte antigen (HLA)–B27, the fundamental pathogenetic mechanism by which this disease arises in genetically susceptible individuals remains ill defined. Furthermore, the molecular predilection for characteristic articular site involvement remains under ongoing investigation. Current theories about the HLA-B27 association range from the presentation of novel arthritogenic peptides, to abnormal autoimmune stimulation, to anomalous microbial tolerance. The immune effectors of this damage include CD4+, CD8+, and natural killer cells, with marked heterogeneity at different sites. Biomechanical stresses may trigger this disease by exposing the body to previously immune-sequestered autoantigens or by providing a route for bacterial seeding. Environmental triggers such as infection have not been definitively established but may represent a primary pathogenic step in a molecular-mimicry process. In this article, the authors review the current literature on the origin and pathophysiology of AS, focusing on genetic and molecular associations, consequent pathomechanisms, and associated triggers. An improved understanding of the sequence of molecular events that predispose and initiate the onset of this disease will allow for more specific and targeted therapy and better avoidance of the significant side effects of systemic immunomodulation.

The 8.1 ancestral MHC haplotype is strongly associated with colorectal cancer risk

Many recent data indicate that some alleles encoded in the central major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region (Class III) of short arm of chromosome 6 may modify the risk of cancer development. Therefore we determined 4 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of this region (TNF-alpha -308 G > A, RAGE -429 T > C, HSP70-2 -1267 A > G, LTA 252 A > G) in genomic DNA samples from 183 Hungarian patients with colorectal cancer and 141 age matched control subjects representing the Hungarian population of the same age and gender. No significant differences were found in either SNP tested. When, however, three- or four-locus haplotypes consisting of known constituents of the so-called 8.1 ancestral haplotype (8.1AH) were considered, marked differences were observed. Frequency of TNF-alpha -308A, RAGE -429C, HSP70-2 -1267G, LTA 252G (8.1AH) haplotype was significantly (p = 0.006) more frequent (19.1%) among patients than in the controls (7.7%). Age- and gender-adjusted ratio of the 8.1AH carriers vs. non-carriers to have colorectal cancer was 2.514 (1.130-5.594). This risk was higher in <or=67 years old subjects (4.073 (1.317-12.596)) and in females (3.771 (1.302-10.927). These findings-consistent with similar recent results with ovarian cancer-indicate that carriers of the 8.1AH, encoding for an altered immune response and known to be associated with alterations of several immune functions and autoimmune diseases have an increased risk for some cancer types. These findings may contribute to better understanding how the defense mechanisms against tumors could be enhanced/strengthened.

Association of Met439Thr substitution in heat shock protein 70 gene with postoperative atrial fibrillation and serum HSP70 protein levels

BACKGROUND

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common arrhythmia encountered following cardiac surgery. Previously, we have shown that higher expression of heat shock protein (HSP) 70 was associated with decreased incidence of postoperative AF (PoAF), suggestive of an antiarrhythmic role.

OBJECTIVE

We have hypothesised that Met493Thr substitution of one of the important hsp70 genes may cause loss of these protective antiarrhythmic effects. We therefore set out to examine the influence of hsp70 genotype on the incidence of PoAF.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We prospectively recruited 244 Caucasian patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass surgery. The median age was 65 years (40-80 years). PoAF was defined as the characteristic arrhythmia lasting for at least 15 min, occurring within first week following surgery and requiring treatment. This occurred in 48 patients (19.7%). Validated Met493Thr substitution in hsp70-Hom was determined using established techniques. Of 244 patients, genotype was determined for 242 cases. The three genotypes (MM, MT, and TT) were present at frequencies of 0.66, 0.31, and 0.03, respectively, and were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. In unifactorial analysis patients carrier or homozygous for 493Thr mutation had significantly higher incidence of PoAF (Pearson chi(2) = 4.3, p = 0.037). Multivariate analysis confirmed the positive association of hsp70-Hom with PoAF (OR, 2.43; p = 0.016) independent of age, sex, previous myocardial infarction, number of distal anastomoses, and duration of ventilation, respectively. Serum HSP70 was ranging from 0.74 to 31.91 ng/ml (median, 2.89) and was not correlated with PoAF. Presence of 493Thr mutation was also significantly correlated with higher levels of serum HSP70 (p = 0.009).

CONCLUSIONS

Our data show that a mutation in hsp70-Hom gene is associated with higher incidence of PoAF. These findings are consistent with our previous results and may suggest that patients harbouring this substitution will have less endogenous myocardial protection against AF in stressful situations.

