Genetic Variants in the ELOVL5 but not ELOVL2 Gene Associated with Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Han Chinese Breast Milk

The present study was designed to examine the contributions of the fatty acid elongase （ELOVL） gene polymorphisms to the levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids （PUFAs） in breast milk. Two hundred and nine healthy Han Chinese mothers were included in the study. Carriers of minor alleles of SNPs （rs2397142 and rs9357760） in ELOVL5 were associated with higher levels of linoleic acid （LA）, dihomo-γ-linolenic acid （DGLA）, arachidonic acid （AA）, docosatetraenoic acid （DTA）, docosahexenoic acid （DHA）, while in rs209512 of ELOVL5 the carriers of minor alleles had lower levels of DTA compared to major homozygote alleles （P ranged from 0.004-0.046）, and genetically explained variability ranged from 3.2% for eicosapentaenoic acid （EPA） to 6.0% for LA. Our findings demonstrated that common variation in ELOVL5 gene encoding rate-limiting enzymes in the metabolism of PUFAs contribute to the PUFAs in breast milk.

Interleukin-8 gene polymorphism is associated with acute coronary syndrome in a Han Chinese population

Background Acute coronary syndrome(ACS) is one of the most common forms of heart diseases.Recent studies have revealed that interleukin(IL)-8 plays a kev role in the development of atherosclerosis plaque and its complications, but the relationship of its common variants with ACS has not been extensively studied.Methods We tested the hypothesis that variants in IL-8-251 A/T was associated with susceptibility to ACS and its recurrence in a Chinese case-control study comprising 675 patients with ACS and 636 control subjects and replicated the investigation in an independent study comprising 360 cases and 360 control subjects. The plasma concentration of IL-8 was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results IL-8 -251A】T poly-morphism was associated with increased susceptibility to ACS (P=0.004;OR=1.30 CI:1.12-1.53).Replication in the second study yielded similar results.IL-8 -251 A/T may affect the expression of IL-8 by the evidence that augmented IL-8 production revealed in serum of the AMI patients by ELISA. Conclusions IL-8 -251 A/T polymorphism is associated with ACS risk in Chinese Han population and An allele of IL-8- 251A/T may be an independent predictive factor.

Haplotype Data of 23 Y-chromosome Markers in Minnan Han Chinese and Comparison with Those of 12 Y-chromosome Markers

We genotyped 23 Y-STR loci（DYS576, DYS389 I, DYS448, DYS389 II, DYS19, DYS391, DYS481, DYS549, DYS533, DYS438, DYS437, DYS570, DYS635, DYS390, DYS439, DYS392, DYS643, DYS393, DYS458, DYS385a/b, DYS456, and GATA-H4） in a sample of 109 unrelated male Chinese people residing in Minnan area and compared the results with those from our previous study on 12 Y-STR. The haplotype diversity and the discrimination capacity of the 23 Y-STR reached 0.9903 and 0.9725, respectively, and the genetic diversity for each locus ranged from 0.321（DYS391） to 0.955（DYS385）. Besides, we observed a strong correlation between the number of Y-STR markers and the substantial improvement of forensic parameters used to discriminate between individuals. The results indicated that these highly polymorphic Y-STR markers were useful for human identification in forensic cases and paternity tests within the Minnan Han Chinese population.

Association between IgG N-glycans and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Han Chinese

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease（NAFLD） is a major public health issue worldwide. Immunoglobulin G（IgG） N-glycans are associated with risk factors for NAFLD, such as obesity and diabetes. A cross-sectional study involving 500 Han Chinese adults recruited from a community in Beijing was carried out to explore the association between IgG N-glycans and NAFLD. IgG N-glycosylation was significantly associated with NAFLD, with the disease showing a negative correlation with galactosylation（GP14, GP14n, and G2n）, positive correlation with fucosylation（FBG2n/G2n）, and positive correlation with bisecting N-acetylglucosamine（Glc NAc） [FBG2n/FG2n and FBG2n/（FG2n＋FBG2n）], after controlling age, gender, and prevalence of obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. In other words, the present study showed a possible association between NAFLD and the loss of galactose and elevations of fucose and bisecting GlcNAc. Aberrant IgG glycosylation might therefore be a potential biomarker for the primary or secondary prevention of NAFLD.

