rheumatoid arthritis symptoms
filed in Uncategorized on Aug.28, 2011
A drug used today to treat rheumatoid arthritis might be effective in treating asthma symptoms after two genetic variants have been found to increase asthma susceptibility, researchers from the Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, Australia and others from around the world reported in The Lancet. The scientists found that cytokines - genes associated with signalling molecules that are involved in how the immune system functions - are involved in the development of asthma.
The authors explained that the causes of asthma have for long been poorly understood, in spite of several attempts to locate the genetic variants. Some recent GWAS (genome-wide associated studies) have only managed to locate some candidate genes which appear to have a slight effect on asthma risk. They have not fully explained the heritability of asthma, which leads doctors and scientists to believe that many genetic variations are involved.
Manuel Ferreira and an international team of experts set out to determine what genetic variations might be responsible for higher asthma risk by carefully examining all current GWAS and expanding on them.
They compared the genomes of thousands of asthma patients with individuals who do not have asthma across several populations and identified two genetic mutations that were strongly linked to asthma risk.
The genetic variants were:
- rs4129267 in the interleukin-6 receptor (IL6R) gene, and
- rs7130588 on chromosome 11q13.5
The drug tocilizumab is an example of a medication that blocks the receptor. It is already approved for rheumatoid arthritis treatment.
A high proportion of atopic (allergic) asthma patients were found to have the rs7130588 variant on chromosome 11q13.5. Interestingly, it was correlated with a nearby variant which has been recently associated with atopic dermatitis risk.
The authors believe that a gene in this region is involved in the development of allergic sensitisation, which raises allergic asthma risk.
The authors wrote:
"At this stage it is unclear which gene underlies the association with 11q13.5. Given that no specific gene in this region has been directly implicated in allergic disease previou. sly, further characterisation of this region of association is likely to discover novel molecular mechanisms involved in the causality of eczema, atopy, and asthma."
So far, no single genetic cause has been located which is responsible for over 1% of asthma heritability, the authors added. Their findings demonstrate that asthma is a complex condition, and most likely several genes of small effect combine and interact with environmental risk factors in driving asthma risk.
The scientists concluded:
"Our results are consistent with the contribution of hundreds or potentially thousands of variants with weak effects on asthma risk, which can be identified through larger GWAS as already shown with other diseases."
Kathleen Barnes, from Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA, in a Comment in the same journal wrote:
"Success in the validation of various candidates (and their pathways) that are already on the asthma shortlist of potential causal genes, and the biological insight to be gained from the novel findings in this report are grounds for optimism in the continuation of the GWAS approach. Combination of GWAS with next-generation technologies will undoubtedly further help to disentangle the molecular underpinnings of complex traits such as asthma."
Written by Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today
- Additional
- References
- Citations
Pat Summitt’s doctors are lucky they are still standing. When the first neurologist told her she had symptoms of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, she almost dropped him with one punch. When a second one advised her to retire immediately, she said, “Do you have any idea who you’re dealing with?”
Three months ago, Summitt, 59, the blaze-eyed, clench-fisted University of Tennessee women’s basketball coach who has won more games than any other college coach ever, men’s or women’s, visited the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. seeking an explanation for a troubling series of memory lapses over the past year. A woman who was always highly organized had to ask repeatedly what time a team meeting was scheduled for. “She lost her keys three times a day instead of once,” her son Tyler says. She was late to practice. On occasion, she simply stayed in bed.
“Are you having trouble with your memory?” friends began asking, puzzled.
“Sometimes I draw blanks,” Summitt finally admitted.
Her first clue that something was badly wrong came last season, when she drew a blank on what offensive set to call in the heat of a game.
“I just felt something was different,” she says. “And at the time I didn’t know what I was dealing with. Until I went to Mayo, I couldn’t know for sure. But I can remember trying to coach and trying to figure out schemes and whatever and it just wasn’t coming to me, like, I would typically say, ‘We’re gonna do this, and run that.’ And it probably caused me to second-guess.”
Summitt believed her symptoms were the side effects of a powerful medication she was taking for rheumatoid arthritis, an excruciating condition that she has quietly suffered with since 2006. Instead, when Summitt received her test results from the Mayo Clinic at the end of May, they confirmed a shocking worst-case scenario: She showed “mild” but distinct signs of “early-onset dementia, Alzheimer’s type,” the irreversible brain disease that destroys recall and cognitive abilities over time, and that afflicts an estimated 5 million Americans.
Denial was followed by anger. For the first few weeks, Summitt would barely even discuss the subject. She told her doctors, “You don’t know me. You don’t know what I’m capable of.” Finally, Summitt realized she would have to accept the diagnosis. “I can’t change it,” she says. After a pause, she adds, “But I can try to do something about it.”
Last week Washington D.C. attorney Robert B. Barnett flew to Knoxville to meet with his longtime friend and client, half expecting her to step down after 38 years as Tennessee’s coach. But Summitt told Barnett that she did not believe her symptoms were severe enough yet to warrant retirement, and that she would like to coach at least three more years, if possible. She also decided against a formal statement. Instead, she sat down for an interview with this writer, who co-authored her 1999 autobiography, and the Knoxville News-Sentinel to discuss her illness publicly for the first time.
