The major scientific goal of this proposal is to determine the relative role that genetic mechanisms play in controlling inter-individual variability in inflammatory responses to bacterial products and to characterize the role of specific genes in determining this variability. The proposed studies will focus on inflammatory responses to bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) ex vivo, an intermediate phenotype likely to contribute a portion of the risk of an individual to the development of sepsis/septic shock. These studies will develop an approach that can be applied to other intermediate phenotypes likely to contribute to risk for sepsis such as responses to peptidoglycan or bacterial lipoproteins. The major training goal of this award is for the Principal Investigator (PI) to develop as an independent investigator in the fields of functional genomics and genetic epidemiology. Through didactic courses and practical experience the PI will develop the skills needed to reach this goal. Ultimately, the PI wishes to develop an independent research program studying the genetic determinants of host inflammatory responses with the goal of determining susceptibility to the clinical outcomes of sepsis and ARDS.
Aim 1 will use oligonucleotide arrays to determine differences in gene expression between normal individuals who show """"""""hyper"""""""" and """"""""hypo""""""""-responsive (lpshigh and lpslow) cytokine responses to LPS ex vivo. These differences will be used to create a set of """"""""class descriptor"""""""" genes that will prospectively identify lps high and lps low individuals.
Aim 2 will use a classical twins study to estimate the heritable and environmental components to LPS-induced cytokine responses. Quantitative sib-pair linkage analysis will then be performed using the dizygotic twins to assess for linkage between single nueleotide polymorphism (SNP) haplotypes from genes within the LPS recognition and signaling pathway and LPS-induced cytokine production.
Aim 3 will test for association between type I, II, or IV SNPs within putative LPS-response genes and cytokine production in the lps high and lps low phenotypes. Identification of SNPs that demonstrate linkage with the intermediate phenotypes of abnormally high or low inflammatory responses to LPS will provide rational candidates for future gene association studies in sepsis and ARDS.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Type
Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23)
Project #
5K23HL072923-05
Application #
7275404
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZHL1-CSR-J (F1))
Program Officer
Colombini-Hatch, Sandra
Project Start
2003-09-08
Project End
2009-08-31
Budget Start
2007-09-01
Budget End
2009-08-31
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
2007
Total Cost
$155,169
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Washington
Department
Internal Medicine/Medicine
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
605799469
City
Seattle
State
WA
Country
United States
Zip Code
98195
Wurfel, Mark M (2007) Microarray-based analysis of ventilator-induced lung injury. Proc Am Thorac Soc 4:77-84
Lee, Janet S; Wurfel, Mark M; Matute-Bello, Gustavo et al. (2006) The Duffy antigen modifies systemic and local tissue chemokine responses following lipopolysaccharide stimulation. J Immunol 177:8086-94
Lee, Janet S; Frevert, Charles W; Matute-Bello, Gustavo et al. (2005) TLR-4 pathway mediates the inflammatory response but not bacterial elimination in E. coli pneumonia. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 289:L731-8
Hallstrand, Teal S; Fischer, Mary E; Wurfel, Mark M et al. (2005) Genetic pleiotropy between asthma and obesity in a community-based sample of twins. J Allergy Clin Immunol 116:1235-41