Molecular Genetics and Microbiology
Dr. Idhaliz Flores Caldera is Associate Professor in Microbiology and directs the Endometriosis Research Program at PSM. Since 2000, she has being director of the Molecular Biology Core Laboratory (MBCL), a centralized multi-user facility that provides infrastructure and technical support in molecular biology techniques for basic and clinical research. The MBCL provides access to highly sophisticated equipment and technical support in techniques such as automated DNA sequencing, Real Time PCR for quantification of gene expression, genetic linkage analysis, and mutational screening using DHPLC. This facility has helped promote the application of molecular biology to the various research projects in the institution and has facilitated research collaborations, resulting in a research environment of excellence at PSM. Dr. Flores has helped organize the first endometriosis patient support group in Puerto Rico. She has developed a series of educational seminars and workshops for patients and their relatives, and is a strong advocate for the public awareness of endometriosis as an important women health issue in the island and worldwide.
Research Interests:
Differentiation of TNF- a pathways in intestinal endometriosis and Crohn’s disease . Co-Principal Investigator: CB Appleyard. (NIH-MBRS). The main goal of this study is to elucidate the pathophysiological role of TNF- a in a rat model of endometriosis and to identify molecular markers that can differentiate between the acute symptoms of intestinal endometriosis and those of Crohn’s disease exacerbations.
Molecular Biology and Genetics of Endometriosis . (NIH-RCMI) The objective of this study is to identify the genetic factors involved in the pathogenesis of endometriosis using molecular biology techniques including subtractive hybridization, DNA microarrays, and genetic linkage analysis. This project involves the identification of families with two or more affected members and also patients with sporadic disease. Genome-wide genetic linkage analysis is currently being performed with microsatellite markers to search for chromosomal regions that are associated with the disease. With this approach we aim to identify and characterize genes within these chromosomal regions that are linked to endometriosis. In another component of these studies, we propose to identify differentially expressed mRNAs specific of endometriosis tissue and not found in eutopic endometrium. Knowledge from these investigations will advance our understanding of the etiology of this condition and will provide the groundwork for the development of non-invasive diagnostic assays and novel therapies.
Discovery of therapeutic and diagnostic gene targets for endometriosis using DNA microarray technology. The objectives of this study are to identify structural and functional genetic differences between endometriosis patients and controls by using DNA microarray technology. Ultimately, it is hoped that this study will lead to the identification of genes whose segregation with disease, structural alterations, or gene expression profiles are associated with patients suffering endometriosis. These genes may then serve as targets for the development of novel diagnostics and therapeutics in the management of this disease. These studies are part of an active collaboration with the NHGRI-NIH and University of Louisiana.
Basic Epidemiology of Endometriosis in Puerto Rico . We conducted case-series and prevalence studies to evaluate menstrual cycle characteristics, age, reproductive events and life-style factors as risk factors for endometriosis and to determine the prevalence of this condition in our population. The objective of the cross-sectional or prevalence study is to study the distribution of endometriosis by age and basic gynecologic history in a random sample of women from Ponce, Puerto Rico by means of a short self-administered questionnaire. The objective of the case-series study is to describe the demographics and basic gynecologic/obstetric history of patients with endometriosis. Data is being obtained by means of a short questionnaire applied to women with a diagnosis of endometriosis in Puerto Rico. Thus far, we have established that the point prevalence of endometriosis in Puerto Rico is 5%.
Invited Presentations/ Lectures:
Dissecting the Molecular Basis of Endometriosis , Invited lecture at the UPR-Medical Sciences Seminar Series and UPR-Río Piedras Research Seminar Series, 2003
Discovering Molecular Markers of Endometriosis , Lecture at the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico, MARC Program, 2002
Endometriosis en Adolescentes , Lecture at the Annual School Nurses’ Meeting, Rincón, Puerto Rico, 2002
Session Chair, From the Genetic Code and Protein Synthesis to Interferon and the New Age of Biology Symposium, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, 2001
Molecular Biology and its Impact in Society , First Symposium of Biomedical Sciences, Interamerican University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, 2001
Current concepts in molecular biology for the physician , Symposium for Pediatrics and Endocrinology Residents, University Hospital, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 2000
Publications (since 2000):
Pieniazek D, Rayfield M, Hu DJ, Dondero T 'and the HIV Variant Working Group (Elleberg D, Fridlund C, …, Flores I, …). Protease sequences from HIV-1 M subtypes A-H reveal distinct amino acid mutation patterns associated with protease resistance in protease inhibitor-niave individuals worldwide. AIDS 2000; 14:1489-1495,.
Mora C, Flores I, Montealegre F, and Diaz AM. Cloning and expression of Blo t 1, a novel allergen from the dust mite Blomia tropicalis,homologous to cysteine proteases. Clin Exp Allergy 2003; 33:28-34.
