Project description:Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), also traditionally called Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria (CIU), is a common dermatosis. Its estimated point prevalence is 0.6 to 1%. CSU is defined by spontaneously occurring short-lived and itching wheal, angioedema or both. The current nomenclature of urticaria endorses the use of a clinical rather than an aetiological classification to recognise that a percentage of patients with CSU have an autoimmune rather than idiopathic aetiology. As it happens with other IgE-associated diseases, a better knowledge of urticaria patients requires defining phenotypes. The present knowledge about CSU phenotypes is based on the clinical characteristics, associated comorbidities, the course of the disease and its response to the available effective drugs. But a phenotype is defined as the visible characteristics or traits that are a consequence of the expression of genes as well as the influence of environmental factors. The phenotype is part a consequence of the genotype. To study which is the genotype expressed by the patients suffering of CSU can be interesting. The mechanisms involved in the mast cell activation and the role of the released mast cell mediators are well known allowing explaining of how the wheals appear and disappear. But very little is known about the genetic susceptibility and genes involved in the development of wheals in CSU patients. By means of this work, enough case series was collected to draw reliable conclusions, based on the genetic variations found. In order to assess associations between genetic polymorphisms and the different phenotypes of CSU, large case series of well-documented patients with a relevant history are needed. The primary purpose of this study was to identify the most relevant genes expressed in the tissue and the blood samples from patients with moderate and severe CSU.
Project description:Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), also traditionally called Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria (CIU), is a common dermatosis. Its estimated point prevalence is 0.6 to 1%. CSU is defined by spontaneously occurring short-lived and itching wheal, angioedema or both. The current nomenclature of urticaria endorses the use of a clinical rather than an aetiological classification to recognise that a percentage of patients with CSU have an autoimmune rather than idiopathic aetiology. As it happens with other IgE-associated diseases, a better knowledge of urticaria patients requires defining phenotypes. The present knowledge about CSU phenotypes is based on the clinical characteristics, associated comorbidities, the course of the disease and its response to the available effective drugs. But a phenotype is defined as the visible characteristics or traits that are a consequence of the expression of genes as well as the influence of environmental factors. The phenotype is part a consequence of the genotype. To study which is the genotype expressed by the patients suffering of CSU can be interesting. The mechanisms involved in the mast cell activation and the role of the released mast cell mediators are well known allowing explaining of how the wheals appear and disappear. But very little is known about the genetic susceptibility and genes involved in the development of wheals in CSU patients. By means of this work, enough case series was collected to draw reliable conclusions, based on the genetic variations found. In order to assess associations between genetic polymorphisms and the different phenotypes of CSU, large case series of well-documented patients with a relevant history are needed. The primary purpose of this study was to identify the most relevant genes expressed in the tissue and the blood samples from patients with moderate and severe CSU.
Project description:Long-term laboratory evolution experiments provide a controlled record of evolutionary dynamics and metabolic change in microorganisms. Nevertheless, the correspondence between genetic mutation and phenotypic adaptation remains elusive, partly because of the overwhelming number of genetic changes that accrue after tens-of-thousands of generations. Using a coarse-grained characterization of bacterial physiology applied to Lenski's laboratory-evolved strains of Escherichia coli, we identify an intermediate measure between genotype and phenotype that provides insight into the dynamics of adaptation.