Non-random length distribution of individual telomeres in immunodeficiency, centromeric instability and facial anomalies syndrome, type I.

Mutations in the de novo DNA methyltransferase DNMT3B lead to Immunodeficiency, Centromeric Instability and Facial anomalies (ICF) syndrome, type I. This syndrome is characterized, among other hypomethylated genomic loci, by severe subtelomeric hypomethylation that is associated with abnormally short telomere length. While it was demonstrated that the mean telomere length is significantly shorter in ICF type I cells, it is unknown whether all telomeres are equally vulnerable to shortening.

Physician Intervention for Improving Tobacco Control Among Parents Who Use Tobacco.

Research has demonstrated that parents who smoke are often inadvertent sources of their children's first cigarettes. Teaching parents to restrict their tobacco may give pediatricians another method for helping parents who are not ready to quit smoking. This purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of a program training pediatricians to discuss tobacco control with smoking parents and to examine changes in parents' tobacco control after the physician intervention.