Michael Y. Tsai, M.D., Ph.D.

Professor
612-626-3629
tsaix001@umn.edu

Dr. Tsai is a Professor of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Director of the Biochemical Genetics Laboratory, and the Director of the Lipid and Cardiovascular Risk Assessment Laboratory.  Dr. Tsai teaches residents on the testing and diagnosis of inborn errors of metabolism, fetal lung maturity testing, and the laboratory assessment of cardiovascular disease risk factors.

Educational Background

• University of Wisconsin, Madison (1969), B.S. (Biochemistry)
• Marquette University (1971), M.S. (Biochemistry)
• Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI (1973), Ph.D. (Biochemistry)
• Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI (1975), Fellowship (Pediatrics)

Professional Background

• Scientist, University of Minnesota Medical School, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, 1975 - 1977
• Assistant Professor, University of Minnesota Medical School, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, 1978 - 1984
• Director, Biochemical Genetics Laboratory, University of Minnesota Medical School, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, 1978 - present
• Associate Professor, University of Minnesota Medical School, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, 1984 - 1998
• Director, Lipid and Cardiovascular Risk Assessment Laboratory, University of Minnesota Medical School, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, 1986 - present
• Professor, University of Minnesota Medical School, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, 1998 - present

Professional Honors

Janet Mackelvey Fellowship, 1974 - 1975

Research Interests

Dr Tsai has studied lipoprotein metabolism such as the influence of triglyceride on LDL subspecies. He is currently working on the genetic and environmental influences on serum HDL, HDL subspecies, as well as nutritional genomic implications of omega-3 fatty acids supplementation on cardiovascular diseases.

Publications

In the area of inborn errors of metabolism, Dr Tsai has published on such diseases as 3-methylcrotonyl-coA carboxylase deficiency, urea cycle defects, and homocystinuria. In the area of cardiovascular diseases, he has published on the genetic causes of mild hyperhomocysteinemia in patients with premature occlusive coronary artery diseases, plasma homocysteine levels and its association with cartoid intimal-medial wall thickness, prevalence of coronary heart disease and venous thrombosis.

