AFLP Marker Linked to Turnip Mosaic Virus Susceptible Gene in Chinese Cabbage(Brassica rapa L.ssp.pekinensis)

Turnip mosaic virus (TuMV) which has several strains causes the most important virusdisease in Chinese cabbage in terms of crop damage. In China, Chinese cabbage is infectedby a mixture of strains, breeding of cultivar for the TuMV resistance has become themajor aim. Screening the molecular marker linked to the TuMV-resistance gene formolecular assisted selection is the major method to improve the breeding efficiency. Inthis study, we used AFLP technique and the method of bulked segregant analysis(BSA) tostudy the progeny of Brp0058Brp0108, and identified two DNA molecular marker linked toTurnip mosaic virus-resistance gene with a recombination frequency 7.5 cM and 8.4 cM.

Development of RAPD Markers and SCAR Markers Linked to Bentazon Susceptible Lethality Gene in Rice

Rice cultivar Norin 8 and its mutant Norin 8m harbour bentazon resistance trait and bentazon susceptibility trait respectively. A total of 360 arbitrary 10-mer oligonucleotide primers were screened on the genomic DNA of Norin 8 and Norin 8m with RAPD technique. Among which, five primers produced seven polymorphic RAPD bands between Norin 8 and Norin 8m. Amplified RAPD polymorphic products were cloned and sequenced. The sequences were used to design primers for PCR. Five SCAR markers, SCAR/G18/883, SCAR/G18/890, SCAR/G18/919/948, SCAR/D10/1237 and SCAR/F03/1186, were developed from OPG18/943, OPG18/972, OPD10/1248 and OPF03/1198. F-2 progeny of 320 individuals was analyzed to map SCAR markers in relationship to ben or Ben genes. SCAR markers of SCAR/G18/883, SCAR/G18/890, SCAR/G18/919/948 were shown to cosegregate with ben or Ben genes, and SCAR/D10/1237 to be linked of Ben gene with a distance of (14.8 +/- 2.1) cM. The genetic linkage to ben gene and SCAR markers was identified by a pair of near isogenic lines H121 and Hben121. Southern blotting analysis and segregation ratio of F-2 progeny revealed that OPG18/943 and OPG18/972 were single-copy in genome, and locus of OPG18/943 and OPG18/972 were allelic and sequence tagged sites. It is the first report on molecular markers linked to ben or Ben genes. The markers are useful to marker-assisted selection for the breeding and tag ben gene with map-based cloning.

Mapping and localization of susceptible genes in asthma

Objective To elucidate the development of mapping and localization of susceptible genes on chromosomes to asthma related phenotypes. Data sources Published articles about susceptibility genes for asthma related phenotypes were selected using PubMed. Study selection Using methods of candidate gene positional clone and genome-wide scan with linkage and association analysis to determine the location in the genome of susceptibility genes to asthma and asthma related phenotypes. Results There are multiple regions in the genome harboring susceptibility genes to asthma and asthma related phenotypes, including chromosomes 5, 11, 12, 6, 2, 3, 13, 7, 14, 9, 19 and 17. Many of these regions contain candidate genes involved in asthma development and progression. Some susceptible genes may affect the phenotype expression or response to therapy. In addition, the interaction of multiple genes with the environment may contribute to the susceptibility to asthma. Conclusions As an essential step toward cloning the susceptible genes to asthma, fine mapping and localization on chromosomes are definitely needed. Novel powerful tools for gene discovery and the integration of genetics, biology and bioinformatics should be pursued.

SCAR Markers Assisted Selection for a Bentazon Susceptible Lethality Gene (ben) in Rice

In progenies resulting from crosses involving rice cultivar Norin 8m susceptible to bentazon as the donor of ben gene, SCARs tightly linked to ben were utilized for selection of ben. The homozygous and heterozygous genotypes with ben could be identified with the SCARs. The molecular markers offer a powerful tool for indirect selection of ben and can accelerate the introgression of ben into current rice cultivars.

