Tilbake til søkeresultatene

FUGE-Funksjonell genomforskn.i Norg

Pathogenesis of complex genetic diseases, using pre-eclampsia as a model

Tildelt: kr 8,5 mill.

Pre-eclampsia (PE) is the most common pregnancy-associated complication in the Western world. The syndrome is a major contributor to maternal and fetal illness/death. No therapeutic treatment exists. The mechanisms involved in development of PE remain to be elucidated. Observations suggest immunological, infectious and genetic influence. No candidate genes have been verified, but family-linkage analysis have revealed gene loci of probable maternal susceptibility. Inheritance is multifactorial, with gene- gene and/or gene-environment interactions involved. By this, PE is a representative for a large group of diseases (cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer) with complex genetic traits. The aim of the present project is to study complex traits, by using P E as a model. Maternal genetic susceptibility will be studied in a large (n=2000) population-based (HUNT) case-control study, both with a genome-wide and candidate gene approach. Genetic findings will be related to PE subgroups and maternal characteristic s to determine whether PE women with the highest risk for metabolic syndrome/cardiovascular diseases share gene characteristics with patients suffering from these diseases. Infections may disturb the subtle immune balance between mother and fetus during pregnanc. By this, PE development may be facilitated. The role of infection in PE pathogenesis will be assessed in the Norwegian MoBa study. The influence of infection alone, or in combination with specific genotypes of maternal/fetal genes involved in th e inflammatory response, will be determined. The functional aspects will be studied by gene expression analysis, transcriptional profiling and protein analysis of cells and tissues from the fetomaternal site of cases and controls. Hopefully, data will suggest new therapeutic approaches against PE. And, new knowledge will be generated about multifactorial inheritance, with special relevance for diseases characterized by metabolic syndrome manifestations.

Publikasjoner hentet fra Cristin

Ingen publikasjoner funnet

Budsjettformål:

FUGE-Funksjonell genomforskn.i Norg