PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Genetics and lifestyle have a strong impact on biomarkers for inflammation and cancer

2014-08-22
(Press-News.org) In a new study published in Nature Communications, research scientists from Uppsala University present for the first time a large-scale study of the significance of genetic, clinical and lifestyle factors for protein levels in the bloodstream. The results of the study show that genetics and lifestyle are determining factors for protein levels, a discovery which greatly influences the possibilities for using more biomarkers to identify disease.

Biomarkers used for diagnosing disease should preferably indicate variations in protein levels only for those individuals who are suffering from a particular disease. Nor should they vary for reasons which have nothing to do with the disease. By analysing 92 protein biomarkers for cancer and inflammation in a clinical study of 1,000 healthy individuals, researchers at Uppsala University have for the first time surveyed the significance of genetic, clinical and lifestyle factors for protein levels in the bloodstream. The results of the study show that hereditary factors play a significant role for more than 75 per cent of the proteins, and a detailed genetic analysis demonstrates 16 genes with a strong effect on protein levels.

"These results are important, as they show which variables are significant for variations in the measurable values. If these factors are known, we have a greater possibility of seeing variations and we get clearer breakpoints between elevated values and normal values. By extension this may lead to the possibility of using more biomarkers clinically," explains Stefan Enroth, researcher at the Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology at Uppsala University.

According to the study, genetics and lifestyle together account in some cases for more than 50 per cent of variations in protein levels among healthy individuals. This means that information about both genetic and lifestyle factors must be taken into account in order for protein biomarkers to be used effectively.

INFORMATION: Reference: "Strong effects of genetic and lifestyle factors on biomarker variation and use of personalized cutoffs", Enroth et al. Nat. Commun. 5:4684, doi: 10.1038/ncomms5684 (2014)

For more information, please contact Stefan Enroth, tel.: +46 (0)18-4714913, e-mail: stefan.enroth@igp.uu.se or Ulf Gyllensten, tel.: +46 (0)18-4714846, e-mail: ulf.gyllensten@igp.uu.se

FACTS A biomarker is a biological molecule which, when it can be identified or exceeds a certain measurable value, can be used to draw a conclusion about, for example, the course of a disease. Biomarkers can be used amongst other things as an aid in diagnosing cancer and inflammatory disease. One such example is prostate specific antigen (PSA), which is a biomarker in prostate cancer.

Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab) is a national centre for molecular biosciences with the focus on health and environmental research. The centre combines advanced technical know-how and state-of-the art equipment with a broad knowledge of translational medicine and molecular bioscience.


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Calcium and reproduction go together

2014-08-22
Stanford, CA—Everyone's heard of the birds and the bees. But that old expression leaves out the flowers that are being fertilized. The fertilization process for flowering plants is particularly complex and requires extensive communication between the male and female reproductive cells. New research from an international team from Stanford, Regensburg, Heidelberg, and Munich, and including Carnegie's Wolf Frommer, David Ehrhardt, and Guido Grossmann reports discoveries in the chemical signaling process that guides flowering plant fertilization. It is published in Nature ...

Fossil arthropod went on the hunt for its prey

2014-08-22
A new species of carnivorous crustacean has been identified, which roamed the seas 435 million years ago, grasping its prey with spiny limbs before devouring it. The fossil is described and details of its lifestyle are published in the open access journal BMC Evolutionary Biology. The fossils were discovered near Waukesha, Wisconsin, with the new species, Thylacares brandonesis, named after the Brandon Bridge Formation where it was found. It is the oldest known example of the Thylacocephala group - shrimp-like creatures, mostly from the Jurassic period, known for their ...

Climate change could see dengue fever come to Europe

2014-08-22
Dengue fever could make headway in popular European holiday destinations if climate change continues on its predicted trajectory, according to research published in open access journal BMC Public Health. The University of East Anglia study used current data from Mexico, where dengue fever is present, and information about EU countries in order to model the likelihood of the disease spreading in Europe. They found that coastal regions in around the Mediterranean and Adriatic seas, the Po Valley and North East Italy were most at risk. Dengue fever is a tropical disease ...

Effort to confront Africa's soil health crisis helps millions of farmers triple yields

2014-08-22
This news release is available in French. NAIROBI (22 August 2014)—With the steady drain of essential nutrients from African soils looming as a major threat to food security across the continent, a new report released today finds that over the last five years, 1.7 million African farmers in 13 countries have embraced farming practices that have rejuvenated 1.6 million hectares and helped them double or even triple crop yields. The analysis from the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) focuses on intensive efforts initiated five years ago to move aggressively ...

Coronary calcium predicts heart disease risk in patients with chronic kidney disease

2014-08-22
Washington, DC (August 21, 2014) — Calcium buildup in the coronary arteries may be a better indicator of kidney disease patients' risk of heart disease than traditional risk factors used in the general population, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN). The findings provide valuable new information that could help safeguard the heart health of patients with kidney disease. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Some studies have found that conventional ...

