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The present study was undertaken to investigate the in-hospital and the out-of-hospital mortality rate from ischemic heart disease (IHD). The age-related incidence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and the number of sudden coronary deaths (SCD) in males in South Estonia with the population of approximately 400,000 inhabitants were subjected to comparative analysis covering a period of 17 years (1980-1996). The annual AMI incidence rate per 100,000 males was 30.8 (95% CI, 27.2-34.4) in the younger age group (20-39) and 393.1 (382-404) in the older age group (40-84); the rates for SCD were 19.2 (16.4-22) and 120 (114-126), respectively. The ratio of annual incidence rate of SCD/AMI in the younger group was significantly higher than that in the older group (chi2 = 5.23; P < 0.05). Thus, the out-of-hospital SCD seems to be of even more relative importance in the total mortality from IHD in young males than it is in older males.

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The role of the glutathione S-transferase T1 gene (GSTT1) in determining genotoxic response to 1,2:3,4-diepoxybutane (DEB), an epoxide metabolite of 1,3-butadiene, was studied by analysis of micronuclei (MN) in cultured human lymphocytes using the cytokinesis block method. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with an alphoid satellite DNA probe specific for the centromeres of all human chromosomes was applied to identify MN harboring whole chromosomes. Whole-blood lymphocyte cultures of 11 GSTM1 (glutathione S-transferase M1)-positive individuals (i.e. having at least one GSTM1 allele), of whom six were GSTT1-positive (with at least one GSTT1 allele) and five GSTT1-null (GSTT1 homozygously deleted), were treated for 48 h (starting 24 h after culture initiation) with two different concentrations (2 and 5 muM) [corrected] of DEB. The GSTT1-null individuals were excessively sensitive to DEB, showing, on average, approximately 2.5 times higher induced MN frequency (control frequency subtracted) than the GSTT1-positive donors, both at 2 muM [corrected] (mean/1000 binucleate cells 29.8 versus 11.8, P < 0.05) and 5 muM [corrected] (87.6 versus 34.0, P < 0.001) DEB. In accordance with the known strong clastogenicity of DEB, MN without centromeric FISH signals were particularly increased, the difference between the two GSTT1 genotypes being statistically significant at both concentrations of DEB (mean induced MN/1000 binucleate cells 23.1 versus 9.9, P < 0.05, at 2 muM [corrected]; 69.7 versus 24.2, P < 0.001, at 5 muM) [corrected]. In addition, centromere-positive (C+) MN were induced, suggesting that DEB also has some aneuploidogenic activity. The GSTT1-null genotype showed a significantly (P < 0.05) higher mean frequency of induced C+ MN than the GSTT1-positive genotype, at both 2 (6.7 versus 1.9) and 5 muM [corrected] (17.9 versus 9.8) DEB. At the higher dose mean nuclear division index was lower in the GSTT1-null group (1.80) than in the GSTT1-positive group (2.05, P < 0.01). These findings support earlier results from the analysis of sister chromatid exchange showing that individual sensitivity to the genotoxic and cytotoxic effects of DEB is largely explained by lack of the GSTT1 gene.

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The distribution of glutathione S-transferase T1 (GSTT1) phenotypes was studied in a total sample of 673 Estonians whose four grandparents were born in Estonia, by an ELISA test able to differentiate between GSTT1 positive and GSTT1 negative phenotypes. 18% of the total sample did not present GSTT1-1 protein in whole blood. GSTT1-1 concentration was assayed in 519 out of the 552 GSTT1 positive subjects (i.e. 82% of the total sample) 49% percent of this subsample made up by 519 subjects was found to have GSTT1-1 in intermediate concentration and 33% in high concentration. The gene frequency of the GSTT1 deleted allele was estimated to be 0.423 as the square root of the frequency of the GSTT1 negative subjects (square root of 0.18 = 0.423) and that of the GSTT1 positive allele as (1-0.423) = 0.577. Statistically significant regional differences were found within the population with the lowest frequency of GSTT1 negative in western Estonia (9.5%) and the highest in the southeastern part of the country (24.5%).

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A high activity glutathione S-transferase T1-1 (GSTT1-1) towards dichloromethane was isolated from human liver cytosol and purified to homogenity in 18.5% yield with a purification factor of 4400-fold. The GSTT1-1 was also isolated from erythrocytes, but the enzyme activity decreased rapidly in the final stages of purification. The purified GSTT1-1-s were homo-dimeric enzymes with a subunit M1 value 25,300 and pI 6 64, as confirmed by SDS-PAGE, IEF and Western blot analysis. The N-terminal amino acid sequences of GSTT1-1 from liver and red blood cells, analyzed up to the 12th amino acid, were identical. Immunoblot analysis revealed that GSTT1-1 was also present in lung, kidney, brain, skeletal muscle, heart, small intestine and spleen, but not in lymphocytes.

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The recently discovered human class theta glutathione S-transferase T1-1 (GSTT1-1) is responsible for the GSH-dependent detoxification of naturally occurring monohalomethanes. The detoxifying role of GSTT1-1 has not been investigated in cancer susceptibility and the polymorphism of the protein is unknown in different populations. The purpose of our work was to produce a panel of mouse monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) that could bind to different regions of the GSTT1-1 protein and would help us select suitable MAbs for Western blot analyses and immunohistochemistry, and develop an ELISA assay for detection of GSTT1-1 in whole blood. Six highly specific MAbs were generated against GSTT1-1. Out of six MAbs, one was able to recognize only the native form of the enzyme and possesses two binding sites on the dimeric GSTT1-1 molecule. The other five MAbs bind to both native and denatured GSTT1-1 enzyme in direct and antigen capture ELISA or Western blot. The antibodies recognize at least four different epitopes on the GSTT1-1 molecule. Using MAbs 4G1 and 2D8, a sensitive ELISA assay for determination of GSTT1-1 in whole blood was developed.