The Alzheimer's disease-associated gene TREML2 modulates inflammation by regulating microglia polarization and NLRP3 inflammasome activation

Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-like 2(TREML2)is a newly identified susceptibility gene for Alzheimer's disease(AD).It encodes a microglial inflammation-associated receptor.To date,the potential role of mic roglial TREML2 in neuroinflammation in the context of AD remains unclear.In this study,APP/PS1 mice were used to investigate the dynamic changes of TREML2 levels in brain during AD progression.In addition,lipopolysaccharide(LPS)stimulation of primary microglia as well as a lentivirus-mediated TREML2 overexpression and knockdown were employed to explore the role of TREML2 in neuroinflammation in the context of AD.Our res ults show that TREML2 levels gradually increased in the brains of AP P/PS1 mice during disease progression.LPS stimulation of primary microglia led to the release of inflammato ry cytokines including interleukin-1β,inte rleukin-6,and tumor necrosis factor-a in the culture medium.The LPS-induced mic roglial release of inflammatory cytokines was enhanced by TREML2 overexpression and was attenuated by TREML2 knoc kdown.LPS increased the levels of mic roglial M1-type polarization marker inducible nitric oxide synthase.This effect was enhanced by TREML2 overexpression and ameliorated by TREML2 knockdown.Furthermore,the levels of microglial M2-type polarization markers CD206 and ARG1 in the primary microglia were reduced by TREML2 overexpression and elevated by TREML2 knockdown.LPS stimulation increased the levels of NLRP3 in primary microglia.The LPS-induced increase in NLRP3 was further elevated by TREML2 overexpression and alleviated by TREML2 knockdown.In summary,this study provides the first evidence that TREML2 modulates inflammation by regulating microglial polarization and NLRP3 inflammasome activation.These findings reveal the mechanisms by which TREML2 regulates microglial inflammation and suggest that TREML2 inhibition may represent a novel therapeutic strategy for AD.

Research progress on the relationship between Paneth cellssusceptibility genes,intestinal microecology and inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)is a disorder of the immune system and intestinal microecosystem caused by environmental factors in genetically susceptible people.Paneth cells(PCs)play a central role in IBD pathogenesis,especially in Crohn's disease development,and their morphology,number and function are regulated by susceptibility genes.In the intestine,PCs participate in the formation of the stem cell microenvironment by secreting antibacterial particles and play a role in helping maintain the intestinal microecology and intestinal mucosal homeostasis.Moreover,PC proliferation and maturation depend on symbiotic flora in the intestine.This paper describes the interactions among susceptibility genes,PCs and intestinal microecology and their effects on IBD occurrence and development.

Differential expression analysis of coronary heart disease related genes in Hainan residents

