Nucleotide excision repair gene polymorphisms and hepatoblastoma susceptibility in Eastern Chinese children:A five-center case-control study

Objective:Nucleotide excision repair(NER)plays a vital role in maintaining genome stability,and the effect of NER gene polymorphisms on hepatoblastoma susceptibility is still under investigation.This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between NER gene polymorphisms and the risk of hepatoblastoma in Eastern Chinese Han children.Methods:In this five-center case-control study,we enrolled 966 subjects from East China(193 hepatoblastoma patients and 773 healthy controls).The TaqMan method was used to genotype 19 single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs)in NER pathway genes,including ERCC1,XPA,XPC,XPD,XPF,and XPG.Then,multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed,and odds ratios(ORs)and 95%confidence intervals(95%CIs)were utilized to assess the strength of associations.Results:Three SNPs were related to hepatoblastoma risk.XPC rs2229090 and XPD rs3810366 significantly contributed to hepatoblastoma risk according to the dominant model(adjusted OR=1.49,95%CI=1.07−2.08,P=0.019;adjusted OR=1.66,95%CI=1.12−2.45,P=0.012,respectively).However,XPD rs238406 conferred a significantly decreased risk of hepatoblastoma under the dominant model(adjusted OR=0.68,95%CI=0.49−0.95;P=0.024).Stratified analysis demonstrated that these significant associations were more prominent in certain subgroups.Moreover,there was evidence of functional implications of these significant SNPs suggested by online expression quantitative trait loci(eQTLs)and splicing quantitative trait loci(sQTLs)analysis.Conclusions:In summary,NER pathway gene polymorphisms(XPC rs2229090,XPD rs3810366,and XPD rs238406)are significantly associated with hepatoblastoma risk,and further research is required to verify these findings.

Nucleotide Contribution to the Functioning of SERT, Na /K ATPase and GPCR Proteins

Purine nucleotides are crucial for the effective operation of cell membrane proteins maintaining the neurotransmitter responses of 5-HT. Major protein targets in the treatment of depression include SERT, N/K ATPase and GPCR. Each protein target is responsive to a specific complement of drugs: antidepressants (SERT), lithium and cardiogenic steroids (N/K ATPase), 5-HT receptor ligands (GPCR). Computational software is useful for comparing molecular similarity within ligand-ligand and ligand-nucleotide structures. Previous studies demonstrate that GPCR ligands of different pharmacologic classes display relative molecular similarity to nucleotide structures. The current study applies this methodology to compound structures modulating SERT and N/K ATPase receptors. Minimum energy conformers of SERT antagonists demonstrate relative molecular similarity to the structural template of GTP nucleotide. GTP template fits of 5-HT and psilocin are similar, whereas a SERT-like fit is one of several for the ketamine structure. Endogenous and pharmaceutical modulators of Na/K ATPase relate to adenine nucleotide. The fits of cardiogenic steroids to a cGMP template demonstrate similarities and differences between compounds. Relative molecular similarity within the structures of hormones, drugs and nucleotides has implications for neurotransmitter transport and cell signal transduction processes.

Metformin promotes anti-tumor immunity in STK11 mutant NSCLC through AXIN1-dependent upregulation of multiple nucleotide metabolites

Background:Metformin has pleiotropic effects beyond glucose reduction,including tumor inhibition and immune regulation.It enhanced the anti-tumor effects of programmed cell death protein 1(PD-1)inhibitors in serine/threonine kinase 11(STK11)mutant non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)through an axis inhibition protein 1(AXIN1)-dependent manner.However,the alterations of tumor metabolism and metabolites upon metformin administration remain unclear.Methods:We performed untargeted metabolomics using liquid chromatography(LC)-mass spectrometry(MS)/MS system and conducted cell experiments to verify the results of bioinformatics analysis.Results:According to the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)pathway database,most metabolites were annotated into metabolism,including nucleotide metabolism.Next,the differentially expressed metabolites in H460(refers to H460 cells),H460_met(refers to metformin-treated H460 cells),and H460_KO_met(refers to metformin-treated Axin1-/-H460 cells)were distributed into six clusters based on expression patterns.The clusters with a reversed expression pattern upon metformin treatment were selected for further analysis.We screened out metabolic pathways through KEGG pathway enrichment analysis and found that multiple nucleotide metabolites enriched in this pathway were upregulated.Furthermore,these metabolites enhanced the cytotoxicity of activated T cells on H460 cells in vitro and can activate the stimulator of the interferon genes(STING)pathway independently of AXIN1.Conclusion:Relying on AXIN1,metformin upregulated multiple nucleotide metabolites which promoted STING signaling and the killing of activated T cells in STK11 mutant NSCLC,indicating a potential immunotherapeutic strategy for STK11 mutant NSCLC.

