OBJECTIVESTo study the contribution of the genes and environment to variation of serum levels of lipids and lipoprotein.

METHODSOne hundred and forty-three healthy monozygotic (MZ) twin pairs and 93 dizygotic (DZ) ones aged 5 to 19 [with a mean of (11.2 +/- 3.4) years]. Microsatellite polymorphism (STR) was used to diagnose zygosity of twins, and intraclass correlation coefficient method and Falconer formula were performed to investigate heritability of serum lipids and lipoproteins unadjusted or adjusted for age and sex. Logarithmic transformation was used for data with skewed distribution. Influence of relevant physical and biochemical indicators on serum lipids and other components was analyzed with partial coefficients of correlation adjusted for age and sex.

RESULTSIn the twin samples, difference in serum level of triglycerides (TG) between MZ and DZ was not statistically significant with intraclass variation and intraclass correlation. There was significant difference in serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), and lipoprotein [Lp(a)] between MZ and DZ, with their heritability estimates of 0.56, 0.55, 0.49 and 0.58 unadjusted, respectively, and 0.63, 0.63, 0.55 and 0.64 adjusted for age and sex, respectively. Serum levels of TC, HDL-C, LDL-C and Lp(a) correlated reversely with age. Serum levels of TC, HDL-C and LDL-C in girls were slightly higher than those in boys. Most indicators for serum levels of lipids and lipoprotein, except for serum level of Lp(a) correlated with body mass index (BMI), body fat ratio, Pelidisi index, and other indexes such as blood pressure, blood sugar, serum level of calcium, adjusted for age and sex.

CONCLUSIONSSerum levels of TC, HDL-C and Lp(a) were influenced more greatly by genetic factors, and serum level of TG was mainly influenced by environmental ones. Levels of blood lipids in children were influenced by age and sex, and correlated with indicators that reflect their body fat and nutritional status.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Factors ; Child ; Cholesterol, HDL ; blood ; genetics ; Cholesterol, LDL ; blood ; genetics ; Female ; Humans ; Lipids ; blood ; genetics ; Lipoproteins ; blood ; genetics ; Male ; Sex Factors ; Triglycerides ; blood ; genetics ; Twin Studies as Topic ; Twins, Dizygotic ; Twins, Monozygotic

Objective To assess the heritability of serum uric acid in adult,using the classic twin design.Methods Adult Twins were recruited from the Qingdao Twin Registry.Uric acid,height,weight were measured.Zygosity in all the same-sex twin pairs was determined by 16 polymorphic markers.Heritability was assessed by structural equation models,with age,gender and body mass index(BMI) included as covariates.Results In total,687 twin pairs were available for data analyses,including 420 pairs of monozygotic and 267 pairs of dizygotic twins.After logarithm transformed,uric acid in males ( 17.47±1.91 ) was significantly higher than in females ( 15.22±1.70,P＜0.0001 ).After adjustment on age,sex and BMI,intraclass correlations for uric acid were 0.70 for monozygotic twins and 0.40 for dizygotic twins.The sex-limitation AE model,combining additive genetic and unique environmental factors,could produce the best fit for the data.Heritability estimate for uric acid was 70.5% (95% CI:65.9-74.6),with the proportion of unique environmental effects as 29.5%(95%CI:25.4-34.2).Conclusion Additive genetic effects appeared to be the major contributor to the variation of uric acid in this twins sample being studied.

OBJECTIVETo construct a human phage antibody library and screen the single chain variable fragment (ScFv) antibudies to peroxiredoxin I (Prx I) of lung adenocarcinoma.

METHODSThe total RNA was isolated from the lymph nodes of lung cancer patients to amplify V(H) and V(L) genes by RT-PCR. V(H) and V(L) were linked with a DNA linker by SOE-PCR to construct the single chain variable fragment gene. The ScFvs were coloned into the phage vector pCANTAB5E. The insert ratio of the ScFv antibody library was identified by PCR, and the products were digested by SfiI/NotI and analyzed with 1% agarose gel electrophoresis. Three rounds of panning against lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549 and Prx I were performed, and the positive clones were identified for soluble expression. The soluble antibodies were identified by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting, and ELISA and immunocytochemistry were used to characterize the activity of the antibodies.