Objective:To explore the correlation between coronary heart disease related genes and coronary heart disease in hospitalized patients in Hainan,and to provide theoretical basis for enriching the screening methods of high-risk groups of coronary heart disease in Hainan,and optimizing the prevention and treatment strategies.Methods:We select hospitalized patients born in Hainan and aged>30 years old from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical Unversity between January 1,2020 and June 30,2022,and divided the patients into the coronary heart disease group and the non-coronary heart disease group.PCR real-time fluorescence was used to measure gene expression,and Spearman correlation analysis was used to explore the correlation between gene expression and coronary heart disease.Results:A total of 55 whole blood samples were collected from non-coronary heart disease patients(including 26 women and 29 men),with a median age of 57 years,and 170 whole blood samples from coronary heart disease patients(including 44 women and 126 men),with a median age of 63.17.Apolipoprotein B gene(ApoB)was highly expressed in patients with coronary heart disease(P<0.001);AGT gene(P=0.0158),ApoE gene(P=0.0126),FGB gene(P=0.005),GNB gene(P=0.0151),MTFHR gene(P=0.0119),SEL gene(P=0.005),TNF gene(P=0.0298)were significantly overexpressed in the non-coronary heart disease group.The expression of NOS3 gene(P=0.3047),IL6 gene(P=0.7239),ACE gene(P=0.7852)was not different between the two groups.Coronary heart disease was negatively correlated with AGT gene(r=-0.163,P=0.011,P<0.05),positively correlated with APOB gene(r=0.75,P=0,P<0.01),negatively correlated with FGB gene(r=-0.163,P=0.011,P<0.05),negatively correlated with GNB gene(r=-0.165,P=0.011,P<0.05),negatively correlated withSEL gene(r=-0.171,P=0.007,P<0.01),negatively correlated with MHTHR gene(r=-0.210,P=0.001,P<0.01)and negatively correlated with TNF gene(r=-0.131,P=0.04,P<0.05),but coronary heart disease was not correlated with APOE,NOS3,ACE,IL6 and other genes(P>0.05).The ApoB gene of coronary heart disease was negatively correlated with triglyceride(r=-0.461,P=0),positively correlated with age(r=0.173,P=0.009),positively correlated with total cholesterol(r=0.499,P=0),negatively correlated with high-density lipoprotein(r=-0.181,P=0.007),and negatively correlated with low-density lipoprotein(r=-0.143,P=0.031).Conclusion:(1)The detection of apolipoprotein B gene expression may be used as an indicator for screening coronary heart disease in the coronary population in Hainan.It may increase the risk of coronary heart disease by affecting the level of total cholesterol.A larger sample of research is still needed.(2)AGT,ApoE,FGB,GNB,MTFHR,SELE,TNF and other genes may be the protective genes of non-coronary heart disease population in Hainan,and the high expression of these genes may reduce the occurrence of coronary heart disease,which still needs further study.

Genetic association of cytokines polymorphisms with autoimmune hepatitis and primary biliary cirrhosis in the Chinese

AIM: To characterize gene polymorphism of several cytokine gene in-patients with AIH and PBC and to analyze the difference of the polymorphism distribution between Chinese patients and healthy controls.METHODS: The study population consisted of 62 patients with AIH, and 77 patients with PBC. The genetic profile of four cytokines was analyzed by restriction fragmentlength polymorphism after specific PCR amplification (PCR-RFLP) or sequence-specific primers PCR (SSP-PCR). The analyzed gene polymorphism included interleukin-1 (IL-1) (at position +3 953 and IL-1RN intron 2), IL-6 (atposition -174), IL-10 promoter (at position -1 082, -819, and -592). The control group consisted of 160 healthyblood donors.RESULTS: The majority of Chinese people including patients and healthy controls exhibited IL-1B 1,1genotype, and there was no significant difference in AIH, PBC patients and controls. There were highly statistically significant differences in the distribution of the IL-1RN gene polymorphism between the patients with PBCcompared with controls. The frequency of IL-1RN 1,1was significantly higher (90.9% vs 79.4%, P = 0.03)and the frequency of IL-1RN 1,2 was significantly lower in PBC patients (6.5% vs 17.5%, P = 0.01). No statistical difference was observed between AIH patients and controls. All of the 160 healthy controls and 62 cases of AIH patients exhibited IL-6-174GG genotype, and there were four cases, which expressed IL-6-174GC genotype in 77 cases of PBC patients. The frequency of IL-6-174GC was markedly significantly higher in PBC patients compared with controls (5.2% vs 0%, P = 0.004). No statistically significant difference was found in the distribution of IL-10 promoter genotype in AIH and PBC patients compared with controls. CONCLUSION: The polymorphisms of IL-1RN and IL-6 -174G/C appear to be associated with PBC in Chinese patients.

