OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between polymorphism of apolipoprotein E (ApoE) exon 4 gene and different syndromes in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). METHODS: Two hundred patients with CHD were divided into four groups according to syndrome differentiation, including syndrome of phlegm (PS), syndrome of blood stasis (BSS), syndrome of phlegm-blood stasis blocking (PBBS) and syndrome of non-phlegm and non-blood stasis (NPNBS). One hundred healthy volunteers were included in control group. Blood lipids were measured by routine examination. Total DNA of peripheral blood was extracted. ApoE genotypes were determined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique. All data were analyzed by SAS software. RESULTS: (1)The occurrence rate of epsilon4 allele of ApoE in patients with CHD was 19.5%, significantly higher than 9.5% in the control group (P<0.05), and the E 3/4 genotype was especially more frequent (P<0.01). (2) The levels of total cholesterol (TC), total triglycerides (TG) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in patients with epsilon4 were higher than those in patients without epsilon4 (P<0.01). (3) The frequencies of epsilon4 allele and E3/4 genotype in patients with PS were significantly higher than those in patients with BSS (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: ApoE epsilon4 allele, especially E3/4 genotype, is the risk factor of CHD. There is a relatively close relationship between patients with ApoE epsilon4 allele and PS. It may be one of the main susceptible genes in CHD patients with PS.

Human xanthine oxidase is considered to be a target for therapy of hyperuricemia. Cichorium intybus is a Chinese plant medicine which widely used in Xinjiang against various diseases. In order to screen the inhibitors of xanthine oxidase from C. intybus and to explore main pharmacological actions of cichory a compound collection of C. intybus was built via consulting related references about chemical research on cichory. The three-dimensional crystal structure of xanthine oxidase (PDB code: 1N5X) from Protein Data Bank was downloaded.. Autodock 4.2 was employed to screen the inhibitors of xanthine oxidase from cichory 70 compounds were found to possess quite low binding free energy comparing with TEI (febuxostat). C. intybus contains constituents possessing potential inhibitive activity against xanthine oxidase. It can explain the main pharmacological actions of cichory which can significantly lower the level of serum uric acid.
Chicory ; chemistry ; Databases, Protein ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Enzyme Inhibitors ; chemistry ; Humans ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Molecular Structure ; Xanthine Oxidase ; antagonists & inhibitors ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo explore the relationship between Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection and iron status using serum ferritin (SF) as a marker for total iron and to identify the related factors of iron nutritional status among preschool children.

METHODSBy cluster sampling, we recruited 475 preschool children aged 2 to 7 years. A structured questionnaire and diet form were sent to the parents of these children to obtain related information about the socioeconomic level and dietary intakes. After collecting blood samples, the following indexes were measured. Hp IgG antibodies were measured with a dot enzyme-linked immunoassay; hemoglobin, Hct, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), red blood cell distribution width index (RDW) with automatic Complete Blood Count; SF with an immunoradiometric assay. Stool Hp antigen and occult bleeding were measured with ELISA among individuals who were Hp seropositive. Hp status was defined as positive when both serum and stool antigen tests were positive, Hp status was defined as negative when serum antigen test was negative; 24-hour weighting and recording methods were used to dietary survey for three days in May and December 2001, respectively, dietary intakes including energy, protein and micronutrient were calculated using nursery school nutrition software and evaluated by Chinese Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs). Mann-Whitney test was used to compare mean ranks of SF in Hp-positive and Hp-negative children. To obtain an adjusted estimate of the impact of Hp infection on SF, a multivariate analysis of covariance was done to evaluate the different level of SF between Hp infected and non-infected status. The relationship between iron deficiency and gender, age, socioeconomic condition, iron intake, and calcium intake was assessed by univariate analysis. An unconditional multivariate logistic regression analysis was also performed. Iron deficiency status was dichotomized and placed as the dependent variable. Hp infection status was incorporated together with possible confounding factors as independent variables in a final logistic regression model. All the data were managed by EPI Info 5.01a and analyzed by SAS (Version 6.12).

