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The y chromosome : A blueprint for men's health?

- Maan, Akhlaq, Eales, James, Akbarov, Artur, Rowland, Joshua, Xu, Xiaoguang, Jobling, Mark, Charchar, Fadi, Tomaszewski, Maciej

  • Authors: Maan, Akhlaq , Eales, James , Akbarov, Artur , Rowland, Joshua , Xu, Xiaoguang , Jobling, Mark , Charchar, Fadi , Tomaszewski, Maciej
  • Date: 2017
  • Type: Text , Journal article , Review
  • Relation: European Journal of Human Genetics Vol. 25, no. 11 (2017), p. 1181-1188
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  • Description: The Y chromosome has long been considered a genetic wasteland' on a trajectory to completely disappear from the human genome. The perception of its physiological function was restricted to sex determination and spermatogenesis. These views have been challenged in recent times with the identification of multiple ubiquitously expressed Y-chromosome genes and the discovery of several unexpected associations between the Y chromosome, immune system and complex polygenic traits. The collected evidence suggests that the Y chromosome influences immune and inflammatory responses in men, translating into genetically programmed susceptibility to diseases with a strong immune component. Phylogenetic studies reveal that carriers of a common European lineage of the Y chromosome (haplogroup I) possess increased risk of coronary artery disease. This occurs amidst upregulation of inflammation and suppression of adaptive immunity in this Y lineage, as well as inferior outcomes in human immunodeficiency virus infection. From structural analysis and experimental data, the UTY (Ubiquitously Transcribed Tetratricopeptide Repeat Containing, Y-Linked) gene is emerging as a promising candidate underlying the associations between Y-chromosome variants and the immunity-driven susceptibility to complex disease. This review synthesises the recent structural, experimental and clinical insights into the human Y chromosome in the context of men's susceptibility to disease (with a particular emphasis on cardiovascular disease) and provides an overview of the paradigm shift in the perception of the Y chromosome. © 2017 The Author(s).

Systematic genetic analysis of fibroblast growth factor signalling pathway uncovers fibroblast growth factor binding protein 1 (FGFBP1) as a novel gene of essential hypertension

- Tomaszewski, Maciej, Charchar, Fadi, Barnes, Timothy, Maric, Christine, Samani, Nilesh, Zukowska-Szczechowska, Ewa

Fibroblast growth factor binding protein 1 gene (FGFBP1) and hypertension d from pathway analysis to renal glomerulus

- Tomaszewski, Maciej, Charchar, Fadi, Barnes, Timothy, Maric, Christine, Zukowska-Szczechowska, Ewa, Samani, Nilesh

