Yahoo.com June 7, 02

No More "Heartbreak of Waxy Build-Up"?

Scientists Zeroing in on Gene for Ear Wax

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - While studying Japanese families with a rare movement disorder, researchers have discovered a region of DNA that may contain the gene for ear wax.

A discovery of the ear wax gene could help shed light on the function of apocrine glands, fluid-secreting cells found throughout the body, and may even have implications for breast cancer (news - web sites). Some studies have found the women with a certain type of ear wax are at greater risk of developing breast cancer than those with another type.

Ear wax, or cerumen as it is know scientifically, is produced by hair follicles and glands that line the ear canal and protects the ear by trapping dust, microorganisms and foreign particles, and prevents them from entering and damaging the ear. There are two types of ear wax--"wet" and "dry." Most whites and blacks in the US have the wet type, which is more brown, sticky and wet, while Asians and Native Americans tend to produce the dry type, that tends to be brittle and tan or gray.

According to a report in the June 8th issue of the medical journal The Lancet, Dr. Hiroaki Tomita of Nagasaki University School of Medicine in Japan and colleagues got a stroke of luck when they came across a Japanese woman with a neurological condition who also had wet ear wax, an unusual type for a person of Asian descent.

Six other members of the woman's family also had the neurological condition--known as paroxysmal kinesigenic choreoathetosis--as well as wet ear wax. In paroxysmal kinesigenic choreoathetosis, a patient experiences uncontrollable twisting movements of the limbs in response to sudden voluntary motion.

The researchers then obtained DNA samples from eight Japanese families, 92 people in all, and searched a region of chromosome 16, where the gene for the neurological disorder was known to be located. They looked at 11 different segments of the gene, and narrowed down the location for the gene to one particular portion.

"Identification of the ear wax (gene) could contribute to further (human development) studies and to physiological and pathological understanding of the apocrine-gland development," Tomita and colleagues conclude. Tomita is currently at the University of California-Irvine.

SOURCE: The Lancet 2002;359:2000-2002.

-- (lars@indy.net), June 09, 2002

Answers

ear wax related to breast cancer? Maybe it's true about foot size!

-- Maria (anon@ymous.com), June 10, 2002.

There are two types of ear wax--"wet" and "dry." Most whites and blacks in the US have the wet type, which is more brown, sticky and wet, while Asians and Native Americans tend to produce the dry type, that tends to be brittle and tan or gray.

Humans may be 99.8% DNA-identical (or whatever) but it is the .2% that makes things interesting. Vive la diffence!

Personally, I use Johnson's earwax.

-- (roland@hatemail.com), June 10, 2002.

"Melungeon" DNA report due. Can "Jackson Whites" be far behind?

-- (designer genes @ God.God), June 10, 2002.

Ear Hygiene

Earwax is something to be thankful for. The wax, or cerumen, coats your ear canal and traps dust and debris before they can reach your eardrum. Earwax will usually become flaky and fall out of your ear on its own. Occasionally it will build up, however, interfering with your hearing and making your ear look quite unpleasant. You may wish to purchase ear drops or mineral oil to break up and wash out the earwax. If this is ineffective, a doctor can remove it for you.

Ear Hygiene

Earwax is something to be thankful for. The wax, or cerumen, coats your ear canal and traps dust and debris before they can reach your eardrum. Earwax will usually become flaky and fall out of your ear on its own. Occasionally it will build up, however, interfering with your hearing and making your ear look quite unpleasant. You may wish to purchase ear drops or mineral oil to break up and wash out the earwax. If this is ineffective, a doctor can remove it for you.

Clean and manicured ears are happy ears

-- (Dept of Otolaryncology @ Erie.Ear Center), June 10, 2002.