As the completion of human genome project, application of the knowledge and techniques developed during thpast decade to the medical practice become more and more important and gain more and more attention. It is worthwhile to look back to the step prints of the development of medical genetics in China.1 The sprout of genetics in ChinaIt should be mentioned fromthe very beginning of the birth of the genetics in China to understand the historymedical genetics in China. In 1922, C.CHEN (Zhen CHEN) opened genetic courses in National Southeast Unversity after he returned from the T.H.MORGAN’s lab at Columbia University. He used Goldfish as a model fogenetic study. The Chinese scholars started their work on human genetics by survey the frequency of ABO bloogroup in the Chinese. Their result was published in1918. This was the first data of gene frequency of Chinese population, followed by reports on the inherited disease in Chinese on the frequency of color blindness in 1937. I1948, T. C. HSU described the ability to fold up the tip of the tongue as a recessive trait (MIM189300)[1,2]C.C.LI (Ching Chun LI) wrote a book,Introduction to Population Genetics, which became a wellknown book ithe world and from which a whole generation of geneticists benefited.

Objective To analyze the associations between alleles of TNF?-308 and myasthenia gravis(MG) and its subgroups. Methods A biallelic polymorphism at position -308 in the promoter region of TNF? was screened by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and NcoⅠ restricted enzyme. One hundred MG patients and one hundred healthy controls of Chinese were analysed. Results The allele TNF?2(A) was found significantly increased in all patients (0.32 in MG vs 0.21 in healthy controls, P0.05), showing a trend of increase in patients with an late onset of disease (0.34) compared to age matched healthy controls (0.10, P

Objective To establish a new multiplex-PCR assay to improve the detection rate of mutations in the DMD gene in Chinese patients. Methods A retrospective review of DMD deletion spectrum of 355 DMD patients with deletions all over the gene was performed. All deletions were confirmed by " one-step approach" diagnostic procedure and MLPA analysis. The exons with high frequency of mutations were identified to constitute the amplification system and the PCR conditions were optimized. Results Two new multiplex-PCR assays were established. Assay one was used to detect 10 exons including exon 5, 8, 17, 44, 45, 47, 49, 50, 51 and 52 of DMD gene, in two PCR sets. The theoretical detection rate would be 92% (326/355). Assay two was used to detect 5 exons including exon 12, 19, 35, 43 and 54, which could be used to screen additional 5% (17/355) deletion cases. The method was validated in other 22 DMD patients. Multiplex-PCR results were completely identical to the MLPA results in all 22 DMD patients. Conclusions The two multiplex-PCR assays were established based on the analysis of 355 Chinese DMD patients with gene deletions. It is believed that the new approach would be more applicable for deletion detection on the Chinese DMD patients since the DMD cases involved were from the whole country.

Exon 3 termination mutation of phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) gene, the only identified one causing classical phenylketonuria (PKU) in Chinese, was detected in fourteen PKU children from Xi'an. The genomic DNA from these patients was amplified by polymerase chain reaction(PCR) and dot hybridied with specific oligonucleotide probes. This mutation is not present in any of these affected children, which indicates that phenylketonuria in Chinese may be caused by other mutations in phenylalanine hydroxylase locus. PCR amplification combining with oligonucleotide dot hybridization is technically feasible for prenatal diagnosis and carrier screening for PKU.

Objective To analyze the frequency of NPM1 mutation in de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients and the relationship between NPM1 mutation and chromosome alterations,as well as FAB subgroups,and to analyze the mutation type.MethodsA total of 99 de novo AML patients from 2004 to 2010 in China-Japan Friendship Hospital were studied.Genomic DNA was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR),denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and capillary electrophoresis were used to detect the mutation of NPM1 gene in 99 AML patients,and karyotyping was performed in 72 AML patients by G banding techniques.DNA sequences analysis of NPM1 mutation was performed on 10 patients.Chi-square test was used to compare the frequencies of NPM1 mutation among the different subgroups,and McNemar's test was used to compare the different rates between denaturing PAGE and capillary electrophoresis.ResultsThe frequencies of NPM1 mutations were detected in 15％ (15/99) of AML patients with capillary electrophoresis and 11％ (11/99 ) with denaturing PAGE(x2 =2.25,P ＞0.05 ).The NPM1 was at different rates in M2(27％,8/30),M5(32％,6/19),M6( 13％,1/8),respectively (x2 =1.06,P ＞ 0.05 ),and not detected in the other subgroups.NPM1 mutation in patients with normal karyotype(26％ ) was more prevalent than patients with abnormal karyotype (4％) (x2 =5.61,P ＜ 0.05)All of the 10 patients were of A type ( c.860_863dupTCTG).The C-terminal portion of the NPM protein by replacing the last seven amino acids(WQWRKSL) with 11 residues (CLAVEEVSLRK).Two intronic deletions were novel,one case was IVS10-18_-15delCTTT,the other was IVS10-17_-15delTTT.Conclusions NPM1 mutations represents a common genetic abnormality in AML patients,and NPM1 mutation in patients with normal karyotype is higher than patients with abnormal karyotype.Two new intronic deletion mutations are identified.