  • Authors: Tomaszewski, Maciej , Charchar, Fadi , Barnes, Timothy , Maric, Christine , Zukowska-Szczechowska, Ewa , Samani, Nilesh
  • Date: 2010
  • Type: Text , Conference paper
  • Relation: Paper presented at British Cardiovascular Society Annual Conference 2010, Manchester Central, Manchester, UK : 7th-9th June 2010
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  • Description: Essential hypertension is a complex, multifactorial disease with a strong genetic component. Fibroblast growth factor 1 gene (FGF1) is one of the most relevant candidates having been associated not only with familial susceptibility to hypertension but also with up-regulation within the glomerulus of the human hypertensive kidney/Circulation 2007;116:1915e24/. We have hypothesised that systematic analysis of genes interacting with FGF1 may uncover novel variants underlying essential hypertension. Seventy-nine common (minor allele frequency$0.1) tagging (r2$0.8) and functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) spanning eight critical components of the FGF (fibroblast growth factor) pathway (FGF2, FGFR1, FGFR2, FGFR3, FGFR4, FGFBP1, FIBP, SPRY1) were genotyped by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry in 629 subjects from 207 Polish hypertensive families (Silesian Hypertension Study d SHS). 83.5% of genotyped SNPs that passed quality control filters provided 92.9% genetic coverage of FGF pathway loci. Family-based analysis in SHS revealed that alleles of three SNPs (rs2956724, rs2245964 and rs16892645) in two loci (FGFR1 and FGFBP1) were transmitted to hypertensive offspring more frequently than expected by chance. However, only one association survived correction for multiple testing e major allele of rs16892645 in FGFBP1 was over-transmitted from heterozygous parents to hypertensive offspring more frequently than expected by chance (p¼0.0048, false discovery rate<0.25). The association between rs16892645 and hypertension was replicated in an independent cohort of 807 Polish subjects from Silesian Cardiovascular Study d each major allele copy of rs16892645 increased the odds of hypertension approximately by 1.5 (odds ratio: 1.5; 95% CI: 1.1 to to 2.2, p¼0.04). Association between FGFBP1 and hypertension was also apparent at the protein expression level d compared with normotensive patients, hypertensives from Silesian Renal Tissue Bank showed approximately 1.4-fold higher renal abundance of FGFBP1 in Western blotting (p¼0.001). Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that hypertension-related up-regulation of FGFBP1 was exclusive to renal glomeruli. These data show that FGFBP1da gene that encodes a carrier protein for FGF1 d is associated with human hypertension. We also reveal that up-regulation of FGFBP1 maps to the same histological compartment where FGF1 was shown to be most abundant (renal glomeruli). Our study also proves that systematic genetic analysis of signalling pathways is a strategy with a potential to identify novel molecular mechanisms underlying blood pressure elevation.

A meta-analysis of gene expression signatures of blood pressure and hypertension

- Charchar, Fadi

  • Authors: Charchar, Fadi
  • Date: 2015
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: PLoS Genetics Vol. 11, no. 3 (2015), p. 1-29
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  • Description: Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have uncovered numerous genetic variants (SNPs) that are associated with blood pressure (BP). Genetic variants may lead to BP changes by acting on intermediate molecular phenotypes such as coded protein sequence or gene expression, which in turn affect BP variability. Therefore, characterizing genes whose expression is associated with BP may reveal cellular processes involved in BP regulation and uncover how transcripts mediate genetic and environmental effects on BP variability. A meta-analysis of results from six studies of global gene expression profiles of BP and hypertension in whole blood was performed in 7017 individuals who were not receiving antihypertensive drug treatment. We identified 34 genes that were differentially expressed in relation to BP (Bonferroni-corrected p<0.05). Among these genes, FOS and PTGS2 have been previously reported to be involved in BP-related processes; the others are novel. The top BP signature genes in aggregate explain 5%–9% of inter-individual variance in BP. Of note, rs3184504 in SH2B3, which was also reported in GWAS to be associated with BP, was found to be a trans regulator of the expression of 6 of the transcripts we found to be associated with BP (FOS, MYADM, PP1R15A, TAGAP, S100A10, and FGBP2). Gene set enrichment analysis suggested that the BP-related global gene expression changes include genes involved in inflammatory response and apoptosis pathways. Our study provides new insights into molecular mechanisms underlying BP regulation, and suggests novel transcriptomic markers for the treatment and prevention of hypertension. **Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the Federation University Australia affiliate is provided in this record**

Report of the 3rd annual International Society of Hypertension New Investigator Symposium.

- Burger, Dylan, Veerabhadrappa, Praveen, Charchar, Fadi, Schutte, Aletta, Tomaszewski, Maciej

Experimental and human evidence for Lipocalin-2 (Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin NGAL ) in the development of cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure

