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Genetic Disposition (genetic + disposition)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	60%

Selected Abstracts

Cancer and men from minority ethnic groups: an exploration of the literature

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CANCER CARE, Issue 4 2000
S. Lees
The authors reviewed literature which has been published in the last 20 years. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in developed countries and is expected to become a significant cause of death in developing countries. Whilst there are a large number of studies on cancer and men, there is a paucity of data on men from minority ethnic groups. In the USA, African Americans are more likely to develop cancer than any other ethnic group. Although cancer rates amongst minority ethnic groups in the UK are thought to be low, 11% of Indian and African men and 19% of Caribbean men died from cancer during 1979,1983. There is also further evidence in the USA that African American, Filipinos and Native Americans have the lowest cancer survival rates. Service utilization, especially tertiary care, is also thought to be low amongst minority ethnic groups from the USA and the UK. Reasons for these variations include artefactual, cultural, materialist and social selectivist explanations as well as the effects of migration, racism and genetic disposition. This area is under-researched, in particular cultural beliefs about cancer. Further research into this area should apply culturally competent methods to ensure valid data to inform cancer policy, education and practice. [source]

Dopamine gene predicts the brain's response to dopaminergic drug

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 12 2007
Michael X Cohen
Abstract Dopamine is critical for reward-based decision making, yet dopaminergic drugs can have opposite effects in different individuals. This apparent discrepancy can be accounted for by hypothesizing an ,inverted-U' relationship, whereby the effect of dopamine agents depends on baseline dopamine system functioning. Here, we used functional MRI to test the hypothesis that genetic variation in the expression of dopamine D2 receptors in the human brain predicts opposing dopaminergic drug effects during reversal learning. We scanned 22 subjects while they engaged in a feedback-based reversal learning task. Ten subjects had an allele on the Taq1A DRD2 gene, which is associated with reduced dopamine receptor concentration and decreased neural responses to rewards (A1+ subjects). Subjects were scanned twice, once on placebo and once on cabergoline, a D2 receptor agonist. Consistent with an inverted-U relationship between the DRD2 polymorphism and drug effects, cabergoline increased neural reward responses in the medial orbitofrontal cortex, cingulate cortex and striatum for A1+ subjects but decreased reward responses in these regions for A1, subjects. In contrast, cabergoline decreased task performance and fronto-striatal connectivity in A1+ subjects but had the opposite effect in A1, subjects. Further, the drug effect on functional connectivity predicted the drug effect on feedback-guided learning. Thus, individual variability in how dopaminergic drugs affect the brain reflects genetic disposition. These findings may help to explain the link between genetic disposition and risk for addictive disorders. [source]

Prevalence and inheritance of canine elbow dysplasia in German Rottweiler

JOURNAL OF ANIMAL BREEDING AND GENETICS, Issue 6 2000
R. Beuing
Summary A total of 2114 scores of elbow arthrosis from the official screening programme of the German Rottweiler Breeding Association (ADRK) were analysed in respect of prevalence and genetic disposition. 45.8% showed no signs of arthritis, 40.6% were scored in Grade 1 with minor osteophytes and 13.6% were affected by arthritis of clinical relevance (Grade 2 and 3). REML estimates showed a heritability of 28% and a litter variance of 6.4%. The only significant environmental fixed effect was gender. 39.1% of the male and 51.5% of the female were free from ED which corresponds with 19.2% of the male and only 8.8% of the female in the critical ED classes of Grade 2 and 3. Differences between the years of examination could be explained by genetic gain. Month of birth as well as age at examination, in the range covered by this study, was not significant. It was stated that the effect of bodyweight should be tested before starting a breeding programme. Zusammenfassung 2114 Bewertungen der Ellbogenarthrose aus dem offiziellen Screening des Allgemeinen Deutschen Rottweiler Klub (ADRK) wurden in Hinblick auf Häufigkeit und genetische Praedisposition untersucht. 45,8% der Tiere hatten keine Anzeichen von Arthrose, 40,6% wurden mit Grad 1, geringgradige Osteophythenbildung, bewertet und 13,6% waren mit Arthrosen Grad 2 und 3 von klinischer Relevanz behaftet. REML-Schätzungen zeigten eine Heritabilität von 28% und eine wurfbedingte Varianz von 6.4%. Der einzige signifikante fixe Umwelteffekt war der Einfluß des Geschlechtes. 39,1% der Rüden und 51,5% der Hündinnen waren ED-frei. Das korrespondiert damit, daß 19,2% der Rüden und nur 8,8% der Hündinnen in die kritischen ED-Klassen 2 und 3 eingestuft wurden. Unterschiede zwischen den Untersuchungsjahren konnten als genetischer Trend erklärt werden. Der Geburtsmonat sowie das Alter beim Röntgen, zumindest in dem Altersbereich, den diese Studie umfasste, waren nicht signifikant. Es wurde als wichtig angesehen, den Einfluß des Körpergewichtes näher zu prüfen, bevor ein Zuchtprogramm begonnen wird. [source]

Family health effects: complements or substitutes

HEALTH ECONOMICS, Issue 8 2001
Michael Lee Ganz
Abstract Genetic endowments play a fundamental role in the production of health. At birth individuals have different capacities to be healthy, largely due to genetic dispositions. Whether or not individuals realize this health depends on their choice of health behaviours. Previous research has linked negative factors beyond the individual's control, which include genetic endowments, to both poor health and poor health behaviours. The health economics literature proposes that behaviours and genetic (or family health) endowments can be either substitutes or complements in the production of health. The goal of this paper is to investigate the behavioural consequences of changes in knowledge about one's genetic endowment. Using two waves of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey I Epidemiologic Followup Study, I find that for smokers, smoking intensity substitutes for newly diagnosed smoking-related family cancers, while smoking intensity is complementary to newly diagnosed non-smoking-related family cancers. I find no evidence for the hypothesized relationships with respect to alcohol consumption among drinkers. These results have implications for the growing field of genetic testing and test development. These results also reinforce current practices of ascertaining family health histories in the context of medical history taking. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Linkages Between Children's and Their Friends' Social and Physical Aggression: Evidence for a Gene,Environment Interaction?

CHILD DEVELOPMENT, Issue 1 2008
Mara Brendgen
Based on a sample of 406 seven-year-old twins, this study examined whether exposure to friends' social or physical aggression, respectively, moderates the effect of heritability on children's own social and physical aggression. Univariate analyses showed that children's own social and physical aggression were significantly explained by genetic factors, whereas friends' social and physical aggression represented "true" environmental factors that were unrelated to children's genetic dispositions. Multivariate analyses further suggested a possible gene,environment interaction in the link between friends' and children's physical aggression but not in the link between friends' and children's social aggression. Instead, friends' social aggression was directly related to children's social aggression, in addition to genetic effects on this behavior. Theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed. [source]