Genome-wide SNP association: identification of susceptibility alleles for osteoarthritis.

The successful identification of genes involved in common human disorders is dependent upon availability of informative sample sets, validated marker panels, a high-throughput scoring technology, and a strategy for combining these resources. We have developed a universal platform based on mass spectrometry (MassARRAY) for analyzing nucleic acids with high precision and accuracy. To fuel this technology we have generated more than 100,000 validated assays for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) covering virtually all known and predicted human genes, and a large DNA sample bank from more than 50,000 consented diseased (case) and healthy (control) individuals.

Linkage and potential association of obesity-related phenotypes with two genes on chromosome 12q24 in a female dizygous twin cohort.

Obesity is a multifactorial disorder with a complex phenotype. It is a significant risk factor for diabetes and hypertension. We assessed obesity-related traits in a large cohort of twins and performed a genome-wide linkage scan and positional candidate analysis to identify genes that play a role in regulating fat mass and distribution in women.

Skeletal muscle magnesium content is correlated with plasma glucose concentration in patients with essential hypertension treated with lisinopril or bendrofluazide.

The association between change in glucose metabolism and change in skeletal muscle magnesium (Mg) concentration induced by antihypertensive treatment was evaluated in 37 patients with essential hypertension randomly treated with either lisinopril or bendrofluazide. Before and after 6 months of treatment, skeletal muscle biopsies were performed, glucose tolerance was determined by oral (OGTT) and intravenous glucose tolerance tests (IVGTT), and insulin sensitivity was assessed by the hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp technique. An inverse relationship was found between the treatment-induced change in fasting plasma glucose concentration and change in skeletal muscle Mg concentration (r = -0.