SLC26A4 gene polymorphism and late-onset Alzheimer’s disease in a Han Chinese population from Qingdao,China

In a recent genome-wide association study, the SLC26A4 gene rs2072064 polymorphism was found to be associated with late-onset Alzheimer＇s disease in Caucasians. Here, we investigated this association in a large Northern Han Chinese cohort consisting of 599 sporadic late-onset Alzheimer＇s disease patients and 598 healthy controls matched for sex and age in a Northern Han Chinese population from Qingdao, China. Genotyping by the polymerase chain reaction-ligase detection reaction revealed that there were significant differences in the genotype （P = 0.017） and allele （P = 0.007） frequencies of the rs2072064 polymorphism between late-onset Alzheimer＇s disease patients and controls. The A allele of this polymorphism was significantly associated with a reduced risk of late-onset Alzheimer＇s disease （odds ratio （OR） = 0.792, 95% confidence interval （CI） = 0.670-0.937, P = 0.007）. When the data were stratified by the apolipoprotein E E4 status, there was a significant difference only among apolipoprotein E E4 non-carriers （genotypic P = 0.001, allelic P = 0.001）. Furthermore, the association between rs2072064 and late-onset Alzheimer＇s disease remained significant by logistic regression analysis after adjustment for age, gender, and the apolipoprotein E E4 carrier status （dominant model： OR = 0.787, 95% CI = 0.619-1.000, P = 0.050; recessive model： OR = 0.655, 95% CI = 0.448-0.959, P= 0.030; additive model： OR = 0.792, 95% CI = 0.661-0.950, P = 0.012）. These findings suggest that SLC26A4 is a susceptibility gene for late-onset Alzheimer＇s disease in a Northern Han Chinese population from the Qingdao area.

Association of Connexin Gene Polymorphism with Essential Hypertension in Kazak and Han Chinese in Xinjiang,China

Essential hypertension（EH） is affected by both genetic and environmental factors.The polymorphism of connexin（Cx） genes is found associated with the development of hypertension.However,the association of the polymorphism of Cxs with EH has not been investigated.This study aimed to investigate the association of the polymorphism of connexin（Cx） genes Cx37,Cx40,and Cx43 with EH in Kazak and Han Chinese in Xinjiang,China.Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism（PCR-RFLP） method and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry（MALDI-TOF-MS） were used to analyze the polymorphism of Cx genes in Kazak and Han EH patients as well as their normotensive controls.The results showed that there were no significant differences in the frequencies of different three genotypes（A/A,A/G,and G/G） and A and G alleles of Cx40 rs35594137 and rs11552588 between EH patients and normotensive controls.However,in Kazak EH patients,the frequencies of three genotypes（A/A,A/G,and G/G） of Cx37 rs1630310 were 24.8%,47.2% and 28.0%,respectively,which were significantly different from those in Han EH patients.In Han EH patients,the frequencies of the three genotypes（C/C,C/G and G/G） of Cx43 rs1925223 were 6.4%,35.6% and 58.0%,respectively.Frequencies of the other four genotypes had no statistical differences among Kazak and Han EH patients and their normotensive controls.These results suggest polymorphisms of Cx37 rs1630310 and Cx43 rs1925223 genes may be associated with the pathogenesis of EH.Carrying Cx37 rs1630310-A or Cx43 rs1925223-G genotypes may protect against the development of EH.

Smoking and Alzheimer's disease among Mongolian and Han Chinese aged 55 years and over living in the Inner Mongolia farming area of China

Residents aged 55 years or older from 27 communities and two settlements in Xilingol League of Inner Mongolia were selected for participation in an Alzheimer＇s disease epidemiological investigation from June 2008 to June 2009, including 3 259 Mongolians and 5 887 Han Chinese. The Mongolian subjects in the Alzheimer＇s disease group were at age of 55 years or older （on average）, and more of them were male, illiterate and/or had a history of coronary artery disease and/or diabetes compared with the Mongolian subjects in the non-Alzheimer＇s disease group. The Han Chinese subjects in the AIzheimer＇s disease group were at age of 55 years or older （on average） and more of them were women, illiterate and/or had a history of coronary artery disease, and less of them had a history of alcohol consumption compared with the non-Alzheimefs disease group. Non-conditional multivariate stepwise logistic regression identified that male gender, increasing age and having a history of diabetes and/or coronary heart disease were associated with higher odds of Alzheimer＇s disease among Mongolians while having an educational background was associated with lower odds （OR = 0.259, 95%C/0.174-0.386）. Among the Han Chinese subjects, male gender, increasing age and having a history of coronary heart disease and/or hypertension was associated with higher odds of Alzheimer＇s disease, while having an educational background was associated lower odds （OR = 0.271, 95%C/0.192-0.381）. The results also indicated that extremely heavy smoking may be a risk factor for Alzheimer＇s disease in Mongolian males aged over 55 years. There was no significant difference in smoking habits between the Mongolian and Han Chinese subjects with Alzheimer＇s disease.