Identification of a Regulatory Single Nucleotide Polymorphism in the Adiponectin (APM1) Gene Associated with Type 2 Diabetes in Han Nationality

Objective To identify the genetic defects of the the adiponectin （APM1） gene that contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes （T2DM） and determine the functional single nucleotide polymorphisms （SNPs） in the APMI gene associated with T2DM in Han nationality. Methods The APMI gene 5＇-UTR was screened by direct sequencing to identify common polymorphisms. Identified SNPs were genotyped in 585 nondiabetic controls, 278 subjects with impaired glucose intolerance （IGT） and 212 patients with T2DM. The functions of SNPs in the regulatory region were assessed by reporter gene assay. Possible association between SNPs and plasma APMI levels or metabolic parameters was statistically asses,sed. Results Three SNPs were identified in the APMI gene 5＇-UTR. A case-control study revealed that SNP -11377 G/C had significant differences in allele frequencies between T2DM patients and nondiabetic controls （G 0.314/C 0.686 vs. G 0.265/C 0.735, P=0.03）. Haplotype analysis of three SNPs in the APM1 gene showed that no significant association of haplotypes with T2DM. IGT was detected in the present study. Reporter gene assay showed that SNP did not influence the transcription efficiency in the 3T3-LI cell line. Conclusion SNP - 11377 G/C in the proximal promoter region of the APM 1 gene contributes to the development of T2DM in Han nationality but may not be a functional SNP in the APM1 gene.

Gene-gene,gene-environment,gene-nutrient interactions and single nucleotide polymorphisms of inflammatory cytokines

Inflammation plays a significant role in the etiology of type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM).The rise in the pro-inflammatory cytokines is the essential step in glucotoxicity and lipotoxicity induced mitochondrial injury,oxidative stress and beta cell apoptosis in T2 DM.Among the recognized markers are interleukin(IL)-6,IL-1,IL-10,IL-18,tissue necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-α),C-reactive protein,resistin,adiponectin,tissue plasminogen activator,fibrinogen and heptoglobins.Diabetes mellitus has firm genetic and very strong environmental influence; exhibiting a polygenic mode of inheritance.Many single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs) in various genes including those of pro and antiinflammatory cytokines have been reported as a risk for T2 DM.Not all the SNPs have been confirmed by unifying results in different studies and wide variations have been reported in various ethnic groups.The inter-ethnic variations can be explained by the fact that gene expression may be regulated by gene-gene,gene-environment and gene-nutrient interactions.This review highlights the impact of these interactions on determining the role of single nucleotide polymorphism of IL-6,TNF-α,resistin and adiponectin in pathogenesis of T2 DM.

Single-nucleotide polymorphisms of matrix metalloproteinases and their inhibitors in gastrointestinal cancer

Matrix metalloproteinases(MMPs) are implicated in cancer development and progression and are associated with prognosis.Single-nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs) of MMPs,most frequently located in the promoter region of the genes,have been shown to influence cancer susceptibility and/or progression.SNPs of MMP-1,-2,-3,-7,-8,-9,-12,-13 and-21 and of the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases(TIMPs) TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 have been studied in digestive tract tumors.The contribution of these polymorphisms to the cancer risk and prognosis of gastrointestinal tumors are reviewed in this paper.

Synthesis of Isonucleoside-Incorporated Oligonucleotides and Their Binding Abilities with Complementary Sequences

Aim To synthesize isonucleoside-incorporated oligonucleotides and investigatetheir binding abilities with complementary sequences. Methods The synthesis was performed on DNAsynthesizer, and the binding behavior was investigated by thermal denaturation studies. Results Fourkinds of single isonucleoside containing oligonucleotides were synthesized. The results of thermaldenaturation showed that the existence of isonucleoside decreased the stability of duplex, and theeffect was more obvious when the isonucleoside was in the middle of the sequence. No obviousdifference was observed when 6'-OH of isonucleoside was free or was protected by allyl group.Conclusions The existence of isonucleoside in oli-gonucleotide makes chain twist and decreased thestability of duplex.

