Research on the Correlation Between rs2110385 Polymorphisms of the Visfatin Gene and Nonproliferative Diabetic Retinopathy

Objective:To investigate the association between rs2110385 polymorphisms of the visfatin gene and the risk of type 2 diabetic retinopathy(DR).Methods:172 Han subjects were selected from Xi’an Shaanxi Province;140 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)and 32 normal controls(NC)were selected from our hospital.Patients with diabetes were divided into a non-DR group(T2DM)(n=69)and a nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy Group(DR)(n=71)after dilated fundus photography and fundus fluorescein angiography.rs2110385/AluⅠgenotypes were detected by standardized polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism(PCR-RFLP),and the differences in the detection rates of different genotypes in the above populations were compared.Results:1)The visfatin level in the DR Group was significantly higher than that in the NC and T2DM groups(P<0.05).2)The frequency of GG genotype and G allele of rs2110385 in the DR Group were higher than those in the T2DM and NC groups(80.3,69.6,50.0,86.6,79,65.6,P<0.05).3)There were significant differences in allele frequency and genotype frequency distribution of rs2110385 between the DR Group and the NC group(P<0.01).Conclusion:Visfatin increased in the nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy group and could be a potential indicator for the clinical prediction of DR.The G allele of the rs2110385 polymorphic site may be related to the risk of DR.

Association of TNF-α-238G/A and 308 G/A Gene Polymorphisms with Pulmonary Tuberculosis among Patients with Coal Worker’s Pneumoconiosis

Objectives Tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） may play an important role in host＇s immune response to mycobacterium tuberculosis （M. tuberculosis） infection. This study was to investigate the association of TNF-α gene polymorphism with pulmonary tuberculosis （TB） among patients with coal worker＇s pneumoconiosis （CWP）. Methods A case-control study was conducted in 113 patients with confirmed CWP complicated with pulmonary TB and 113 non-TB controls with CWP. They were matched in gender, age, job, and stage of pneumoconiosis. All participants were interviewed with questionnaires and their blood specimens were collected for genetic determination with informed consent. The TNF-α gene polymorphism was determined with polymerase chain reaction of restriction fragment length polymorphism （PCR-RFLP）. Frequency of genotypes was assessed for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium by chi-square test or Fisher＇s exact probability. Factors influencing the association of individual susceptibility with pulmonary TB were evaluated with logistic regression analysis. Gene-environment interaction was evaluated by a multiplieative model with combined OR. All data were analyzed using SAS version 8.2 software. Results No significant difference in frequency of the TNF-α-308 genotype was found between CWP complicated with pulmonary TB and non-TB controls （2,2=5.44, P=-0.07）. But difference in frequency of the TNF-α-308 A allele was identified between them （2,2-5.14, P=0.02）. No significant difference in frequencies of the TNF-α-238 genotype and allele （P=0.23 and P=0.09, respectively） was found between cases and controls either, with combined （GG and AA） OR of 3.96 （95% confidence interval of 1.30-12.09） at the -308 locus of the TNF-α gene, as compared to combination of the TNF-α-238 GG and TNF-α-308 GG genotypes. Multivariate-adjusted odds ratio of the TNF-α-238 GG and TNF-α-308 GA genotypes was 1.98 （95% CI of 1.06-3.71） for risk for pulmonary TB in patients with CWP. There was a synergic interaction between the TNF-a-308 GG genotype and body mass index （OR=4.92）, as well as an interaction between the TNF-α-308 GG genotype and history of BCG immunization or history of TB exposure. And, the interaction of the TNF-α-238 GG genotype and history of BCG immunization or TB exposure with risk for pulmonary TB in them was also indicated. Conclusions TNF-α-308 A allele is associated with an elevated risk for pulmonary TB, whereas TNF-α-238 A allele was otherwise.

前列腺癌p53基因的点突变

目的 检测前列腺癌组织中 p5 3基因突变的发生率 ,探讨其与前列腺癌发生的关系。 方法 应用多聚酶链反应 -限制性片段长度多态性方法 ,检测前列腺癌组织中 p5 3基因第 4号外显子 72位密码子的点突变。 结果 前列腺癌 DNA样本中检出 4号外显子 p5 3基因点突变 44 % ,其中杂合性突变 36 % ,纯合性突变 8%。对照组前列腺良性增生未见 p5 3基因变化。 结论 前列腺癌发生与 p5 3基因突变有一定关系 ,应用 PCR和 Bstu I酶切多态性分析 ,对检测前列腺癌 p5 3基因第 4号外显子 72位编码的点突变是一较特异的方法。

Is type Ⅰ alpha 2 collagen gene responsible for intracranial aneurysm in Northeast China?

In this study, we investigated whether a single nucleotide polymorphism （rs42524 G 〉 C） in the type I alpha 2 collagen gene was associated with sporadic ruptured intracranial aneurysm or its clinical characteristics in patients from Northeast China. Genotyping of the rs42524 G 〉 C polymorphism was carried out using a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism assay. The data showed that the frequency of the rs42524 GC ＋ CC genotype was significantly higher than the GG genotype among intracranial aneurysm patients whose Hunt and Hess grading scale was 〉 3. In addition, the rs42524 G 〉 C genotype was found to have a statistically significant association with intracranial aneurysm risk. These findings indicate that the type I alpha 2 collagen gene gene may be involved in a predisposition to intracranial aneurysm in the Northeast Chinese population. Crucially, the rs42524 C allele may be an important risk factor for increased severity of the condition in patients with ruptured intracranial aneurysms.