POLG Mutations Are Probably Rare in the Han Chinese Population

Objective Mutations in polymerase gamma gene(POLG)are believed to be an important cause of early and juvenile onset of non-syndromic intractable epilepsy.The aim of this study is to investigate the incidence/prevalence of POLG pathogenic variants in epilespy patients of Han population through sequencing it.Methods Han Chinese patients with seizures prior valproic acid(VPA)exposure at Shanghai Children\Hospital were collected from 2015 to 2019.The clinical diagnosis was based on the 2014 Consensus Statement of Epilepsy by the International League against Epilepsy(ILAE).Blood sampling were performed before VPA treatment.The POLG gene DNA was sequenced by either the first or the next generation sequencing(NGS).The POLG variant burden was illustrated.Liver functions were tested to describe whether they experienced VPA toxicity.Results Ibtally 216 Han Chinese patients were included,aged from 1 month to IS years old,102 were male and 114 were female.The onset age was 1 month old to 13 years old,and the epilepsy course ranged from 2 weeks to about 3 years.VPA treatment was delivered for the generalized or intractable partial seizures at standard dosage.No patient experienced hepatic toxicity following VPA exposure.DNA sequencing data showed no patient had either a homozygous mutation or compound heterozygous mutation of POLG.Single heterozygous mutations of c.1150G>T and p.D384Y were found in 2 patients,and single heterozygous mutation of c.l56_158dupGCA was found in 1 patient.None of these variants showed clinical significance.Conclusions Functional modifying POLG homozygous mutations and compound heterozygous mutations were not detected and VPA toxicity was not seen in the current study.POLG mutation frequency might be rare in Han Chinese,and standard VPA.therapeutic dosage might be safe for Han Chinese patients.

Common mtDNA variations at C5178a and A249d/T6392C/G10310A decrease the risk of severe COVID-19 in a Han Chinese population from Central China

Background:Mitochondria have been shown to play vital roles during severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2)infection and coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)development.Currently,it is unclear whether mitochondrial DNA(mtDNA)variants,which define mtDNA haplogroups and determine oxidative phosphorylation performance and reactive oxygen species production,are associated with COVID-19 risk.Methods:A population-based case-control study was conducted to compare the distribution of mtDNA variations defining mtDNA haplogroups between healthy controls(n=615)and COVID-19 patients(n=536).COVID-19 patients were diagnosed based on molecular diagnostics of the viral genome by qPCR and chest X-ray or computed tomography scanning.The exclusion criteria for the healthy controls were any history of disease in the month preceding the study assessment.MtDNA variants defining mtDNA haplogroups were identified by PCR-RFLPs and HVS-I sequencing and determined based on mtDNA phylogenetic analysis using Mitomap Phylogeny.Student’s t-test was used for continuous variables,and Pearson’s chi-squared test or Fisher’s exact test was used for categorical variables.To assess the independent effect of each mtDNA variant defining mtDNA haplogroups,multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to calculate the odds ratios(OR)and 95%confidence intervals(CI)with adjustments for possible confounding factors of age,sex,smoking and diseases(including cardiopulmonary diseases,diabetes,obesity and hypertension)as determined through clinical and radiographic examinations.Results:Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that the most common investigated mtDNA variations(>10%in the control population)at C5178 a(in NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 gene,ND2)and A249 d(in the displacement loop region,D-loop)/T6392 C(in cytochrome c oxidase I gene,CO1)/G10310 A(in ND3)were associated with a reduced risk of severe COVID-19(OR=0.590,95%CI 0.428–0.814,P=0.001;and OR=0.654,95%CI 0.457–0.936,P=0.020,respectively),while A4833 G(ND2),A4715 G(ND2),T3394 C(ND1)and G5417 A(ND2)/C16257 a(D-loop)/C16261 T(D-loop)were related to an increased risk of severe COVID-19(OR=2.336,95%CI 1.179–4.608,P=0.015;OR=2.033,95%CI 1.242–3.322,P=0.005;OR=3.040,95%CI 1.522–6.061,P=0.002;and OR=2.890,95%CI 1.199–6.993,P=0.018,respectively).Conclusions:This is the first study to explore the association of mtDNA variants with individual’s risk of developing severe COVID-19.Based on the case–control study,we concluded that the common mtDNA variants at C5178 a and A249 d/T6392 C/G10310 A might contribute to an individual’s resistance to developing severe COVID-19,whereas A4833 G,A4715 G,T3394 C and G5417 A/C16257 a/C16261 T might increase an individual’s risk of developing severe COVID-19.