Association of Graves’ disease and Graves’ ophthalmopathy with the polymorphisms in promoter and exon 1 of cytotoxic T lymphocyte associated antigen-4 gene

Objective: To investigate the association of Graves’ disease and Graves’ ophthalmopathy with the C/T transition polymorphism at position –318 of promoter and the A/G transition polymorphism at position 49 of exon 1 within cytotoxic T lymphocyte associated antigen-4 (CTLA-4) gene. Methods: Thirty-three patients with ophthalmopathy of Graves’ disease, fifty-six Graves’ patients without ophthalmopathy and sixty normal subjects as control were involved in the present case-control study. The polymorphisms were evaluated by polymerase chain reaction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Com-parisons were made of gene frequencies and allele frequencies between the groups. Results: The gene frequencies of CT and allele frequencies of T were much higher in Graves’ patients with ophthalmopathy than that in the group without ophthalmopathy (P=0.020, P=0.019). The gene frequencies of GG and allele frequencies of G in patients with Graves’ disease were significantly increased as compared with control group (P=0.008, P=0.007). The data suggest that smokers with Graves’ disease seemed to be more predisposed to ophthalmopathy than non-smokers (P=0.018). Conclusion: Our results suggest that an allele of T at position –318 of promoter is associated with genetic susceptibility to Graves’ ophthalmopathy while an allele of G at position 49 of exon 1 is associated with genetic susceptibility to Graves’ disease instead. Smoking is believed to be a major risk factor for ophthalmo-pathy.

Association between 15 known or potential breast cancer susceptibility genes and breast cancer risks in Chinese women

Objective:There are many hereditary breast cancer patients in China,and multigene panel testing has been a new paradigm of genetic testing for these patients and their relatives.However,the magnitude of breast cancer risks related to multiple breast cancer susceptibility genes are largely unknown in Chinese women.Methods:We screened pathogenic variants in 15 established or potential breast cancer susceptibility genes from 8,067 consecutive Chinese female breast cancer patients and 13,129 Chinese cancer-free female controls.These breast cancer patients were unselected for age at diagnosis or family history.Results:We found that pathogenic variants in TP53[odds ratio(OR):16.9,95%confidence interval(CI):5.2–55.2];BRCA2(OR:10.4,95%CI:7.6–14.2);BRCA1(OR:9.7,95%CI:6.3–14.8);and PALB2(OR:5.2,95%CI:3.0–8.8)were associated with a high risk of breast cancer.ATM,BARD1,CHEK2,and RAD51D were associated with a moderate risk of breast cancer with ORs ranging from 2-fold to 4-fold.In contrast,pathogenic variants of NBN,RAD50,BRIP1,and RAD51C were not associated with increased risk of breast cancer in Chinese women.The pathogenic variants of PTEN,CDH1,and STK11 were very rare,so they had a limited contribution to Chinese breast cancer.Patients with pathogenic variants of TP53,BRCA1,BRCA2,and PALB2 more often had earlyonset breast cancer,bilateral breast cancer,and a family history of breast cancer and/or any cancer.Conclusions:This study provided breast cancer risk assessment data for multiple genes in Chinese women,which is useful for genetic testing and clinical management of Chinese hereditary breast cancer.

Genetic predisposition to pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma(PC) is the most deadly of the common cancers. Owing to its rapid progression and almost certain fatal outcome, identifying individuals at risk and detecting early lesions are crucial to improve outcome. Genetic risk factors are believed to play a major role. Approximately 10% of PC is estimated to have familial inheritance. Several germline mutations have been found to be involved in hereditary forms of PC, including both familial PC(FPC) and PC as one of the manifestations of a hereditary cancer syndrome or other hereditary conditions. Although most of the susceptibility genes for FPC have yet to be identified, next-generation sequencing studies are likely to provide important insights. The risk of PC in FPC is sufficiently high to recommend screening of high-risk individuals; thus, defining such individuals appropriately is the key. Candidate genes have been described and patients considered for screening programs under research protocols should first be tested for presence of germline mutations in the BRCA2, PALB2 and ATM genes. In specific PC populations, including in Italy, hereditary cancer predisposition genes such as CDKN2 A also explain a considerable fraction of FPC.

