New Scientific Reports publication reveals major difference in genomes of American and Chinese chestnut

Potential implications for American chestnut restoration and blight-resistance

Peer-Reviewed Publication

USDA FOREST SERVICE ‑ SOUTHERN RESEARCH STATION

 

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CHROMOSOME SATELLITE FOR BOTH SPECIES (CHINESE CHESTNUT ON THE LEFT, AMERICAN CHESTNUT ON THE RIGHT). LIKE ALL CHROMOSOMES, THESE ARE MADE OF CHROMATIN – A MIX OF DNA MOLECULES AND PROTEINS. THERE ARE SEVERAL TYPES OF CHROMATIN. THE BRIGHT BLUE TIP IN THE CHINESE CHESTNUT INDICATES HETEROCHROMATIC DNA, AND THE LIGHTER PURPLE COLOR ON THE TIP MAY REPRESENT THE EUCHROMATIC DNA. THE ENTIRE REGION OF THE AMERICAN CHESTNUT SATELLITE APPEARS TO BE EUCHROMATIC. 

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CREDIT: USDA FOREST SERVICE IMAGE BY NURUL FARIDI.

The chromosomes of American and Chinese chestnut are not so similar after all, at least in one key region of the genome – the nucleolus organizing region (NOR). 

The finding, published in a forthcoming article in Scientific Reports, has major implications for anyone with the goal of conferring blight-resistance to American chestnuts through hybridization with the Chinese chestnut.  

“This is an unprecedented finding in the field of plant cytology,” says Nurul Faridi, a Forest Service geneticist and lead author of the study.   

Traditional backcross breeding, involving hybridization between two species, aims to combine an ideal mix of traits from two species without genetic engineering. Backcross breeding can only succeed when the chromosomes of both species are compatible. Because Chinese-American chestnut hybrids are viable, people have assumed that the two species are highly compatible. But the new study reveals significant differences in the NOR of the two species.   

The NOR is part of every plant and animal cell. It carries the genetic instructions for making ribosomes – the molecular machines that make the proteins essential for life. 

The NOR is located near the end of the short arm of a particular chromosome. It is present on both species, but in Chinese chestnut it is packed with a type of DNA known as heterochromatin and constitutes about 25% of the chromosome. The structure and composition of this DNA surprised the researchers – it is highly condensed, lacking gene content, and transcriptionally inactive. In contrast, the American chestnut satellite is very small and appeared to be euchromatic. Euchromatic regions of DNA are transcriptionally active. 

Faridi first noticed a small pair of Chinese chestnut chromosomes exhibiting very bright fluorescence with a specialized microscope, a UV filter, and a dye that binds to the DNA.  

Faridi used a technique called fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) to further analyze the discovery.  

“Our high-quality FISH images provide unequivocal evidence of this unique DNA arrangement,” says Faridi. “These images are not just pictures; they are a testament to the dynamic nature of genetic material.”   

Faridi has been working with FISH since 1991 and has extensive experience preparing plant chromosomes for analyses. Well-separated chromosomes from enzymatically digested root tips that are mostly free of cell walls, nuclear membranes, and cytoplasmic debris are best for FISH.  

Most FISH imagery is obtained from animal cells, as plant cells, and especially trees, are more challenging to work with. Faridi has found that chestnuts are far more difficult to work with than pine and poplar.  

The researchers will use a technique called oligonucleotide FISH for further investigation. Oligo-FISH uses short specific DNA probes acquired from DNA sequencing. Since the entire genomes of American and Chinese chestnut have been sequenced, oligo-FISH will allow the researchers to make detailed genetic studies that will discern subtle genomic differences. The technique is especially useful for studying hybrids since it can indicate which parent a gene is from.  

The progress in developing American chestnut hybrids with height of the American chestnut and the blight-resistance of the Chinese chestnut has been significant. However, the most advanced hybrids do not currently have enough blight resistance for restoration, as previous Forest Service research has shown.  

In addition to Faridi and C. Dana Nelson of the USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station, the genetics team included researchers from Texas A&M University, Pennsylvania State University, University of Kentucky, and The American Chestnut Foundation.  