Correlation between single nucleotide polymorphism of rs3811047 in IL-1 F7 gene and rheumatoid arthritis susceptibility among Han population in central plains of China

Objective:To discuss the association between single nucleotide polymorphism(SNP) of rs3811047 in IL-1 F7 gene and rheumatoid arthritis(RA) susceptibility among the Han population in central plains of China.Methods:A total of 276 RA patients admitted to our hospital from December 2009 to December 2011 together with 276 healthy physical examinees in the same period were chosen as the subjects.The typing for rs3811047 SNP in IL-1 F7 gene was carried out by using ligase detection reaction and polymerase chain reaction technique.And the frequency of each allele and genotypes distribution was calculated so as to evaluate the association between genotype distribution and RA susceptibility.Results:The frequency of A allele of rs3811047 in IL-1 F7 gene in RA group and control group was 16.27%and 17.68%,respectively,and that of G allele in two groups was 83.73%and 82.32%,respectively.The difference between two groups wasn’t statistical significant(P 】0.05).The frequency of genotype AA,AG and GG in RA group was 2.19%,27.84%and 69.97%,respectively,while that in control group was 2.94%,29.78%and 67.28%, respectively.The difference of distribution of three genotypes was not statistically significant (P 】0.05).RA patients with A allele were better than those without A allele in joint swelling index, rest pain,HAQ scoring and blood sedimentation.There was significant difference between two groups in above indexes(P【0.05/P【0.01).Conclusions:No significant correlation between RA susceptibility among the Han population in central plains of China and rs3811047 SNP inIL-1 F7 gene is observed.However,A allele of rs3811047 has certain influence on the condition of RA patients.

Response to an Escherichia coli K88 oral challenge and productivity of weanling pigs receiving a dietary nucleotides supplement

Background： Dietary nucleotides, considered as antibiotics alternative, were shown to have positive effects on intestinal hyperaemia, systemic immunity, small-intestinal growth, and hepatic composition in pigs. However, there is no previous research on nucleotide supplementation in weanling pigs under an oral challenged E. coil K88. Therefore, 2 experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of dietary nucleotides on weanling pig growth performance, nutrient digestibility, fecal score, and blood profile after being orally challenged with E. coli K88. Methods： In Exp. 1, a total of 140 weanling pigs [8.33 ± 0.33 kg of body weight （BW）, 28-d old] were used in this 42-d feeding trial. Pigs were distributed into 1 of 4 treatments, 5 pigs/pen （3 barrows and 2 gilts） and 7 pens/treatment. Treatments were a control basal diet （CON） or the CON supplemented with 150 （R150）, 220 （R220）, or 275 （R275） mg/kg to give the three treatment diets. In Exp. 2, 28 weanling pigs （BW = 8.40 ± 0.22 kg, 28-d old） were distributed into 1 of 4 treatments to give 1 pig/pen and 7 pens/treatment in a 42-d feeding and challenge trial. Dietary treatments were the same as in Exp. 1. 0n d 14, all those pigs （BW= 13.3±0.15 kg, 42-d old） were orally dosed with 1.5 mL suspension containing 10 cfu/mL of E. coli K88. Twenty four hours after challenge, blood and excreta samples were collected from each pigs for analysis. Fecal scores were measured on d 7, 14, 21, and 28 of the study. Results： In Exp. 1, overall BW, average daily gain （ADG）, gain/feed （G/F） ratio, and nutrient digestibilities were lower （P 〈 0.05） in CON group compared with the nucleotides fed pigs. In Exp. 2, after challenge, IgA, IgM, and IGF-I were higher （P〈 0.05） in the nucleotide groups compared with CON. However, the nucleotide groups had lower （P 〈 0.05） cortisol and TNF-o compared with CON. Fecal E. coil counts and fecal score for the nucleotide groups were lower （P 〈 0.05） than for CON. Conclusions： In conclusion, dietary nucleotides supplementation could improve growth performance, nutrient digestibility, immune status, microbial balance, reduce diarrhea, and provide protection against enterotoxigenic E. coli K88 infection in weanling pigs.