Full disclosure: It is the measure of Summitt’s large-heartedness that she could call any of a half-dozen people her closest friend. This writer has only one: her. “I would rather drive stakes through my own hands than write this story,” I said.
“It is what it is,” she said. “I’ve got to face it.”
Even as Summitt was struggling both mentally and physically with her undiagnosed condition last season, she led Tennessee to a 34-3 record, swept the Southeastern Conference regular season and tournament titles, and reached the NCAA tournament regional finals.
Source
The article is really long (but good) - you can read the full piece at the source. It discusses her diagnosis, words from her son, the announcement to her team, and the fate of her job.
Alzheimer’s is an unpredictable and dignity-robbing disease, thus far without a cure.
If you'd like to join the fight against Alzheimer's, the US Walk to End Alzheimer's will occur across the U.S. throughout the month of September.
Visit http://www.alz.org/walk/ to create a team or donate to the cause. If she could kick the ball they way she liked to kick me in the knee, I'd see to it she played for my team every time. It's called Alligator Fisher and I'm thinking about getting because it reminds me of my cajun heritage, most of my family is from Louisiana. I don't particularly care for his art. Still, they are a joy to behold. It's a beautiful painting but it's just too depressing to hang anywhere.Another painting that I admire is called Howard in 1944. She favors animal prints, and I found one of a woman reclining in a hammock. It was painted in 1988 by Reverend Howard Finster and is done in vibrant colors and also depicts the buildings in the market like an ice cream parlor and the Hotel Van Nuys. One of my favorites that she had was done by John Roeder.. I'll find someone to give it to. I don't know whose smile is bigger, the one in the painting or the..... Interestingly, it was correlated with a nearby variant which has been recently associated with atopic dermatitis risk.The genetic variants were: rs4129267 in the interleukin-6 receptor (IL6R) gene, andrs7130588 on chromosome 11q13. Denial was followed by anger.Alzheimer’s is an unpredictable and dignity-robbing disease, thus far without a cure.They compared the genomes of thousands of asthma patients with individuals who do not have asthma across several populations and identified two genetic mutations that were strongly linked to asthma risk. She was late to practice. “Are you having trouble with your memory?” friends began asking, puzzled.Full disclosure: It is the measure of Summitt’s large-heartedness that she could call any of a half-dozen people her closest friend. attorney Robert B.A drug used today to treat rheumatoid arthritis might be effective in treating asthma symptoms after two genetic variants have been found to increase asthma susceptibility, researchers from the Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, Australia and others from around the world reported in The Lancet. She also decided against a formal statement. Visit http://www. When the first neurologist told her she had symptoms of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, she almost dropped him with one punch. seeking an explanation for a troubling series of memory lapses over the past year.5. “And at the time I didn’t know what I was dealing with. She told her doctors, “You don’t know me. They have not fully explained the heritability of asthma, which leads doctors and scientists to believe that many genetic variations are involved.”Summitt believed her symptoms were the side effects of a powerful medication she was taking for rheumatoid arthritis, an excruciating condition that she has quietly suffered with since 2006.’ And it probably caused me to second-guess. Barnett flew to Knoxville to meet with his longtime friend and client, half expecting her to step down after 38 years . I personally don't have any of these in my collection, since I like to collect pieces that I can relate to. If she could kick the ball they way she liked to kick me in the knee, I'd see to it she played for my team every time. Now we're very close. When she died, she left me the painting and it hangs in a place of honor over my fireplace mantle. Maybe it's because I spent a lot of time with my grandmother and her house was full of them. Still, they are a joy to behold. It was painted in 1988 by Reverend Howard Finster and is done in enamel. I don't particularly care for his art.There is a water scene that I really like painted in 1940. I'll find someone to give it to.My sister also shares my love for folk art.One of my favorite paintings was done in 1962 by Bill Dodge.One of the
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A drug used today to treat rheumatoid arthritis might be effective in treating asthma symptoms after two genetic variants have been found to increase asthma susceptibility, researchers from the Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, Australia and others from around the world reported in The Lancet. The scientists found that cytokines - genes associated with signalling molecules that are involved in how the immune system functions - are involved in the development of asthma.
The authors explained that the causes of asthma have for long been poorly understood, in spite of several attempts to locate the genetic variants. Some recent GWAS (genome-wide associated studies) have only managed to locate some candidate genes which appear to have a slight effect on asthma risk. They have not fully explained the heritability of asthma, which leads doctors and scientists to believe that many genetic variations are involved.
Manuel Ferreira and an international team of experts set out to determine what genetic variations might be responsible for higher asthma risk by carefully examining all current GWAS and expanding on them.
They compared the genomes of thousands of asthma patients with individuals who do not have asthma across several populations and identified two genetic mutations that were strongly linked to asthma risk.