RESULTSTotally 64 children were diagnosed as Hp-positive and 305 as Hp-negative. Mann-Whitney test and multivariate analysis of covariance both showed that SF concentration was significantly lower in Hp infected individuals than non-infected individuals. Adjusted mean level and 95% confidence interval of SF in infected and non-infected children was 23.62 microg/L (7.13 microg/L-78.26 microg/L), 33.48 microg/L (10.28 microg/L-109.06 microg/L), respectively. The relationship between Hp infection and iron deficiency status persisted in logistic regression analysis after adjusting for possible confounding factors (OR: 7.95; 95% CI 2.56 - 24.67).

CONCLUSIONIron nutritional status was reduced in Hp infected preschool children. Hp infection appears to be an independent risk factor or an added stressor on iron status among preschool children.

Antibodies, Viral ; blood ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Erythrocyte Indices ; Female ; Ferritins ; blood ; Helicobacter Infections ; blood ; Helicobacter pylori ; immunology ; Hemoglobins ; analysis ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Multivariate Analysis ; Nutrition Assessment

OBJECTIVETo explore the relationship between two exonic polymorphisms of DNA repair gene XPC and the susceptibility to lung cancer.

METHODSGenotypes were determined by the primer introduced restriction analysis-PCR(PIRA-PCR) and the PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism(PCR-RFLP) approaches, respectively, in 320 histologically-confirmed lung cancer cases and 322 age and sex frequency-matched cancer-free controls.

RESULTSMultivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that individuals carrying at least one 499Val variant allele (Ala/Val + Val/Val genotypes) had a significantly increased risk for lung cancer (adjusted OR=1.54; 95%CI: 1.11-2.14), compared with the wild-type genotype (499Ala/Ala). Furthermore, individuals with both putative risk genotypes had a significantly higher risk (adjusted OR=2.55; 95%CI: 1.45-4.52), compared with those with both wild-genotypes. In addition, a potential super multiplicative gene-environment interaction between Ala499Val genotypes and smoking on lung cancer risk was unveiled. The odds ratios of lung cancer for individuals with both putative risk genotypes were 2.63 (95%CI=1.23-5.62) in nonsmokers and 7.36 (95%CI=3.19-17.0) in smokers, respectively.

CONCLUSIONThese findings support the hypothesis that these two XPC variants may contribute to the risk of developing lung cancer.

Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; China ; DNA-Binding Proteins ; genetics ; Exons ; genetics ; Female ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; genetics ; Genotype ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; ethnology ; genetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVETo investigate the influence of cigarette smoking on human sperm DNA integrity.

METHODSTotally, 784 cases of male infertility were selected from our case database and grouped according to whether they were smokers or nonsmokers, how much they smoked (< or = 10, 11-19 and > or = 20 cigarettes/d) and how long they smoked (< or = 5, 6-9 and > or = 10 yr). Sperm DNA integrity was measured using sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA) and flow cytometry. DNA fragmentation and immature spermatozoa were expressed by the DNA fragmentation index (DFI) and high DNA stainability (HDS) respectively. Conventional sperm parameters and sperm DNA integrity were compared among different groups.

RESULTSThe total semen volume and percentage of grade a + b sperm were lower and the sperm morphological abnormality was higher in the > or = 20 cigarettes/d and > or = 10 yr groups than in the others (P < 0.05). DFI and HDS were significantly higher in the smokers than in the nonsmokers (P < 0.05). HDS was negatively correlated with the percentage of grade a + b sperm (r = -0.18, P < 0.05) and both DFI and HDS were positively correlated with the rate of sperm malformation (r = 0.31 and r = 0.39, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSmoking more than 20 cigarettes a day or longer than 10 years has deleterious effects on the semen volume, percentage of grade a + b sperm and sperm morphology of the smokers. Cigarette smoking decreases sperm DNA integrity and nuclear maturation.

Adult ; DNA Damage ; drug effects ; DNA Fragmentation ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; genetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Smoking ; adverse effects ; Sperm Count ; Sperm Motility ; Spermatozoa ; drug effects ; Young Adult

To investigate the relationship between the plasma biomarker proteins and the states of Zang-Fu organs in patients with phlegm or blood stagnation syndromes due to hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis.

OBJECTIVETo study the relationship between two potential functional polymorphisms in exon 2 of the p73 gene and the susceptibility of lung cancer.