Nucleoside diphosphate-linked moiety X-type motif 15 R139C genotypes impact 6-thioguanine nucleotide cut-off levels to predict thiopurine-induced leukopenia in Crohn’s disease patients

BACKGROUND Thiopurine-induced leukopenia(TIL)is a life-threatening toxicity and occurs with a high frequency in the Asian population.Although nucleoside diphosphate-linked moiety X-type motif 15(NUDT15)variants significantly improve the predictive sensitivity of TIL,more than 50%of cases of this toxicity cannot be predicted by this mutation.The potential use of the 6-thioguanine nucleotide(6TGN)level to predict TIL has been explored,but no decisive conclusion has been reached.Can we increase the predictive sensitivity based on 6TGN by subgrouping patients according to their NUDT15 R139C genotypes?AIM To determine the 6TGN cut-off levels after dividing patients into subgroups according to their NUDT15 R139C genotypes.METHODS Patients’clinical and epidemiological characteristics were collected from medical records from July 2014 to February 2017.NUDT15 R139C,thiopurine S methyltransferase,and 6TGN concentrations were measured.RESULTS A total of 411 Crohn’s disease patients were included.TIL was observed in 72 individuals with a median 6TGN level of 323.4 pmol/8×10^8 red blood cells(RBC),which was not different from that of patients without TIL(P=0.071).Then,we compared the 6TGN levels based on NUDT15 R139C.For CC(n=342)and CT(n=65)genotypes,the median 6TGN level in patients with TIL was significantly higher than that in patients without(474.8 vs 306.0 pmol/8×10^8 RBC,P=9.4×10-^5;291.7 vs 217.6 pmol/8×10^8 RBC,P=0.039,respectively).The four TT carriers developed TIL,with a median 6TGN concentration of 135.8 pmol/8×10^8 RBC.The 6TGN cut-off levels were 411.5 and 319.2 pmol/8×108 RBC for the CC and CT groups,respectively.CONCLUSION The predictive sensitivity of TIL based on 6TGN is dramatically increased after subgrouping according to NUDT15 R139C genotypes.Applying 6TGN cut-off levels to adjust thiopurine therapies based on NUDT15 is strongly recommended.

Individual and Combined Effects of Nucleotides and Human Milk Oligosaccharides on Proliferation, Apoptosis and Necrosis in a Human Fetal Intestinal Cell Line

Nucleotides (NT) and human milk oligosaccharides (HMO) individually affect epithelial cell growth, but their combined effects had not been studied. Herein, the impact of NT and HMO on cell proliferation, apoptosis, necrosis and cell cycle in the fetal epithelial cell line (FHs-74 Int) was determined. Cells were incubated with media containing 2.5% FBS and no epidermal growth factor (Control);fucosyllactose (FL) mix [85% 2’FL/15% 3’FL], sialyllactose (SL) mix [40% 6’SL/10% 3’SL/50% sialic acid (SA)] or LNnT at 125, 250, 500 or 1000 μg/mL with and without 250 μg/mL NT (43% CMP, 18.5% UMP, 16.4% AMP, and 22.0% GMP) for 24 or 72 h. NT alone significantly increased proliferation, but did not affect cell cycle or apoptosis/necrosis. All HMO treatments at 1000 μg/mL significantly decreased proliferation and some were also inhibitory at 250 or 500 μg/mL. When NT and HMO were simultaneously added, NT ameliorated the anti-proliferative effect of HMO. FL significantly increased cells in S phase and SL and LNnT treatments significantly increased cells in G2/M and S phases, which concomitantly decreased cells in G0/G1. HMO with NT significantly decreased the percent of cells in the G2/M phase compared to HMO alone. Higher HMO doses significantly increased the percentage of apoptotic and necrotic cells compared to control. In conclusion, HMO reduced cell proliferation and this effect is partially ameliorated by NT. It appears that HMO initially induced apoptosis/necrosis, which was later evidenced by G2/M cell cycle arrest and decreased proliferation.