• Tsai MY, and Cooper K. Long chain aliphatic fatty acids and phytanic acid simultaneously measured by dual column capillary chromatography. Clin Chem. 1989;35:1989-1991.
• Yuan J, Tsai MY, Hegland J, Hunninghake DB. Effects of fluvastatin and HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor on the distribution and composition of low density lipoprotein subspecies in humans. Atherosclerosis 1991;87:147-157.
• Tuchman M, McCann MT, Thompson MM, Tsai MY. Screening urine of 3-week old new borns-transient methylmalonic and hydroxyphenyllactic acidemia. Biochemical Medicine and Metabolic Biology 1992;48:64-68.
• Suess PJ, Tsai MY, Holzknecht RA, Horowitz M, Tuchman M. Screening for gene deletions and known mutations in 13 patients with ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency. Biochemical Medicine and Metabolic Biology 1992;47:250-259.
• Tsai MY, Yuan J, Hunninghake DB. Effect of gemfibrozil on composition of lipoproteins and distribution of LDL subspecies. Atherosclerosis 1992;95:35-42.
• Tuchman M, Holzknecht RA, Gueron A, Berry S, Tsai MY. Six new mutations in the ornithine transcarbamylase gene detected by single-strand conformational polymorphism. Pediat Res 1992;32:600-604.
• Tsai MY, Suess PJ, Schwichtenberg K, Eckfeldt JH, Yuan JY, Hunninghake DB. Determination of Apo E genotypes by single-strand conformational polymorphism. Clin Chem 1993;39:2121-2125.
• Tsai MY, Schwichtenberg K, Tuchman M. Laboratory diagnosis of medium-chain acyl-isoenzyme A dehydrogenase deficiency by the amplification refractory mutation system. Clin Chem 1993;39:280-283.
• Tsai MY, Holzknecht RA, Tuchman M. Single-strand conformational polymorphism and direct sequencing applied to carrier testing in families with ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency. Hum Genet 1993;91:321-325.
• Tsai MY, Hanson NQ, Copeland KR, Beheshti J, Garg U. Determination of a T/G polymorphism at nucleotide 3206 of the apolipoprotein C III gene by amplification refractory mutation system. Clin Chem 1994;40:2235-39.
• Yuan J, Tsai MY, Hunninghake DB. Changes in composition and distribution of LDL subspecies in hypertri-glyceridemic and hypercholesterolemic patients during gemfibrozil therapy. Atherosclerosis 1994;110:1-11.
• Beheshti I, Copeland KR, Hanson NQ, Tsai MY. Single-strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP): Studies of the genetic polymorphisms of exon 4 of apolipoprotein C III. Clin Biochem 1995;28:303-307.
• Reish O, Townsend D, Berry SA, Tsai MY, King RA. Tyrosinase inhibition due to interaction of homocysteine with copper: mechansim for reversible pigmentation in homocystinuria. Am J Human Genet 1995;57:127-132.
• Andrade RS, Solien EE, Wangensteen OD, Tsai MY, Kshettry VR, Bolman RM. Surfactant dysfunction in lung preservation. Transplantation 1995;60:536-541.
• Tsai MY, Hanson NQ, Schwichtenberg K, Garg U. Amplification refractory mutation system to identify mutations in cystathionine ß-synthase deficiency. Clin Chem 1995;41:1775-1777.
• Garg UC, Hanson NQ, Tsai MY, Eckfeldt JH. A simple and rapid method for extraction of DNA from fresh and cryopreserved clotted human blood. Clin Chem 1996,42:647-8.
• Tsai MY, Garg U, Key NS, Hanson NQ, Suh A, Schwichtenberg K. Molecular and biochemical approaches in the identification of heterozygotes for homocystinuria. Atherosclerosis 1996;122:69-77.
• Tsai MY, Hanson NQ, Bignell MK, Schwichtenberg KA. Simultaneous detection and screening of T833C and G919A mutations of the cystathionine-b-synthase gene by single-strand conformational polymorphism. Clin Biochem 1996;28:473-478.
• Tsai MY, Bignell M, Schwichtenberg K, Hanson N. High prevalence of a mutation in the cystathionine-b-synthase gene. Am J Hum Genet 1996; 59:1262-67.
• Tsai MY, Wong PWK, Garg U, Hanson NQ, Schwichtenberg K. Two novel mutations in the cystathionine B-synthase gene of homocystinuria patients. Molecular Diagnosis 1997; 2:129-33.
• Garg UC, Zheng Z-J, Folsom AR, Moyer YS, Tsai MY, McGovern P, Eckfeldt JH. Short-term and long-term variability of plasma homocysteine measurement. Clin Chem 1997; 43:141-145.
• Tsai MY, Wong PWK, Garg U, Hanson NQ, Schwichtenberg K. Identification of a splice site mutation in the cystathionine-B-synthase gene resulting in variable and novel splicing defects of pre-mRNA. Biochem Mol Med 1997;61:9-15.
