OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to examine the cognitive function change related to aging, the incidence of cognitive impairment, and the association between apolipoprotein E polymorphism and cognitive impairment through a follow-up of the elderly with normal cognitive ability at baseline. METHODS: Two hundred and fifteen subjects aged 65 and over were surveyed in February, 1998 (baseline survey), and their cognitive function was assessed again in 2003 (1st follow-up) and the once again in 2006 (2nd follow-up). Ninety one subjects completed all surveys up through the 2nd follow-up and their cognitive function scores using MMSE-K (Korean Version of the Mini-Mental State Examination) and the distribution of apolipoprotein E allele were analyzed. RESULTS: The cognitive function scores decreased with aging and the difference between baseline and the 2nd follow-up scores of the study increased with the age group. The incidence rate of cognitive impairment through an 8-year follow-up was 38.5% and higher in older age groups. Age was the only significant factor for incidence of cognitive impairment, but there was no significant association between apolipoprotein E genotype and incidence of cognitive impairment. CONCLUSIONS: The cognition of the elderly decreased with aging and the association of apolipoprotein E genotype with incidence of cognitive impairment was not significant in this study. To confirm the association between apolipoprotein E polymorphism and incidence of cognitive impairment further studies will be needed.
Aged ; Apolipoproteins E/*genetics ; Cognition/physiology ; Cognition Disorders/etiology/*genetics ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Polymorphism, Genetic

Humans ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Pulmonary Fibrosis ; genetics ; physiopathology ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; genetics ; physiology

Visfatin, also named nicotinamide phosphoribosyl transferase (NAMPT), is a cytokine secreted from adipose tissue. Visfatin can regulate immune action and is involved in the NAD+ salvage pathway. In addition, recent researches have shown that visfatin helps the regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism, especially in exercise-induced weight reduction for obesity. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the contribution of visfatin gene polymorphisms to glucose and lipid metabolism and exercise-induced weight reduction in obesity.
Exercise ; physiology ; Glycolipids ; metabolism ; Humans ; Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase ; genetics ; physiology ; Obesity ; genetics ; metabolism ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Weight Loss ; genetics

Apolipoproteins E ; genetics ; physiology ; Cholesterol 7-alpha-Hydroxylase ; genetics ; Cholesterol, LDL ; genetics ; Coronary Disease ; genetics ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; genetics ; Genetic Variation ; Humans ; Polymorphism, Genetic

Animals ; Humans ; Ligands ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Receptor Cross-Talk ; physiology ; Receptor, Angiotensin, Type 1 ; physiology ; Receptor, Angiotensin, Type 2 ; genetics ; physiology

BACKGROUNDAlcohol dependence (AD) is a serious and common public health problem. The identification of genes that contribute to the AD variation will improve our understanding of the genetic mechanism underlying this complex disease. Previous genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and candidate gene genetic association studies identified individual genes as candidates for alcohol phenotypes, but efforts to generate an integrated view of accumulative genetic variants and pathways under alcohol drinking are lacking.

METHODSWe applied enrichment gene set analysis to existing genetic association results to identify pertinent pathways to AD in this study. A total of 1 438 SNPs (P < 1.0 × 10(-3)) associated to alcohol drinking related traits have been collected from 31 studies (10 candidate gene association studies, 19 GWAS of SNPs, and 2 GWAS of copy number variants).

RESULTSAmong all of the KEGG pathways, the calcium signaling pathway (hsa04020) showed the most significant enrichment of associations (21 genes) to alcohol consumption phenotypes (P = 5.4 × 10(-5)). Furthermore, the calcium signaling pathway is the only pathway that turned out to be significant after multiple test adjustments, achieving Bonferroni P value of 0.8 × 10(-3) and FDR value of 0.6 × 10(-2), respectively. Interestingly, the calcium signaling pathway was previously found to be essential to regulate brain function, and genes in this pathway link to a depressive effect of alcohol consumption on the body.

CONCLUSIONSOur findings, together with previous biological evidence, suggest the importance of gene polymorphisms of calcium signaling pathway to AD susceptibility. Still, further investigations are warranted to uncover the role of this pathway in AD and related traits.

