| 1. |
- Sliz, E., et al.
(författare)
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Evidence of a causal effect of genetic tendency to gain muscle mass on uterine leiomyomata
- 2023
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Ingår i: Nature Communications. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2041-1723. ; 14:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Uterine leiomyomata (UL) are the most common tumours of the female genital tract and the primary cause of surgical removal of the uterus. Genetic factors contribute to UL susceptibility. To add understanding to the heritable genetic risk factors, we conduct a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of UL in up to 426,558 European women from FinnGen and a previous UL meta-GWAS. In addition to the 50 known UL loci, we identify 22 loci that have not been associated with UL in prior studies. UL-associated loci harbour genes enriched for development, growth, and cellular senescence. Of particular interest are the smooth muscle cell differentiation and proliferation-regulating genes functioning on the myocardin-cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor 1A pathway. Our results further suggest that genetic predisposition to increased fat-free mass may be causally related to higher UL risk, underscoring the involvement of altered muscle tissue biology in UL pathophysiology. Overall, our findings add to the understanding of the genetic pathways underlying UL, which may aid in developing novel therapeutics.
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| 2. |
- Kallionpaa, R. A., et al.
(författare)
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Circulating free DNA in the plasma of individuals with neurofibromatosis type 1
- 2021
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Ingår i: American Journal of Medical Genetics Part A. - : Wiley. - 1552-4825 .- 1552-4833. ; 185:4, s. 1098-1104
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is an autosomal dominant syndrome whose characteristic manifestations include benign neurofibromas, yet NF1 is also associated with a high risk of cancer. Measurements of circulating free plasma DNA (cfDNA) are gaining wider applicability in cancer diagnostics, targeting of therapy, and monitoring of therapeutic response. Individuals with NF1 are likely to be followed up using this method, but the effects of NF1 and neurofibromas on cfDNA levels are not known. We studied peripheral blood samples from 19 adults with NF1 and 12 healthy controls. The cfDNA was isolated from plasma with QIAamp Circulating Nucleic Acid Kit and quantified using the Qubit 2.0 Fluorometer. The cfDNA concentration of each sample was normalized relative to the plasma protein concentration. The normalized median concentration of cfDNA in plasma was 19.3 ng/ml (range 6.6-78.6) among individuals with NF1 and 15.9 ng/ml (range 4.8-47.0) among controls (p = .369). Individuals with NF1 who also had plexiform neurofibroma (pNF) showed non-significantly elevated cfDNA concentration compared to individuals with NF1 and without known pNF (median 25.4 vs. 18.8 ng/ml, p = .122). The effect of NF1 on cfDNA seems to be relatively small and NF1 is therefore unlikely to hamper the use of cfDNA-based assays.
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| 3. |
- Kallionpaa, R. A., et al.
(författare)
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Increased risk for dementia in neurofibromatosis type 1
- 2021
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Ingår i: Genetics in Medicine. - : Elsevier BV. - 1098-3600.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose To determine the risk for dementia in neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) using a Finnish nationwide cohort of individuals with NF1, and data from national registries. Methods A Finnish cohort of 1,349 individuals with confirmed NF1 according to the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) diagnostic criteria was compared with a control cohort of 13,870 individuals matched for age, sex, and area of residence. Dementia-related hospital visits were retrieved from the Finnish Care Register for Health Care using International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision (ICD-10) diagnosis codes G30 and F00-F03. Purchases of antidementia drugs were queried with Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification code N06D from the drug reimbursement register maintained by the Social Insurance Institution of Finland. The follow-up spanned 1998-2014. Results Totals of 16 and 165 individuals with at least two dementia-related diagnoses or drug purchases were identified in the NF1 and control cohorts, respectively. The hazard ratio for dementia in NF1 was 1.67 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.00-2.80, P = 0.050). In an analysis stratified by the type of dementia, the risk for Alzheimer disease was increased in NF1 compared to controls with a hazard ratio of 2.88 (95% CI 1.47-5.66, P = 0.002). Conclusion Dementia and especially Alzheimer disease are previously unrecognized neurological complications of NF1.
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| 4. |
- Kallionpaa, R. A., et al.