• Bostom AG, Bianchi L, Tsai MY, Jacques PF, Nadeau, Rosenberg IH. Excess prevalence of fasting and post-methionine loading hyperhomocysteinemia in stable renal transplant recipients. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 1997;17:1894-1900.
• Cattaneo M, Tsai MY, Bucciarelli P, Taioli E, Zighette ML, Bignell M, Mannucci PM: A common mutation in the methyleneterahydrofolate reductase gene (C677T) increases the risk for deep-vein thrombosis in patients with mutant factor V (Factor V:Q506). Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 1997;17:1662-6.
• Gallagher PM, Naughten E, Hanson NQ, Schwichtenberg K, Bignell M, Yuan M, Ward P, Yap S, Whitehead AS, Tsai MY. Characterization of mutations in the cystathionine b-synthase gene in Irish patients with homocystinuria. Molecular Genetics and Metabolism 1998;65:298-302.
• Pankow JS, Folsom AR, Shahar E, Tsai MY, Jeffery RW, Wing RRL: Weight-loss induced changes in plasma factor VII coagulant activity and relation to the factor VII Arg/Gln353 polymorphism in moderately obese adults. Thrombosis & Haemostasis 1998;79:784-9.
• Folsom AR, Nieto FJ, McGovern PG, Tsai MY, Malinow MR, Eckfeldt JH, Hess DL, Davis CE. Prospective study of coronary heart disease incidence in relation to fasting total homocysteine, related genetic polymorphisms, and B vitamins: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. Circulation 1998:204-10.
• Tsai MY, Welge BC, Hanson NQ, Bignell MK, Schwichtenberg K, Yang F, Bullemer FE, Rasmussen R and Graham KJ. Genetic causes of mild hyperhomocysteinemia in patients with premature occlusive coronary artery diseases. Atherosclerosis 1999;143:163-170.
• Kraus JP, Janosik, Kozich V, Mandell R, Shih V, Sperandeo MP, Sebastio G, e Franchis R, Andria G, Kluijtmans, LAJ, Blom H, Boers GHJ, Gordon RB, Kamoun P, Tsai MY, Kruger WD, Koch HG, Ohura T, Gaustadnes M. Cystathionine B-synthase mutations in homocystinuria. Human Mutation 1999;13:362-375.
• Tsai MY, Yang F, Bignell M, Aras O, Hanson NQ. Relation between plasma homocysteine concentration, the 844ins68 Variant of the cystathionine b-synthase gene, and pyridoxal-5-phosphate concentration. Molecular Genetics and Metabolism 67:352-356, 1999.
• Tsai MY, Bignell M, Yang F, Welge BG, Graham KJ, Hanson NQ. Polygenic influence on plasma homocysteine: Association of two prevalent mutations, the 844ins68 of cystathionine-b-synthase and A2756G of methionine synthase, with lowered plasma homocysteine levels. Atherosclerosis 149:131-137, 2000.
• Tsai MY. Moderate hyperhomocysteinemia and cardiovascular disease. The Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine 135:16, 2000.
• Tsai MY, Arnett DK, Eckfeldt JH, Williams RR, Ellison C. Plasma homocysteine and its association with carotid intimal-medial wall thickness and prevalent coronary heart disease: NHLBI Family Heart Study. Atherosclerosis. 2000;151:163-168.
• Georgopoulos A, Aras O, Tsai MY. Codon-54 polymorphism of the fatty acid-binding protein 2 gene is associated with elevation of fasting and postprandial triglyceride in type 2 diabetes. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2000;85:3155-3160.
• Yang F, Hanson NQ, Schwichtenberg K, Tsai MY. Variable Number Tandem Repeat in Exon-Intron Border of the Cystathionine Beta-Synthase Gene: A Single Nucleotide substitution in the Second Repeat Prevents Multiple Alternate Splicing. Am J Med Genet 2000;95:385-390.
• Aras O, Hanson NQ, Yang F, Tsai MY. Influence of 699CT and 1080CT polymorphisms of the cystathionine b-synthase gene on plasma homocysteine levels. J Clinical Gen 2000;58:455-459.
• Andrade RS, Wangensteen OD, Jo JK, Tsai MY, Bolman RM 3rd. Effect of hypothermic pulmonary artery flushing on capillary filtration coefficient. Transplantation 2000;70:267-271.
• Tsai MY, McGovern P, Kennedy EL, Hanson NQ. Short-term variability in the measurement of plasma homocysteine, Fasting and post-methionine loading. Clinical Biochemistry 2001;34:49-52.
• Rasmussen ML, Folsom AR, Catellier DJ, Tsai MY, Garg U, Eckfeldt JH. A prospective study of coronary heart disease and the hemochromatosis gene (HFE) C282Y mutation: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. Atherosclerosis 2001;154:739-746.
• Aras O, Hanson N, Tsai MY. Relationship among serum cystatin C, serum creatinin, plasma fasting and post-methionine load (PML) total homocysteine (tHcy) levels in stable renal transplant recipients. Clin Chem, 2001 Jul;47 (7): 1263-1268.
