Leeds medics solve an ancient riddle
canada goose black friday sale A puzzling medical condition, identified more uk canada goose outlet than 2,000 years ago by Hippocrates, has finally been explained by researchers at the University of Leeds. canada goose black friday sale
Canada Goose online The phenomenon of “finger clubbing”, Canada Goose sale a deformity of canada goose factory sale the fingers and fingernails, has been known for thousands of years, and has long been recognized to be a sign of a wide range of serious diseases especially lung cancer. Canada Goose online
Canada Goose Jackets “It’s one of the first things they teach you at medical school,” explained Professor David Bonthron of the canada goose black friday sale Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine. “You shake the patient by the hand, and take a good look at their fingers canada goose clearance in the process.” Canada Goose Jackets
canada goose Lung cancer, heart disease, hyperthyroidism, various gastrointestinal diseases and many other conditions all result in uk canada goose finger clubbing. But exactly canada goose clearance sale why swollen, reddened fingers should be an indicator of serious illness has remained a mystery until now. canada goose
cheap Canada Goose “There are benign cases of clubbing, where it isn’t associated with other illnesses, but particularly because of the link to lung cancer, it is generally regarded as rather sinister,” said Bonthron. “You look at https://www.getcanadagooseoutlet.com the range of conditions connected to finger clubbing and wonder canadian goose jacket what on earth they could have in common.” cheap Canada Goose
Canada Goose Outlet The researchers found clues in the medical literature, detailing buy canada goose jacket cheap past cases and previous research. “We knew that in cystic fibrosis patients who have undergone a lung transplant, their finger clubbing goes away. Canada Goose Jackets The same goes for empyema patients who buy canada goose jacket have had their lungs drained. It suggested that impaired lung function was somehow crucial to finger clubbing but we didn’t understand how.” Canada Goose Outlet
Canada Goose Parka Professor Bonthron, Dr Chris Bennett of the Yorkshire Regional Genetics Service and their colleagues studied a group of patients suffering canada goose uk black friday from inherited primary hypertrophic osteoarthropathy (PHO), a genetic disorder in which the finger clubbing is accompanied by painful joint enlargement and a thickening of the bone. Canada Goose Parka
canada goose coats Their canada goose findings implicated a fatty compound called PGE2, which is cheap canada goose uk produced Canada Goose online naturally by the body to mediate the effects of internal inflammation. Crucially, once it has done its work, PGE2 is broken down by an enzyme 15 HPGD, produced in the lungs. The patients followed by the Leeds study were found to have a genetic mutation which prevented the production of 15 HPGD, resulting in up to ten times as much of the PGE2 in their systems. canada goose coats
canada goose store “If you don’t have canada goose uk shop this enzyme the PGE2 isn’t canada goose uk outlet broken down normally and simply builds up,” said Bonthron, whose findings are published online this Canada Goose Outlet week in Nature Genetics. canada goose store
canada goose clearance sale In lung cancer patients, it is most likely overproduction of canada goose coats on sale PGE2 by the tumour cheap Canada Goose that causes the canada goose coats clubbing. In congenital heart disease, blood bypasses the lungs, where PGE2 is normally broken down by 15 HPGD. canada goose clearance sale
Canada Goose sale The researchers have suggested that a straightforward urine test for levels of PGE2 may be a useful first step in the diagnosis of individuals with unexplained clubbing, and to understanding whether it is the symptom of something far more serious. The results also suggest that existing drugs such as aspirin, which are already used to prevent PGE2 production, may be effective in reducing the painful symptoms of finger clubbing. Canada Goose sale
buy canada goose jacket cheap It has canada goose store taken 2,000 years to make the connection, but Bonthron adds: “Actually, when you look back, it’s rather obvious. When we found this gene, everything else fell neatly into place it was like canada goose outlet a smack on the forehead.” buy canada goose jacket cheap
canadian goose jacket 1. The above photographs show the classic symptoms of finger clubbing. canadian goose jacket
canada goose clearance 2. David Bonthron is Centenary Professor of Molecular Medicine at the University of Leeds. canada goose clearance
canada goose deals 3. The University of Leeds is one of the largest higher education Canada Goose Parka institutions in the UK with more than 30,000 students from 130 countries. With a total annual income of almost Leeds is one of the top ten research universities in the UK, and a member of the Russell Group of research intensive universities. It was placed 80th in the 2007 Times Higher Education’s world universities league table. The Canada Goose Coats On Sale University’s vision is to Canada Goose Online secure a place among the world’s top 50 by 2015. canada goose deals
buy canada goose jacket Please contact the University of Leeds Press Office on 44 (0)113 343 4031 or email Uppal S, Diggle CP, Carr IM, Fishwick CWG, Ahmed M, Ibrahim GH, Helliwell PS, Latos Bielenska A, Phillips SEV, Markham AF, Bennett CP, Bonthron DT (2008) Mutations in 15 hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase cause primary hypertrophic osteoarthropathy is published on the Nature Genetics website. A copy of the paper is available on request buy canada goose jacket.