The paper will be published in Scientific Reports on January 15, 2024. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-45879-6

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JOURNAL

Scientific Reports

DOI

10.1038/s41598-023-45879-6 

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Cells

ARTICLE TITLE

Cyto‑molecular characterization of rDNA and chromatin composition in the NOR‑associated satellite in Chestnut (Castanea spp.)

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

15-Jan-2024

 

Research sheds new light on Moon rock formation solving major puzzle in lunar geology

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL

 

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IMAGE SHOWS ASTRONAUT-GEOLOGIST STANDING NEXT TO A HUGE LUNAR BOULDER DURING NASA’S APOLLO 17 MISSION IN 1972. THE SCIENTISTS IN THIS RESEARCH USED ROCK SAMPLES FROM THIS APOLLO MISSION.

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CREDIT: NASA/EUGENE CERNAN

New research has cracked a vital process in the creation of a unique rock type from the Moon. The discovery explains its signature composition and very presence on the lunar surface at all, unravelling a mystery which has long eluded scientists.

The study, published today in Nature Geoscience, reveals a key step in the genesis of these distinctive magmas.  A combination of high temperature laboratory experiments using molten rocks, together with sophisticated isotopic analyses of lunar samples, identify a critical reaction that controls their composition.

This reaction took place in the deep lunar interior some three and a half billion years ago, involving exchange of the element iron (Fe) in the magma with the element magnesium (Mg) in the surrounding rocks, modifying the chemical and physical properties of the melt.  

Co-lead author Tim Elliott, Professor of Earth Sciences at the University of Bristol, said: “The origin of volcanic lunar rocks is a fascinating tale involving an ‘avalanche’ of an unstable, planetary-scale crystal pile created by the cooling of a primordial magma ocean. 

“Central to constraining this epic history is the presence of a magma type unique to the Moon, but explaining how such magmas could even have got to the surface, to be sampled by Space missions, has been a troublesome problem. It is great to have resolved this dilemma.”

Surprisingly high concentrations of the element titanium (Ti) in parts of the lunar surface have been known since the NASA Apollo missions, back in the 1960s and 1970s, which successfully returned solidified, ancient lava samples from the Moon’s crust. More recent mapping by orbiting satellite shows these magmas, known as ‘high-Ti basalts’, to be widespread on the Moon.

“Until now models have been unable to recreate magma compositions that match essential chemical and physical characteristics of the high-Ti basalts. It has proven particularly hard to explain their low density, which allowed them to be erupted some three and a half billion years ago,” added co-lead author Dr Martijn Klaver, Research Fellow at the University of Münster Institute of Mineralogy.

The international team of scientists, led by the Universities of Bristol in the UK and Münster in Germany managed to mimic the high-Ti basalts in the process in the lab using high-temperature experiments.  Measurements of the high-Ti basalts also revealed a distinctive isotopic composition that provides a fingerprint of the reactions reproduced by the experiments.

Both results clearly demonstrate how the melt-solid reaction is integral in understanding the formation of these unique magmas. 

Image shows Moon rock, known as high-Ti basalt, sample from Apollo 17 mission like those analysed in this study.

Image shows a map of the Titanium abundances of the Moon’s surface, obtained from NASA’s Clementine spacecraft. The red parts indicate extremely high concentrations compared to terrestrial rocks.

CREDIT

Lunar and Planetary Institute

An electron-microscope image of an experiment from this study. Melt (brown colour) reacts with surrounding crystals (green colours), resulting in a less Fe-rich melt.

CREDIT

University of Bristol/University of Münster

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JOURNAL

Nature Geoscience

ARTICLE TITLE

‘Titanium-rich basaltic melts on the Moon modulated by reactive flow processes’

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

15-Jan-2024

 

Going beyond plastic: Chung-Ang University team explores tara gum as a green polymer

The gum, and its modified forms, can find use as a sustainable and biodegradable polymer in food and drug industries

Peer-Reviewed Publication

CHUNG ANG UNIVERSITY

 

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RESEARCHERS REVIEW THE APPLICATION OF TARA GUM AND ITS MODIFIED FORMS AS A SUSTAINABLE AND BIODEGRADABLE POLYMER IN FOOD AND DRUG INDUSTRIES.