Effects of polymorphisms of heat shock protein 70 gene on ischemic stroke, and interaction with smoking in China

BACKGROUND

Heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) plays a key role in up-regulating stress responses, and it may be involved in the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke (IS). However, whether HSP70 polymorphisms are a risk factor for IS is still controversial.

METHODS

Three polymorphisms of HSP70 gene (+190G/C, +1267A/G, and +2437T/C) were analyzed by PCR-RFLP in Chinese patients with IS (n=116) and elderly subjects without IS (n=116).

RESULTS

The genotype distribution of HSP70-2 and HSP70-hom was not different significantly, but the genotype distribution of HSP70-1 at +190 was different significantly between the patients and controls. The allele frequency of HSP70-1 b2 was significantly higher in the patients (36.64%) than the controls (21.99%, P<0.001). The frequency of HSP70-1 b1b2 genotype was higher in the patients (64.66%) than the controls (37.07%; OR, 3.62). Conditional logistic regression revealed that +190 b2b2+b1b2 genotypes was an independent risk factor for IS (OR, 5.41). After adjustment for other risk factors, the interaction between the HSP70-1 genotype and smoking was confirmed (I(AB),2.78).

CONCLUSIONS

HSP70-1+190G/C may affect susceptibility to IS and smoking along with HSP70-1+190G/C may increase the risk of IS.

Incidence of abacavir hypersensitivity and its relationship with HLA-B*5701 in HIV-infected patients in Taiwan

OBJECTIVES

To describe the incidence of hypersensitivity to abacavir and frequency of human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-B*5701 in HIV-infected Taiwanese persons.

METHODS

Medical records of 337 HIV-infected Taiwanese in whom abacavir-containing combination antiretroviral therapy (CART) was prescribed from 1 May 2001 to 31 December 2006 were reviewed, and HLA typing of the patients was performed in 320 patients (232 receiving abacavir and 88 not receiving abacavir) with available blood samples. HLA class I and II polymorphisms were determined by PCR with specific primers. HLA-B*5701 was further confirmed by sequence-based typing.

RESULTS

Of the 337 patients, median CD4 count was 166.5 cells/mm3 (range, 1.0-1914.0) and 83 patients (24.6%) had AIDS-defining opportunistic infections. Thirty-eight patients (11.3%) discontinued abacavir within 6 weeks of starting abacavir-containing CART. Among them, 10 patients had successful abacavir re-challenge and another 11 patients had other specific reasons for abacavir discontinuation. Therefore, 14 patients (4.2%) were classified as cases in whom abacavir hypersensitivity could not be excluded, and 3 patients (0.9%) met the criteria of abacavir hypersensitivity. Of the 320 patients undergoing HLA typing, HLA-A02 was the most common allele and only one individual (0.3%) expressed HLA-B*5701. Along with some differences in allele distributions, there was a significant difference in the genetic frequency of HLA-B57 in our patients compared with those of previous studies in other Chinese populations.

CONCLUSIONS

Abacavir hypersensitivity was less frequently encountered in HIV-infected Taiwanese initiating abacavir-containing CART than in Caucasians, which might be explained by the low frequency of the HLA-B*5701 allele.

Association of HLA genes with ankylosing spondylitis in Han population of eastern China

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disorder with a multifactorial genetic basis. HLA-B27 was reported with the greatest susceptibility to AS but did not act alone. The aim of this study was to search for other gene(s) associated with AS independently of HLA-B27 using 13 microsatellite markers spanning 1.5 Mb from locus TAP1 to HLA-Cw and a single-nucleotide polymorphism marker within NFkappaBIL1 gene promoter. Genotyping for microsatellites was performed in 175 AS patients of eastern Chinese and 219 ethnically matched healthy controls using polymerase chain reaction with fluorescence-labelled primers, whereas the SNP marker was genotyped by direct DNA sequencing. Allele as well as haplotype frequencies were compared between cases and controls, and a linkage disequilibrium analysis was performed to estimate the LD relationship between the candidate regions. The frequencies of alleles D6S2811*128, STR_MICA*A5.1 and D6S2672*109, as well as haplotypes D6S2811*128-D6S2927*213-D6S2810*340, D6S2927* 221-D6S2810*350-MICA*A5.1, and D6S2810*350-MICA*A5.1-D6S2800* 136 were significantly increased in B27-positive AS patients when compared with B27-positive controls. The results indicated that there may be other gene(s) within the HLA region, especially around locus HLA-B or HLA-Cw, with susceptibility to AS independently of HLA-B27.

