1.Genotyping and species identification of Fritillaria by DNA chips.
Pui-yan TSOI ; Hok-sin WOO ; Man-sau WONG ; Shi-lin CHEN ; Wan-fung FONG ; Pei-gen XIAO ; Meng-su YANG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica 2003;38(3):185-190
AIMTo investigate the genetic polymorphism of several species of Fritillaria and to develop a DNA chip for the genotyping and identification of the origin of various species of Fritillaria at molecular level.
METHODSGenomic DNA from bulbs of several Fritillaria species was extracted and the polymorphisms of the D2 and D3 regions inside the 26S rDNA gene were identified by direct sequencing. Oligonucleotide probes specific for these polymorphisms were designed and printed on the poly-lysine coated slides to prepare the DNA chip. PCR products from the Fritillaria species were labeled with fluorescence by incorporation of dye-labeled dideoxyribonucleotides and hybridized to the immobilized probes on the chip.
RESULTSThe polymorphisms were used as markers for discrimination among various species. Specific oligonucleotide probes were designed and immobilized on a DNA chip. Differentiation of the various Fritillaria species was accomplished based on hybridization of fluorescent labeled PCR products with the DNA chip.
CONCLUSIONThe results demonstrated the reliability of using DNA chips to identify different species of Fritillaria, and the DNA chip technology can provide a rapid, high throughput tool for genotyping and quality assurance of the plant species verification.
Base Sequence ; DNA, Plant ; analysis ; Fritillaria ; classification ; genetics ; Genotype ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; methods ; Plants, Medicinal ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; RNA, Ribosomal ; genetics ; Species Specificity
2.Development of a Non-Invasive Liver Fibrosis Score Based on Transient Elastography for Risk Stratification in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes
Chi-Ho LEE ; Wai-Kay SETO ; Kelly IEONG ; David T.W. LUI ; Carol H.Y. FONG ; Helen Y. WAN ; Wing-Sun CHOW ; Yu-Cho WOO ; Man-Fung YUEN ; Karen S.L. LAM
Endocrinology and Metabolism 2021;36(1):134-145
Background:
In non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), transient elastography (TE) is an accurate non-invasive method to identify patients at risk of advanced fibrosis (AF). We developed a diabetes-specific, non-invasive liver fibrosis score based on TE to facilitate AF risk stratification, especially for use in diabetes clinics where TE is not readily available.
Methods:
Seven hundred sixty-six adults with type 2 diabetes and NAFLD were recruited and randomly divided into a training set (n=534) for the development of diabetes fibrosis score (DFS), and a testing set (n=232) for internal validation. DFS identified patients with AF on TE, defined as liver stiffness (LS) ≥9.6 kPa, based on a clinical model comprising significant determinants of LS with the lowest Akaike information criteria. The performance of DFS was compared with conventional liver fibrosis scores (NFS, FIB-4, and APRI), using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values (NPV).
Results:
DFS comprised body mass index, platelet, aspartate aminotransferase, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and albuminuria, five routine measurements in standard diabetes care. Derived low and high DFS cut-offs were 0.1 and 0.3, with 90% sensitivity and 90% specificity, respectively. Both cut-offs provided better NPVs of >90% than conventional fibrosis scores. The AUROC of DFS for AF on TE was also higher (P<0.01) than the conventional fibrosis scores, being 0.85 and 0.81 in the training and testing sets, respectively.
Conclusion
Compared to conventional fibrosis scores, DFS, with a high NPV, more accurately identified diabetes patients at-risk of AF, who need further evaluation by hepatologists.