Life Sciences
Royal Brompton Hospital details research in life sciences

July 31st, 2008

(NewsRx.com) -- New research, 'Variation in iron homeostasis genes
between patients with ARDS and healthy control subjects,' is the
subject of a report. "Abnormal plasma and lung iron mobilization is
associated with the onset and progression of ARDS and is detectable in
specific at-risk populations. Patients with ARDS also have pronounced
oxidative and nitrosative stress that can be catalyzed and thereby
aggravated by the bioavailability of redox active iron," scientists
writing in the journal Chest report.
"ARDS of pulmonary and extrapulmonary origin may differ
pathophysiologically and require different ventilatory strategies.
Evidence suggests that genetic predisposition is relevant to the
pathogenesis of ARDS. We therefore explored the hypothesis that
polymorphisms from a panel of genes encoding iron-metabolizing
proteins determine susceptibility to ARDS. Retrospective case-control
study conducted at the adult ICUs of two university hospitals.
Patients with ARDS (n=122) and healthy control subjects (n=193) were
genotyped. Sequence-specific primer polymerase chain reaction was used
to genotype selected biallelic single-nucleotide polymorphisms. An
audit of the patient database was conducted, and 104 of the 122 ARDS
patients were eligible for the final data analysis. Preliminary
analysis indicated differences between ARDS and healthy control
subjects in the incidence of polymorphism of the gene encoding
ferritin light chain. Subgroup analysis indicated the prevalence of
ferritin light-chain gene -3381GG homozygotes was increased in
patients with ARDS of extrapulmonary origin compared to healthy
control subjects. Secondly, a common haplotype in the heme oxygenase 2
gene was reduced in patients with ARDS compared to healthy control
subjects and was more evident in those with ARDS of direct or
pulmonary etiology. These results provide preliminary evidence to
suggest a distinction in the genetic background of the subpopulations
studied, inferring that the ferritin light-chain gene genotype confers
susceptibility to ARDS, while the heme oxygenase 2 haplotype is
protective against the onset of the syndrome," wrote A.L. Lagan and
colleagues, Royal Brompton Hospital.

The researchers concluded: "Such data support further previous
findings that suggest abnormalities in iron handling resulting in
redox imbalance are implicated in the pathogenesis of ARDS."

Lagan and colleagues published their study in Chest (Variation in iron
homeostasis genes between patients with ARDS and healthy control
subjects. Chest, 2008;133(6):1302-11).

Additional information can be obtained by contacting A.L. Lagan, Royal
Brompton Hospital, Unit of Critical Care, London, UK.

The publisher of the journal Chest can be contacted at: American
College Chest Physicians, 3300 Dundee Road, Northbrook, IL 60062-2348,
USA.

Keywords: United Kingdom, London, Life Sciences, Enzyme Research,
Polymerase, Clinical Trial Research, Diagnosis, Diagnostics,
Physiology.

This article was prepared by NewsRx editors from staff and other
reports. Copyright 2008, NewsRx.com.

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