Measuring calcium buildup to predict heart disease in those with chronic kidney disease

2014-08-22
Calcium buildup in the coronary arteries of chronic kidney disease patients may be a strong indicator of heart disease risk, according to a new study in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN). Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health assert that coronary calcium outperforms two other commonly used measures of subclinical atherosclerosis in predicting the risk of heart disease among individuals with kidney disease. Approximately 50 percent of all patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) die from cardiovascular disease, but ...

Playing hunger games: Are gamified health apps putting odds in your favor?

Playing hunger games: Are gamified health apps putting odds in your favor?
2014-08-22
For many people, finding motivation to exercise is a challenge. Thankfully, there are Zombies chasing you. At least that's the approach of Zombies, Run!—one of more than 31,000 health and fitness apps on the market today, and one of the growing number of apps that use games to increase physical activity. Gamification is currently the popular trend for mobile fitness app makers looking to cash in to help people get fit. Whether or not it's the best way to exercise remains to be seen. "It's just been assumed that gamified apps will work, but there has been no research ...

TeleStroke units improve stroke care in underserved areas

2014-08-21
Using telecommunications to connect stroke experts to stroke patients in rural areas continued to improve and sustain stroke care, according to new research in the American Heart Association's journal Stroke. This is the largest and longest evaluation of telemedicine for stroke and took place in rural Bavaria, Germany. With the tele-medical linked Stroke Units, patients in regional hospitals had around-the-clock access to consultations with vascular neurologists at stroke centers, including evaluation of brain imaging and patient examination via videoconferencing when ...

Treatment for overactive bladder and irritable bowel syndrome advanced through pioneering research

2014-08-21
Researchers at the University of Surrey have discovered how the receptors responsible for contractions in the bladder, regulate the body's clock genes. The new study, published today in The FASEB Journal, has found that this clock activity in turn regulates the cycle of all cells in the body. The team of researchers also discovered that the local biological clock and its control are weakened in ageing bladders, demonstrating the importance of the clock in bladder physiology and ageing. While currently much is known about the central biological clock, little is known ...

Vision loss adversely affects daily function which can increase risk for death

2014-08-21
Bottom Line: Vision loss can adversely affect the ability of older adults to perform instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), such as using the telephone, shopping and doing housework, which are all measures of an individual's ability to live independently, and that subsequently increases the risk for death. Author: Sharon L. Christ, Ph.D., of Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind., and colleagues. Background: Visual impairment (VI) can have negative effects on a person's physical and psychosocial health. VI is associated with a variety of functional and health ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Osteoporosis treatment benefits people older than 80

Consuming more protein may protect patients taking anti-obesity drug from muscle loss

Thyroid treatment may improve gut health in people with hypothyroidism

Combination of obesity medication tirzepatide and menopause hormone therapy fuels weight loss

High blood sugar may have a negative impact on men’s sexual health

Emotional health of parents tied to well-being of children with growth hormone deficiency

Oxytocin may reduce mood changes in women with disrupted sleep

Mouse study finds tirzepatide slowed obesity-associated breast cancer growth

CMD-OPT model enables the discovery of a potent and selective RIPK2 inhibitor as preclinical candidate for the treatment of acute liver injury

Melatonin receptor 1a alleviates sleep fragmentation-aggravated testicular injury in T2DM by suppression of TAB1/TAK1 complex through FGFR1

Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals Shen-Bai-Jie-Du decoction retards colorectal tumorigenesis by regulating the TMEM131–TNF signaling pathway-mediated differentiation of immunosuppressive dendritic ce

Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B Volume 15, Issue 7 Publishes

New research expands laser technology

Targeted radiation offers promise in patients with metastasized small cell lung cancer to the brain

A high clinically translatable strategy to anti-aging using hyaluronic acid and silk fibroin co-crosslinked hydrogels as dermal regenerative fillers

Mount Sinai researchers uncover differences in how males and females change their mind when reflecting on past mistakes

CTE and normal aging are difficult to distinguish, new study finds

Molecular arms race: How the genome defends itself against internal enemies

Tiny chip speeds up antibody mapping for faster vaccine design

KTU experts reveal why cultural heritage is important for community unity

More misfolded proteins than previously known may contribute to Alzheimer’s and dementia

“Too much going on”: Autistic adults overwhelmed by non-verbal social cues

What’s driving America’s deep freezes in a warming world?

A key role of brain protein in learning and memory is deciphered by scientists

Heart attacks don’t follow a Hollywood script

Erin M. Schuman wins 2026 Nakasone Award for discovery on neural synapse function and change during formation of memories

Global ocean analysis could replace costly in-situ sound speed profiles in seafloor positioning, study finds

Power in numbers: Small group professional coaching reduces rates of physician burnout by nearly 30%

Carbon capture, utilization, and storage: A comprehensive review of CCUS-EOR

New high-temperature stable dispersed particle gel for enhanced profile control in CCUS applications

[Press-News.org] Genetics and lifestyle have a strong impact on biomarkers for inflammation and cancer