BACKGROUND: There is no normative craniofacial anthropometric data for the Kenyan-African population. The purpose of this investigation was to determine normative anthropometric craniofacial measurements and proportional relationships for Kenyans of African descent and to compare the data with African Americans (AA), North American Whites (NAW), and neoclassical canons. METHODS: Twenty-five direct facial anthropometric measurements, and 4 angular measurements, were taken on 72 Kenyan-African participants (age range 18–30 years) recruited at the University of Nairobi in Kenya. The data were compared with AA and NAW populations, and neoclassical canons. Descriptive statistics of the variables were computed for the study population. RESULTS: Significant differences between both Kenyan males and females were detected in forehead height (~ 5 mm greater for males, ~ 4.5 mm for females), nasal height (reduced by ~ 4 mm in males, ~ 3 mm in females), nasal width (8–9 mm greater), upper lip height (> 3 mm), and eye width (greater by ~ 3 mm) compared to NAW subjects. All vertical measurements obtained were significantly different compared with NAW. Differences were observed in comparison with AA subjects, but less marked. Mouth width was similar in all groups. Angular measurements were variable. Neoclassical canons did not apply to the Kenyan population. CONCLUSIONS: Anthropometric measurements of NAW showed clear differences when compared with the Kenyan population, and variations exist with comparative AA data. The anthropometric data in terms of linear measurements, angular measurements, and proportional values described may serve as a database for facial analysis in the Kenyan-African population.
African Americans ; Anthropometry ; Female ; Forehead ; Humans ; Kenya ; Lip ; Male ; Mouth

The quality assurance (QA) is of utmost importance in biobanks when archived biomaterials are distributed to biomedical researchers. For sample authentication and cross-contamination detection, the two fundamental elements of QA, STR genotyping is usually utilized. However, the incorporated number of STR markers is highly redundant for biobanking purposes, resulting in time and cost inefficiency. An index to measure the cross-contamination detection capability of an STR marker, the mixture probability (MP), was developed. MP as well as other forensic parameters for STR markers was validated using STR genotyping data on 2328 normal Koreans with the commercial AmpFlSTR kit. For Koreans, 7 STR marker (D2S1338, FGA, D18S51, D8S1179, D13S317, D21S11, vWA) set was sufficient to provide discrimination power of ~10(-10) and cross-contamination detection probability of ~1. Interestingly, similar marker sets were obtained from African Americans, Caucasian Americans, and Hispanic Americans under the same level of discrimination power. Only a small subset of commonly used STR markers is sufficient for QA purposes in biobanks. A procedure for selecting optimal STR markers is outlined using STR genotyping results from normal Korean population.
African Americans ; Biocompatible Materials ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Hispanic Americans ; Humans ; Microsatellite Repeats

This study explores the influence of health behaviors and individual attributes on adolescent overweight and obesity using data from Wave II (Add Health). Structural equation model/path analysis using maximum likelihood estimation was utilized to analyze the relationships of health behaviors and attributes with obesity. Results of the model reveal that the causal paths (adolescents' attributes and health behaviors) for overweight and obesity were different for African American and Caucasian adolescents. Generally, African Americans were more susceptible to overweight and obesity than Caucasians. Although increasing levels of vigorous physical activities lowers the risk for obesity among African American and Caucasian adolescents alike, low family SES and being sedentary were associated with overweight and obesity among Caucasians. No significant associations were found among African Americans. Increased hours of sleep at night relate positively with obesity among African Americans. These findings suggest important elements in the consideration of race in developing effective intervention and prevention approaches for curbing the obesity epidemic among U.S. adolescents.
Adolescent ; African Americans ; Continental Population Groups ; Health Behavior ; Humans ; Motor Activity ; Obesity ; Overweight ; Polymethacrylic Acids

Lessons learned over 25 years from treating focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) in a regional pediatric nephrology program will be reviewed. In a cohort of children with biopsy-proven FSGS, consisting of a large percentage of African-American patients, the clinical characteristics and long-term outcomes are different from previously published data on mostly white children with the same condition. Because Asian and African children with nephrotic syndrome have the same higher incidence of FSGS, it is possible that Chinese children with FSGS have clinical characteristics, therapeutic responses, and long-term outcomes similar to African-American children as reviewed in this article.
African Americans ; Child ; Glomerulosclerosis, Focal Segmental ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Humans ; Nephrotic Syndrome ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Prognosis