Nucleotide oligomerization domain 2 contributes to the innate immune response in THCE cells stimulated by Aspergillus fumigatus conidia

AIM: To investigate the expression of nucleotide oligomerization domain 2 (NOD2) in the immortalized human corneal epithelial cell line (THCE), and its role in the innate immune response triggered by inactive Aspergillus fumigatus (Af) conidia. METHODS: The normal THCE cells were investigated as controls. After incubation with inactive Af conidia for 0.5, 2, 4, 6, and 8 hours, THCE cells were harvested, mRNA expression of NOD2 and receptor interacting protein 2 (RIP2) was detected by RT-PCR. Intracellular proteins including NOD2, NF-kappa B and proinflammatory cytokines such as TNF-alpha, IL-8, IL-6 in the cell supernatant were analyzed by ELISA. RESULTS: Our data indicate that NOD2 expressed in the normal THCE cells. After triggered by the inactive Af conidia, the expression of NOD2, RIP2 mRNA and the secretion of NOD2, NF-kappa B, TNF-alpha, IL-8, IL-6 both increased in a time-depended manner, and reached the peak point at 4, 6, 6, 4, 6, 6, 4 hours, respectively. And after pretreated with NOD2 neutralizing antibody, the expression of RIP2, NF-kappa B, TNF-alpha, IL-8 both decreased dramatically at the peak point, while the secretion of IL-6 changed little. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that NOD2 exists and expresses in the THCE cells, and contributes to the innate immune responses triggered by inactive Afconidia by induction of proinflammatory cytokines such as TNF-alpha and IL-8 through the NF-kappa B pathway.

Single Nucleotide Polymorphism of CYP3A4 Intron 2 and Its Influence on CYP3A4 mRNA Expression and Liver Enzymatic Activity in Human Liver

Summary： In adult liver, CYP3A4 plays an important role in the metabolism of a wide range of en- dogenous and exogenous compounds. To investigate whether there is a single nucleotide polymorphism （SNP） of CYP3A4 intron 2 in the liver and its effects on the mRNA expression and enzymatic activity of CYP3A4, genomic DNA was extracted from 96 liver tissue samples obtained from patients who had undergone liver surgery. An SNP of CYP3A4 intron 2 was identified by polymerase chain reaction （PCR）-single-strand confirmation polymorphism and DNA sequencing. The mRNA expression of CYP3A4 was determined by the fluorescence quantitative PCR technique. The enzymatic activity of CYP3A4 was measured using erythromycin and testosterone as probe substrates. Twelve patients were found to have the SNP/T4127G CYP3A4 within intron 2. The mRNA levels of CYP3A4 in wild-type and SNP/T4127G samples were 2.62±1.09 and 2.79±1.63, respectively （P〉0.05）. Erythromycin N-demethylase activity in wild-type and SNP/T4127G samples were 121.2±32.8 and 124.7±61.6 nmol·mg^-1min^-1, respectively （P〉0.05）. The activity of testosterone 613-hydroxylase was significantly different between wild-type （648±173 pmol·mg^-1·min^-1） and SNP/T4127G samples （540-4-196 pmol.mg-l-minl; P〈0.05）. In conclusion, the SNP/T4127G of CYP3A4 intron 2 exists in the liver. This SNP does not affect the mRNA expression of CYP3A4 but significantly decreases the hepatic micro- somal testosterone 613-hydroxylase activity of CYP3A4. Furthermore, this study indicates that the ap- propriate selection of probe substrates is very important in studying the relationship between the geno- type and phenotype of CYP3A4.

Tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms in the PPAR-γ and RXR-α gene and type 2 diabetes risk:a case-control study of a Chinese Han population

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor （PPAR-γ）,which is mainly involved in adipocyte differentiation, has been suggested to play an important role in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance and atherosclerosis. We investigated the frequencies of two common tagging polymorphisms of the PPAR-γ gene and two of PPAR-α with minor allele frequency （MAF）≥ 0.05 in the Chinese Han population and analyzed the correlation between the different genotypes and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus （T2DM）. TaqMan assay was performed to test the genotypes in T2DM patients （n = 1,105） and normal controls （n = 1,107）. Serum adiponectin concentration was measured by ELISA kit. The variant genotypes rs17817276GG, rs3856806CT and rs3856806CT/TT of PPAR-γ were associated with T2DM, P = 0.023,0.037 and 0.018, respectively. Furthermore, the prevalence of haplotype GT in PPAR-γ was less frequent in the case subjects （0.3%） than in the controls （1.9%） [P 0.001,OR（95%CI）=0.13 （0.06-0.31）]. Patients with genotype TT of rs3856806 had a higher serum level of adiponectin than those with the genotype CC and CT （P = 0.031 and 0.038, respectively）. There was no statistically significant difference between patients and controls in genotype distribution of rs6537944 and rs1045570 of the RXR-α gene. The present study suggests that the variant genotypes in the PPAR-γ gene could decrease the risk for the development of T2DM in the Chinese Han population.