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CREDIT: SCAMPERDALE FROM FLICKR (HTTPS://WWW.FLICKR.COM/PHOTOS/36517976@N06/6363740405) AND SANGKIL LEE FROM CAU

Synthetic, non-biodegradable plastics are major sources of environmental pollution and have prompted a rising interest in sustainable, biodegradable alternatives derived from natural polymers. “Tara gum,” derived from the seeds of the tara tree (Caesalpinia spinosa), stands out as a promising solution. This natural, water-soluble substance contains polysaccharides (complex carbohydrates), including the widely used “galactomannan,” which is employed in coatings, edible films, and as a stabilizer and thickener. The biocompatibility, biodegradability, and safety of tara gum also make it valuable in industries like food and drug delivery. Moreover, the adaptable nature of the groups within tara gum polysaccharides renders it valuable for tailoring physicochemical and mechanical properties for specific applications.

In a recent study, made available online on 29 September 2023 and to be published in Volume 323 of Carbohydrate Polymers on 1 January 2024, a team of researchers, led by Professor Sangkil Lee from Chung-Ang University in the Republic of Korea, has now conducted a thorough and critical examination of modification methods (“grafting”) applied to tara gum. The study explores the applications of these modifications in the food and drug industry, including the development of pH-sensitive food packaging and drug delivery systems.

Prof. Lee explains: “Our team has a keen interest in natural polysaccharides and their role in drug delivery, and we have been working on tara gum and other natural polysaccharides to extend their applications. Various researchers have explored the wide range of applications for its various modified forms. However, this is the first review article on recent advancements in tara gum and its modified materials, and their potential role in food and drug delivery.”

The team presents a systematic and detailed overview of various advancements in tara gum research. They describe methods for the extraction, isolation, and characterization of tara gum polysaccharides. Additionally, the toxicology and rheological (deformation) behavior of tara gum, along with its behavior in the presence of other polysaccharides, are thoroughly examined.

The review paper also delves into the applications of tara gum and its modified derivatives in the food industry. These include the use in biopolymer packaging, monitoring seafood and milk spoilage, acting as a gelation agent, providing short-term protection of food from oxidation, and safeguarding fatty foods. The applications of tara gum and its modified materials have been detailed for the pharmaceutical industry as well, including the controlled-release of vitamin D-3, antibacterial hydrogel development, iron delivery in both infants and adults, controlled-release of drugs, and restoration of the physiological barrier of the gut.

“The physicochemical property of tara gum and its products can be enhanced using various kinds of monomers, crosslinkers, or other polysaccharides. Furthermore, the improvement of antibacterial properties might be achieved through the incorporation of chitosan or other natural polymers, as well as inorganic materials such as copper and zinc nanoparticles,” speculates Prof. Lee.

The study could thus inspire the scientific community to research further on tara gum for the development of various food-related applications as well as effective and safe drug formulations to reduce the global burden of health risks and costs.

 

***

 

Reference

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2023.121440

 

Authors: Vinit Raj1, Kyung-Soo Chun2,3, and Sangkil Lee1

 

Affiliations:

1College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University

2College of Pharmacy, Keimyung University

3Center for Forensic Pharmaceutical Science, Keimyung University

 

About Chung-Ang University
Chung-Ang University is a private comprehensive research university located in Seoul, South Korea. It was started as a kindergarten in 1916 and attained university status in 1953. It is fully accredited by the Ministry of Education of Korea. Chung-Ang University conducts research activities under the slogan of “Justice and Truth.” Its new vision for completing 100 years is “The Global Creative Leader.” Chung-Ang University offers undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs, which encompass a law school, management program, and medical school; it has 16 undergraduate and graduate schools each. Chung-Ang University’s culture and arts programs are considered the best in Korea.