Mutational analysis of Ras hotspots in patients with urothelial carcinoma of the bladder

BACKGROUND Mutational activation of Ras genes is established as a prognostic factor for the genesis of a constitutively active RAS-mitogen activated protein kinase pathway that leads to cancer.Heterogeneity among the distribution of the most frequent mutations in Ras isoforms is reported in different patient populations with urothelial carcinoma of the bladder(UCB).AIM To determine the presence/absence of mutations in Ras isoforms in patients with UCB in order to predict disease outcome.METHODS This study was performed to determine the mutational spectrum at the hotspot regions of H-Ras,K-Ras and N-Ras genes by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism(PCR-RFLP)and DNA sequencing followed by their clinical impact(if any)by examining the relationship of mutational spectrum with clinical histopathological variables in 87 UCB patients.RESULTS None of the 87 UCB patients showed point mutations in codon 12 of H-Ras gene;codon 61 of N-Ras gene and codons 12,13 of K-Ras gene by PCR-RFLP.Direct DNA sequencing of tumor and normal control bladder mucosal specimens followed by Blastn alignment with the reference wild-type sequences failed to identify even one nucleotide difference in the coding exons 1 and 2 of H-Ras,NRas and K-Ras genes in the tumor and control bladder mucosal specimens.CONCLUSION Our findings on the lack of mutations in H-Ras,K-Ras and N-Ras genes could be explained on the basis of different etiological mechanisms involved in tumor development/progression,inherent genetic susceptibility,tissue specificity or alternative Ras dysfunction such as gene amplification and/or overexpression in a given cohort of patients.

PCR-RFLP and AP-PCR of rbcL and ITS of rDNA Show That × Taxodiomeria peizhongii （ Taxodium × Cryptomeria） Is not an Intergeneric Hybrid

Taxodiorneria peizhongii Z. J. Ye, J. J. Zhang et S. H. Pan was regarded as a new Intergenerlc hybrid between Taxodlum mucronatum Tenore （as the female donor） and Cryptomeria fortunei Hoolbrenk ex Otto et Dletr （as the male donor）. To confirm the authenticity of the intergeneric hybrid, we analyzed the rbcL gene and the Internal transcribed spacer （ITS） of 26S-18S ribosomal RNA gene of the three species using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism （PCR-RFLP） and arbitrarily primed PCR （AP-PCR）, and ob- tained the following results：i） Taxodiomeria peizhongii had the same RFLP maps of the rbcL gene and the ITS as Taxodlum mucronatum, but was different from C. fortunei; II） a 311-bp PCR amplification product was obtained In C. fortunei by AP-PCR of ITS, but was not found in Taxodiomeria peizhongii. Our results have demonstrated that C. fortunei did not provide any genome for Taxodiomeria peizhongii, Implying that T. peizhongii Is not an Intergenerlc hybrid between the two species.

维吾尔族人群代谢性疾病与ApoEε2等位基因

目的探讨维吾尔族代谢性疾病与载脂蛋白Eε2等位基因(ApoEε2)的关系。方法收集2006年1月-2006年12月在新疆医科大学附属中医医院和宝科达医院健康体检的386名维吾尔族人,采集血液标本,检测血液生化指标以及ApoE基因型。结果新疆维吾尔族ApoEε2等位基因的携带率为31.9%(123/386);与非携带组比较,除了高密度脂蛋白-胆固醇升高外,ApoEε2等位基因携带组的其余指标均有下降趋势,其中收缩压、舒张压及低密度脂蛋白差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);与非携带组比较,携带者代谢性疾病检出率降低,尤其是对高胆固醇血症和高血压影响较大,其中高血压检出率差异,P=0.058。结论ApoEε2等位基因携带者血脂水平及代谢性疾病的检出率降低,是代谢性疾病的保护因素。

Glacial Refugia of Ginkgo biloba and Human Impact on Its Genetic Diversity:Evidence from Chloroplast DNA

Variations in the trnK region of chloroplast DNA were investigated in the present study using polymerase chain reactionrestriction fragment length polymorphism to detect the genetic structure and to infer the possible glacial refugia of Ginkgo biloba L. in China. In total, 220 individuals from 12 populations in China and three populations outside China were analyzed, representing the largest number of populations studied by molecular markers to date. Nineteen haplotypes were produced and haplotype A was found in all populations. Populations in south-western China, including WC, JF, PX, and SP, contained 14 of the 19 haplotypes and their genetic diversity ranged from 0.771 4 to 0.867 6. The TM population from China also showed a high genetic diversity （H = 0.848 5）. Most of the genetic variation existed within populations and the differentiation among populations was low （GsT = 0.2）. According to haplotype distribution and the historical record, we suggest that populations of G. biloba have been subjected to extensive human impact, which has compounded our attempt to infer glacial refugia for Ginkgo. Nevertheless, the present results suggest that the center of genetic diversity of Ginkgo is mainly in south-western China and in situ conservation is needed to protect and preserve the genetic resources.