With globalization, international exchange has increased. Accordingly, the necessity for individual identification using genetic polymorphism has also increased. Paternal lineages are distributed differently, and different distribution patterns can be used to predict ancestry. We studied the distribution pattern of different paternal lineages in Korea and compared them with other populations. All 30 SNPs on the Y chromosome were selected for paternal lineage confirmation. Loci that could subclassify haplogroup O, the most frequent in the East Asian population, were added. After multiplex amplification for the target loci, SBE reactions were set up for each SNP site. One hundred Korean men as well as 60 Chinese, 60 Japanese, 19 African-American, 48 Caucasian, and 47 Mexican American were tested and compared. Five Y haplogroups [C (C3), D (D2), NO, O, Q (Q1a1)] were found in Koreans, with haplogroup O being the most frequent. Haplogroup O sub-classified into O* (24%), O1 (6%), O2b (39%), O3a3c (4%), O3a3c1 (13%), and O3a3b(1%). This distribution pattern was similar to that of Chinese or Japanese, but minor differences were noted. With Fst, the Korean and Japanese patterns were close (0.01757) when using 6 SNPs. There were significant differences between Koreans and African Americans, Caucasians and Mexican Americans, and they were easily discernible without requiring haplogroup O sub-classification. Sub-classification of haplogroup O is likely to be useful for East Asia group comparisons. Additional studies in populations from different areas of China or Japan or studies of mtDNA or autosomes may enhance the discrimatory power of genetic polymorphism in different Asian populations.
African Americans ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; China ; DNA, Mitochondrial ; Far East ; Humans ; Internationality ; Japan ; Korea ; Male ; Mexican Americans ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Y Chromosome

OBJECTIVE: Several studies have reported that ethnic differences influence psychiatric diagnoses. Some previous studies reported that African Americans and Hispanics are diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders more frequently than Caucasians, and that Caucasians are more likely to be diagnosed with affective disorders than other ethnic groups. We sought to identify associations between sociodemographic factors and psychiatric diagnosis. METHODS: We retrospectively examined the medical records of all psychiatric inpatients (ages over 18 years) treated at Kern county mental hospital (n=2,051) between July 2003 and March 2007 for demographic, clinical information, and discharge diagnoses. RESULTS: African American and Hispanic males were more frequently diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders than Caucasians, whereas Caucasian females were more frequently diagnosed with affective disorders than females in the other ethnic groups, suggesting that patient ethnicity and gender may influence clinical diagnoses. Demographic variables, that is, a lower education, failure of marriage, homelessness, and low quality insurance, were found to be significantly associated with a diagnosis of schizophrenia spectrum disorders after adjusting for clinical variables. And, the presence of a family psychiatric history, failure of marriage, not-homelessness, and quality insurance were found to be associated with a diagnosis of affective disorders. CONCLUSION: Our results show that these demographic factors, including ethnicity, have effects on diagnoses in psychiatric inpatients. Furthermore, these variables may help prediction of psychiatric diagnoses.
African Americans ; Demography ; Ethnic Groups ; Female ; Hispanic Americans ; Homeless Persons ; Hospitals, Psychiatric ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Insurance ; Male ; Marriage ; Medical Records ; Mental Disorders ; Mood Disorders ; Retrospective Studies ; Schizophrenia

OBJECTIVETo enhance the knowledge of adenosine deaminase (ADA) deficiency associated severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) with disseminated varicella infection after vaccination.

METHODSWith case report and review of literature, the background knowledge, clinical and laboratory findings, diagnosis and treatment of ADA-deficient SCID were discussed.

RESULTSThe patient had the condition with failure to thrive. The main complaint was more than three weeks of fever and rash. He had received the live attenuated Oka strain varicella vaccination approximately two weeks before the onset of rash. Varicella infection was confirmed with direct immunofluorescence assay. The patient had mild leukopenia, with 3% lymphocytes. The initial immunologic workup included decreased IgG, IgM and IgA, abnormal expanded lymphocyte enumeration which confirmed the reduction of CD3, CD4, CD8, CD19 and CD56. Enzyme testing for ADA activity showed remarkably low level in the hemolysate, as well as increased levels of deoxyadenosine nucleotides.

CONCLUSIONADA-deficient SCID has some characteristic clinical and laboratory findings. Management options for ADA-deficient SCID include hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, enzyme replacement therapy and gene therapy. Immunodeficiency should be considered in children with severe failure-to-thrive. Live vaccine administration should be avoided in patients with immunodeficiency.