Flores I , Mora C, Rivera E, Donnelly R, Montealegre F. Cloning andmolecular characterization of a cDNA from Blomia tropicalis homologous to dust mite Group 3 allergens (trypsin-like proteases). Int Arch Allergy Immunol 2003; 130:12-16
Abstracts (since 2001)
Resto K, Appleyard CB, Flores I, Santiago O, Santiago C. Pathophysiological Mechanisms and Gastrointestinal Complications in an Animal Model of Endometriosis. Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS), 2001
De Jesús DA, Rojas C, Santiago OI, Appleyard C, Flores I .White Blood Cells mRNA Amplification from the peritoneal fluid of a rat model of intestinal endometriosis. Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS), 2002
Rojas-Cartagena C, Appleyard C B, Santiago O I, Santiago C, Resto K, Flores I. Differential role of TNFRII in an animal model of intestinal endometriosis. Biology of Reproduction 66 (Supplement 1):A382, 2002
Rojas-Cartagena C, Flores I, Santiago OI, Santiago C, Resto W, Appleyard CB. Pathophysiological Role of TNFRI in a Rat Model of Intestinal Endometriosis. FASEB Journal 16(5):A789, 2002
Flores I , Abreu S, Abac S, Ríos-Bedoya CF. Case series study of endometriosis in Puerto Rico. VIII World Congress on Endometriosis, Fertil Steril. 2002 Feb;77(2 Suppl 1):S1-59.
Flores I , Abreu S, Fumero F, De Jesús Y,Abac S, Ríos-Bedoya CF. Prevalence of endometriosis in Puerto Rico. VIII World Congress on Endometriosis, Fertil Steril. 2002 Feb;77(2 Suppl 1):S1-59.
Rojas C, Flores I, Santiago C, Santiago OI, Appleyard CB. Pathophysiological role of TNF-RI in an animal model of Inflammatory Bowel Disease. FASEB Journal 2003,17(5): A964.
Rojas-Cartagena C, Appleyard CB, Santiago OI, Santiago C, Resto K, Flores I. TRAF1 over-expression in an animal model of intestinal endometriosis. Biology of Reproduction 68 (Supplement 1): A400, 2003
Flores I , Rivera E, Abac S, Abreu S, Ríos-Bedoya C, Santiago-Cornier A . Familial and sporadic endometriosis are genotypically different: the role of liver detoxification genes in the pathophysiology of endometriosis . Am J Hum Gen 73(5), 2003
E Rivera, Y Ortiz, J Fourquet, S Abac, S Abreu, C Ríos Bedoya, I Flores. The Role of the PvuII Estrogen Receptor Polymorphism in the Pathophysiology of Endometriosis . FASEB Journal 2004, 18(4): 387.5
G Hernández, I Flores, M Valentín, CB Appleyard. The role of microflora in an animal model of intestinal endometriosis. FASEB Journal 2004, 18(4): 838.20
J Fourquet, E Rivera, S Abac, C Ríos-Bedoya, I Flores. The Role of the Estrogen Receptor Gene in the Pathophysiology of Endometriosis. FASEB Journal 2004, 18(4): 387.4
C Rojas, CB Appleyard, O.I. Santiago, I Flores. Role of tumor necrosis factor receptors in an animal model of intestinal endometriosis. International Society for Interferon and Cytokine Research (ISICR) Annual Meeting, 2004
C Rojas-Cartagena, I Flores, CB Appleyard. Role of Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptors (TNFRs) in a TNBS Animal Model of Inflammatory Bowel Disease. American Physiological Society (APS) Meeting, 2004
I. Flores , D.M. Mandal, J.E. Bailey-Wilson. Search for endometriosis susceptibility genes in Puerto Rico. American Society for Human Genetics (ASHG) Annual Meeting, 2004
Manuscripts in preparation:
Familial and sporadic endometriosis are genotypically different: the role of liver detoxification genes in the pathophysiology of endometriosis . Idhaliz Flores , PhD, Elizabeth Rivera, MS, Sonia Abac, RN, Silkha Abreu, MS, Juan C. Rodríguez-Orengo, Carlos Ríos-Bedoya, PhD
Identification of molecular markers for endometriosis in blood lymphocytes using DNA microarrays. Idhaliz Flores, Elizabeth Rivera, Spyro Mousses, Yidong Chen, Abdel Elkahloun, and Ester Rozenblum
Manuscripts submitted:
Role of Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptors in an Animal Model of Acute Colitis . Carmencita Rojas-Cartagena , Idhaliz Flores, Caroline B. Appleyard (submitted to Cytokine; in review)