Heat shock protein gene 70-2 polymorphism is differentially associated with the clinical phenotypes of ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease

BACKGROUND AND AIM

A single nucleotide polymorphism in heat shock protein 70-2 (HSP70-2) has been shown to be associated with a severe clinical course in Crohn's disease (CD), but it is not known if such a relationship exists in ulcerative colitis (UC). The aim of the present study was to identify associations between the HSP70-2 polymorphism and the clinical courses of CD and UC in Koreans.

METHODS

Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis was performed for HSP70-2 polymorphisms using the PstI-cleavage site present in the B allele but not in the A allele of the DNA obtained from 101 patients with CD, 144 patients with UC, and 245 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Study subjects were classified by disease behavior, severity and extent of disease.

RESULTS

In CD, multivariate analysis showed that the AA genotype of HSP70-2 polymorphisms was associated with non-perforating disease (OR 10.10, 95% CI 1.66-15.38) and male sex (OR 3.56, 95% CI 1.04-12.23), and that the BB genotype was associated with severe CD (OR 12.03, 95% CI 1.60-101.56). In contrast, multivariate analysis for UC showed that the AA genotype was associated with severe UC (OR 2.02, 95% CI 1.34-3.03).

CONCLUSIONS

CD patients with BB genotype of HSP70-2 polymorphism tend to experience a more severe clinical course and allele A is associated with more severe UC. HSP70-2 polymorphism may be used to predict CD and UC phenotypes, which can illuminate immunological differences in CD and UC.

Association of HSP70-hom genetic variant with prostate cancer risk

Because of the importance of androgens to prostate cancer (PCa) development, several candidate genes along androgen pathway have been under intensive study. Given the role of the molecular chaperone HSP70 in the regulation of the androgen receptor (AR) transactivation function, we first chose to explore the association between the HSP70-hom functional genetic variant (+2437 T > C) and prostate cancer risk by genotyping DNA samples from 101 unselected PCa patients and 105 healthy men. There was a trend towards lower frequency of TC and CC genotypes among patients when compared with healthy controls, however the difference did not reach the statistical significance (TC genotype: OR = 0.53, P = 0.05; CC genotype: OR = 0.42, P = 0.16). Moreover, individuals carrying at least one C allele have a statistically significant lower susceptibility for PCa (OR = 0.51 (0.26-0.97); P = 0.02). Since some factors may influence tumor progression rather than initiation, we also examined the relationship between the HSP70-hom polymorphism and the clinical characteristics of the malignancy at the time of diagnosis. The stratified analysis of the genotypes with the clinical stage and tumor grade showed that there was no significant difference in the risk estimates according to prognostic indicators of PCa disease in our population study. This is the first report on the studies of HSP70 SNPs in PCa and our data suggest that this genetic variant may be a genetic marker for PCa susceptibility in Tunisians.

Chaperones and proteases: cellular fold-controlling factors of proteins in neurodegenerative diseases and aging

The formation of toxic protein aggregates is a common denominator to many neurodegenerative diseases and aging. Accumulation of toxic, possibly infectious protein aggregates induces a cascade of events, such as excessive inflammation, the production of reactive oxygen species, apoptosis and neuronal loss. A network of highly conserved molecular chaperones and of chaperone-related proteases controls the fold-quality of proteins in the cell. Most molecular chaperones can passively prevent protein aggregation by binding misfolding intermediates. Some molecular chaperones and chaperone-related proteases, such as the proteasome, can also hydrolyse ATP to forcefully convert stable harmful protein aggregates into harmless natively refoldable, or protease-degradable, polypeptides. Molecular chaperones and chaperone-related proteases thus control the delicate balance between natively folded functional proteins and aggregation-prone misfolded proteins, which may form during the lifetime and lead to cell death. Abundant data now point at the molecular chaperones and the proteases as major clearance mechanisms to remove toxic protein aggregates from cells, delaying the onset and the outcome of protein-misfolding diseases. Therapeutic approaches include treatments and drugs that can specifically induce and sustain a strong chaperone and protease activity in cells and tissues prone to toxic protein aggregations.