Adenosine Deaminase ; deficiency ; African Americans ; Chickenpox ; complications ; etiology ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Severe Combined Immunodeficiency ; complications ; Vaccination ; adverse effects

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The Central California Valley has a diverse population with significant proportions of Hispanics and Asians. This cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) in healthy blood donors in the Valley. METHODS: A total of 217,738 voluntary blood donors were identified between 2006 and 2010 (36,795 first-time donors; 180,943 repeat donors). RESULTS: Among the first-time donors, the HBV and HCV prevalence was 0.28% and 0.52%, respectively. Higher HBV prevalence seen in Asians (3%) followed by Caucasians (0.05%), African Americans (0.15%), and Hispanics (0.05%). Hmong had a HBV prevalence of 7.63% with a peak prevalence of 8.76% among the 16- to 35-year-old age group. Highest HCV prevalence in Native Americans (2.8) followed by Caucasians (0.59%), Hispanics (0.45%), African Americans (0.38%), and Asians (0.2%). CONCLUSIONS: Ethnic disparities persist with regard to the prevalence of HBV and HCV in the Central California Valley. The reported prevalence may be an underestimate because our study enrolled healthy volunteer blood donors only. The development of aggressive public health measures to evaluate the true prevalence of HBV and HCV and to identify those in need of HBV and HCV prevention measures and therapy is critically important.
African Americans ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Blood Donors ; California ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Hepacivirus ; Hepatitis ; Hepatitis B ; Hepatitis B virus ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; Hepatitis C, Chronic ; Hispanic Americans ; Humans ; Indians, North American ; Prevalence ; Public Health ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Tissue Donors

BACKGROUND: There are significant differences in the clincopathologic pattern including the incidence, favor site, and histopathologic type between cutaneous malignant melanomas arising from whites, asians and blacks. These differences might suggest that there is a racial difference in the molecular tumorigenesis mechanism of malignant melanoma. METHODS: To determine the ethnic differences in tumorigenesis of malignant melanoma, we performed loss of heterozygosity (LOH) and sequencing analyses of the p53 gene in cutaneous malignant melanomas arising from 22 white American, 30 Korean and 15 black African patients. RESULTS: The frequency of LOH of the p53 gene is only 12.5% in white American patients, but the frequency is significantly higher in Korean (42.1%) and black African (61.5%) patients. We also detected 17 mutations (nonsense: 1, missense: 16) of the p53 gene in the cutaneous malignant melanomas of Koreans and black Africans, but none in those of white Americans: among the 16 missense mutations, 10 mutations were C:G to T:A transitional mutations. Of these, we also detected one GG (CC) to AA (TT) tandem mutation at the pyrimidine sequence. CONCLUSION: These results strongly suggest that there might be a racial difference in molecular carcinogenesis mechanisms among the cutaneous malignant melanomas occurring in white American, Korean and black African patients. But the role of the p53 genetic alteration in the genesis of melanomas in Korean and black African patients is subject to further evaluation.
African Continental Ancestry Group ; Asian Americans ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Carcinogenesis ; Ethnic Groups ; Genes, p53 ; Humans ; Incidence ; Loss of Heterozygosity ; Melanoma* ; Mutation, Missense

OBJECTIVE: The length of anterior-posterior commissure (AC-PC) in racial groups, age, gender of patients with deep brain stimulation (DBS) and pallidotomy were investigated. METHODS: From January 1996 to December 2003, 211 patients were treated with DBS and pallidotomy. There were 160 (76%) Caucasians, 35 (17%) Hispanics, 12 (5%) Asians and 4 Blacks (2%). There were 88 males and 52 females in DBS-surgery group and 44 males, 27 females in pallidotomy group. Mean age was 58 year-old. There were 19 males and 19 females and mean age was 54.7 years in the control group. Measurements were made on MRI and @Target software. RESULTS: The average AC-PC distance was 24.89 mm (range 32 to 19), which increased with aging until 75 years old in Caucasian and also increased with aging in Hispanic, but the AC-PC distance peaked at 45 years old in Hispanic. The order of AC-PC distance were 25.2+/-2 mm in Caucasian, 24.6+/-2.24 mm in Asian, 24.53 mm in Black, 23.6+/-1.98 mm in Hispanic. The average AC-PC distance in all groups was 24.22 mm in female who was mean age of 56.35, 25.28 mm in male who was mean age of 60.19 and 24.5+/-2 mm in control group that was excluded because of the difference of thickness of slice. According to multiple regression analysis, the AC-PC distance was significantly correlated with age, race, and gender. CONCLUSION: The AC-PC distance is significantly correlated with age, gender, and race. The atlas of functional stereotaxis would be depended on the variation of indivisual brain that can influenced by aging, gender, and race.
African Continental Ancestry Group ; Aging ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Brain ; Continental Population Groups ; Deep Brain Stimulation ; Female ; Hispanic Americans ; Humans ; Male ; Pallidotomy