The immunocytochemical study of thrombomodulin (TM), a newly recognized anticoagulant endothelial surface protein, was performed with a surgical specimen of a superficial temporal artery (STA) obtained from a 29-year-old woman with familial moyamoya disease.
We investigated 32 unrelated Japanese patients with moyamoya disease for typing of human leukocyte antigen A, B, C, and DR/DQ and compared the results with those from 178 unrelated control subjects.
Our findings suggest that moyamoya disease may result, at least in part, from an abnormal regulation of extracellular matrix metabolism that leads to increased steady state levels of elastin mRNA and elastin accumulation in the intimal thickening and that increased elastin accumulation is a stable marker of SMCs from patients with moyamoya disease.
Taking into account the functional roles of TGFbeta1 in the expression of connective tissue genes and angiogenesis, these investigators suggest that TGFbeta1 is associated with the pathogenesis of moyamoya disease, including abundant neovascularization, although their findings do not necessarily mean that TGFbeta1 is a causative factor in this disease.
To identify whether any mutations of candidate genes including SHH, ZIC2, SIX3, and TGIF exist in a Taiwanese family segregated with holoprosencephaly (HPE) and moyamoya disease.
A significantly higher frequency of a heterozygous genotype was found in the TIMP2 promoter region at position -418 in FMMD; that is, the G/C heterozygous genotype at position -418 was observed in nine of 11 patients with FMMD, in 16 out of 50 nonfamilial MMD control participants, and in 14 out of 50 non-MMD control participants (FMMD versus nonfamilial MMD: odds ratio, 9.56; 95% confidence interval, 1.85-49.48; P = 0.005; and FMMD versus non-MMD: odds ratio, 10.50; 95% confidence interval, 2.02-54.55; P = 0.001).
Immunoreactivities indicating single-stranded DNA and cleaved caspase-3 were higher in MMD samples than in control ones and were located in the smooth muscle cells of the media.
Linkage analysis and association studies of individuals in 20 families with ACTA2 mutations indicate that mutation carriers can have a diversity of vascular diseases, including premature onset of coronary artery disease (CAD) and premature ischemic strokes (including Moyamoya disease [MMD]), as well as previously defined TAAD.
Linkage analysis and association studies of individuals in 20 families with ACTA2 mutations indicate that mutation carriers can have a diversity of vascular diseases, including premature onset of coronary artery disease (CAD) and premature ischemic strokes (including Moyamoya disease [MMD]), as well as previously defined TAAD.
Linkage analysis and association studies of individuals in 20 families with ACTA2 mutations indicate that mutation carriers can have a diversity of vascular diseases, including premature onset of coronary artery disease (CAD) and premature ischemic strokes (including Moyamoya disease [MMD]), as well as previously defined TAAD.
The study was designed to examine the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms in matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase (TIMP) genes with MMD occurrence.
Further combined analysis of ACTA2 and other, possibly causative, genes in larger cohorts of MMD and other vascular diseases may identify possible common disease-causing mechanisms.
Further combined analysis of ACTA2 and other, possibly causative, genes in larger cohorts of MMD and other vascular diseases may identify possible common disease-causing mechanisms.
Recently, the coincidence of mutations in ACTA2 (vascular smooth muscle cell specific isoform of α-actin) in families with thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections (TAAD) and Moyamoya disease (MMD) was reported in patients of Northern European descent and a positive family history for TAAD and MMD.
Mutational analysis of RNF213 revealed a founder mutation, p.R4859K, in 95% of MMD families, 73% of non-familial MMD cases and 1.4% of controls; this mutation greatly increases the risk of MMD (P = 1.2 × 10(-43), odds ratio = 190.8, 95% confidence interval = 71.7-507.9).
Mutational analysis of RNF213 revealed a founder mutation, p.R4859K, in 95% of MMD families, 73% of non-familial MMD cases and 1.4% of controls; this mutation greatly increases the risk of MMD (P = 1.2 × 10(-43), odds ratio = 190.8, 95% confidence interval = 71.7-507.9).