Website: https://neweng.cau.ac.kr/index.do

 

About Professor Sangkil Lee
Sangkil Lee is a Full Professor of the College of Pharmacy at Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea. His group has been developing various kinds of drug formulations at the preclinical level through nanotechnology/drug conjugation and polymeric hydrogels for regenerative medicine. Prof. Lee's group is also developing nanocomplex formulations as drugs using in-silico drug design and formulating development approaches for Alzheimer’s disease and other conditions.

Read more: https://scholarworks.bwise.kr/cau/researcher-profile?ep=1459

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JOURNAL

Carbohydrate Polymers

DOI

10.1016/j.carbpol.2023.121440 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Systematic review

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

State-of-the-art advancement in tara gum polysaccharide (Caesalpinia spinosa) modifications and their potential applications for drug delivery and the food industry

 

Chasing the light: Sandia study finds new clues about warming in the Arctic

Study focuses on reduction in sunlight reflectivity

Business Announcement

DOE/SANDIA NATIONAL LABORATORIES

 

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A SANDIA NATIONAL LABORATORIES STUDY USED PREVIOUSLY UNPUBLISHED DATA FROM GPS MONITORS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT’S DECREASING THE SUN’S REFLECTIVITY IN THE ARCTIC.

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CREDIT: SANDIA NATIONAL LABORATORIES

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The Arctic, Earth’s icy crown, is experiencing a climate crisis like no other. It’s heating up at a furious pace — four times faster than the rest of our planet. Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories are pulling back the curtain on the reduction of sunlight reflectivity, or albedo, which is supercharging the Arctic’s warming.

The scientists are not armed with parkas and shovels. Instead, they have tapped into data from GPS satellite radiometers, capturing the sunlight bouncing off the Arctic. This data dive could be the key to cracking the Arctic amplification code.

“The uneven warming in the Arctic is both a scientific curiosity and a pressing concern, leading us to question why this landscape has been changing so dramatically,” said Erika Roesler, an atmospheric and climate scientist at Sandia.

Previous studies have suggested that sea-ice albedo feedbacks are likely driving Arctic amplification. These albedo feedbacks can be broken down into two main areas. First, there’s an overall reduction in sea ice, leading to more exposure of the dark ocean. This absorbs more sunlight than snow-covered ice and raises temperatures. The second factor is the reflectivity of the remaining sea ice, or local albedo, which includes ponding water on ice due to melting.

Sandia researchers aimed to gain a better understanding of the reduction in reflectivity in the Arctic. Senior scientist Phil Dreike collaborated with the U.S. Space Force to obtain permission for Sandia to analyze previously unpublished data from the radiometers on GPS satellites.

“New observational climate datasets are unique," Roesler said. "To qualify as a climate dataset, observations must span a multitude of years. Small-scale science projects are typically not that long in duration, making this dataset particularly valuable."

Amy Kaczmarowski, an engineer at Sandia, conducted an analysis of the data spanning from 2014 to 2019.

“There have been numerous local measurements and theoretical discussions regarding the effects of water puddling on ice albedo," Kaczmarowski said. "This study represents one of the first comprehensive examinations of year-to-year effects in the Arctic region. Sandia’s data analysis revealed a 20% to 35% decrease in total reflectivity over the Arctic summer. According to microwave sea-ice extent measurements collected during the same period, one-third of this loss of reflectivity is attributed to fully melted ice.”

The other two-thirds of the loss in reflectivity is likely caused by the weathering of the remaining sea ice.

“The key discovery here is just how much the weathered ice is reducing reflectivity,” Kaczmarowski added. Weathered ice refers to the remaining sea ice, which can be thinner and may contain melt ponds.

The GPS satellites are expected to continue providing data through 2040. The Sandia team hopes other researchers will consider their findings, recently published in the journal Nature Scientific Reports, and incorporate them into their models for Arctic amplification. They plan to continue mining the GPS data and are enthusiastic about collaborating with other climate researchers for further analysis.

“We will continue to use this data to investigate various regions of the Earth for climate applications,” Kaczmarowski said.

