Airway smooth muscle (ASM) cells play a critical role in the pathophysiology of asthma due to their hypercontractility and their ability to proliferate and secrete inflammatory mediators. microRNAs (miRNAs) are gene regulators that control many signaling pathways and thus serve as potential therapeutic alternatives for many diseases. We have previously shown that miR-708 and miR-140-3p regulate...

Studies using genetic isolates with limited genetic variation may be useful in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) genetics, but are thus far lacking. The associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in candidate genes and lung function in COPD were studied in a genetic isolate. In 91 subjects with Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) stage >or=1...

A reduced risk of primary malignant adult brain tumors is observed among people reporting asthma, hay fever, and other allergic conditions; however, findings may be attributed to prediagnostic effects of tumors or recall bias. To determine whether asthma and allergic condition polymorphisms are inversely related to glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) risk, we conducted a population-based case-control...

BACKGROUND There is a spectacular rise in the global prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) due to the worldwide obesity epidemic. However, a significant proportion of T2DM patients are non-obese and they also have an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. As the Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rat is a well-known model of non-obese T2DM, the goal of this study was to investigate the effect of no...

Abstract Study question Are there genetic mutations which may lead to recurrent failures of assisted reproductive technology? Summary answer In this study, some genes were found be candidates for causing repeated ART failures. What is known already Although aging one the greatest hindrances successful pregnancy, many patients remain infertile, enduring failures, and approximately 20% infertilit...

Background Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a complex disease, caused by combination of genetic, epigenetic and environmental factors common to other related autoimmune diseases including Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) [1]. Using state the art Bioinformatics tools we are able formulate an ensemble associated components (genomic grammar) for each disease distinguish impor...

Asthma is common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterised by variable and attacks of cough and breathlesness, usually precipitated by an enviromental trigger (air pollution, smoke, etc). The prevalence and severity for allergic asthma have increased markedly in the last several decades. Dysregulated expression patterns of proand anti inflammatory mechanisms are thought to be re...

Correspondence to: Dr M Kogevinas, Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology, Municipal Institute of Medical Reseach (IMIM), 80 Dr Aiguader Rd, Barcelona 08003, Spain; [email protected] _________________________ A sthma is a complex disease with a diverse genetic and environmental component. Asthma shows a high level of phenotypic heterogeneity characterised by obstruction of the airway...