The TGFβ superfamily comprises several bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP) capable of exerting gonadotropin-independent effects on the development of small preantral follicles. In embryonic tissues, BMP concentration gradients, partly formed by antagonistic factors, are essential for establishing phenotypic fate. By examining the expression of candidate genes whose protein products are known to i...

Purpose. The etiology of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) cannot be completely explained by identified environmental risk factors or single-locus gene variants. This study was to explore the potential interactions among gene variants on nAMD in Chinese population. Methods. 43 SNPs located in different genes were genotyped in 932 Chinese individuals (464 nAMD patients and 468 ...

Hypertension is a well known risk factor for cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) characterized by MRI white matter hyperintensities called "leukoaraiosis". However, the molecular basis of SVD remains to be elucidated. Both twin and family studies have shown that leukoaraiosis is the most heritable cerebrovascular phenotype with a heritability estimated to be between 55% and 71%, suggesting gene...

Inflammatory response and calcification are strongly implicated in osteoarthritis (OA) progression. Key inflammatory biomarkers present throughout the process of OA have been established but an association with calcification has not been clarified. A faint line, tidemark, exists between the subchondral bone and the articular surface in knee joints that is presumed to be the line of demarcation ...

Mutations in NOTCH 3 are the cause of cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL), a neurological disorder characterized by stroke, and vascular cognitive impairment and dementia. Loss of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) and accumulation of granular osmiophilic material (GOM) deposits are hallmarks of CADASIL. There are no therapies fo...

Endometriosis is a gynecologic disease characterized by the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity. Although 15% of the female population in reproductive age is affected by endometriosis, its pathogenesis remains unclear. According to the most accepted pathogenesis hypothesis, endometrial fragments from the menstrual phase are transported through the uterine tubes to the peri...