Objective To discover the mutation of ADAR gene in a pedigree with dyschromatosis symmetrical hereditaria(DSH). Methods We investigated this family and collected blood samples of the individuals in this family. Mutation screening was carried out by PCR and direct sequencing. The allele specific primer was designed for the mutation point, and allele-specific PCR was carried out on the patients, normal family members and 40 normal individuals. Results A single nucleotide deletion (c.1642 delC) was identified in exon3 of ADAR gene in the patients of this family. This mutation was not detected in the normal family members and in any of the control individuals. Conclusion This single nucleotide deletion was responsible for the disease in the family.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy and safety profiles of enteeavir (ETV) in patients with advanced schistosomiasis and hepatitis B virus (HBV) co-infection.Methods Totally sixty patients with advanced schistosomiasis and HBV co-infection were enrolled in this study.The patients were divided into ETV treatment group (n=30) and rhubarb treatment group who refused to receive antiviral treatment (n=30).The patients were treated with ETV or rhubarb thelepus ball on the basis of routine supportive therapy for 52 weeks.The hepatic fibrosis markers (e.g.hyaluronic acid,type Ⅲ procollagen,type Ⅳ collagen,laminin and fibronectin),alanine transaminase (ALT),HBV DNA,Child-Pugh score between two groups were compared.Intention to treat (ITT) population was used for analysis.The measurement data and the enumeration data were analyzed by t test and x2 test,respectively.ResultsAfter 52-week treatment,the hepatic fibrosis markers (hyaluronic acid,type Ⅲ procollagen,type Ⅳ collagen,laminin and fibronectin) were significantly improved in ETV treatment group compared to the rhubarb treatment group (t =3.952,3.765,3.857,3.122 and 3.735,respectively; all P＜0.05),and the fibrosis of liver tissue in ETV treatment group was significantly improved compared with rhubarb treatment group (x2 =11.207,P＜0.05).The ALT level,HBV DNA,Child-Pugh score after 52-weeks treatment in ETV treatment group were statistically reduced compared with rhubarb treatment group (t =3.287,4.382 and 3.872,respectively; all P＜0.05),meanwhile,the ALT normalization rate and HBV DNA undetectable rate were significantly increased in ETV treatment group (x2 =17.376 and 39.095,respectively; both P＜0.05).In addition,no obvious adverse reaction was observed during ETV treatment.Conclusion Entecavir is safe and effective in patients with advanced schistosomiasis and HBV co-infection.

Objective To develop a rapid,reliable and convenient approach for diagnosing the homozygous deletion of SMN1 gene.Methods SMN1 gene was amplified specifically with double allele-specific PCR(AS-PCR).Meanwhile,one inrelevant gene was amplified as internal control by PAGE and agarose gel electrophoresis analysis to determine whether the sick children were with homozygous deletion of SMN1 genes.Results The homozygous deletion of exon7 in SMN1 gene was identified by agarose gel electrophoresis or PAGE accurately.Conclusion Compared to PCR-RFLP and DHPLC used in the past,this approach can diagnose homozygous deletion of SMA much more accurate,easier and more convenient without completed following analyses.

OBJECTIVETo identify the genetic etiology in a Chinese patient with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF-1).

METHODSAll coding exons and the flanking sequences of neurofibromin 1 (NF1) gene from the patient were captured, individually barcoded and subjected to HiSeq2000 high-throughput sequencing. Suspected mutation was validated in the nuclear family members with Sanger sequencing.

RESULTSA novel indel mutation, c.789_790delAGinsT, was identified in the exon 8 of the NF1 gene in the patient but not in her asymptomatic parents. The mutation was predicted to have caused shifting of the reading frame and a premature downstream stop codon (p.K263Nfs*18). Two known polymorphisms, c.888+108 C>T (rs2953000) and c.888+118 G>T (rs2952999), was detected in the flanking of the indel mutation in the patient and her father. Sequencing chromatogram for the family indicates that above changes are located on the same chromosome.

CONCLUSIONThe c.789_790delAGinsT, as a de novo mutation occurring on the paternally derived chromosome, is most likely to be causative for the disease. Compared with Sanger sequencing, targeted next-generation sequencing is more efficient and can dramatically reduce the cost for the genetic testing of NF-1.

Adult ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Base Sequence ; Female ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Neurofibromatosis 1 ; enzymology ; genetics ; Neurofibromin 1 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Point Mutation

OBJECTIVETo study the relationship between the nonresponse to hepatitis B vaccine and HLA genotype/heplotype in Chinese population and provide the evidence for explaining the genetic mechanism of this nonresponse.

METHODSOur research focused on the relationship between nonresponse to Hepatitis B vaccine and HLA-DRB1, DRB3, DRB4, DRB5 and DQB1 genotype/haplotype in Chinese population, collected from a community in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The group specific amplification was employed to characterize 107 individuals' genotype and haplotype of HLA clusters. Different models statistics such as relative risk test, correlation test and linkage disequilibrium analysis were used to analyze the data.

RESULTSThe results showed that there is a linkage disequilibrium between nonresponse to Hepatitis B vaccine and HLA haplotype DR4, 1122 (DRB1 * 0401- 22, 1122)-DR53 (DRB4 * 0101101, 0102/3)-DQB4 (DQB1 * 04).

CONCLUSIONIn Chinese population, nonresponse to hepatitis B vaccine is highly associated with special HLA haplotye.

Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; China ; Genotype ; HLA-DQ Antigens ; classification ; genetics ; HLA-DQ beta-Chains ; HLA-DR Antigens ; classification ; genetics ; HLA-DRB1 Chains ; HLA-DRB3 Chains ; HLA-DRB4 Chains ; HLA-DRB5 Chains ; Haplotypes ; Hepatitis B ; genetics ; immunology ; prevention & control ; Hepatitis B Vaccines ; immunology ; Humans ; Linkage Disequilibrium