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BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate psychological differences between young male and female survivors of acute myocardial infarction (MI). METHODS: 35 male (mean age 37.3) and 29 female (mean age 38.6) patients with first MI made the study group. Type A behavior, anxiety, alexithymia construct and vital exhaustion were assessed by self-reported questionnaires. RESULTS: The results indicate that females suffer considerably more frequently from fatigue and exhaustion in the prodromal period of MI. Women develop a higher level of cognitive-worry, subscale score of anxiety; they are more irritable and less able to relax. CONCLUSIONS: These gender-related differences in psychological status should be taken into consideration for the optimal psychosocial rehabilitation of young patients with first acute MI.

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The individual genotoxic response of cultured human lymphocytes to diepoxybutane (DEB), an epoxide metabolite of 1,3-butadiene, shows a bimodal distribution. Blood donors can be classified as either DEB-sensitive or DEB-resistant on the basis of the frequency of sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) induced by DEB in whole-blood lymphocyte cultures. The genetic basis of this phenomenon has thusfar been unknown. To investigate if differences in the ability of individuals to detoxify DEB could explain the bimodal response, sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) induced by a 48-h treatment with DEB (2 and 5 microM) were analyzed in whole-blood lymphocyte cultures of 20 human donors with known genotypes of two polymorphic glutathione S-transferases (GSTs), GSTT1 and GSTM1. Both polymorphisms include a homozygous null genotype lacking the respective GST gene and isozyme. The mean frequency of SCEs/cell was 1.6 times higher among GSTT1 null donors (n = 8) than GSTT1 positive donors (n = 12) at both 2 microM DEB (mean 67.3 versus 40.9) and 5 microM DEB (mean 123.2 versus 77.5), with no overlapping in DEB-induced individual SCE frequencies between the two genotypes. Thus, all DEB-sensitive individuals were of the GSTT1 null genotype, while all DEB-resistant persons had a detectable GSTT1 gene. A significant (P < 0.05) negative correlation (r = -0.65 at 5 microM, r = -0.56 at 2 microM) was obtained in the GSTT1 positive donors between DEB-induced individual SCE frequency and RBC GSTT1 activity, measured by formaldehyde formation from dichloromethane; the GSTT1 null individuals showed no GSTT1 activity. At 5 microM DEB, the lymphocyte cultures of the GSTT1 null donors also had a significantly decreased replication index, indicating an impact of GSTT1 genotype on the cytotoxicity of DEB. No influence on DEB-induced SCEs or cytotoxic effects was observed for GSTM1 genotype. It is concluded that sensitivity to in vitro SCE induction by DEB is explained by the lack of GSTT1.

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Glutathione S-transferase M1 (GSTM1), catalyzing the conjugation of various reactive molecules with glutathione (GSH), shows genetic polymorphism in humans. Almost half of all Caucasians lack the GSTM1 gene, being theoretically at a higher risk from the toxic effects of substrates for GSTM1. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether the GSTM1 genotype of lymphocyte donors influences the in vitro induction of sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) by styrene-7,8-oxide (SO) and 1,2-epoxy-3-butene (MEB), the epoxide metabolites of styrene and butadiene respectively and potential substrates for GSTM1. SCEs induced after a 48 h treatment (started 24 h after culture initiation) by two different concentrations of SO (50 and 150 microM) and MEB (50 and 250 microM) were analyzed in cultured (72 h) lymphocytes of six GSTM1 null (gene deleted) and six GSTM1-positive (gene present) donors. Both SO and MEB were found to clearly increase SCEs. The GSTM1 genotype had no influence on SCE induction by SO. In contrast, MEB produced a higher level of SCEs among the GSTM1 null than GSTM1-positive samples. At 250 microM MEB, the GSTM1 null donors showed 31% more induced SCEs (on average seven more SCEs per cell) than the GSTM1-positive donors (P = 0.02, acetone treatment as the reference). Furthermore, the GSTM1 null genotype was associated with a slight decrease in mitotic index and replication index, regardless of the treatment. The results suggest that GSTM1-mediated GSH conjugation is an important detoxification pathway for MEB, but not for SO, in cultured human lymphocytes.

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IgG1 class mouse monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) were produced against human glutathione S-transferase Mu1-1 (GSTMu1-1). Eight MAbs of 16 are able to recognize only the native form of the enzyme; 4 MAbs bind to native and denaturated enzyme, and the remaining 4 can bind only to partially denatured antigen in direct ELISA or Western blot. The antibodies recognizing the native form of the enzyme bind to six different epitopes. Three overlapping epitopes are responsible for specific binding of MAbs to different allelic variants of GSTMu1-1. Three allele-specific antibodies, 2E1, 11F12, and 7D11, bind to GSTM1a monomer and the other two, 1H8 and 3H10, recognize GSTM1b monomer.

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The distribution of glutathione S-transferase Mu 1 (GSTM1) gene deletion was examined in 151 healthy, unrelated individuals from an Estonian population. The study was carried out using the polymerase chain reaction technique. The frequency of individuals with allele GSTM1*0 in homozygous state in Estonian population was 0.503.

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