Genetic Polymorphism of 17 Y-STR Loci in Han Chinese Living in Lanzhou

The genetic polymorphism across 17 Y-STR loci in a population of Hart Chinese in Lanzhou was investigated. Haplotypes and allele frequencies for the 17 Y-chromosomal STRs loci DYS456, DYS389I, DYS390, DYS389 II, DYS458, DYS19, DYS385a/b, DYS393, DYS391, DYS439, DYS635, DYS392, Y GATA H4, DYS437, DYS438 and DYS448 were determined in 500 healthy unrelated autochthonous males from Lanzhou. The results showed that no shared haplotypes were observed. Gene diversity values ranged from 0.3987 （DYS391） to 0.9740 （DYS385a,b）. It was concluded that these loci will be very useful for human identification in forensic cases and paternity tests within the Han Chinese population inhabiting Lanzhou.

Association of rs1137101 with hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus of Mongolian and Han Chinese

BACKGROUND Hypertension(HTN)and type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)are often coincident,and each condition is considered a risk factor for the other.Both occur frequently in the Inner Mongolia region of China.The reasons for differences in risk between Han and Mongolian ethnic groups are not known.The LEPR gene and its polymorphism,rs1137101(Gln223Arg),are both considered risk factors for HTN and T2DM,but any role of rs1137101 in the occurrence of HTN+T2DM remains unclear for Mongolian and Han populations in the Inner Mongolia region.AIM To investigate the relationship between rs1137101 and the occurrence of HTN with T2DM in Mongolian and Han populations in Inner Mongolia METHODS A total of 2652 subjects of Han and Mongolian ethnic origins were enrolled in the current study,including 908 healthy controls,1061 HTN patients and 683 HTN patients with T2DM.RESULTS The association between the rs1137101 polymorphism and HTN with T2DM was analyzed,and differences between Han and Mongolian individuals assessed.There was a significant correlation between rs1137101 and HTN(co-dominant,dominant,over-dominant and log-additive models)and HTN+T2DM(co-dominant,dominant,over-dominant and log-additive models)after adjustment for sex and age in individuals of Mongolian origin.rs1137101 was significantly associated with HTN(co-dominant,recessive and log-additive models)and HTN+T2DM(codominant,dominant,over-dominant and log-additive models)in the Han Chinese population.CONCLUSION Mongolian and Han subjects from Inner Mongolia with HTN who had rs1137101 were protected against the development of T2DM.Allele A has the opposite impact on the occurrence of HTN in Mongolian and Han Chinese populations.

Tsering Yudron and Her Han Chinese Family

Tsering Yudron is a lo-cal Tibetan girl.However,she has a Chinese mother with four sisters and a brother in Beijing.

De Novo Dissecting the Three‑Dimensional Facial Morphology of 2379 Han Chinese Individuals

Phenotypic diversity,especially that of facial morphology,has not been fully investigated in the Han Chinese,which is the largest ethnic group in the world.In this study,we systematically analyzed a total of 14,838 facial traits representing 15 categories with both a large-scale three-dimensional(3D)manual landmarking database and computer-aided facial segmented phenotyping in 2379 Han Chinese individuals.Our results illustrate that homogeneous and heterogeneous facial morphological traits exist among Han Chinese populations across the three geographical regions:Zhengzhou,Taizhou,and Nanning.We identifed 1560 shared features from extracted phenotypes,which characterized well the basic facial morphology of the Han Chinese.In particular,heterogeneous phenotypes showing population structures corresponded to geographical subpopulations.The greatest facial variation among these geographical populations was the angle of glabella,left subalare,and right cheilion(p=3.4×10^(−161)).Interestingly,we found that Han Chinese populations could be classifed into northern Han,central Han,and southern Han at the phenotypic level,and the facial morphological variation pattern of central Han Chinese was between the typical diferentiation of northern and southern Han Chinese.This result was highly consistent with the results revealed by the genetic data.These fndings provide new insights into the analysis of multidimensional phenotypes as well as a valuable resource for further facial phenotype-genotype association studies in Han Chinese and East Asian populations.

