BACKGROUND: It is of great importance to study the genotype distribution of hereditary ataxia in understanding its epidemiologic rule and pathogenetic pathway.OBJECTIVE: To analyze the distribution of different genotype of hereditary ataxia in south China.DESIGN: A case-control observation.SETTING: Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University.PARTICIPANTS: Forty-three patients (26 males and 17 females) with hereditary ataxia from 36 families and 38 patients with sporadic hereditary ataxia (24 males and 14 females) were selected from the Outpatient Clinic of Neurogenetics, Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University between September 1998 and September 2002. At the same time, 60 healthy individuals from the patients' families and 44randomly-selected healthy physical examinees were taken as controls. All the participants were enrolled voluntarily.METHODS: The fragments of trinucleotide repeats at different sites of mutant genes were amplified with polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and then the lengths were calculated with polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and imaging analytical software. The repeated numbers of trinucleotide repeats in all the normal and abnormal amplified alleles were calculated respectively.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Different genotype distribution in patients with hereditary ataxia.RESULTS: All the subjects were involved in the analysis of results. Of the detected patients with hereditary ataxia, the Machado-Joseph disease/spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) 3 was the most common type of autosomal dominant SCA in South China, which was 42.0%, and was followed by SCA2 (7.4%), SCA1 (4.9%), SCA7 (3.7%), SCA6 (2.5%), SCA12 (1.2%).No patient was detected to have SCA8 SCA 10, SCA 17 dentatorubropallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA) and Friedreich ataxia (FRDA).CONCLUSION: Autosomal dominant SCA3 is the most familiar genotype in South China. Clinical detection of hereditary ataxia should be done firstly aiming at the SCA3 genotype.

AIM: To construct the liver-specific transgene vectors encoding wild-type as well as most common disease mutant STBXATP7B cDNA under the control of mouse albumin promoter and to explore their expression. METHODS: Two Kbpala/Alb-STBXATP7B mutants containing the Arg778Leu and His1069Gln mutations were constructed using site-directed mutagenesis system plus site-subcloning technique. The vectors expressed wild-type and mutants of human STBXATP7B in mouse liver cells were obtained and transiently transfected into BRL and BHK cell lines. Western blotting analysis was utilized to detect the expression of human STBXATP7B. RESULTS: Enzyme analysis and sequencing analysis confirmed that the target genes were STBXATP7B and in right position. The results of Western blotting showed that the gene products were expressed specifically in liver cells. CONCLUSION: The Kbpala/Alb-STBXATP7B vectors were constructed successfully and the liver-specific expression of human STBXATP7B proteins were conformed.

0 05) Conclusions Arg778Leu mutation was related to the onset age in patients with WD, but not to patients′ sex, first symptoms and copper metabolic disturbance Arg778Leu mutation is suggested to postpone the onset age of WD patients

Objective To study the gene mutation and clinical characteristic of hereditary spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 (SCA7).Methods The SCA7 (CAG) trinucleotide repeat mutations were detected by polymerase chain reaction(PCR) and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis technique in 24 patients with autosomal dominant SCA from 15 families, 20 sporadic SCA patients and 41 normal persons from the same family and 30 healthy persons from different family,the abnormal allele fragments were sequenced by ABI 373 DNA sequencing machine.Results 24 patients with SCA had CAG repeat numbers of SCA 7 allele from 9~18.Normal alleles of SCA 7 had CAG repeat number from 9 to 19. One sporadic SCA patient had one abnormal SCA 7 allele with the CAG repeat expanded to 63 repeats, being confirmed by DNA sequencing.Conclusion CAG expansions were pathogenic cause of SCA 7. The technique of gene mutation detection could provide an effective way for the prediction of asymptomatic and genetic counseling,which was a basis for gene typing.

0.9 mg/L in 6 patients.Kayser-Fleischer ring were found in 85.5 % of all the patients. The abnormal hepatic function in the liver type HLD was more common than that of in the brain type. The liver injury was detectable by B mote ultrasonic wave in different type HLD.MRI examination was taken in 79 patients, 65 of them had showed the symmetry abnormal signs in basal ganglia. Conclusions CP has independent diagnostic values when its content ≤0.08 g/L. Kayser-Fleischer ring is an excellent discriminatory test for the diagnosis of HLD patients with neurological or psychiatric symptom. 24 h urine copper is the best single screening test because it increases over 100 ?g/24 h in all patients who were taken the test. The B mote ultrasonic wave test for the liver and MRI for brain were helpful in detecting the damage in the liver and brain.