- Marques, Francine, Prestes, Priscilla, Byars, Sean, Ritchie, Scott, Wurtz, Peter, Patel, Sheila, Booth, Scott, Rana, Indrajeetsinh, Minoda, Yosuke, Berzins, Stuart, Curl, Claire, Bell, James, Wai, Bryan, Srivastava, Piyush, Kangas, Antti, Soininen, Pasi, Ruohonen, Saku, Kahonen, Mika, Lehtimaki, Terho, Raitoharju, Emma, Havulinna, Aki, Perola, Markus, Raitakari, Olli, Salomaa, Veikko, Ala-Korpela, Mika, Kettunen, Johannes, McGlynn, Maree, Kelly, Jason, Wlodek, Mary, Lewandowski, Paul, Delbridge, Lea, Burrell, Louise, Inouye, Michael, Harrap, Stephen, Charchar, Fadi

Dysregulation of c-kit expression parallels the development of spontaneous genetic cardiac hypertrophy

- Marques, Francine, Prestes, Priscilla, Lewandowski, Paul, Harrap, Stephen, Charchar, Fadi

  • Authors: Marques, Francine , Prestes, Priscilla , Lewandowski, Paul , Harrap, Stephen , Charchar, Fadi
  • Date: 2015
  • Type: Text , Conference paper
  • Relation: Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand Annual Scientific Meeting and the International Society for Heart Research Australasian Section Annual Scientific Meeting; Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; 13th-16th August 2016; published in Heart, Lung and Circulation. Vol. 24, p. S401-S401
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  • Description: Objective: The molecular processes associated with cardiac hypertrophy independent of blood pressure are still largely unknown. The hypertrophic heart rate (HHR) is normotensive and born with a reduced complement of cardiomyocytes that predisposes to cardiac hypertrophy and failure in later life. We investigated the expression of c-kit gene, a marker of cardiac stem cells and myocardial regeneration that could contribute to hypertrophy. Methods: Left ventricular c-kit mRNA expression was measured by real-time PCR in HHR and control strain in neonatal and 38-week old rats (n=7-12/group). We tested for linkage of c-kit expression with neonatal cardiac size in 197 second generation crosses (F2) of HHR and control strain. Results: c-kit mRNA was slightly up-regulated in neonatal (fold change +1.3, P=0.02) and markedly so in 38-week old HHR (+35.5, P=0.0003). Cardiac weight index was positively correlated with neonatal myocardial c-kit mRNA in the F2 population (r=0.19, P=0.007). Conclusions: In HHR hearts c-kit expression appears increased throughout life, but more so in the adult where cardiac hypertrophy is established and leading to failure. In aged hypertrophic hearts, over-expression of c-kit is likely a compensatory mechanism of the failing heart. Previous studies showed an activation of cardiac stem cells in the hypertrophic myocardium. Our study suggests that c-kit might be involved from an early age in mechanisms that lead to cardiac hypertrophy in adulthood.

MicroRNAs in a hypertrophic heart : From foetal life to adulthood

- Sadiq, Shahzad, Crowley, Tamsyn, Charchar, Fadi, Sanigorski, Andrew, Lewandowski, Paul

  • Authors: Sadiq, Shahzad , Crowley, Tamsyn , Charchar, Fadi , Sanigorski, Andrew , Lewandowski, Paul
  • Date: 2017
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Biological Reviews Vol. 92, no. 3 (2017), p. 1314-1331
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  • Description: The heart is the first organ to form and undergoes adaptive remodelling with age. Ventricular hypertrophy is one such adaptation, which allows the heart to cope with an increase in cardiac demand. This adaptation is necessary as part of natural growth from foetal life to adulthood. It may also occur in response to resistance in blood flow due to various insults on the heart and vessels that accumulate with age. The heart can only compensate to this increase in workload to a certain extent without losing its functional architecture, ultimately resulting in heart failure. Many genes have been implicated in cardiac hypertrophy, however none have been shown conclusively to be responsible for pathological cardiac hypertrophy. MicroRNAs offer an alternative mechanism for cellular regulation by altering gene expression. Since 1993 when the function of a non-coding DNA sequence was first discovered in the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans, many microRNAs have been implicated in having a central role in numerous physiological and pathological cellular processes. The level of control these antisense oligonucleotides offer can often be exploited to manipulate the expression of target genes. Moreover, altered levels of microRNAs can serve as diagnostic biomarkers, with the prospect of diagnosing a disease process as early as during foetal life. Therefore, it is vital to ascertain and investigate the function of microRNAs that are involved in heart development and subsequent ventricular remodelling. Here we present an overview of the complicated network of microRNAs and their target genes that have previously been implicated in cardiogenesis and hypertrophy. It is interesting to note that microRNAs in both of these growth processes can be of possible remedial value to counter a similar disease pathophysiology.