T2T-YAO: A Telomere-to-telomere Assembled Diploid Reference Genome for Han Chinese

Since its initial release in 2001,the human reference genome has undergone continuous improvement in quality,and the recently released telomere-to-telomere(T2T)version-T2T-CHM13—reaches its highest level of continuity and accuracy after 20 years of effort by working on a simplified,nearly homozygous genome of a hydatidiform mole cell line.Here,to provide an authentic complete diploid human genome reference for the Han Chinese,the largest population in the world,we assembled the genome of a male Han Chinese individual,T2T-YAO,which includes T2T assemblies of all the 22+X+M and 22+Y chromosomes in both haploids.The quality of T2T-YAO is much better than those of all currently available diploid assemblies,and its haploid version,T2T-YAO-hp,generated by selecting the better assembly for each autosome,reaches the top quality of fewer than one error per 29.5 Mb,even higher than that of T2T-CHM13.Derived from an individual living in the aboriginal region of the Han population,T2T-YAO shows clear ancestry and potential genetic continuity from the ancient ancestors.Each haplotype of T2TYAO possesses330-Mb exclusive sequences,3100 unique genes,and tens of thousands of nucleotide and structural variations as compared with CHM13,highlighting the necessity of a population-stratified reference genome.The construction of T2T-YAO,an accurate and authentic representative of the Chinese population,would enable precise delineation of genomic variations and advance our understandings in the hereditability of diseases and phenotypes,especially within the context of the unique variations of the Chinese population.

The long rather than the short allele of 5-HTTLPR predisposes Han Chinese to anxiety and reduced connectivity between prefrontal cortex and amygdala

The short allele of the serotonin-transporter gene is associated with higher risk for anxiety and depression in Caucasians, but this association is still unclear in Asians. Here, we addressed this issue using behavioral and multi-modal MRI approaches in a large group of healthy Han Chinese participants （n = 233）. In contrast to findings in Caucasians, we found that long-allele （L） carriers had higher anxiety scores. In another group （n = 64） experiencing significant levels of depression or anxiety, the L-allele frequency was also significantly higher. In healthy participants, L-carriers had reduced functional and anatomical connectivity between the amygdala and prefrontal cortex （PFC）, which was correlated with anxiety or depression scores. Our findings demonstrated that in Chinese Han participants, in contrast to Caucasians, the L-allele confers vulnerability to anxiety or depression and weakens top-down emotional control between the PFC and amygdala. Therefore, ethnic background should be taken into account in gene-related studies and their potential clinical applications.

Association of tag SNPs of GPx-3 with essential hypertension in rural Han Chinese in Fuxin, Liaoning, China

Background Genetic mechanisms contribute to blood pressure regulation. This study investigated whether glutathione peroxidase （GPx-3） tag single nucleotide polymorphisms （SNPs） are associated with hypertension in the rural areas of Fuxin county, Liaoning province, China.Methods Indigenous Fuxin Han people participated, 523 unrelated hypertensives and 547 controls were recruited. All tag SNPs of GPx-3 gene were selected. We estimated SNP allele frequency in DNA pools with pyrosequencing.Results Before Bonferroni correction, C allele frequency for rs8177417 was significantly higher in hypertensives than those in controls （23.4% vs. 19.3%, P=0.014）; T allele frequency for rs3828599 was significantly lower in hypertensives than those in controls （35.6% vs. 40.8%,P=0.009）. However, when a Bonferroni correction for multiple testing was applied, only the polymorphisms rs3828599 of GPx-3 gene was associated with hypertension （P=0.045, OR： 0.833, 95%CI： 0.695-0.998）.Conclusion The polymorphism of rs3828599 of GPx-3 gene might be associated with hypertension in rural Han Chinese from Fuxin, Liaoning.

Association of IL33/ST2 Signal Pathway Gene Polymorphisms with Myocardial Infarction in a Chinese Han Population