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Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. Sandia Labs has major research and development responsibilities in nuclear deterrence, global security, defense, energy technologies and economic competitiveness, with main facilities in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Livermore, California

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METHOD OF RESEARCH

Data/statistical analysis

Arctic albedo animation [VIDEO] | 

Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories are taking a closer look at what's causing a decrease in sunlight reflectivity, or albedo, in the Arctic. Watch an animation showing the albedo process.

CREDIT

Sandia National Laboratories

 

Physicists identify overlooked uncertainty in real-world experiments

Peer-Reviewed Publication

SANTA FE INSTITUTE

The equations that describe physical systems often assume that measurable features of the system — temperature or chemical potential, for example — can be known exactly. But the real world is messier than that, and uncertainty is unavoidable. Temperatures fluctuate, instruments malfunction, the environment interferes, and systems evolve over time.

The rules of statistical physics address the uncertainty about the state of a system that arises when that system interacts with its environment. But they’ve long missed another kind, say SFI Professor David Wolpert and Jan Korbel, a postdoctoral researcher at the Complexity Science Hub in Vienna, Austria. In a new paper published in Physical Review Research, the pair of physicists argue that uncertainty in the thermodynamic parameters themselves — built into equations that govern the energetic behavior of the system — may also influence the outcome of an experiment.

“At present, almost nothing is known about the thermodynamic consequences of this type of uncertainty despite its unavoidability,” says Wolpert. In the new paper, he and Korbel consider ways to modify the equations of stochastic thermodynamics to accommodate it.

When Korbel and Wolpert met at a 2019 workshop on information and thermodynamics, they began talking about this second kind of uncertainty in the context of non-equilibrium systems.

“We wondered, what happens if you don’t know the thermodynamic parameters governing your system exactly?” recalls Korbel. “And then we started playing around.” The equations that describe thermodynamic systems often include precisely defined terms for things like temperature and chemical potentials. “But as an experimenter or an observer you don’t necessarily know these values” to very large precision, says Korbel.

Even more vexing, they realized that it’s impossible to measure parameters like temperature, pressure, or volume precisely, both because of the limitations of measurement and the fact that these quantities change quickly. They recognized that uncertainty about those parameters not only influences information about the original state of the system, but also how it evolves.

It’s almost paradoxical, Korbel says. “In thermodynamics, you’re assuming uncertainty about your state so you describe it in a probabilistic way. And if you have quantum thermodynamics, you do this with quantum uncertainty,” he says. “But on the other hand, you’re assuming that all the parameters are known with exact precision.”

Korbel says the new work has implications for a range of natural and engineered systems. If a cell needs to sense the temperature to carry out some chemical reaction, for example, then it will be limited in its precision. The uncertainty in the temperature measurement could mean that the cell does more work — and uses more energy. “The cell has to pay this extra cost for not knowing the system,” he says.

Optical tweezers offer another example. These are high-energy laser beams configured to create a kind of trap for charged particles. Physicists use the term “stiffness” to describe the particle’s tendency to resist being moved by the trap. To determine the optimal configuration for the lasers they measure the stiffness as precisely as possible. They typically do this by taking repeated measurements, assuming that the uncertainty arises from the measurement itself.

But Korbel and Wolpert offer another possibility — that the uncertainty arises from the fact that the stiffness itself may be changing as the system evolves. If that’s the case, then repeated identical measurements won’t capture it, and finding the optimal configuration will remain elusive. “If you keep doing the same protocol, then the particle doesn’t end up in the same point, you may have to do a little push,” which means extra work that’s not described by the conventional equations.

This uncertainty could play out at all scales, Korbel says. What’s often interpreted as uncertainty in measurement may be uncertainty in the parameters in disguise. Maybe an experiment was done near a window where the sun was shining, and then repeated when it was cloudy. Or perhaps the air conditioner kicked on between multiple trials. In many situations, he says, “it’s relevant to look at this other type of uncertainty.”