Investigation of HER-2 codon 655 single nucleotide polymorphism frequency and c-ErbB-2 protein expression alterations in gastric cancer patients

AIM： To investigate both whether the risk of gastric cancer is associated with the Ile/Val single nucleotide polymorphism （SNP） of human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 （HER-2） transmembrane domain-coding region at codon 655 and the suggested existence of HER-2 expression in gastric cancer cases in a Turkish patient group. METHODS： Polymerase chain reaction （PCR） followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism （RFLP） strategy was used to analyze the presence of HER-2 SNP at codon 655. c-erbB-2 expression pattern was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. The results were compared between gastric carcinoma group and chronic gastritis group, as well as between clinicopathological parameters and carcinoma. RESULTS： Results showed that Ile/Val genotype accounted for 20% within the Turkish gastric carcinoma group, and none in chronic gastritis group, and this genotyping was associated with stage Ⅳ gastric cancers （P = 0.04）. Positive membranous HER-2 immunoreactivity, on the other hand, accounted for 24% within the Turkish gastric carcinoma group and none from chronic gastritis cases; further, it was correlated with intestinal type carcinomas （P = 0.007）, and stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ carcinomas （P = 0.004）. CONCLUSION： These observations imply that the tested HER-2 SNP may participate in the development and progression of gastric cancer. Thus, after confirming these results with large sample groups, HER-2 codon 655 SNP and/or c-erbB-2 overexpression may also be used as a poor prognostic indicator for gastric carcinomas.

Purine nucleotides and their metabolites in patients with type 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus

We measured the erythrocyte levels of principal nucleotides (ATP, ADP, AMP, GTP, GDP, GMP, IMP), nucleosides (Ado, Guo, Ino) and Hyp with HPLC. Purine concentrations were determined in the erythrocytes of 36 type 1 and 40 type 2 diabetic patients. The increased dephosphorylation of adenine and guanine nucleotides, indicated by increased Ado, Ino, Guo and Hyp concentrations as the products of purine nucleotide degradation, suggests serious energy metabolism disruptions in diabetes. An increase in AMP, GMP, IMP concentrations, as well as a decrease in AEC and GEC values, points to significant alterations in erythrocyte purine nucleotide concentration.

Relationship between Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in -174G/C and -634C/G Promoter Region of Interleukin-6 and Prostate Cancer

The association between the single nucleotide polymorphisms （SNPs） in -174G/C and -634C/G of interleukin-6 （IL-6） promoter region and prostate cancer was examined in the population of Han people in Hubei region. TaqMan PCR was employed for the gene-typing of -174G/C and -634C/G in promoter region of IL-6 gene to compare the prostate cancer patients and normal controls in terms of genotype frequency, allele frequency and risk of prostate cancer. Enzyme-linked immu- nosorbent assay （ELISA） was used for the detection of IL-6 concentration in peripheral blood of the patients with prostate cancer and the relationship between the IL-6 level and the genotype was studied. Our results showed that in all the subjects, the genotype of genetic locus -174G/C was found to be GG and no CG and CC were observed. There was a significant difference in gene frequency of GG, CG and CC of -634C/G and allele frequency of G and C between prostate cancer patients and normal controls （P〈0.05） and the gene frequency of GG＋CG increased with the clinical stages and pathological grades of prostate cancer. The IL-6 level in GG＋CG group was significantly higher than that in CC group. It was concluded that no SNP in -174G/C IL-6 promoter region was found in the population of Han people in Hubei region. The SNP in -634C/G was, to some extent, associated with the development and progression of prostate cancer. The population with GG＋CG genetype has higher risk for prostate cancer.