Orthologues of GSTM expressed in human kidney

- Brosnan, Julia, Tomaszewski, Maciej, McBride, Martin, Charchar, Fadi, Lacka, Beata, Zukowska-Szczechowska, Ewa, Grzeszczak, Wladyslaw, Lee, Wai, Dominiczak, Anna

RNA sequencing data from the human kidney

- Charchar, Fadi

  • Authors: Charchar, Fadi
  • Date: 2013
  • Type: Text , Dataset
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  • Description: The aims of the project to determine the molecular cause of human hypertension. We will be studying abnormalities in the expression of RNA in human kidneys. RNA is the message by which DNA or our genes are expressed as protein that makes up most of the cell and its function. The data will consist of RNA sequences and saved as .txt .seq files using the Partek software. The collection contains a sample of 30 items. The data has been processed using sequencing software and collected by the http://www.agrf.org.au Australian Genome Research Facility http://www.agrf.org.au and is funded by a NHMRC project called the effect of non-coding RNA in human hypertension.

Whole genome survey of copy number variation between the spontaneously hypersensitive rat and the wistar-kyoto rat

- Charchar, Fadi, Dixon, Richard, Kaiser, Michael, Bingham, Andrew, Samani, Nilesh

FGF21 signalling pathway and metabolic traits - genetic association analysis

- Kaess, Bernhard, Barnes, Timothy, Stark, Klaus, Charchar, Fadi, Waterworth, Dawn, Song, Kijoung, Wang, William, Vollenweider, Peter, Waeber, Gerard, Mooser, Vincent, Zukowska-Szczechowska, Ewa, Samani, Nilesh, Hengstenberg, Christian, Tomaszewski, Maciej

  • Authors: Kaess, Bernhard , Barnes, Timothy , Stark, Klaus , Charchar, Fadi , Waterworth, Dawn , Song, Kijoung , Wang, William , Vollenweider, Peter , Waeber, Gerard , Mooser, Vincent , Zukowska-Szczechowska, Ewa , Samani, Nilesh , Hengstenberg, Christian , Tomaszewski, Maciej
  • Date: 2010
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: European Journal of Human Genetics Vol. 18, no. 12 (2010), p. 1344-1348
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  • Description: Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is a novel master regulator of metabolic profile. The biological actions of FGF21 are elicited upon its klotho beta (KLB)-facilitated binding to FGF receptor 1 (FGFR1), FGFR2 and FGFR3. We hypothesised that common polymorphisms in the FGF21 signalling pathway may be associated with metabolic risk. At the screening stage, we examined associations between 63 common single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in five genes of this pathway (FGF21, KLB, FGFR1, FGFR2, FGFR3) and four metabolic phenotypes (LDL cholesterol-LDL-C, HDL-cholesterol-HDL-C, triglycerides and body mass index) in 629 individuals from Silesian Hypertension Study (SHS). Replication analyses were performed in 5478 unrelated individuals of the Swiss CoLaus cohort (imputed genotypes) and in 3030 directly genotyped individuals of the German Myocardial Infarction Family Study (GerMIFS). Of 54 SNPs that met quality control criteria after genotyping in SHS, 4 (rs4733946 and rs7012413 in FGFR1; rs2071616 in FGFR2 and rs7670903 in KLB) showed suggestive association with LDL-C (P=0.0006, P=0.0013, P=0.0055, P=0.011, respectively) and 1 (rs2608819 in KLB) was associated with body mass index (P=0.011); all with false discovery rate q<0.5. Of these, only one FGFR2 polymorphism (rs2071616) showed replicated association with LDL-C in both CoLaus (P=0.009) and men from GerMIFS (P=0.017). The direction of allelic effect of rs2071616 upon LDL-C was consistent in all examined populations. These data show that common genetic variations in FGFR2 may be associated with LDL-C in subjects of white European ancestry

Telomeres, aging and exercise : Guilty by association?