Objective 　To screen for gene mutation of exon 18 in Chinese patients with Wilson disease. Methods　PCR-SSCP was used to screen exon 18 in 45 Wilson disease patients among 39 Chinese families and 10 normal controls. Those with abnormality were further analyzed by necleotide sequence analysis. Results　There were 16 mobility shift with two different styles in exon 18. All abnormal mobility shifts were sequence analysed. No gene mutation was found. Conclusions　Our result suggest that, contrary to findings in Caucasians, exon 18 is not a frequent mutation point in Chinese patients with Wilson disease.

Objective To screen polymorphisms and mutations in the promoter region of WD gene.Methods DNA from peripheral blood was obtained from 71 subjects of 36 family (48 WD patients,23 patients first-degree relatives) and 20 healthy people from Feb.2001 to Feb.2004.DNA sequence of the genes was analyzed by PCR amplification and direct genomic sequencing.Results There were three polymorphisms at positions-190,-78,+260(transcription start site as +1) of the promoter region of WD gene.Normal controls,WD patients and patients’ first-degree relatives all showed the polymorphisms;three of 48 WD patients presented C→T base substitution mutations at the same position -183:two were homozygous mutation,while the other was heterozygous.Normal control subjects and patients' relatives didn’t show this kind of mutation.Conclusion It suggests that the mutation of the promoter region is one of WD pathogenesis.

Objective To study the molecular genetic diagnosis and clinical characteristics of spinocerebellar ataxia type 6 (SCA6).Methods 43 patients with autosomal dominant SCA from 36 families and 38 sporadic SCA patients were enrolled in the study. SCA6 (CAG)n dynamic mutations were detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Abnormal allele fragments were sequenced and repeated numbers were calculated. The clinical data of two cases with SCA6 were analyzed.Results CAG repeat of normal SCA6 allele ranged from 10 to 13. CAG repeat of abnormal SCA6 allele expanded to 25 in one familial patient and 24 in one sporadic patient in our study. The basic characteristics of these SCA6 patients were slowly progressive cerebellar ataxia, nystagmus and dysarthria.Conclusion Diagnosis of SCA6 can be confirmed by detection of abnormal CAG repeat expansion. There is no obvious difference of clinical features between SCA6 and other SCA subtypes.

Objective To investigate the change and role of nitric oxide (NO), nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in serum of children with Epilepsy.Methods The serum NO and NOS levels of 58 epileptic children and 23 healthy children were measured with enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results The concentrations of the serum NO [( 5.86? 1.21)?mol/ml] and NOS [( 28.26? 8.49)U/ml] in patient group were significantly higher than those in control group [( 3.78? 0.74)?mol/ml,( 17.86? 4.58)U/ml)]( P

【Objective】 To investigate the molecular basis of hepatolenticular degeneration (Wilson disease, WD) and to attempt to construct the feasibility of gene diagnosis in the disease. 【Methods】 We have performed the molecular biological study on this disease for 10 years by molecular geneti c techniques. 【Results】 ①Location of WD gene in Ch inese: Using pairwise linkage analysis and multipoint linkage analysis method, w e constructed a genetic map of DNA markers within D13q14.2-3 which refined the location of WD gene by restriction fragment length polymorphism(RFL P) and microsatellite polymorphism analysis; ②Screen for mutations of WD gene in Chinese people: we detected the structure of 21 exons of WD ge ne in 45 patients from 39 pedigrees by PCR-SSCP(Single strand conformation poly morphism) and PCR-DNA sequencing technology, found a new mutation in exon 5 and nuclcotide sequence analysis showed it is a T insertion. We also conformed the Arg778Leu in exon 8, the highest frequence mutation point in Chinese people, wit h mutation rate 22.8% in total;③Carrier detection and presymptomatic diagnosi s of WD: Based on DNA recombination technology, we peformed successfully the gen e diagnosis in all individuals of 79 families with WD and built up a helpful spe cific enzyme cut method (PCR-Msp1) to detect the carrier and presympomatic patients in Chinese pe ople with WD. 【Conclusion】 These results showed that the location of WD gene within D13q14.2-3 is the same in Chinese as in Caucasians, but the g ene high m utation point,the gene diagnosis method and its pathogenesis are markly different.