RESULTSA recombination phage antibody library was constructed. The insert ratio of ScFv gene was 77% (23/30), and enzyme digestion identified the target product. The sixth phage harvest resulted in a yield 180 folds of that of the first one. Positive reactions to A549 cells were detected in 6 of 10 random clones, with a positivity rate of 60%. The soluble human ScFvs against Prx I of lung adenocarcinoma were expressed in E. coli HB2151 and confirmed by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. ELISA and immunocytochemistry demonstrated a relative specific affinity of the soluble antibodies to A549 cells.

CONCLUSIONScFv antibodies against lung adenocarcinoma have been acquired by phage display antibody library technique, and the soluble antibodies have a relative avidity specific to human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells overexpressing PrxI.

Adenocarcinoma ; immunology ; pathology ; Antibodies, Neoplasm ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; immunology ; Antibody Specificity ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin Variable Region ; immunology ; Lung Neoplasms ; immunology ; pathology ; Peptide Library ; Peroxiredoxins ; immunology ; Single-Chain Antibodies ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; immunology

OBJECTIVETo apply an orthogonal design optimization strategy to a mouse model of acute liver failure induced by D-galactosamine (D-GalN) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exposure.

METHODSA four-level orthogonal array design (L16(45)) was constructed to test factors with potential impact on successful establishment of the model (D-GalN and LPS dosages, and dilution rate of the D-GalN/LPS mixture). The mortality rate of mice within 24 hours of D-GalN/LPS administration was determined by the Kaplan-Meier method. The model outcome was verified by changes in serum alanine transferase level, liver histology, and hepatocyte apoptosis.

RESULTSThe orthogonal array identified the optimal model technique as intraperitoneal injection of a combination of D-GalN and LPS at dosages of 350 mg/kg and 30 mug/kg, respectively, and using a dilution rate of 3. The dosages tested had no effect on survival. The typical signs of liver failure appeared at 6 hrs after administration of the D-GalN/LPS combination.

CONCLUSIONThe orthogonal design optimization strategy provided a procedure for establishing a mouse model of acute liver failure induced by D-GalN and LPS that showed appropriate disease outcome and survival, and which will serve to improve future experimental research of acute liver failure.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; Disease Models, Animal ; Galactosamine ; adverse effects ; Lipopolysaccharides ; adverse effects ; Liver Failure, Acute ; chemically induced ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL

OBJECTIVETo calculate heritabilities of personality disorders (PDs) in twin population.

METHODSBased on informed consent, we used Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire (fourth-version) as our screening tool to study the adult twins (aged 20 - 70 years) in Qingdao city. There were 324 twin pairs whose zygosity had been determined. Structural equation modeling was used to estimate the heritabilities by 242 same-sex twin pairs.

RESULTSThe best-fitting models yielded a heritability of 68.26% (60.26 - 74.78) of overall PDs, 59.00% (49.22 - 67.17) of cluster A, 64.99% (56.24 - 72.16) of cluster B, and 63.66% (54.72 - 71.02) of cluster C. There were significant genetic effects for schizotypal, narcissistic and dependent, explaining 49.96% (37.94 - 60.14), 52.89% (41.85 - 62.24) and 68.87% (60.80 - 75.40) of the variance respectively. No genetic effects were found on Histrionic, but common environmental effect accounted for 54.08% (44.50 - 62.43) of the total variances.

CONCLUSIONPD was mainly determined by genetic factor. These findings may provide evidence for future research on PD.

Adult ; Aged ; Analysis of Variance ; China ; Cluster Analysis ; Diseases in Twins ; genetics ; Environment ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Models, Genetic ; Personality Disorders ; genetics ; Personality Inventory ; Risk Factors ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Young Adult

Anti-Bacterial Agents ; pharmacology ; Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins ; Bacterial Typing Techniques ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup B ; classification ; drug effects ; genetics ; Phylogeny