This study investigated the relationship between IL-33/ST2 signal pathway gene polymorphisms and myocardial infarction（MI） in Han Chinese. A case-control association analysis was performed on a total of 490 MI patients（MI group） and 929 normal subjects（NC group）. Sequenom Mass Array and Taqman genotyping technique were used to analyze the tag single nucleotide polymorphisms（SNPs） in the genes encoding IL-33, ST2, and IL-1Ra P（rs11792633, rs1041973 and rs4624606）. The results showed that the frequencies of rs4624606 genotypes AA, TT, AT were 0.031, 0.647, 0.322 in MI group and 0.026, 0.712, 0.263 in NC group, and the allele frequencies of A and T were 0.192, 0.808 in MI group and 0.157, 0.843 in NC group. There were significant differences in rs4624606 genotypes and allele frequencies between MI group and NC group（P〈0.05）. For rs11792633, the allele frequencies of C and T were 0.45, 0.55 in MI group and 0.454, 0.546 in NC group with no significant differences found between the two groups. Compared with genotype CC＋TC, rs11792633 genotype TT had an increased risk of hypertension（P〈0.05）. However, there were no significant differences in the frequencies of rs11792633 genotypes between the two groups. No significant differences were noted in the frequencies of rs1041973 genotype and allele between the two groups. Logistic regression analysis showed that rs4624606 genotypes AT and AA＋AT were both significantly associated with MI（AT： OR=1.325, P=0.029, 95% CI=1.03–1.705; AA＋AT： OR=1.316, P=0.028, 95% CI=1.03–1.681） after factors such as age, gender, smoking, drinking, body mass index（BMI）, triglyceride（TG） and cholesterol were adjusted. Those carrying rs4624606 genotype AT or AA＋AT had an increased risk of MI. No associations were found between the polymorphisms of the other two loci with MI. It was concluded that, in the IL33/ST2 signal pathway, the A allele of rs4624606 polymorphism of IL-1Ra P gene is a potential independent risk factor for MI, and the genotypes AA＋AT and AT are associated with the incidence of MI.

Strong association of SLCIA1 and DPF3 gene variants with idiopathic male infertility in Han Chinese

Male infertility is a multifactorial syndrome encompassing a wide variety of disorders. In recent years, several genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism （SNP） association studies （GWAS） have been performed on azoospermia and/or oligozoospermia in different populations including two GWAS on nonobstructive azoospermia in China; however, the association of SNPs with idiopathic male infertility, especially asthenozoospermia and oligozoospermia, and their correlation with semen parameters are still not clear. To investigate genetic variants associated with idiopathic male infertility （asthenozoospermia, oligozoospermia, and oligoasthenozoospermia） in Chinese Han people, 20 candidate SNPs were selected from GWAS results and genotyped using the Sequenom MassARRAY assay. A total of 136 subfertile men and 456 healthy fertile men were recruited, rs6476866 in SLCIA1 （P = 1.919E-4, OR = 0.5905, 95% Ch 0.447-0.78） and rs10129954 in DPF3 （P = 0.0023, OR = 2.199, 95% Ch 1.311-3.689） were strongly associated with idiopathic male infertility. In addition, positive associations were observed between asthenozoospermia and rs215702 in LSM5 （P= 0.0016, OR = 1.479, 95% CI： 1.075-2.033） and between oligoasthenozoospermia and rs2477686 in PEXIO （P= 0.0011, OR = 2.935, 95% Ch 1.492-5.775）. In addition, six SNPs （rs215702 in LSMS, rs6476866 in SLCIA1, rs10129954 in DPF3, rs1801133 in MTHFR, rs2477686 in PEXIO, and rs10841496 in PED3A） were significantly correlated with semen quality alterations. Our results suggest that idiopathic male infertility in different ethnic groups may share the same mechanism or pathway. Cohort expansion and further mechanistic studies on the role of genetic factors that influence spermatogenesis and sperm progressive motility are suggested.

Association of ABCB1 Gene Polymorphisms with Efficacy and Adverse Reaction to Risperidone or Paliperidone in Han Chinese Schizophrenic Patients

Dear editor, P-glycoprotein （P-gp, also known as ATP-binding cassette transport sub-family B member 1, ABCB1） is a potent ATP-dependent efflux pump for a wide variety of drugs. Although studies of its substrates are abundant [ 1, 2], and ABCB1 is a well-conserved gene, there is increasing evi- dence that its polymorphisms affect substrate specificity [3]. A previous study reported that the synonymous single nucleotide polymorphism （SNP） C3435T （rs1045642） affects the timing of co-translational folding and insertionof P-gp into the membrane,

The Association Between Epoxide Hydrolase Genetic Variant and Effectiveness of Nicotine Replacement Therapy in a Han Chinese Population

Dear Editor, Nicotine is a psychoactive alkaloid that is thought to play a key role in addiction to commercial tobacco products [1] and cotinine is its primary metabolite [2]. Pharmacological treatment, such as nicotine replacement therapy （NRT）, is a valid solution to this problem. Tobacco smoke contains many carcinogens such as nitrosamines .