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JOURNAL

Physical Review Research

DOI

10.1103/PhysRevResearch.6.013021 

ARTICLE TITLE

Nonequilibrium thermodynamics of uncertain stochastic processes

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

8-Jan-2024

Disclaimer: AAAS 

 

Erectile dysfunction medications may increase risk of death when combined with common chest pain medication

Medications are contraindicated but often prescribed together

Peer-Reviewed Publication

AMERICAN COLLEGE OF CARDIOLOGY

Phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5i)—an erectile dysfunction drug sold under the names Viagra, Levitra, Cialis, and others—are a common medical treatment for erectile dysfunction (ED) in men with cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, a new Swedish study published today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology suggests that patients are at higher risk for morbidity and mortality over time when PDE5is and nitrate medication are both prescribed.

Erectile dysfunction is a common condition in middle-aged and older men and is a strong predictor of coronary artery disease. Nitrates are medications commonly used to treat angina, or chest pain. Both can cause drops in blood pressure, so they are contraindicated for use together. However, there is little real-world data on the implications of using both and the number of people who are prescribed both is growing.

Serving as an update to previous studies using the same Swedish national dataset from the Swedish Patient Register, this research analyzes the association between PDE5i treatment and cardiovascular outcomes in men with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) who are being treated with nitrates. It aims to resolve the conflicting results regarding the impact of PDE5i treatment on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.

“Physicians are seeing an increase of requests for erectile dysfunction drugs from men with cardiovascular diseases,” said Daniel Peter Andersson, MD, PhD, Associate Professor at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm and senior author of the study. “While there is a positive association of ED medication for men with CVD, patients taking nitrates may experience an increased risk of negative health outcomes.”

The study included 61,487 men with a history of myocardial infarction (MI) or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) who had received two nitrate prescriptions within six months. Exposure was defined as having received at least two filled prescriptions of any PDE5i medications. Among these men, 55,777 men were treated with nitrates and 5,710 were treated with both nitrates and PDE5i. Median follow-up time for the entire cohort was 5.7 years in nitrate only users and 3.4 years in nitrate users with PDE5i treatment. The nitrate plus PDE5i group was younger at 61.2 years compared to 70.3 years in the nitrate only users.

The researchers conducted multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression to estimate the hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for various health outcomes, including all-cause mortality, cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), heart failure, cardiac revascularization and major cardiovascular events (MACE).

The results of the study indicate that the combined use of PDE5i treatment with nitrates is associated with a higher risk for all health outcomes compared to those taking nitrates alone. In those taking both PDE5i and nitrates, few events occurred 28 days after dispensing the PDE5is, with lower incidence rates than in subjects taking nitrates, indicating that there is low immediate risk for an event.

“Our goal is to underscore the need for careful patient-centered consideration before prescribing PDE5i medication to men receiving nitrate treatment,” Andersson said. “Furthermore, it justifies our efforts for continued research into the ambiguous effects of ED drugs on men with CVD.”

Limitations of the study include the inability to know a patient’s compliance and medication habits and the inability to infer causality of death from the data. Researchers assessed usage by filled prescriptions but did not know how compliant patients were or what their medication habits were. Also, the patient population included high-risk individuals who already had experienced MI or revascularization. They were also prescribed nitrates at least twice and despite guideline recommendations also prescribed PDE5i at least twice; thus, results may not be entirely generalizable to the general population. Further investigation is needed to fully understand the effects of the combination of treatments.

In an accompanying editorial comment, Glenn N. Levine, MD, Baylor College of Medicine and the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston, said in patients with ischemic heart disease and only mild angina with reasonable exercise ability, ED PDE5i are reasonably safe – if the patient is not on chronic nitrate therapy.  However, in those on chronic oral nitrate therapy, use of PDE5i is ill-advised at best and generally contraindicated.

“ED and CAD are unfortunate, and all too common, bedfellows,” Levine said. “But, as with most relationships, assuming proper precautions and care, they can co-exist together for many years perhaps even a lifetime.”