Influence of a nucleotide oligomerization domain 1 (NOD1) polymorphism and NOD2 mutant alleles on Crohn's disease phenotype

AIM： To examine genetic variation of nucleotide oligomerization domain 1 （NOD/） and NOD2, their respective influences on Crohn＇s disease phenotype and gene-gene interactions. METHODS： （ND1＋32656＊1） NOD1 polymorphism and SNPS, SNP12 and SNP13 of NOD2 were analyzed in 97 patients and 50 controls. NOD2 variants were determined by reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. NOD1 genotyping and NOD2 variant confirmation were performed by specific amplification and sequencing. RESULTS： The distribution of NOD1 polymorphism in patients was different from controls （P = 0.045） and not altered by existence of NOD2 mutations. In this cohort, 30.92% patients and 6% controls carried at least one NOD2 variant （P 〈 0.001） with R702W being the most frequent variant. Presence of at least one NOD2 mutation was inversely associated with colon involvement （9.09% with colon vs 36.4% with ileal or ileocolonic involvement, P = 0.04） and indicative of risk of penetrating disease （52.63% with penetrating vs 25.64% with non-penetrating or stricturing behavior, P = 0.02）. L1007finsC and double NOD2 mutation conferred the highest risk for severity of disease （26.3% with penetrating disease vs 3.8% with non-penetrating or stricturing behavior presented L1007finsC, P = 0.01 and 21.0% with penetrating disease vs 2.5% with non-penentrating or stricturing behavior carried double NOD2 mutation, P = 0.007）. Exclusion of patients with NOD2 mutations from phenotype/NODl-genotype analysis revealed higher prevalence of ＊1＊1 genotype in groups of younger age at onset and colonic location.CONCLUSION： This study suggests population differences in the inheritance of risk NOD1 polymorphism and NOD2 mutations. Although no interaction between NOD1-NOD2 was noticed, a relationship between disease location and Nod-like receptor molecules was established.

A Novel Real-time Fluorescence Mutant-allele-specific Amplification Method for Rapid Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Analysis

Current methods for single nucleotide polymorphism （SNP） analysis are timeconsuming and complicated. We aimed at development of one-step real-time fluorescence mutant-allele-specific amplification （MASA） method for rapid SNP analysis. The method is a marriage of two technologies： MASA primers for target DNA and a double-stranded DNA-selective fluorescent dye, SYBR Green I. Genotypes are separated according to the different threshold cycles of the wild-type and mutant primers. K-ras oncogene was used as a target to validate the feasibility of the method. The experimental results showed that the different genotypes can be clearly discriminated by the assay. The real-time fluorescence MASA method will have an enormous potential for fast and reliable SNP analysis due to its simplicity and low cost.

Association of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms of ABCB1,OPRM1 and COMT with Pain Perception in Cancer Patients

Pain perception is influenced by multiple factors. The single nucleotide polymorphisms（SNPs） of some genes were found associated with pain perception. This study aimed to examine the association of the genotypes of ABCB1 C3435 T,OPRM1 A118 G and COMT V108/158M（valine 108/158 methionine） with pain perception in cancer patients. We genotyped 146 cancer pain patients and 139 cancer patients without pain for ABCB1 C3435T（rs1045642）,OPRM1 A118G（rs1799971） and COMT V108/158M（rs4680） by the fluorescent dye-terminator cycle sequencing method,and compared the genotype distribution between groups with different pain intensities by chi-square test and pain scores between groups with different genotypes by non-parametric test. The results showed that in these cancer patients,the frequency of variant T allele of ABCB1 C3435 T was 40.5%; that of G allele of OPRM1 A118 G was 38.5% and that of A allele of COMT V108/158 M was 23.3%. No significant difference in the genotype distribution of ABCB1 C3435T（rs1045642） and OPRM1 A118G（rs1799971） was observed between cancer pain group and control group（P=0.364 and 0.578）; however,significant difference occurred in the genotype distribution of COMT V108/158M（rs4680） between the two groups（P=0.001）. And the difference could not be explained by any other confounding factors. Moreover,we found that the genotypes of COMT V108/158 M and ABCB1 C3435 T were associated with the intensities of pain in cancer patients. In conclusion,our results indicate that the SNPs of COMT V108/158 M and ABCB1 C3435 T significantly influence the pain perception in Chinese cancer patients.