Genetic Polymorphisms of TLR4 and MICA are Associated with Severity of Trachoma Disease in Tanzania.

Aim: To examine the association of TLR4 Asp299Gly and MICA exon 5 microsatellites polymorphisms with severity of trachoma in a sub-Saharan East Africa population of Tanzanian villagers.

Methods: The samples were genotyped for MICA exon 5 microsatellites and the TLR4 299 A/G polymorphism by Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP), and GeneScan, respectively. The association of TLR4 Asp299Gly and MICA exon 5 microsatellites with inflammatory trachoma (TI) and trichiasis (TI) were examined.

Genome-wide differentially methylated genes in prostate cancer tissues from African-American and Caucasian men.

Increasing evidence suggests that aberrant DNA methylation changes may contribute to prostate cancer (PCa) ethnic disparity. To comprehensively identify DNA methylation alterations in PCa disparity, we used the Illumina 450K methylation platform to interrogate the methylation status of 485,577 CpG sites focusing on gene-associated regions of the human genome. Genomic DNA from African-American (AA; 7 normal and 3 cancers) and Caucasian (Cau; 8 normal and 3 cancers) was used in the analysis.

Identification of novel DNA-methylated genes that correlate with human prostate cancer and high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia.

Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) harbors a myriad of genomic and epigenetic defects. Cytosine methylation of CpG-rich promoter DNA is an important mechanism of epigenetic gene inactivation in PCa. There is considerable amount of data to suggest that DNA methylation-based biomarkers may be useful for the early detection and diagnosis of PCa.

Association of HPC2/ELAC2 and RNASEL non-synonymous variants with prostate cancer risk in African American familial and sporadic cases.

Introduction: The RNASEL and HPC2/ELAC2 genes have been implicated in hereditary prostate cancer. Further assessment of the role of these genes in sporadic prostate cancer in African American men (AAM) is warranted.

Methods: Genotyping of HPC2/ELAC2 variants (S217L, A541T), along with RNASEL variants (R462Q and E541D) was completed in 155 African American sporadic and 88 familial prostate cancer cases, and 296 healthy male controls.

Genome-wide linkage of 77 families from the African American Hereditary Prostate Cancer study (AAHPC).

Background: The African American Hereditary Prostate Cancer (AAHPC) Study was designed to recruit families with early-onset disease fulfilling criteria of >or=4 affected.

Methods: We present a approximately 10 cM genome-wide linkage (GWL) analysis on 77 families including 254 affected and 274 unaffected genotyped.

Results: Linkage analysis revealed three chromosomal regions with GENEHUNTER multipoint HLOD scores >or=1.