wfubmc.edu intranet Wake Forest Core Lab Users Jamal A. Ibdah, M.D., Ph.D. Associate Professor in Medicine/Gastroenterology Associate in Biochemistry Associate in Pediatrics M.D. 1982, University of Jordan School of Mediicne, Amman, Jordan Ph.D. 1987, Medical College of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medcne Laboratories - Rms 3124 and 3132, Gray Building Phone: 336-716-4621 Email: Jibdah@wfubmc.edu R esearch in my laboratory is focused on studying the molecular basis of diseases associated with fatty acid oxidation defects. The emerging clinical significance of these recessively inherited genetic disorders have stimulated to a great extent molecular research in this field. Pediatric deficiency is associated with a variety of clinical manifestations including liver, cardiac, and neuromuscular phenotypes. Ongoing studies in my laboratory are designed to elucidate the molecular basis of these different phenotypes using human subjects and animal models. The first project in my laboratory utilizes human tissue to characterize these defects at the DNA, RNA, and protein levels and correlate various genotypes to different phenotypes. Our data document novel genotype-phenotype correlations in one of these disorders, pediatric deficiency of long chain 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (LCHAD); which catalyzes the third step in the fatty acid oxidation spiral and comprises the C-terminal domain of the ?-subunit in the mitochondrial trifunctional protein. We documented that maternal acute fatty liver of pregnancy and/or HELLP (Hemolysis, Elevated Liver enzymes, and Low Platelets) syndrome developed in some women who carried fetuses diagnosed later to have pediatric LCHAD deficiency. Currently, we are studying the mechanism and molecular basis for this fetal-maternal interaction. | |
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