Browsing by Author "Vīksne, Kristīne"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
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    Association of single nucleotide polymorphism in chromosome 11 with autism spectrum disorder
    (2013-12-01) Bauze, Daiga; Piekuse, Linda; Kevere, Laura; Kronberga, Zane; Riževs, Arnis; Vaivade, Iveta; Vīksne, Kristīne; Andrēziņa, Raisa; Lāce, Baiba; Rīga Stradiņš University
    Several genetic loci in chromosomes 11 and 15 have recently been associated with non-syndromic autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in populations from North America and Europe. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether such an association exists in a Latvian population. Ninety-five patients with ASD in the age range 3-20 years (mean age 8 years, SD 3.18) participated in the study. The control group consisted of 161 healthy, non-related individuals without ASD randomly selected from the Latvian Genome Database. Four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) - rs11212733, SNP rs1394119, rs2421826, rs1454985 - were genotyped by the TaqMan method. Allele frequency differences between ASD patients and control subjects were compared for each SNP using a standard chi-square test with Bonferroni correction. The level of statistical significance was set at 0.05 for nominal association. Only the genetic marker rs11212733, localised on the long arm of chromosome 11 in locus 22.3, was found to be strongly associated with the ASD patient group (X2 6.982, Padjusted 0.033, odds ratio 1.625). Our data demonstrating a significant relationship between the SNP rs11212733 and the development of ASD in a Latvian population suggest that it is not a population-specific relationship. Thus, future studies focusing on the DDX10 gene and related genetic loci are needed.
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    The Effects of Nicotine Pouches and E-Cigarettes on Oral Microbes : A Pilot Study
    (2024-07-24) Miļuna-Meldere, Sintija; Rostoka, Dagnija; Broks, Renārs; Vīksne, Kristīne; Ciematnieks, Rolands; Skadiņš, Ingus; Kroiča, Juta; Department of Prosthetic Dentistry; Department of Biology and Microbiology; Institute of Oncology and Molecular Genetics
    It remains uncertain whether nicotine pouches and electronic cigarettes alter the oral environment and result in a high presence of periodontopathogenic bacteria in saliva, compared to that among cigarette users or non-tobacco users. In this study, saliva samples were collected from respondents using nicotine pouches, electronic cigarettes, and conventional cigarettes, alongside a control group of non-tobacco users. Polymerase chain reaction was used to identify clinical isolates of the following periodontal bacteria: Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, Prevotella intermedia, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Fusobacterium periodonticum, Porphyromonas endodontalis, and Rothia mucilaginosa. The presence of some periodontal pathogens was detected in the saliva samples from users of nicotine pouches, electronic cigarettes, and conventional cigarettes but not in samples taken from the control group. Therefore, the initial results of this pilot study suggest that the presence of periodontopathogenic bacteria in the saliva of nicotine pouch and electronic cigarette users could alter the oral microbiome, leading to periodontal diseases. However, further quantitative investigation is needed. Keywords: pathogenic mi
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    Genomic Characterization and Initial Insight into Mastitis-Associated SNP Profiles of Local Latvian Bos taurus Breeds
    (2023) Gudrā, Dita; Valdovska, Anda; Jonkus, Daina; Galina, Daiga; Kairisa, Daina; Ustinova, Maija; Vīksne, Kristīne; Fridmanis, Davids; Kalnina, Ineta; Scientific Laboratory of Molecular Genetics
    Latvia has two local Bos taurus breeds—Latvian Brown (LBG) and Latvian Blue (LZG)—characterized by a good adaptation to the local climate, longevity, and high fat and protein contents in milk. Since these are desired traits in the dairy industry, this study investigated the genetic background of the LBG and LZG breeds and identified the genetic factors associated with mastitis. Blood and semen samples were acquired, and whole genome sequencing was then performed to acquire a genomic sequence with at least 35× or 10× coverage. The heterozygosity, nucleotide diversity, and LD analysis indicated that LBG and LZG cows have similar levels of genetic diversity compared to those of other breeds. An analysis of the population structure revealed that each breed clustered together, but the overall differentiation between the breeds was small. The highest genetic variance was observed in the LZG breed compared with the LBG breed. Our results show that SNP rs721295390 is associated with mastitis in the LBG breed, and SNPs rs383806754, chr29:43998719CG>C, and rs462030680 are associated with mastitis in the LZG breed. This study shows that local Latvian LBG and LZG breeds have a pronounced genetic differentiation, with each one suggesting its own mastitis-associated SNP profile.
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    A higher polygenic risk score is associated with a higher recurrence rate of atrial fibrillation in direct current cardioversion-treated patients
    (2021) Vogel, Simon; Rudaka, Irina; Rots, Dmitrijs; Isakova, Jekaterīna; Kalējs, Oskars; Vīksne, Kristīne; Gailīte, Linda; Scientific Laboratory of Molecular Genetics
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    Variations in the Relative Abundance of Gut Bacteria Correlate with Lipid Profiles in Healthy Adults
    (2023) Kalnina, Ineta; Gudrā, Dita; Silamikelis, Ivars; Vīksne, Kristīne; Roga, Ance; Skinderskis, Edmunds; Fridmanis, Davids; Kloviņš, Jānis
    The gut microbiome is a versatile system regulating numerous aspects of host metabolism. Among other traits, variations in the composition of gut microbial communities are related to blood lipid patterns and hyperlipidaemia, yet inconsistent association patterns exist. This study aims to assess the relationships between the composition of the gut microbiome and variations in lipid profiles among healthy adults. This study used data and samples from 23 adult participants of a previously conducted dietary intervention study. Circulating lipid measurements and whole-metagenome sequences of the gut microbiome were derived from 180 blood and faecal samples collected from eight visits distributed across an 11-week study. Lipid-related variables explained approximately 4.5% of the variation in gut microbiome compositions, with higher effects observed for total cholesterol and high-density lipoproteins. Species from the genera Odoribacter, Anaerostipes, and Parabacteroides correlated with increased serum lipid levels, whereas probiotic species like Akkermansia muciniphila were more abundant among participants with healthier blood lipid profiles. An inverse correlation with serum cholesterol was also observed for Massilistercora timonensis, a player in regulating lipid turnover. The observed correlation patterns add to the growing evidence supporting the role of the gut microbiome as an essential regulator of host lipid metabolism.