Crohn's disease and polymorphism of heat shock protein gene HSP70-2 in the Tunisian population

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Crohn's disease is a multifactorial disorder with a pivotal role of the genetic component. HSP70-2 gene, located in IBD3 region, has a PstI polymorphic site associated recently with Crohn's disease especially with a perforating form. In this study, we sought to determine whether this polymorphism was associated with Crohn's disease in the Tunisian population and its correlation with clinical manifestation of the disease.

METHODS

In all, 148 patients with Crohn's disease and 81 healthy individuals were genotyped for the HSP70-2 PstI polymorphism by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis.

RESULTS

The allele and genotype frequency of the PstI polymorphism did not differ between patients and controls. Furthermore, this polymorphism was not associated with specific disease behavior.

CONCLUSION

This study reported the absence of association between Crohn's disease and HSP70-2 gene in the Tunisian population. The allele A of PstI polymorphism was not associated with phenotype of the disease.

Non-B27 MHC associations of ankylosing spondylitis

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) has been associated with human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B27 for over 30 years; however, the mechanism of action has remained elusive. Although many studies have reported associations between AS and other genes in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) in AS, no conclusive results have emerged. To investigate the contribution of non-B27 MHC genes to AS, a large cohort of AS families and controls were B27 typed and genotyped across the region. Interrogation of the data identified a region of 270 kb, lying from 31 952 649 to 32 221 738 base pairs from the p-telomere of chromosome 6 and containing 23 genes, which is likely to include genes involved with susceptibility to AS.

Association of hsp70 polymorphisms with risk of noise-induced hearing loss in Chinese automobile workers

Severe noise exposure can induce heat shock proteins (Hsps), and exposure to moderate noise has been reported to confer protection against noise-induced damage to hearing. Whether there is any association of genetic variation in both constitutive and inducible hsp70 genes with noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is presently unknown. Using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism, we genotyped 3 polymorphisms (+190A/ B, +1267A/B, and +2437A/B) in the hsp70-1 (rs1043618), hsp70-2 (rs1061581), and hsp70-hom (rs2227956) genes, respectively, and investigated the associations of these polymorphisms with risk of developing NIHL in 194 automobile workers working in a similar noise environment as evaluated by audiological assessment. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to assess the associations with the risk genotypes, and Whap software was used to analyze their haplotypes. Our results showed that there was no statistically significant difference in the genotype and allele distributions of hsp70-1, hsp70-2, and hsp70-hom between the NIHL group and the normal group (P > 0.05) with and without adjustment for age, sex, smoking, history of explosive noise exposure, and cumulative noise exposure. However, haplotype analysis revealed that the Hap5 (ie, haplotype +190A/+1267B/+2437A) and Hap6 (ie, haplotype +190A/+1267B/+2437B) were significantly more frequent in the NIHL group than in the normal group (20/9, P = 0.022, and 7/0, P = 0.005, respectively). Compared with Hap1 (ie, +190A/+1267A/+2437A), Hap5 was associated with a nearly 3-fold increased risk of NIHL (adjusted odds ratio, 2.67; 95% confidence interval, 1.13-6.27). Seven of the NIHL patients had Hap6, but none of the controls had this haplotype. Our results suggest that some haplotypes of the hsp70 genes may be associated with a higher susceptibility to NIHL.

Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Promoter Polymorphisms in Mexican Patients With Spondyloarthritis

To evaluate the role of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) gene as susceptibility marker for spondyloarthritis (SpA), two polymorphisms (-238 and -308 positions) were analyzed in 229 patients with SpA (113 with ankylosing spondylitis [AS], 92 with undifferentiated SpA [U-SpA], 24 with reactive arthritis), and 169 ethnically matched healthy control subjects. The HLA-B alleles were detected by PCR-SSP technique and the TNF-alpha polymorphism by PCR-RFLP. In comparison with healthy control subjects, the frequencies of TNF-238 in SpA were similar. In contrast, the analysis of -308 polymorphism showed increased frequencies of the T2(A) allele in the whole SpA group (p < 0.05, pC = NS, OR = 1.83) as well as the T2(A) allele (pC < 0.05, OR = 2.4) and T1T2(AG) genotype (p < 0.05, pC = NS, OR = 2.25) in U-SpA patients. Comparison of B27-negative patients and healthy control subjects yielded similar results. There was no significant correlation between TNF genotypes and clinical data. The present study demonstrates that TNF-alpha -308 polymorphism appears to be associated with the genetic susceptibility U-SpA. The association seems independent of the susceptibility conferred by the HLA-B27 in this group of patients.