• Hanson NQ, Aras O, Yang F, Tsai MY. 677CT and 1298AC polymorphisms of the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene: Incidence and effect of combined genotypes on plasma fasting and post-methionine load homocysteine levels in vascular disease. Clin Chem 2001;47:661-666.
• Aras O, Hanson NQ, Bakanay SM, Tsai MY, Gulec S. Endothelial nitric oxide gene polymorphism (Glu298Asp) is not associated with coronary artery disease in Turkish population. Thromb Haemost 2002;87:347-9.
• Aras O, Hanson NQ, Tsai MY, Key NS. Recurrent Venous Thrombosis in a young patient homozygous for the HR2 haplotype polymorphism. Thromb Haemost 2002;87:173-4.
• Folsom AR, Cushman M, Tsai MY, Aleksic N, Heckbert SR, Boland LL, Tsai AW, Yanez ND, Rosamond WD: A prospective study of venous thromboembolism in relation to factor V Leiden and related factors. Blood 2002;99:2720-2725.
• Hanson NQ, Eckfeldt JH, Schwichtenberg, Aras O, Tsai MY. Interlaboratory Variation of plasma total Homocysteine Measurements: Results of Three Successive Homocysteine Proficiency Testing Surveys. ClinChem 2002; 48:1539-1545.
• Folsom AR, Cushman M, Tsai MY, Heckbert SR, Aleksic N: Prospective study of the G20210A polymorphism in the prothrombin gene, plasma prothrombin, and incidence of venous thromboembolism. Am J Hematology, 2002;71:285-90.
• Aleksic N, Folsom AR, Cushman M, Heckbert SR, Tsai MY, Wu KK: Prospective study of the A455V polymorphism in the thrombomodulin gene, plasma thrombomodulin, and incidence of venous thromboembolism: The LITE Study. J Thromb Haemostasis 2002; 1:88-94.
• Runchey SS, Folsom AR, Tsai MY, Cushman M, McGovern PD: Anticardiolipin antibodies as a risk factor for venous thromboembolism in a population-based prospective study. Br J Haematol 2002; 119:1005-1010.
• Tsai AW, Cushman M, Tsai MY, Heckbert SR, Rosamond WD, Yanez ND, Psaty B, Folsom AR: Serum homocysteine, methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T genotype, and risk of venous thromboembolism: The LITE Study. Submitted, Ann Epidemiol, 2002.
• Georgopoulos, A Aras O, Noutsou M, Tsai MY. Unlike type 2 diabetes, type 1 does not interact with the Codon 54 polymorphism of the fatty acid binding protein 2 gene. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2002; 87:3735-3739.
• Tsai AW. Cushman M. Tsai MY. Heckbert SR. Rosamond WD. Aleksic N. Yanez ND. Psaty BM. Folsom AR. Serum homocysteine, thermolabile variant of methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), and venous thromboembolism: Longitudinal Investigation of Thromboembolism Etiology (LITE). American Journal of Hematology 2003; 2(3): 192-200.
• Woll PS. Hanson NQ. Tsai MY. Absence of ABCA1 mutations in individuals with low serum HDL-cholesterol. Clinical Chemistry 2003; 49(3):521-2.
• Gulec S. Aras O. Atmaca Y. Akyurek O. Hanson NQ. Sayin T. Tsai MY. Akar N. Oral D. Deletion polymorphism of the angiotensin I converting enzyme gene is a potent risk factor for coronary artery ectasia. Heart (British Cardiac Society) 2003; 89(2):213-4.
• Bank AJ, Billups KL, Kaiser DR, Kelly AS, Wetterling RA, Tsai MY, Hanson N. Relation of C-reactive protein and other cardiovascular risk factors to penile vascular disease in men with erectile dysfunction. International Journal of Impotence Research, 2003;15(4):231-6.
• Tsai MY, Georgopoulos A, Otvos JD, Ordovas JM, Hanson NQ, Peacock JM, Arnett DK. Comparison of Ultracentrifugation and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy in the Quantification of Triglyceride-rich Lipoproteins after an Oral Fat Load. Clin Chem 2004; 50:1201-1204.
• Tsai MY, Aras O, Sozen H, Hanson, NQ, Woll P, Matas A. Homocysteine in kidney donors before and after uninephrectomy. J Clin Lab Med 2004; 43:340-343.
• Tsai MY, Hanson NQ, Straka RJ, Hoke TR, Ordovas JM, Peacock JM, Arends VL, Arnett DK. Effect of influenza vaccine on markers of inflammation and lipid profile: NHLBI GOLDN study. J Lab and Clin Med (in press)
• Woll PS, Hanson NQ, Tsai MY. Effect of two common polymorphisms in the ATP binding cassette transporter A1 gene on HDL-C concentration and HDL subfraction distribution. Clin Chem 2005;51:907-909.
• Guettier JM, Georgopoulos A, Tsai MY, Radha V, Shanthirani S, Deepa R, Gross M, Rao G, Mohan V. Polymorphisms in the FABP2 and APOC3 genes are associated with the metabolic syndrome in a south Indian population. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 2005;90:1705-1711.