- ALLERGY, RESPIRATORY
- Using Music and Sports to Improve Kids' Asthma
- Know Your Asthma Triggers
- Asthmatics Who Quit Smoking May Reverse Lung Damage
- ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
- Memory Loss Help from Brain Supplement Prevagen
- Acupuncture May Help Restore Lost Sense of Smell
- Regular Yoga May Improve Eating Habits
- BONES & JOINTS
- Too Few Screened for Abdominal Aneurysm, Study Says
- Rheumatoid Arthritis a Threat to the Heart
- Hip Replacement Boosts Mobility at Any Age
- CANCER
- Drinking Green Tea May Slow Prostate Cancer
- Healthy Behaviors Slow Functional Decline After Cancer
- Massage Therapy Helps Those With Advanced Cancer
- CAREGIVING
- Stressed Health Care Workers Battle 'Compassion Fatigue'
- Many Alzheimer's Caregivers Admit to Abusive Behavior
- Hispanic Children More Likely to Have Hearing Loss
- CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
- Secondhand Smoke Quickly Affects Blood Vessels
- Grapefruit-Heavy Diet Helped Spur Dangerous Clot
- Drink a Little Wine, Live a Little Longer
- COSMETIC
- Mouse Study Finds Molecule That Tells Hair to Grow
- Wrinkle Fillers Need Better Label Warnings: FDA Panel
- With Psoriasis, the Internet May Offer Hope
- DENTAL, ORAL
- Toothbrushing May Stave Off Heart Woes
- Sports Drinks May Be Tough on Teeth
- Dental Implants Need More Work Than Root Canals
- DIABETES
- Older Diabetics With Depression Face Higher Death Rate
- Chamomile Tea May Ward Off Diabetes Damage
- Lifestyle Factors Tied to Older Adults' Diabetes Risk
- DIET, NUTRITION
- Successful Weight Loss Shows Unique Brain Patterns
- DASH Diet Has Extra Benefits for Women's Health
- Antioxidants Abound in Cereals, Popcorn, Whole-Grain Snacks
- DISABILITIES
- Could Your Cell Phone Help Shield You From Alzheimer's?
- Review Finds Marijuana May Help MS Patients
- ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
- Air Pollution May Cause Appendicitis: Study Reveals
- Stomach Germ May Protect Against Asthma
- Showerheads Harbor a Bounty of Germs
- EYE CARE, VISION
- Blood Sugar Control Helps Diabetics Preserve Sight
- Music Can Help Restore Stroke Patients' Sight
- Thyroid Problems Boost Glaucoma Risk
- FITNESS
- Bursts of Vigorous Activity Appear to Be a 'Stress-Buffer'
- Walk Long, Slow and Often to Help the Heart
- Exercise Key Player in Knee Replacement Recovery
- GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS
- Traditional Nonsurgical GERD Treatments Not Impressive
- Bowel Prep Harder on Women Than Men
- Peppermint Oil, Fiber Can Fight Irritable Bowel
- GENERAL HEALTH
- More Calcium And Dairy Products in Childhood Could Mean Longer Life
- Living Alone Increases Odds of Developing Dementia
- How Weight Loss Can Help the Heart
- HEAD & NECK
- Many Children Will Outgrow Headaches
- Ski Helmets Encouraged for All
- Zen May Thicken Brain, Thwart Pain
- HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY
- Study Suggests Link Between Cell Phones and Brain Tumors
- The Internet Is Becoming One-Stop Shopping for Health Help
- Airport Full Body Scanners Pose No Health Threat: Experts
- HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
- Polyunsaturated Fats Really May Lower Heart Risk
- Too-Low Blood Pressure Can Also Bring Danger
- Arteries Age Twice as Fast in Smokers
- INFECTIOUS DISEASE
- Surgical Masks Could Prevent Flu, Maybe
- More Medicinal Uses for Pomegranate
- Grapefruit Compound Inhibits Hepatitis C Virus
- KID'S HEALTH
- 3 Home Habits Help Youngsters Stay Slim
- Winter's Bitter Cold Poses Health Dangers
- Pregnant Women Exposed To Certain Pollutants Could Lower Childs IQ
- MEN'S HEALTH
- Eating Fast Until Full Triples Overweight Risk
- Lots of Sex May Prevent Erectile Dysfunction
- Low Vitamin D Levels May Boost Men's Heart Attack Risk
- MENTAL HEALTH
- Man's Best Friend Helps Mend Broken Hearts
- Meditation May Boost College Students' Learning
- Teen Internet Addicts More Likely to Self-Harm: Study
- PREGNANCY
- Woman in America Are Delaying Motherhood, Study Says
- Acupuncture May Relieve Acid Indigestation In Pregnancy
- Placebo Acupuncture Tied to Higher IVF Pregnancies
- SENIORS
- Mediterranean Diet Plus Exercise Lowers Alzheimer's Risk
- Tai Chi May Help Ward Off Knee Pain in Seniors
- Fitness Fades Fast After 45
Birthmark or Blood Vessel Problem?
By eHolistic.com Published: 01/29/2009
THURSDAY, Jan. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Genetics may help doctors tell sooner whether common birthmarks will become serious vascular malformations, a new study says.
"Our findings may lead to earlier diagnosis, precise classification and, ultimately, targeted therapy for infants with hidden congenital vascular malformations," study author Ramani Ramchandran, associate professor of pediatrics in the division of developmental biology at Medical College of Wisconsin, said in a news release issued by the school.
In two studies published in the Jan. 29 issue of Blood, researchers found that two genes -- Dusp-5 and Snrk-1 -- play a role in blood vessel formation.
"We believe that specific mutations in Dusp-5 and Snrk-1 may provide keys to distinguish between hemangiomas [birthmarks] and vascular malformations," Ramchandran said. "Vascular malformations fall into different classes based on the affected vessel type. For example, venous malformations affect veins, and arterial malformations affect arteries. Mutations in Snrk-1 may actually help classify vascular malformations as venous or lymphatic malformations and thus distinguish them from other malformations."
The studies were done in zebra fish embryos, and the team then identified similar mutations in human tissue, according to the release. The pathway these genes follow in people has not been discovered, according to Ramchandran, who indicated that such a finding could be the breakthrough needed to identify causes of vascular malformation.
Future research will try to quantify what role the mutations have on predicting the condition as well as its severity, while exploring what cell type harbors the mutation, he said.
More information
The National Organization of Vascular Anomalies has more about vascular malformations.
-- Kevin McKeever
SOURCE: Medical College of Wisconsin, news release, Jan. 29, 2009
Last Updated: Jan. 29, 2009
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