Pharmacogenetic Study of the Dihydropyridine Dehydrogenase Gene in Jordanian Patients with Colorectal Cancer.

Introduction: Several studies have shown an association between 5-fluorouracil toxicity and variations in the dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPYD) gene.

Objectives: This cross-sectional study aims to elucidate the association between genetic variations in the DPYD gene and 5-fluorouracil toxicity among Jordanians with colorectal cancer (CRC).

Methods: 80 CRC Patients were recruited to screen for mutations in the DPYD  gene using the Sanger sequencing technique.

A Descriptive Study of the Physical Direct Interaction between Adipose Tissue-Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Colo 205 Cells: Impact on Cancer Cells Stemness, and Intracellular Reactive Oxygen Species Levels.

Background: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are widely used in clinical research to treat a wild spectrum of diseases due to their homing ability to damaged tissues, self-renewal capacity, and differentiation ability into various types of cells. In this research, we are describing the physical direct interaction between AT-MSCs and colon cancer cells, its impact on the stemness of colon cancer cells, along with the levels of intracellular Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) levels in both types of cells.

Methods: Adipose-tissue mesenchymal stem cells (AT-MSCs) were characterized by the means of MSCs classical markers expression using flow cytometry, and multilineage differentiation through osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation.

Mutational Analysis of EZH2 Gene in Patients with Colorectal Adenoma Reveals a Genetic Variant Associated with Risk of Malignant Transformation.

Background: Several studies have revealed that chromatin modifications lead to activation or repression of multiple genes including oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. Inactivation mutation in EZH2 gene would result in activation of oncogenes. The aim of this case-control study was to identify mutations in the EZH2 gene, to study their prevalence among Jordanian patients with colorectal adenoma and to determine how these mutations could be related to colorectal cancer (CRC) progression.

Phenotypic and molecular analysis of dominant occurring antibiotic active-producing soil flora in Northern Jordan.

This investigation aimed to determine the relatedness of dominant occurring soil spp. in Northern Jordan based on their RAPD-PCR fingerprints, and to compare RAPD technique with the conventional phenotypic characterization of isolates. Fifty-eight white and gray color-bearing aerial mycelia antibiotic active-producing soil isolates along with three reference strains were genetically analyzed by RAPD-PCR.

Association of DNA repair gene polymorphisms with colorectal cancer risk and treatment outcomes.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common carcinoma worldwide. Despite the progress in screening and treatment, CRC remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Alterations to normal nucleic acid processing may drive neoplastic transformation of colorectal epithelium.

The association of HLA-DQB1*0602 but not HLA-DRB1*15 with obstructive sleep apnea.

Purpose: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep breathing disorder with unclear multifactorial pathogenesis. This study aimed to investigate the association between OSA and two human leukocyte antigens (HLA) alleles; DQB1*0602 and DRB1*15.

Methods: Forty patients with OSA and 40 control subjects were enrolled in the study.

Lifestyle predictors of oxidant and antioxidant enzyme activities and total antioxidant capacity in healthy women: a cross-sectional study.

The aim of this study was to identify demographic and modifiable lifestyle factors that may be related to endogenous oxidant and antioxidant activity measured in blood specimens from putatively healthy women recruited at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute (Buffalo, NY, USA). Total glutathione (TGSH), catalase (CAT), CuZn-superoxide dismutase (CuZn-SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were measured in 124 healthy women, and associations with epidemiological factors were tested using general linear models. There were significant differences in oxidant and antioxidant enzyme activities according to lifestyle factors, after adjusting for duration of blood storage and season of blood draw.

Novel sequence variants in the TMIE gene in families with autosomal recessive nonsyndromic hearing impairment.

To date, 37 genes have been identified for nonsyndromic hearing impairment (NSHI). Identifying the functional sequence variants within these genes and knowing their population-specific frequencies is of public health value, in particular for genetic screening for NSHI. To determine putatively functional sequence variants in the transmembrane inner ear (TMIE) gene in Pakistani and Jordanian families with autosomal recessive (AR) NSHI, four Jordanian and 168 Pakistani families with ARNSHI that is not due to GJB2 (CX26) were submitted to a genome scan.

Polymorphism of p53 gene in Jordanian population and possible associations with breast cancer and lung adenocarcinoma.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of 3 polymorphisms in p53 gene in 3 healthy Jordanian groups and 2 cancer patient groups.

Methods: Genomic DNA was extracted from blood samples obtained from 84 cancer patients (breast and lung adenocarcinoma) and 136 healthy subjects (representing Jordanian general population, Bedouins and Charkas). Samples were collected from Al-Amal Hospital for Cancer, Amman and from health centers located in different regions of Jordan from March 2002 to October 2002.