The American College of Cardiology (ACC) is the global leader in transforming cardiovascular care and improving heart health for all. As the preeminent source of professional medical education for the entire cardiovascular care team since 1949, ACC credentials cardiovascular professionals in over 140 countries who meet stringent qualifications and leads in the formation of health policy, standards and guidelines. Through its world-renowned family of JACC Journals, NCDR registries, ACC Accreditation Services, global network of Member Sections, CardioSmart patient resources and more, the College is committed to ensuring a world where science, knowledge and innovation optimize patient care and outcomes. Learn more at www.ACC.org or follow @ACCinTouch.

The ACC’s family of JACC Journals rank among the top cardiovascular journals in the world for scientific impact. The flagship journal, the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC) — and family of specialty journals consisting of JACC: Advances, JACC: Asia, JACC: Basic to Translational Science, JACC: CardioOncology, JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging, JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions, JACC: Case Reports, JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology and JACC: Heart Failure — pride themselves on publishing the top peer-reviewed research on all aspects of cardiovascular disease. Learn more at JACC.org.

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JOURNAL

Journal of the American College of Cardiology

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

15-Jan-2024

 

Chronic inflammation and poverty are a ‘double whammy’ for mortality risk

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

A new study led by a University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions researcher finds that people with chronic inflammation living in poverty have more than double the risk of dying from heart disease and nearly triple the risk of dying from cancer within the next 15 years. The findings are based on data representing 95 million Americans ages 40 and over.

While chronic inflammation and poverty are each known to increase mortality risk, when combined, the two factors appear to have a synergistic effect, producing a greater increase in risk than if the individual effects of the two factors were merely added together, the study authors say. Their findings appear in the journal Frontiers in Medicine.

“There is a lot of existing evidence that chronic inflammation can lead to disease,” said lead author Arch Mainous III, Ph.D., a professor in the department of health services research, management and policy in the UF College of Public Health and Health Professions. “We became interested in the potential interplay of chronic inflammation with poverty, which tends to increase inflammation in its own right through factors such as chronic stress. We found that poverty and high levels of inflammation act synergistically, giving people with both factors basically a double whammy. It makes them far more likely to die and in a relatively short period of time, just 15 years.”

Acute inflammation is part of the body’s healthy short-term immune response to fighting infection, toxins or other foreign substances that may enter the body. Chronic inflammation, however, lasts for months or years and has been shown to increase the risk for developing conditions such as cancer, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and kidney disease. Another new study led by Mainous indicates that 34.6% of U.S. adults have systemic inflammation.

Chronic inflammation can be caused by a host of lifestyle, physiological and environmental factors, such as poor diet, stress, lack of physical activity, smoking, aging, obesity, autoimmune disorders and exposure to toxins in the environment.

The findings from the UF study highlight the need for routine chronic inflammation screenings in vulnerable populations to limit what are, in many cases, preventable deaths, said Mainous, also the vice chair for research in the UF College of Medicine’s department of community health and family medicine. Currently, there are no clinical guidelines for chronic inflammation screening.

“Investigators have been studying chronic inflammation for 25 years and we have a lot of data on its role in the disease pathway and mortality,” Mainous said. “We know it’s a problem, but we don’t do anything about it. We need to translate the basic science on chronic inflammation to the doctor’s office through the creation of screening guidelines so physicians can identify chronic inflammation in their patients and work to treat the underlying causes.”

For the UF study, researchers evaluated data from the National Health and Nutrition

Examination Survey, a nationally representative survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics that combines survey questions with laboratory testing. The team analyzed data collected from adults ages 40 and older whose household income fell below the U.S. poverty line and whose lab tests showed elevated levels of C-reactive protein, an indicator of chronic inflammation. Records were linked to the National Death Index to track mortality over a 15-year period.

Those individuals living with both chronic inflammation and poverty had a 127% increased risk for dying from heart disease and a 196% increased risk for dying from cancer. People living with chronic inflammation or poverty, but not both factors, had about a 50% increase in mortality risk over the same period.

“It is time to move beyond documenting the health problems that inflammation can cause to trying to fix these problems,” Mainous said.