(författare)
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Mast Cells in Human Cutaneous Neurofibromas: Density, Subtypes, and Association with Clinical Features in Neurofibromatosis 1
- 2022
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Ingår i: Dermatology. - : S. Karger AG. - 1018-8665 .- 1421-9832. ; 238:2, s. 329-339
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Cutaneous neurofibromas (cNFs) are hallmarks of neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) and cause the main disease burden in adults with NF1. Mast cells are a known component of cNFs. However, no comprehensive characterization of mast cells in cNFs is available, and their contributions to cNF growth and symptoms such as itch are not known. Methods: We collected 60 cNFs from ten individuals with NF1, studied their mast cell proteinase content, and compared the mast cell numbers to selected clinical features of the tumors and patients. The tumors were immunolabeled for the mast cell markers CD117, tryptase, and chymase, and the percentage of immunopositive cells was determined using computer-assisted methods. Results: The median proportions of positive cells were 5.5% (range 0.1-14.4) for CD117, 4.0% (1.2-7.0) for tryptase, and 5.0% (1.1-15.9) for chymase. The median densities of cells immunopositive for CD117, tryptase, and chymase were 280, 243, and 250 cells/mm(2), respectively. Small tumors, growing tumors, and tumors from patients below the median age of 33 years displayed a high proportion of mast cells. Cells expressing both tryptase and chymase were the predominant mast cell type in cNFs, followed by cells expressing chymase only. Conclusion: The results highlight the abundance of mast cells in cNFs and that their number and subtypes clearly differ from those previously reported in unaffected skin.
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| 5. |
- Kallionpaa, R., et al.
(författare)
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The contribution of morbidity and unemployment for the reduced labor market participation of individuals with neurofibromatosis 1 in Finland
- 2024
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Ingår i: European Journal of Human Genetics. - 1018-4813. ; 32:1, s. 83-90
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) is a multisystem disorder associated with, for example, a high risk for cancer, a variety of behavioral and cognitive deficits, low educational attainment and decreased income. We now examined the labor market participation of individuals with NF1. We analyzed the numbers of days of work, unemployment, and sickness allowance among 742 Finnish individuals with NF1 aged 20-59 years using nationwide register data from Statistics Finland and the Social Insurance Institution of Finland. The individuals with NF1 were compared with a control cohort of 8716 individuals matched with age, sex, and the area of residence. Individuals with NF1 had a significantly lower number of working days per year than the controls (rate ratio [RR] 0.93, 95% CI 0.91-0.95). Unemployment (RR 1.79, 95% CI 1.58-2.02), and sickness absence (RR 1.44, 95% CI 1.25-1.67) were more frequent in the NF1 than in the control group. The causes of sickness allowances were highly concordant with the previously reported morbidity profile of NF1 including neoplasms, cardiovascular disease, mental and behavioral diseases, and neurological diseases. In conclusion, NF1 significantly interferes with labor market participation via both unemployment and morbidity. Unemployment seems to cause more days of not working than sickness absence.
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| 6. |
- Meinander, K., et al.
(författare)
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Pseudopeptides with a centrally positioned alkene-based disulphide bridge mimetic stimulate kallikrein-related peptidase 3 activity
- 2013
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Ingår i: Medchemcomm. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 2040-2503 .- 2040-2511. ; 4:3, s. 549-553
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Pseudopeptides based on the kallikrein-related peptidase 3 (KLK3) activating bicyclic peptide “C-4” comprising hydrocarbon-based disulphide bridge mimetics have been synthesized. After investigating different synthetic approaches, the pseudopeptides were successfully cyclized from two L-allylglycine side chains via an alkene ring-closing metathesis reaction during the peptide synthesis. The alkene-linker was formed in a 1 : 1 E/Z isomer ratio. The resulting pseudopeptides were almost as potent as the parent peptide, increasing the activity of KLK3 over four-fold at 200 μg ml−1 (130–140 μM) concentrations.
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| 7. |
- Pennanen, P., et al.
(författare)
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Signaling pathways in human osteoclasts differentiation: ERK1/2 as a key player
- 2021
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Ingår i: Molecular Biology Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0301-4851 .- 1573-4978. ; 48, s. 1243-1254
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Little is known about the signaling pathways involved in the differentiation of human osteoclasts. The present study evaluated the roles of the Ras/PI3K/Akt/mTOR, Ras/Raf/MEK1/2/ERK1/2, calcium-PKC, and p38 signaling pathways in human osteoclast differentiation. Mononuclear cells were isolated from the peripheral blood of control persons and patients with neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1), and the cells were differentiated into osteoclasts in the presence of signaling pathway inhibitors. Osteoclast differentiation was assessed using tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5B. Inhibition of most signaling pathways with chemical inhibitors decreased the number of human osteoclasts and disrupted F-actin ring formation, while the inhibition of p38 resulted in an increased number of osteoclasts, which is a finding contradictory to previous murine studies. However, the p38 inhibition did not increase the bone resorption capacity of the cells. Ras-inhibitor FTS increased osteoclastogenesis in samples from control persons, but an inhibitory effect was observed in NF1 samples. Inhibition of MEK, PI3K, and mTOR reduced markedly the number of NF1-deficient osteoclasts, but no effect was observed in control samples. Western blot analyses showed that the changes in the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 correlated with the number of osteoclasts. Our results highlight the fact that osteoclastogenesis is regulated by multiple interacting signaling pathways and emphasize that murine and human findings related to osteoclastogenesis are not necessarily equivalent.
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