- Chilton, Warrick, O’Brien, Brendan, Charchar, Fadi

  • Authors: Chilton, Warrick , O’Brien, Brendan , Charchar, Fadi
  • Date: 2017
  • Type: Text , Journal article , Review
  • Relation: International Journal of Molecular Sciences Vol. 18, no. 12 (2017), p. 1-32
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  • Description: Telomeres are repetitive tandem DNA sequences that cap chromosomal ends protecting genomic DNA from enzymatic degradation. Telomeres progressively shorten with cellular replication and are therefore assumed to correlate with biological and chronological age. An expanding body of evidence suggests (i) a predictable inverse association between telomere length, aging and age-related diseases and (ii) a positive association between physical activity and telomere length. Both hypotheses have garnered tremendous research attention and broad consensus; however, the evidence for each proposition is inconsistent and equivocal at best. Telomere length does not meet the basic criteria for an aging biomarker and at least 50% of key studies fail to find associations with physical activity. In this review, we address the evidence in support and refutation of the putative associations between telomere length, aging and physical activity. We finish with a brief review of plausible mechanisms and potential future research directions. © 2017 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

Urotensin-II system in genetic control of blood pressure and renal function

- Debiec, Radoslaw, Christofidou, Paraskevi, Denniff, Matthew, Bloomer, Lisa, Bogdanski, Pawel, Wojnar, Lukasz, Musialik, Katarzyna, Charchar, Fadi, Thompson, John, Waterworth, Dawn, Song, Kijoung, Vollenweider, Peter, Waeber, Gerard, Zukowska-Szczechowska, Ewa, Samani, Nilesh, Lambert, David, Tomaszewski, Maciej

  • Authors: Debiec, Radoslaw , Christofidou, Paraskevi , Denniff, Matthew , Bloomer, Lisa , Bogdanski, Pawel , Wojnar, Lukasz , Musialik, Katarzyna , Charchar, Fadi , Thompson, John , Waterworth, Dawn , Song, Kijoung , Vollenweider, Peter , Waeber, Gerard , Zukowska-Szczechowska, Ewa , Samani, Nilesh , Lambert, David , Tomaszewski, Maciej
  • Date: 2013
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: PLoS ONE Vol. 8, no. 12 (2013), p.
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  • Description: Urotensin-II controls ion/water homeostasis in fish and vascular tone in rodents. We hypothesised that common genetic variants in urotensin-II pathway genes are associated with human blood pressure or renal function. We performed familybased analysis of association between blood pressure, glomerular filtration and genes of the urotensin-II pathway (urotensin-II, urotensin-II related peptide, urotensin-II receptor) saturated with 28 tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms in 2024 individuals from 520 families; followed by an independent replication in 420 families and 7545 unrelated subjects. The expression studies of the urotensin-II pathway were carried out in 97 human kidneys. Phylogenetic evolutionary analysis was conducted in 17 vertebrate species. One single nucleotide polymorphism (rs531485 in urotensin-II gene) was associated with adjusted estimated glomerular filtration rate in the discovery cohort (p = 0.0005). It showed no association with estimated glomerular filtration rate in the combined replication resource of 8724 subjects from 6 populations. Expression of urotensin-II and its receptor showed strong linear correlation (r = 0.86, p< 0.0001). There was no difference in renal expression of urotensin-II system between hypertensive and normotensive subjects. Evolutionary analysis revealed accumulation of mutations in urotensin-II since the divergence of primates and weaker conservation of urotensin-II receptor in primates than in lower vertebrates. Our data suggest that urotensin-II system genes are unlikely to play a major role in genetic control of human blood pressure or renal function. The signatures of evolutionary forces acting on urotensin-II system indicate that it may have evolved towards loss of function since the divergence of primates. © 2013 Debiec et al.

