Several genetic loci have been associated with risk of Achilles tendon pathology (ATP) within South African and Australian populations. The aim of this study was, therefore, to evaluate eight previously implicated genetic variants in an independent British population. A total of 130 asymptomatic controls (CON) and 112 participants clinically diagnosed with ATP comprising 87 individuals with chronic Achilles tendinopathy (TEN) and 25 with Achilles tendon ruptures (RUP) were included. All participants were genotyped for variants within the COL5A1, MIR608, IL-1β, IL-6 and CASP8 genes. Primary findings implicated COL5A1 and CASP8. Three inferred allele combinations constructed from COL5A1 rs12722, rs3196378 and rs71746744 were identified as risk modifiers. The T-C-D combination was associated with increased risk of ATP (P=0.023) and RUP (P<0.001), the C-A-I combination was associated with increased risk of ATP (P=0.011), TEN (P=0.011) and RUP (P=0.011) and the C-C-D combination was associated with decreased risk of ATP (P=0.011) and RUP (P=0.004). The CASP8 rs3834129 DD genotype was associated with decreased risk of TEN (P=0.020, odds ratio: 0.45, 95% confidence interval: 0.22-0.90) and the CASP8 I-G (rs3834129-rs1045485) inferred allele combination was associated with increased risk of TEN (P=0.031). This study further highlights the importance of polymorphisms within COL5A1 and CASP8 in the aetiology of ATP.

Several chromosomal regions have been identified using family-based linkage analysis to contain genes contributing to the development of asthma and allergic disorders. One of these regions, chromosome 2q32-q33, contains a gene cluster containing CFLAR, CASP10 and CASP8. These genes regulate the extrinsic apoptosis pathway utilized by several types of immune and structural cells that have been implicated in the pathogenesis of asthma.

Common genetic variants have been shown to modify BRCA1 penetrance. The aim of this study was to validate these reports in a special cohort of Norwegian BRCA1 mutation carriers that were selected for their extreme age of onset of disease.

The genes caspase-8 (CASP8) and caspase-10 (CASP10) functionally cooperate and play a key role in the initiation of apoptosis. Suppression of apoptosis is one of the major mechanisms underlying the origin and progression of cancer. Previous case-control studies have indicated that the polymorphisms CASP8 D302H and CASP10 V410I are associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer in the general population.

The polymorphic genetic differences among individuals may modify the high risk for breast cancer (BC) and/or ovarian cancer (OC) susceptibility conferred by BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. In the present study we investigate the relevance of RAD51 -135C > G, TP53 R72P, NQO1*2 and CASP8 D302H polymorphisms as potential modifiers of BC and/or OC susceptibility conferred by these mutations. The study group encompasses 390 BRCA1/BRCA2 mutation carriers (182 affected with BC and/or OC and 208 unaffected) of 131 unrelated families studied in the Program of Genetic Counselling on Cancer of Valencia Community. The polymorphisms were detected in genomic DNA by ASRA method or real time PCR using fluorescently labeled probes. We found similar incidence of RAD51 -135C > G, TP53 R72P and NQO1*2 polymorphisms among affected and unaffected individuals considering BRCA1/BRCA2 mutations together and separately. However, the CASP8 D302H polymorphism was strongly associated with the absence of BC [OR = 3.41 (95% CI 1.33-8.78, P = 0.01)]. In fact, in the females with CASP8 D302H polymorphism the BC appeared at a median age of 58 in opposition to the 47 years observed for the wild type subjects (P = 0.03). Furthermore, the CASP8 D302H positive females showed a 50% probability of being free of BC by the age of 78 versus the 2% of the CASP8 negative ones. Our results support that the presence of the CASP8 D302H polymorphism diminishes the high risk of BC conferred by BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations, making possible that some of the carriers could escape from suffering BC along their life span.

Common genetic variants have been shown to modify BRCA1 penetrance. The aim of this study was to validate these reports in a special cohort of Norwegian BRCA1 mutation carriers that were selected for their extreme age of onset of disease.

The genes caspase-8 (CASP8) and caspase-10 (CASP10) functionally cooperate and play a key role in the initiation of apoptosis. Suppression of apoptosis is one of the major mechanisms underlying the origin and progression of cancer. Previous case-control studies have indicated that the polymorphisms CASP8 D302H and CASP10 V410I are associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer in the general population.

Several genetic loci have been associated with risk of Achilles tendon pathology (ATP) within South African and Australian populations. The aim of this study was, therefore, to evaluate eight previously implicated genetic variants in an independent British population. A total of 130 asymptomatic controls (CON) and 112 participants clinically diagnosed with ATP comprising 87 individuals with chronic Achilles tendinopathy (TEN) and 25 with Achilles tendon ruptures (RUP) were included. All participants were genotyped for variants within the COL5A1, MIR608, IL-1β, IL-6 and CASP8 genes. Primary findings implicated COL5A1 and CASP8. Three inferred allele combinations constructed from COL5A1 rs12722, rs3196378 and rs71746744 were identified as risk modifiers. The T-C-D combination was associated with increased risk of ATP (P=0.023) and RUP (P<0.001), the C-A-I combination was associated with increased risk of ATP (P=0.011), TEN (P=0.011) and RUP (P=0.011) and the C-C-D combination was associated with decreased risk of ATP (P=0.011) and RUP (P=0.004). The CASP8 rs3834129 DD genotype was associated with decreased risk of TEN (P=0.020, odds ratio: 0.45, 95% confidence interval: 0.22-0.90) and the CASP8 I-G (rs3834129-rs1045485) inferred allele combination was associated with increased risk of TEN (P=0.031). This study further highlights the importance of polymorphisms within COL5A1 and CASP8 in the aetiology of ATP.

Common genetic variants have been shown to modify BRCA1 penetrance. The aim of this study was to validate these reports in a special cohort of Norwegian BRCA1 mutation carriers that were selected for their extreme age of onset of disease.

Common genetic variants have been shown to modify BRCA1 penetrance. The aim of this study was to validate these reports in a special cohort of Norwegian BRCA1 mutation carriers that were selected for their extreme age of onset of disease.