Alcoholism ; genetics ; Calcium Signaling ; genetics ; physiology ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; genetics ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; methods ; Humans ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo study genetic difference of Cistanche tubulosa that parasites on different Tamarixs and give a reference to select host of C. tubulosa.

METHODSixteen selected primers by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were used to analyze genetic distance of C. tubulosa that parasites on eight different hosts.

RESULTSixty-six point seven percent of the total bands were polymorphic, that proved the genetic diversity level in different C. tubulosa types was relatively high, especially the two that parasites on Tamarix hispida and T. chinensis. Cultural areas had more remarkable influence on genetic distance of Cistanche tubulosa than the hosts, and introduction was helpful to maintain the more genetic diversity in different C. tubulosa types. Genetic difference in different C. tubulosa types was far less than that between different species in Cistanche.

CONCLUSIONC. tubulosa types which parasite on different Tamarixs have high genetic diversity.

Cistanche ; genetics ; physiology ; DNA, Plant ; analysis ; Genetic Variation ; Host-Parasite Interactions ; genetics ; Phylogeny ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique ; Tamaricaceae ; classification ; genetics ; physiology

Whether surfactant protein B (SP-B)-18A/C and 1580C/T polymorphism were associated with susceptibility to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Chinese Han population was investigated. After genomic DNA was isolated from blood of COPD smokers and control smokers, the genotypes of SP-B-18A/C and SP-B1580C/T polymorphism loci were determined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis (PCR-RFLP) respectively. The results showed that there was significant difference in genotypes distribution frequency of SP-B1580C/T polymorphism locus between COPD smokers and control smokers. C-->T mutation rate (including TT homozygote and CT heterozygote) in COPD smokers was higher than in control smokers (57.9% vs 41.7%, chi2 = 4.93, P<0.05), whereas there was no significant difference in genotypes distribution frequency of SP-B1580-18A/C locus between COPD smokers and control smokers. The allele frequency (29.1%) of SP-B1580-18A/C locus is lower than T allele (70.9%) in Chinese Han Population, and the distribution was different from that in Mexican, in which, the A and T allele frequencies were 85% and 15% respectively. It was concluded that SP-B1580 T allele was probably associated with increased susceptibility to COPD in Chinese Han population; The polymorphism of SP-B-18A/C locus maybe varied with race.
Alleles ; China ; ethnology ; Female ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; genetics ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; genetics ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; genetics ; Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein B ; genetics ; physiology ; Smoking ; genetics

To investigate the association between single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the 11th exon of transient receptor potential melastatin 2 (TRPM2) gene with the susceptibility and outcome of sepsis.A total of 119 septic patients and 112 normal subjects were enrolled from the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine. Among 119 septic patients, 62 died (fatal group) and 57 survived (survival group) within 28 days of disease onset. The genotypes of these individuals were detected using TaqMan allelic discrimination assays, and its correlations with susceptibility and outcome of sepsis were analyzed.There was no significant difference in genotype frequencies and allelic frequencies of TRPM2 SNP rs1556314 between septic patients and the controls (all>0.05). And no significant difference in genotype frequencies and allelic frequencies of TRPM2 SNP rs1556314 was observed between the survivors and fatal cases of septic patients (all>0.05).The TRPM2 SNP rs1556314 does not have significant association with sepsis, but this result need to be confirmed by large scale studies.
Exons ; genetics ; physiology ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; genetics ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; genetics ; physiology ; Sepsis ; genetics ; mortality ; TRPM Cation Channels ; genetics

The effects of androgen on lipid and the cardiovascular system are very important. The relationship between androgen and lipoprotein is rather complicated and influenced by many factors. The effects of endogenous androgen on the metabolism of lipoprotein vary with age, environment, nutrition and gender, while the effects of exogenous androgen on lipoprotein vary with different androgen preparations, administration methods and diseases to be treated. Androgen can impact the metabolism of lipoprotein, vascular endothelium, macrophage, vascular smooth muscle, angiotasis, blood coagulation, platelet and so on. The effects of polymorphism of the androgen receptor gene CAG on the cardiovascular system are important and yet somehow controversial and have to be further investigated.
Androgens ; pharmacology ; physiology ; Cardiovascular System ; drug effects ; Female ; Humans ; Lipoproteins ; metabolism ; Male ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Receptors, Androgen ; genetics ; physiology