Publications (3)7.64 Total impact
-
Article: Transcriptome analysis and molecular signature of human retinal pigment epithelium.
[show abstract] [hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is a polarized cell layer critical for photoreceptor function and survival. The unique physiology and relationship to the photoreceptors make the RPE a critical determinant of human vision. Therefore, we performed a global expression profiling of native and cultured human fetal and adult RPE and determined a set of highly expressed 'signature' genes by comparing the observed RPE gene profiles to the Novartis expression database (SymAtlas: http://wombat.gnf.org/index.html) of 78 tissues. Using stringent selection criteria of at least 10-fold higher expression in three distinct preparations, we identified 154 RPE signature genes, which were validated by qRT-PCR analysis in RPE and in an independent set of 11 tissues. Several of the highly expressed signature genes encode proteins involved in visual cycle, melanogenesis and cell adhesion and Gene ontology analysis enabled the assignment of RPE signature genes to epithelial channels and transporters (ClCN4, BEST1, SLCA20) or matrix remodeling (TIMP3, COL8A2). Fifteen RPE signature genes were associated with known ophthalmic diseases, and 25 others were mapped to regions of disease loci. An evaluation of the RPE signature genes in a recently completed AMD genomewide association (GWA) data set revealed that TIMP3, GRAMD3, PITPNA and CHRNA3 signature genes may have potential roles in AMD pathogenesis and deserve further examination. We propose that RPE signature genes are excellent candidates for retinal diseases and for physiological investigations (e.g. dopachrome tautomerase in melanogenesis). The RPE signature gene set should allow the validation of RPE-like cells derived from human embryonic or induced pluripotent stem cells for cell-based therapies of degenerative retinal diseases.Human Molecular Genetics 04/2010; 19(12):2468-86. · 7.64 Impact Factor -
Article: Evidence of association of APOE with age-related macular degeneration - a pooled analysis of 15 studies
[show abstract] [hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of incurable visual impairment in high-income countries. Previous studies report inconsistent associations between AMD and apolipoprotein E (APOE), a lipid transport protein involved in low-density cholesterol modulation. Potential interaction between APOE and sex, and smoking status has been reported. We present a pooled analysis (n = 21,160) demonstrating associations between late AMD and APOepsilon4 (odds ratio [OR] = 0.72 per haplotype; confidence interval [CI]: 0.65-0.74; P = 4.41x10(-11) ) and APOepsilon2 (OR = 1.83 for homozygote carriers; CI: 1.04-3.23; P = 0.04), following adjustment for age group and sex within each study and smoking status. No evidence of interaction between APOE and sex or smoking was found. Ever smokers had significant increased risk relative to never smokers for both neovascular (OR = 1.54; CI: 1.38-1.72; P = 2.8x10(-15) ) and atrophic (OR = 1.38; CI: 1.18-1.61; P = 3.37x10(-5) ) AMD but not early AMD (OR = 0.94; CI: 0.86-1.03; P = 0.16), implicating smoking as a major contributing factor to disease progression from early signs to the visually disabling late forms. Extended haplotype analysis incorporating rs405509 did not identify additional risks beyond epsilon2 and epsilon4 haplotypes. Our expanded analysis substantially improves our understanding of the association between the APOE locus and AMD. It further provides evidence supporting the role of cholesterol modulation, and low-density cholesterol specifically, in AMD disease etiology. Hum Mutat 00:1-10, 2011. (c)2011 Wiley-Liss, IncHum.Mutat. -
Article: Variations in apolipoprotein E frequency with age in a pooled analysis of a large group of older people
[show abstract] [hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Variation in the apolipoprotein E gene (APOE) has been reported to be associated with longevity in humans. The authors assessed the allelic distribution of APOE isoforms epsilon2, epsilon3, and epsilon4 among 10,623 participants from 15 case-control and cohort studies of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in populations of European ancestry (study dates ranged from 1990 to 2009). The authors included only the 10,623 control subjects from these studies who were classified as having no evidence of AMD, since variation within the APOE gene has previously been associated with AMD. In an analysis stratified by study center, gender, and smoking status, there was a decreasing frequency of the APOE epsilon4 isoform with increasing age (chi(2) for trend = 14.9 (1 df); P = 0.0001), with a concomitant increase in the epsilon3 isoform (chi(2) for trend = 11.3 (1 df); P = 0.001). The association with age was strongest in epsilon4 homozygotes; the frequency of epsilon4 homozygosity decreased from 2.7% for participants aged 60 years or less to 0.8% for those over age 85 years, while the proportion of participants with the epsilon3/epsilon4 genotype decreased from 26.8% to 17.5% across the same age range. Gender had no significant effect on the isoform frequencies. This study provides strong support for an association of the APOE gene with human longevityAm.J.Epidemiol. 173(12).