Objective To understand the treatment circumstance of ST-elevation myocardial Infarction (STEMI) patients at public hospitals in Shenzhen.Methods Directed by Public Hospital Administration at Shenzhen Municipality (PHASM) and led by Chest Pain Treatment Quality Control Center at Shenzhen People's Hospital (CPTQCC-SZ),25 public hospitals in Shenzhen, including 15 PCI-capable hospitals and 10 non-PCI-capable hospitals,we investigated on the overall treatment conditions and the STEMI patient treatment situations from October to December 2015 in these hospitals. A regression analysis was performed between a few factors and the success rate of STEMI treatment was reviewed. Results 383 STEMI cases twere registered between October to December 2015 in the 25 public hospitals in Shenzhen,with 324 case treated in PCI-capable hospitals and 59 cases in non-PCI-capable hospitals. There were statistical differences between the PCI-capable hospitals and non-PCI-capable hospital in fields of total number of senior cardiologists (work year ≥ 3 year),total number of beds in general cardiology beds and number of beds in cccu(all P<0.01). There was no difference in the time of obtaining the first ECG at patient arrival between hospitals(P=0.052).Time for laboratory results availability for troporin was significantly shorter in PCI-capable hospital[(25.0±4.2)min vs.(58.0±2.8)min,P=0.002] .Among the PCI-capable hospitals,the mean D-to-B time was 320 minutes, and mean F-to-B time was 380 minutes. In non-PCI-capable hospitals,D-to-N time ranged from 20 to 350 minutes and F-to-N time ranged from 25 to 380 minutes. Conclusions There are gaps among the overall conditions of the public hospitals in Shenzhen. The overall conditions and chest pain treatment conditions of non-PCI-capable hospitals had bigger gaps with PCI-capable hospitals.

Adolescent ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Humans ; Male ; Meningitis, Meningococcal ; microbiology ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Neisseria meningitidis ; classification ; drug effects ; isolation & purification

OBJECTIVETo analyze the molecular characteristics and genetic correlations of Vibrio cholerae isolates in Hainan in 2008, so as to provide pathogenic proof to diagnose the plague.

METHODSSeventy six cholera strains were isolated from this cholera epidemic.69 strains were obtained from patients, 7 were isolated from external environment, among which, one was from patient's toilet, one from water sample, three were isolated from fish pond near patient's home, one came from swab of the patient vomit on the ground of health center and one from swab of kitchen knife from Hainan University canteen respectively. With conventional aetiological methods, pulse-field gel electrophoresis was conducted and the patterns of the 76 isolates were analyzed. The PFGE image was analyzed using BioNumerics (Version4.0, Applied Maths BVBA, Belium). Image bands were identified and similarity coefficient was automatically generated.

RESULTSSeventy six strains were isolated from Vibrio cholerae outbreaks in Hainan in 2008.5 PFGE patterns of patient's isolates in June were the same, sharing a similarity coefficient of 100%. 70 PFGE patterns of patients and water in October and November were completely same, the similarity coefficient being 100%. But they were not same as that of June. 1 PFGE pattern of isolate from the sample in Hainan University was different, only sharing a similarity coefficient of 79.7%, which showed no correlation with the outbreak.

CONCLUSIONDifferent outbreaks of Vibrio cholera occurred in Hainan in 2008. The epidemic in October and November at different counties was one outbreak. The pollution of water in environment was an important factor for outbreak.

Bacterial Typing Techniques ; methods ; China ; epidemiology ; Cholera ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; DNA, Bacterial ; Disease Outbreaks ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field ; methods ; Humans ; Vibrio cholerae ; classification ; isolation & purification

Hyperlipidemia is a major risk factor for fatty liver, atherosclerosis, hyperviscosily, coronary artery disease and acute myocardial infarction. In recent years, the incidence of hyperlipidemia was gradually increased and showed younger trend. It has been a research hot point to study the etiology and pathogenesis of hyperlipidemia and develop a new drug reduced blood lipid. It is very important to prepare the animal model of hyperlipidemia for displaying the advantage of traditional Chinese medicine characteristic. However, the success of replicating animal model of hyperlipidemia is one of the key of research in experimental hyperlipidemia. The ideal animal model of hyperlipidemia should be similar to human disease, high repeatability, simple and high generalization. It will affect the reliability of the results and the accuracy of the whole experiment process to copy successfully animal models of hyperlipidemia. This review focused on the recent research progress on copying methods of animal models of experimental hyperlipidemia, which will provide reference and basis for the hypolipidemic developers who choose rationally and effectively replication methods of hyperlipidemia animal models.