African American Population (african + american_population)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Functional profiling of uncommon VCAM1 promoter polymorphisms prevalent in African American populations,,

HUMAN MUTATION, Issue 8 2007
Gila Idelman
Abstract Multiple variants of the vascular adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM1) promoter show increased nucleotide heterozygosity in the African American population. Using a novel transfection-based transcriptional pathway profiling method, we show that select uncommon variants are functionally hyperactive. Eight candidate VCAM1 promoter haplotypes comprising 13 previously identified SNPs were assessed for response to known mitogens. Activity was correlated with bioinformatic analysis of hyper- and hyporesponsive variants to identify the gain or loss of haplotype-specific transcription factor binding site (TFBS). Using this approach, a low frequency regulatory allele (c.,540A>G; dbSNP rs3783605:A>G), found in a hyperactive VCAM1 promoter haplotype, was shown to create a candidate binding site for ETS2 that was confirmed in vivo by chromatin immunoprecipitation. This report provides the first functional evaluation of VCAM1 promoter polymorphisms and establishes a hypothetical foundation for investigation of their role in the pathogenesis of VCAM1 -associated diseases that disproportionately afflict African Americans, including thromboembolic diseases, asthma, and multiple myeloma. Hum Mutat 28(8), 824,829, 2007. Published 2007, Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


The African American Study of Kidney Disease and Hypertension (AASK) Trial: What More Have We Learned?

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL HYPERTENSION, Issue 2 2003
Domenic A. Sica MD
The final results of the African American Study of Kidney Disease and Hypertension (AASK) have shown that the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor ramipril was better than the , blocker metoprolol or the dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker amlodipine in slowing the rate of glomerular filtration rate decline in African American patients with mild to moderate renal insufficiency. Of note, there was no difference between the 92 mm Hg or less (lower group) and the 102,107 mm Hg (usual) mean arterial pressure groups as regards the secondary clinical composite end point. The secondary clinical composite end point in this study comprised a threshold drop of at least 50% or 25 mL/min in glomerular filtration rate, death, or reaching end-stage renal disease. The final results from this study would suggest that reduction in blood pressure to levels below those currently advocated for cardiovascular risk reduction, although a clearly attainable goal in this population, does not provide readily identifiable benefits to African Americans with hypertensive nephrosclerosis. Importantly, this study provides the basis for the primary use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors in an African American population with the characteristics of those studied in AASK. It remains to be determined if this represents a class effect for all angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. [source]


An overview of posttraumatic stress disorder in African Americans

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 7 2006
Tanya N. Alim
While several studies have found high rates of trauma exposure there is limited information on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and its relationship to depression in the African American population. The prevalence and/or expression of psychiatric disorders can differ between racial/ethnic groups. The authors review literature addressing trauma exposure, prevalence, and expression of PTSD in the African American population. Risk factors that may be of specific significance to the development of PTSD in African Americans are also reviewed. Additionally, treatment issues and potential directions for future research of PTSD in the African American population are discussed. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol 62: 801,813, 2006. [source]


A Latent Growth Curve Analysis of the Structure of Aggression, Drug Use, and Delinquent Behaviors and Their Interrelations Over Time in Urban and Rural Adolescents

JOURNAL OF RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE, Issue 2 2005
Albert D. Farrell
Latent growth curve analysis was used to examine the structure and interrelations among aggression, drug use, and delinquent behavior during early adolescence. Five waves of data were collected from 667 students at three urban middle schools serving a predominantly African American population, and from a more ethnically diverse sample of 950 students at four rural middle schools. One set of models focused on changes in individual behaviors; the other on changes in a global problem behavior factor. Models with separate growth trajectories for aggression, drug use, and delinquent behavior provided the best fit for both samples and revealed relations between initial levels of aggression and subsequent changes in the other behaviors. Boys and girls differed in their initial levels of these behaviors, but not their patterns of change. Differences in growth curve trajectories were found across samples. These findings have important implications for assessment and prevention of problem behaviors in adolescents. [source]


Increasing access to clinical and educational studies

CANCER, Issue S8 2006
Ronald E. Myers PhD
Abstract In 2001, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) provided funds to support the Increasing Access to Clinical and Educational Studies (ACES) Project of the Thomas Jefferson University, Kimmel Cancer Center in Philadelphia. The ACES Project enabled the Center to engage in the systematic development of approaches for reducing cancer health disparities among African Americans in Philadelphia. This project brought together community partners, clinical partners, cancer prevention and control experts, and staff from an NCI-designated cancer center to develop and implement a community-based outreach education program, a special populations investigator (SPI) training program, and SPI pilot studies in cancer screening and clinical trials participation. At the end of 5 years, the ACES Project had 1) organized a steering committee, expert panel, and a network of community collaborators and clinical partners; 2) implemented a clinical trials education program for community-based nurses, lay health advocates active in community organizations, and health ministries in community churches; 3) mentored 4 SPIs in cancer prevention and control research; 4) completed SPI pilot studies; and 5) leveraged these activities to gain support for cancer health disparities related research. The Project established a successful dialogue between an NCI-designated cancer center and the African American population related to cancer research, and enabled SPIs from the community to adapt evidence-informed interventions for application in cancer prevention and control research. Lessons learned from the Project can guide the implementation of such projects in the future. Cancer 2006. © 2006 American Cancer Society. [source]


Functional profiling of uncommon VCAM1 promoter polymorphisms prevalent in African American populations,,

HUMAN MUTATION, Issue 8 2007
Gila Idelman
Abstract Multiple variants of the vascular adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM1) promoter show increased nucleotide heterozygosity in the African American population. Using a novel transfection-based transcriptional pathway profiling method, we show that select uncommon variants are functionally hyperactive. Eight candidate VCAM1 promoter haplotypes comprising 13 previously identified SNPs were assessed for response to known mitogens. Activity was correlated with bioinformatic analysis of hyper- and hyporesponsive variants to identify the gain or loss of haplotype-specific transcription factor binding site (TFBS). Using this approach, a low frequency regulatory allele (c.,540A>G; dbSNP rs3783605:A>G), found in a hyperactive VCAM1 promoter haplotype, was shown to create a candidate binding site for ETS2 that was confirmed in vivo by chromatin immunoprecipitation. This report provides the first functional evaluation of VCAM1 promoter polymorphisms and establishes a hypothetical foundation for investigation of their role in the pathogenesis of VCAM1 -associated diseases that disproportionately afflict African Americans, including thromboembolic diseases, asthma, and multiple myeloma. Hum Mutat 28(8), 824,829, 2007. Published 2007, Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]