淮北市听力筛查异常婴幼儿耳聋易感基因筛查特点分析

目的 分析淮北市听力筛查异常婴幼儿耳聋易感基因的特点,为婴幼儿耳聋防治工作的开展提供参考。方法选取2018年4月~2023年1月在淮北市妇幼保健院进行听力筛查的新生儿为研究对象,采用自动听性脑干诱发电位反应(AABR)和诊断性畸变产物耳声发射(DPOAE)进行复筛,对未通过AABR与DPOAE的婴幼儿进行遗传性聋相关基因检测(高通量测序法),包括GJB2、GJB3、SLC26A4和粒体12S rRNA,分析淮北市婴幼儿耳聋易感基因筛查特点。结果 共有67 150例婴幼儿进行听力筛查,初筛阳性率为12%,复筛阳性率为13.65%,未通过复筛者实施耳聋相关基因筛查,有84例检出常见遗传性聋基因突变位点,检出率为6.13%(84/1 100)。耳聋易感基因突变携带者听力损失发生率高于未携带者,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。4个常见遗传性聋基因中,以杂合突变最为常见。GJB2基因突变44例,以c.235delC位点突变为主;SLC26A4基因突变27例,以c.IVS7-2A>G位点突变为主;GJB3基因突变2例;线粒体12S rRNA 11例。GJB2基因与SLC26A4基因突变频率比较,GJB3基因与线粒体12S rRNA突变频率比较,差异均无统计学意义(P>0.05),GJB2基因和SLC26A4基因突变频率均高于GJB3基因突变和线粒体12S rRNA突变频率,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论 淮北市耳聋易感基因突变携带频率以GJB2基因c.235delC位点和SLC26A4基因c.IVS7-2A>G位点杂合突变最为常见,本地区耳聋基因筛查及遗传咨询工作开展过程中应着重注意GJB2基因与SLC26A4基因突变。

Physical Location of HelminthosporiumCarbonum Susceptibility Gene hm1 by FISH of a RFLP Marker umc119 in Maize

A fluorescencein situ hybridization (FISH) procedure was adopted to physically map a RFLP marker, umc119 near the centromere of the long arm of linkage group1 in maize. The hm1 gene (Helminthosporium carbonum susceptibility gene) was linked closely with the marker umc119. RFLP markers are very good landmarks for mapping genes. Therefore, we also determined the position of the gene hm1 on the chromosome based on the physical location of umc119. The disease induced by infection ofHelminthosporium carbonum is one of the serious maize diseases and it distributes in many countries including China. Hybridization sites were showed on 1 L (long arm of chromosome1) and 5 L. The percentage distance from centromere to the hybridization site was 22.86 on 1 L and 58.23 on 5 L the detection rate was about 12% for mitotic cells. In interphase nuclei five hybridized sites were detected. It demonstrated that umc119 was multiplicated sequences. FISH has more advantages overin situ hybridization (ISH) detected by DAB for increasing the detection ratio and contrast between chromosomes and hybridization signals. The ability to detect the hybridization signal of a small low copy DNA sequence is a very important key towards wide application of FISH for plant genome mapping.

Clinical significance of breast cancer susceptibility gene 1 expression in resected non-small cell lung cancer:A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND The clinical significance of breast cancer susceptibility gene 1(BRCA1)in nonsmall cell lung cancer(NSCLC)patients undergoing surgery remains unclear up to now.AIM To explore the relation of BRCA1 expression with clinicopathological characteristics and survival in patients with resected NSCLC.METHODS EMBASE,PubMed,Web of Science,and The Cochrane Library databases were searched to identify the relevant articles.To assess the correlation between the expression of BRCA1 and clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of patients with resected NSCLC patients,the combined relative risks or hazard ratios(HRs)with their corresponding 95%confidence intervals[CIs]were estimated.RESULTS Totally,11 articles involving 1041 patients were included in the meta-analysis.The results indicated that the expression of BRCA1 was significantly correlated with prognosis of resected NSCLC.Positive BRCA1 expression signified a shorter overall survival(HR=1.60,95%CI:1.25-2.05;P<0.001)and disease-free survival(HR=1.78,95%CI:1.42-2.23;P<0.001).However,no significant association of BRCA1 expression with any clinicopathological parameters was observed.CONCLUSION BRCA1 expression indicates a poor prognosis in resected NSCLC patients.BRCA1 might serve as an independent biomarker to predict clinical outcomes and help to customize optimal adjuvant chemotherapy for NSCLC patients who had received surgical therapy.

