Temporal changes in Varroa destructor fertility and haplotype in Brazil

The relationship between fertility and haplotype was studied in Varroa destructor mites sampled from colonies of A. mellifera carnica and Africanized Honeybees ( Apis mellifera) in Germany and Brazil respectively. Both in Germany and in Brazil, only the V. destructor Korea haplotype was found, though the Japan-Thailand haplotype was formerly thought to have been more abundant in Brazil. The fertility of Varroa mites in Brazil has increased since 1998 and is currently ( 2001) at European levels. Temporal changes in mite fertility and haplotype are not fully congruent.

A rare haplotype of the vitamin D receptor gene is protective against diabetic nephropathy

Background. Vitamin D and its analogues are reported to have renoprotective effects in chronic kidney disease including diabetic nephropathy (DN). Vitamin D3 is converted to 1,25(OH) D3 by CYP2R1 and CYP27B1. The biological action of 1,25(OH) D3 is mediated via its receptor. VDR, CYP27B1 or CYP2R1 gene variants could modify the biological activity of vitamin D3. We have conducted the first case- control association study to determine the relationship between polymorphisms in VDR, CYP27B1 and CYP2R1 genes, and the risk of DN in individuals with type 1 diabetes.

Ancestral haplotype 8.1 and lung disease severity in European cystic fibrosis patients

The clinical course of cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease varies between patients bearing identical CFTR mutations. This suggests that additional genetic modifiers may contribute to the pulmonary phenotype. The highly conserved ancestral haplotype 8.1 (8.1AH), carried by up to one quarter of Caucasians, comprises linked gene polymorphisms on chromosome 6 that play a key role in the inflammatory response: LTA +252A/G; TNF -308G/A, HSP70-2 +1267A/G and RAGE -429T/C. As inflammation is a key component inducing CF lung damage, we investigated whether the 8.1AH represents a lung function modifier in CF.