The genetic variants were:
- rs4129267 in the interleukin-6 receptor (IL6R) gene, and
- rs7130588 on chromosome 11q13.5
The drug tocilizumab is an example of a medication that blocks the receptor. It is already approved for rheumatoid arthritis treatment.
A high proportion of atopic (allergic) asthma patients were found to have the rs7130588 variant on chromosome 11q13.5. Interestingly, it was correlated with a nearby variant which has been recently associated with atopic dermatitis risk.
The authors believe that a gene in this region is involved in the development of allergic sensitisation, which raises allergic asthma risk.
The authors wrote:
"At this stage it is unclear which gene underlies the association with 11q13.5. Given that no specific gene in this region has been directly implicated in allergic disease previou. sly, further characterisation of this region of association is likely to discover novel molecular mechanisms involved in the causality of eczema, atopy, and asthma."
So far, no single genetic cause has been located which is responsible for over 1% of asthma heritability, the authors added. Their findings demonstrate that asthma is a complex condition, and most likely several genes of small effect combine and interact with environmental risk factors in driving asthma risk.
The scientists concluded:
"Our results are consistent with the contribution of hundreds or potentially thousands of variants with weak effects on asthma risk, which can be identified through larger GWAS as already shown with other diseases."
Kathleen Barnes, from Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA, in a Comment in the same journal wrote:
"Success in the validation of various candidates (and their pathways) that are already on the asthma shortlist of potential causal genes, and the biological insight to be gained from the novel findings in this report are grounds for optimism in the continuation of the GWAS approach. Combination of GWAS with next-generation technologies will undoubtedly further help to disentangle the molecular underpinnings of complex traits such as asthma."
Written by Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today
- Additional
- References
- Citations
Pat Summitt’s doctors are lucky they are still standing. When the first neurologist told her she had symptoms of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, she almost dropped him with one punch. When a second one advised her to retire immediately, she said, “Do you have any idea who you’re dealing with?”
Three months ago, Summitt, 59, the blaze-eyed, clench-fisted University of Tennessee women’s basketball coach who has won more games than any other college coach ever, men’s or women’s, visited the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. seeking an explanation for a troubling series of memory lapses over the past year. A woman who was always highly organized had to ask repeatedly what time a team meeting was scheduled for. “She lost her keys three times a day instead of once,” her son Tyler says. She was late to practice. On occasion, she simply stayed in bed.
“Are you having trouble with your memory?” friends began asking, puzzled.
“Sometimes I draw blanks,” Summitt finally admitted.
Her first clue that something was badly wrong came last season, when she drew a blank on what offensive set to call in the heat of a game.
“I just felt something was different,” she says. “And at the time I didn’t know what I was dealing with. Until I went to Mayo, I couldn’t know for sure. But I can remember trying to coach and trying to figure out schemes and whatever and it just wasn’t coming to me, like, I would typically say, ‘We’re gonna do this, and run that.’ And it probably caused me to second-guess.”
Summitt believed her symptoms were the side effects of a powerful medication she was taking for rheumatoid arthritis, an excruciating condition that she has quietly suffered with since 2006. Instead, when Summitt received her test results from the Mayo Clinic at the end of May, they confirmed a shocking worst-case scenario: She showed “mild” but distinct signs of “early-onset dementia, Alzheimer’s type,” the irreversible brain disease that destroys recall and cognitive abilities over time, and that afflicts an estimated 5 million Americans.
Denial was followed by anger. For the first few weeks, Summitt would barely even discuss the subject. She told her doctors, “You don’t know me. You don’t know what I’m capable of.” Finally, Summitt realized she would have to accept the diagnosis. “I can’t change it,” she says. After a pause, she adds, “But I can try to do something about it.”
Last week Washington D.C. attorney Robert B. Barnett flew to Knoxville to meet with his longtime friend and client, half expecting her to step down after 38 years as Tennessee’s coach. But Summitt told Barnett that she did not believe her symptoms were severe enough yet to warrant retirement, and that she would like to coach at least three more years, if possible. She also decided against a formal statement. Instead, she sat down for an interview with this writer, who co-authored her 1999 autobiography, and the Knoxville News-Sentinel to discuss her illness publicly for the first time.
Full disclosure: It is the measure of Summitt’s large-heartedness that she could call any of a half-dozen people her closest friend. This writer has only one: her. “I would rather drive stakes through my own hands than write this story,” I said.
“It is what it is,” she said. “I’ve got to face it.”
Even as Summitt was struggling both mentally and physically with her undiagnosed condition last season, she led Tennessee to a 34-3 record, swept the Southeastern Conference regular season and tournament titles, and reached the NCAA tournament regional finals.
Source
The article is really long (but good) - you can read the full piece at the source. It discusses her diagnosis, words from her son, the announcement to her team, and the fate of her job.
Alzheimer’s is an unpredictable and dignity-robbing disease, thus far without a cure.
If you'd like to join the fight against Alzheimer's, the US Walk to End Alzheimer's will occur across the U.S. throughout the month of September.
Visit http://www.alz.org/walk/ to create a team or donate to the cause.