DELETION AND INACTIVATION OF RETINOBLASTOMA SUSCEPTIBILITY GENE IN PRIMARY RETINOBLASTOMA

The status and expression of Rb gene was detected and analyzed in 19 surgical retinoblastoma specimens using Rb cDNA 3. 8 kb and 0. 9 kb fragment as probe and antibodies specific for synthetic Rb peptide or expressive product of Rb gene expression plasmld. DNA from those tumors had the hemlzygous deletion in 3 cases, the homozygous internal deletion In 2 cases and alterated restriction fragment involving In one copy of Rb gene In 1 case. The quantity of Rb protein demonstrated either absence of reduction in all the 16 cases examined In comparison with that in normal adult retina. It suggested that there were structural or/ and functional defects of Rb gene In retinoblastoma cells and provided evidence to support Knudson' s two hit hypothesis.

Prioritization of risk genes in colorectal cancer by integrative analysis of multi-omics data and gene networks

Genome-wide association studies(GWASs)have identified over 140 colorectal cancer(CRC)-associated loci;however,target genes at the majority of loci and underlying molecular mechanisms are poorly understood.Here,we utilized a Bayesian approach,integrative risk gene selector(iRIGS),to prioritize risk genes at CRC GWAS loci by integrating multi-omics data.As a result,a total of 105 high-confidence risk genes(HRGs)were identified,which exhibited strong gene dependencies for CRC and enrichment in the biological processes implicated in CRC.Among the 105 HRGs,CEBPB,located at the 20q13.13 locus,acted as a transcription factor playing critical roles in cancer.Our subsequent assays indicated the tumor promoter function of CEBPB that facilitated CRC cell proliferation by regulating multiple oncogenic pathways such as MAPK,PI3K-Akt,and Ras signaling.Next,by integrating a fine-mapping analysis and three independent case-control studies in Chinese populations consisting of 8,039 cases and 12,775 controls,we elucidated that rs1810503,a putative functional variant regulating CEBPB,was associated with CRC risk(OR=0.90,95%CI=0.86–0.93,P=1.07×10^(−7)).The association between rs1810503 and CRC risk was further validated in three additional multi-ancestry populations consisting of 24,254 cases and 58,741 controls.Mechanistically,the rs1810503 A to T allele change weakened the enhancer activity in an allele-specific manner to decrease CEBPB expression via longrange promoter-enhancer interactions,mediated by the transcription factor,REST,and thus decreased CRC risk.In summary,our study provides a genetic resource and a generalizable strategy for CRC etiology investigation,and highlights the biological implications of CEBPB in CRC tumorigenesis,shedding new light on the etiology of CRC.

The latest breakthrough on genetic characteristics ofinflammatory bowel disease in Chinese and other EastAsianancestries

Inflammatory bowel diseases(IBDs)are complex chronic disorders of the gastrointestinal tract with the following two subtypes:Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.Disease presentation and progression within and across IBDs,especially Crohn's disease,are highly heterogeneous in the location,severity of inflammation,intestinal stenosis and obstruction,and extraintestinal manifestations.Clinical classifications fail to accurately predict the disease course and response to therapies.To date,most IBD genetic associations are derived from individuals of European ancestries,leading to a limitation of the discovery and application of IBD genetics in the rest of the world populations.In this mini-review,we summarize the latest progress of genome-wide association studies of IBD across global ancestries especially the Chinese population,the similarities and differences in genetic architecture between European and East Asian ancestries,as well as,the clinical significances relevant to IBD genetic study.