METHODSGenotypes were determined by polymerase chain reaction-single stand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) method in 425 histologically-confirmed lung cancer cases and 588 cancer-free controls, frequency-matched by age and sex.

RESULTSThe two polymorphisms were in complete linkage disequilibrium and the frequencies of variant p73 AT haplotype (A4T14) were less commonly seen in the cases (0.225) than in the controls (0.287) (P = 0.0018). Compared with the p73 GC/GC homozygotes, both the AT/AT variant homozygotes and GC/AT heterozygotes were associated with a significantly decreased risk [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 0.45, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.26 - 0.80 and OR = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.53-0.92, respectively].

CONCLUSIONThese results suggested that this p73 dinucleotide polymorphism might have had a role to play in the susceptibility of lung cancer.

5' Untranslated Regions ; genetics ; Adenocarcinoma ; genetics ; Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Small Cell ; genetics ; DNA-Binding Proteins ; genetics ; Exons ; genetics ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Genes, Tumor Suppressor ; physiology ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; genetics ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; genetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nuclear Proteins ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Tumor Protein p73 ; Tumor Suppressor Proteins ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of Apo A1 and B gene polymorphism on avascular necrosis of the femoral head (ANFH) in north Chinese Han population.

METHODSPolymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphisms (PCR-RFLP) technique was used in samples of 143 cases with documented ANFH and 92 healthy control matched by age and sex individuals selected from north Chinese Han nationality. The studied loci include promoter region (-75bp) and the intron 1 (+83 bp) of Apo A1 gene, Eco RI,Xba I of Apo B gene; polymerase chain reaction was used to study 3'-VNTR of Apo B gene.

RESULTSAt -75 bp in promoter, the frequency of A/A genotype in ANFH group was significantly higher than that in control group (P < 0.01), while the frequency of G/A genotype in ANFH group was significantly lower than that in control group (P < 0.01). No difference was found in the frequency of genotype at +83bp in intron 1 of Apo A1 gene, Eco RI, Xba I and 3'-VNTR loci of Apo B gene.

CONCLUSIONApolipoprotein A1 gene A/A substitution at position -75 in promotor is associated with ANFH, the mutation may be one of the sensitive genes of ANFH, first reported inside and abroad. But no evident relationship was found between gene polymorphism of +75 bp loci of Apo A1 gene, Eco RI loci of Apo B gene, Xba I loci of Apo B gene or 3'-VNTR of Apo B gene and ANFH.

Adult ; Apolipoprotein A-I ; genetics ; Apolipoproteins B ; genetics ; Case-Control Studies ; China ; Electrophoresis ; Female ; Femur Head Necrosis ; genetics ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Polymorphism, Genetic

Autopsy ; Betacoronavirus ; COVID-19 ; Coronavirus Infections ; Humans ; Pandemics ; Pneumonia, Viral ; SARS-CoV-2

Objective To study the impairnlent of cognitive function and the change of P300 event-related potential(ERP)parameters in the patients with tumor in frontal lobe so as to investigate the role of the front lobe in cognitive function and the P300 production. Methods P300 examination and neuropsychological tests for cognition,including Stroop Test,Symbol Digit Modalities Test,and Verbal Fluency Test,et al,were performed in 31 patients with tumor in front lobe(left 15 and right 16)and 30 healthy controls. Results Compared with healthy controls, in the patients with front lobe tumor,cognitive function was degraded(P＜0.05),the latency of N3,P3 of P300 was significantly longer,and the amplitude of P3 was significantly lower(P＜0.05).Funhermore,the patients with tumor in right front lobe had signmcantly lower scores in cognitive tests compared with healthy controls (P＜0.05), but the ones with tumor in left front lobe were demonstrated obviously impaired only in Verbal Fluency Test(P＜0.05).Compared with healthy controls, the patients with tumor in eimer right or left flront lobe, the latency of N3,P3 of P300 was significantly longer,the amplitude of P3 was significantly lower(P＜0.05),while in the comparison of two sides, there was no statistically significantly difference in P300 (P＞0.05).Conclusions The cognitive function is obviously impaired in the patients with tumor in frontal lobe,and the impainnent is more serious in the ones with right frontal lobe tumor. Frontal lobe may be related to the generation and transmission of P300,and it is not significantly different in between left and right frontal lobes.