This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by La Du, B. N. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by La Du, B. N.

(Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. 2003;23:1317.)
© 2003 American Heart Association, Inc.

Editorials

Future Studies of Low-Activity PON1 Phenotype Subjects May Reveal How PON1 Protects Against Cardiovascular Disease

Bert N. La Du

From the Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Mich.

Correspondence to Bert N. La Du, MD, PhD, Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109–0632. E-mail bladu@umich.edu

An extract of the first 250 words of the full text is provided, because this article has no abstract.

The article by Jarvik et al,¹ appearing in this issue, illustrates the pros and cons of using a large panel of SNPs for probing deeper into the association between serum paraoxonase (PON1) and vascular disease. The obvious advantages of using such a series of convenient genetic markers are somewhat compromised in this instance by the presence of several, long-ago established recombination sites within the human PON1 genetic sequence. Appreciable linkage disequilibrium (LD) exists within conserved segments for short stretches of the PON1 gene, so that representative residues from several of these contiguous segments constitute distinctive haplotypes. However, Jarvik et al¹ have found that none of these genetic markers show any high degree of association with cardiovascular disease. The authors conclude that finding a reduced level of serum PON1 enzymatic activity still seems to be the best indicator of some important relationship between the serum PON1 enzyme and cardiovascular disease.

See page 1465

Analytical techniques that identify meaningful associations between particular enzymes and a complex, multifactorial disease such as cardiovascular disease should be very useful. The article by Jarvik et al¹ used 60 selected SNPs, representing nucleotides of the PON1 gene distributed from the 5'-regulatory region to the 3'-untranslated region, covering a span of 26 kb. The SNPs selected include representatives from several regions of high internal LD. However, the above-mentioned recombination sites within the overall sequence meant that the resulting haplotypes are less informative than would be expected. It was also hoped that polymorphisms within the noncoding regions would be . . . [Full Text of this Article]

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. Graner, R. W. James, J. Kahri, M. S. Nieminen, M. Syvanne, and M.-R. Taskinen Association of Paraoxonase-1 Activity and Concentration With Angiographic Severity and Extent of Coronary Artery Disease J. Am. Coll. Cardiol., June 20, 2006; 47(12): 2429 - 2435. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]