1.Identification of exon mutations of the CDX1 gene in children with congenital anorectal malformation
Tao ZHANG ; Jinghua LI ; Shengni ZHANG ; Aimin ZHANG ; Jihong YANG ; Yuzuo BAI
Chinese Journal of Digestive Surgery 2015;14(3):230-233
Objective To explore the distribution of exon mutations of CDX1 gene in children with congenital anorectal malformation (ARM).Methods In a case-control study conducted between June 2003 and March 2009,108 children with congenital ARM and 120 normal children undergoing health examinations who were admitted to the Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University (85 children with congenital ARM and 60 normal children) and the Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University (23 children with congenital ARM and 60 normal children) were assigned to the case group and the control group,respectively.PCR was performed to extend exons of the CDX1 gene and then sequence analysis was conducted after genomic DNAs were extracted from the peripheral blood.Categorical data with normal distribution were presented as (x) ± s and analyzed using the t test,count data were analyzed using the chi-square test.Results Exon sequencing was performed in the case group.Four children with 4 mutations of CDX1 located at coding regions were detected,including 1 with archostegnosis,1 with rectoperineal fistula,1 with rectovestibular fistula and 1 with rectourethral fistula.Four mutations located at the highly conserved homology domain of the CDX1 gene.The mutations of 1 child located at exon 1 of CDX1 gene (c.213-214Ins GAA).The mutations of 2 children located at the splicing region to exon 3 of the CDX1 gene (c.6G > C,c.27G > T).The mutations of 1 child located at the idiocratic splicing region to exon 3 of the CDX1 gene(c.18A > C).No mutation was detected in the controls.Mutations of the CDX1 gene at c.213-214Ins GAA,c.6G > C,c.27G > T,and c.18A > C,respectively,resulted in amino acid substitutions at 96-98Ins E,K199N,R206S,and Q203H in the protein.Conclusion Exon 1 or 3 mutations of the CDX1 gene is identified in children with congenital ARM,and CDX1 gene may be a susceptibility gene for ARM.
2.Quantification of Organ Fat Deposits in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus by Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Yinglian FENG ; Bingqing DONG ; Yuancheng WANG ; Shijun ZHANG ; Shengni CHEN ; Shenghong JU
Chinese Journal of Medical Imaging 2017;25(7):509-512
Purpose Lipotoxicity plays an important role in the progression of diabetes and its complications,and the gold standards for organs' lipid quantification are biopsy or histochemical staining,which are invasive and have their own limitations.Thus,our research was to identify the difference in organ lipid deposition between type 2 diabetic patients and healthy volunteers by using noninvasive three-point T2* corrected Dixon imaging.Materials and Methods Sixty-five type 2 diabetic patients and 34 healthy volunteers were included in this study.All participants underwent three-echo Dixon with 3.0T MR imager.Dixon imaging parameters [hepatic fat fraction (HFF),splenic fat fraction (SFF),pancreatic fat fraction (PFF)] were collected.All of the MRI parameters were compared.The relationship between HFF,SFF,PFF and BMI,age were analyzed.Results The hepatic and splenic lipid percentage in diabetic group [HFF=(5.4±4.3)%;SFF=(3.7± 1.4)%] was significantly higher than healthy volunteers group [HFF=(2.9± 1.3)%;SFF=(3.0± 0.9)%;P<0.05,respectively].However,there was no significant difference in pancreatic fat fraction between diabetic and healthy groups (P>0.05).There were positive correlations between HFF,SFF,PFF and BMI (r=0.379,0.305 and 0.306,P<0.05).Moreover,only the positive correlation between pancreatic fat fraction and age were observed (r=0.261,P<0.05).Conclusion The three-point T2* corrected Dixon revealed the abnormalities of hepar and spleen lipid accumulation in diabetic patients.Thus,the three-point Dixon imaging may potentially aid in evaluating the lipid deposition of abdominal organs.