Genetics of human essential hypertension - from single mutations to quantitative trait loci

- Tomaszewski, Maciej, Brain, Nick, Charchar, Fadi, Dominiczak, Anna

A common intronic variant in the gene underlying a rare monogenic form of coronary artery disease is associated with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol

- Tomaszewski, Maciej, Charchar, Fadi, Barnes, Timothy, Nasmith, W. E., Grzeszczak, Wladyslaw, Zukowska-Szczechowska, Ewa, Samani, Nilesh

Inverse associations between androgens and renal function : The Young Men Cardiovascular Association (YMCA) study

- Tomaszewski, Maciej, Charchar, Fadi, Maric, Christine, Kuzniewicz, Roman, Gola, Mateusz, Grzeszczak, Wladyslaw, Samani, Nilesh, Zukowska-Szczechowska, Ewa

  • Authors: Tomaszewski, Maciej , Charchar, Fadi , Maric, Christine , Kuzniewicz, Roman , Gola, Mateusz , Grzeszczak, Wladyslaw , Samani, Nilesh , Zukowska-Szczechowska, Ewa
  • Date: 2009
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: American Journal of Hypertension Vol. 22, no. 1 (2009), p. 100-105
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  • Description: Background: Men exhibit higher risk of nondiabetic renal diseases than women. This male susceptibility to renal disease may be mediated by gender-specific factors such as sex hormones. Methods: We have undertaken a cross-sectional examination of associations between renal function (creatinine clearance estimated based on Cockcroft-Gault equation) and circulating levels of sex steroids (total testosterone, total estradiol, estrone, androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), and dihydrotestosterone) in 928 young (mean age: 18.5 ± 1.2 years) men. Results: Both androstenedione and DHEA-S showed inverse linear associations with renal function in the crude analysis of lean men (those with body mass index (BMI) less than median). However, only DHEA-S retained its association with renal function in lean subjects after adjustment - assuming no changes in other independent variables 1 s.d. increase in DHEA-S was associated with 13%-s.d. decrease in creatinine clearance (P = 0.004). Testosterone decreased across tertiles of creatinine clearance only in the crude analysis of nonlean (BMI greater than median) subjects (P < 0.001). The adjusted regression analysis that assumed no changes in other independent variables showed that 1 s.d. increase in total testosterone was associated with 11%-s.d. decrease in creatinine clearance of nonlean men (P = 0.006). Factor analysis confirmed an inverse association of renal function with both sex steroids and a different pattern of their loadings on glomerular filtration-related factors in lean (DHEA-S) and nonlean (testosterone) subjects. Conclusions: Our data may suggest that androgens are inversely associated with estimated renal function in apparently healthy men without history of cardiovascular disease. © 2009 American Journal of Hypertension, Ltd.
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Whole genome survey of copy number variation in the spontaneously hypertensive rat

- Charchar, Fadi, Samani, Nilesh

Common allelic variant in the gene underlying rare monogenic form of coronary artery disease cosegregates with elevated LDL cholesterol in families with high cardiovascular risk

- Tomaszewski, Maciej, Charchar, Fadi, Barnes, Timothy, Gawron-Kiszka, Magdalena, Sedkowska, Agnieszka, Grzeszczak, Wladyslaw, Samani, Nilesh, Zukowska-Szczechowska, Ewa

Telomeres, exercise and cardiovascular disease : Finding the means to justify the ends

- Chilton, Warrick, O'Brien, Brendan, Grace, Fergal, Charchar, Fadi