In addition to Mainous, the UF study team included members of the department of community health and family medicine at the College of Medicine: Frank A. Orlando, M.D., a clinical associate professor; Lu Yin, Ph.D., a data management analyst; Velyn L. Wu, M.D., an assistant clinical professor; and Aaron A. Saguil, M.D., a professor and of the department chair; as well as Pooja Sharma, a doctoral student in health services research at the College of Public Health and Health Professions.

A new study led by a University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions researcher finds that people with chronic inflammation living in poverty have more than double the risk of dying from heart disease and nearly triple the risk of dying from cancer within the next 15 years. The findings are based on data representing 95 million Americans ages 40 and over.

While chronic inflammation and poverty are each known to increase mortality risk, when combined, the two factors appear to have a synergistic effect, producing a greater increase in risk than if the individual effects of the two factors were merely added together, the study authors say. Their findings appear in the journal Frontiers in Medicine.

“There is a lot of existing evidence that chronic inflammation can lead to disease,” said lead author Arch Mainous III, Ph.D., a professor in the department of health services research, management and policy in the UF College of Public Health and Health Professions. “We became interested in the potential interplay of chronic inflammation with poverty, which tends to increase inflammation in its own right through factors such as chronic stress. We found that poverty and high levels of inflammation act synergistically, giving people with both factors basically a double whammy. It makes them far more likely to die and in a relatively short period of time, just 15 years.”

Acute inflammation is part of the body’s healthy short-term immune response to fighting infection, toxins or other foreign substances that may enter the body. Chronic inflammation, however, lasts for months or years and has been shown to increase the risk for developing conditions such as cancer, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and kidney disease. Another new study led by Mainous indicates that 34.6% of U.S. adults have systemic inflammation.

Chronic inflammation can be caused by a host of lifestyle, physiological and environmental factors, such as poor diet, stress, lack of physical activity, smoking, aging, obesity, autoimmune disorders and exposure to toxins in the environment.

The findings from the UF study highlight the need for routine chronic inflammation screenings in vulnerable populations to limit what are, in many cases, preventable deaths, said Mainous, also the vice chair for research in the UF College of Medicine’s department of community health and family medicine. Currently, there are no clinical guidelines for chronic inflammation screening.

“Investigators have been studying chronic inflammation for 25 years and we have a lot of data on its role in the disease pathway and mortality,” Mainous said. “We know it’s a problem, but we don’t do anything about it. We need to translate the basic science on chronic inflammation to the doctor’s office through the creation of screening guidelines so physicians can identify chronic inflammation in their patients and work to treat the underlying causes.”

For the UF study, researchers evaluated data from the National Health and Nutrition

Examination Survey, a nationally representative survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics that combines survey questions with laboratory testing. The team analyzed data collected from adults ages 40 and older whose household income fell below the U.S. poverty line and whose lab tests showed elevated levels of C-reactive protein, an indicator of chronic inflammation. Records were linked to the National Death Index to track mortality over a 15-year period.

Those individuals living with both chronic inflammation and poverty had a 127% increased risk for dying from heart disease and a 196% increased risk for dying from cancer. People living with chronic inflammation or poverty, but not both factors, had about a 50% increase in mortality risk over the same period.

“It is time to move beyond documenting the health problems that inflammation can cause to trying to fix these problems,” Mainous said.

In addition to Mainous, the UF study team included members of the department of community health and family medicine at the College of Medicine: Frank A. Orlando, M.D., a clinical associate professor; Lu Yin, Ph.D., a data management analyst; Velyn L. Wu, M.D., an assistant clinical professor; and Aaron A. Saguil, M.D., a professor and of the department chair; as well as Pooja Sharma, a doctoral student in health services research at the College of Public Health and Health Professions.

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JOURNAL

Frontiers in Medicine

DOI

10.3389/fmed.2023.1261083 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Data/statistical analysis

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Inflammation and Poverty as Individual and Combined Predictors of 15-year Mortality Risk in Middle Aged and Older Adults in the US

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

16-Jan-2024