Association between TLR7 copy number variations and hepatitis B virus infection outcome in Chinese

AIM To explore whether copy number variations (CNVs) of toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) are associated with susceptibility to chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. METHODS This study included 623 patients (495 males and 128 females) with chronic hepatitis B virus infection (CHB) and 300 patients (135 females and 165 males) with acute hepatitis B virus infection (AHB) as controls. All CHB patients were further categorized according to disease progression after HBV infection (CHB, liver cirrhosis, or hepatocellular carcinoma). Copy numbers of the TLR7 gene were measured using the AccuCopy method chi(2) tests were used to evaluate the association between TLR7 CNVs and infection type. P values, odds ratios, and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to estimate the effects of risk. RESULTS Among male patients, there were significant differences between the AHB group and CHB group in the distribution of TLR7 CNVs. Low copy numberof TLR7 was significantly associated with chronic HBV infection (OR = 0.329, 95% CI: 0.229-0.473, P > 0.001). Difference in TLR7 copy number was also found between AHB and CHB female patients, with low copy number again associated with an increased risk of chronic HBV infection (OR = 0.292, 95% CI: 0.173- 0.492, P < 0.001). However, there were no significant differences in TLR7 copy number among the three types of chronic HBV infection (CHB, liver cirrhosis, or hepatocellular carcinoma). In addition, there was no association between TLR7 copy number and titer of the HBV e antigen. CONCLUSION Low TLR7 copy number is a risk factor for chronic HBV infection but is not associated with later stages of disease progression.

Association of HLA Alleles(A, B, DRB1) and HIV-1 Infection in the Han Population of Hubei, China

The HIV susceptibility and resistance alleles in the HLA genes were determined by investigating the distribution characteristics of the HLA alleles（A, B, and DRB1） in HIV-infected individuals of the Han population in Hubei, and by comparing these alleles with HIV-negative individuals from the same area. A cohort of 424 HIV-1 infected individuals were chosen as study subjects, and 836 HIV-negative healthy subjects from the same area served as the control population. HLA-A, B, and DRB1 allele typing was performed using polymerase chain reaction-sequence-specific oligonucleotide probes（PCR-SSOP） and polymerase chain reaction-sequencing based typing（PCR-SBT） techniques. Arlequin ver3.0 was used to analyze the allele and haplotype frequencies of HLA-A, B, and DRB 1, whereas Epi Info 7 and SPSS18.0 was used to analyze the differences in the HLA alleles between the HIV-1 positive and HIV-1 negative groups. A＊02：03, DRB1＊01：01, and DRB1＊15：01 alleles and their haplotypes as well as the HLA_Bw4-Bw6 hybrid showed a protective effect on HIV-1 infection. After adjusting for confounding factors such as age and sex, multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that B＊15：02G, DRB1＊01：01, and DRB1＊15：01 subtypes were the resistance genes of HIV-1 infection, while B＊13：01 might increase susceptibility to HIV-1 infection. The correlation between A＊02：06 and B＊15：01G subtypes and HIV-1 susceptibility was independent of the age and sex of the host. This study demonstrated the influence of genetic factors in humans such as HLA polymorphism on individuals to resist HIV-1 infection. Association studies of HLA polymorphism, susceptibility/resistance to HIV-1 infection, and hosts＇ genetic background are of significant importance for research on HIV-1 pathogenesis and vaccine design.

Plaque Psoriasis: Understanding Risk Factors of This Inflammatory Skin Pathology

Covering the entire human body, the skin is considered to be one of the most important organs, since it is the first line of protection against chemical and biological external agents. Although the skin protects tissues and organs against external aggression, it can still be unbalanced by various skin diseases, such as psoriasis. This non-contagious inflammatory dermatosis is characterized by the occurrence of erythematous lesions of various sizes covered with whitish scales. This scaling of the skin is the result of a rapid renewal of the epidermis, occurring over five to seven days instead of 28 days. Psoriasis vulgaris, or plaque psoriasis, is the most common form of this disease and is therefore commonly referred to by the term “psoriasis”. This work is a review of the literature on plaque psoriasis, aiming at a better comprehension of the pathology at the histological level, but also to understand the genetic and environmental factors associated with this inflammatory dermatosis.