OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the association between -1438A/G polymorphism of 5-HT2A receptor gene and schizophrenia in Korean and Han Chinese population. METHODS: A sample of 184 Korean patients with schizophrenia and 96 Korean healthy normal controls and 96 Han Chinese patients with schizophrenia and 96 Han-Chinese healthy normal controls were genotyped for a single nucleotide polymorphism with in 5-HT2A receptor gene (promoter region, A-1438G) by Msp I Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP). RESULTS: There was no difference in allelic frequencies and genotype frequencies of -1438A/G polymorphism between Korean schizophrenics and controls (p=0.13) and Han Chinese schizophrenics and controls (p=0.40). Also, -1438A/G polymorphism did not show ethnical difference between Korean and Han Chinese controls. The Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) scores showed no significant differences between genotypes of -1438A/G polymorphism in both of Korean and Han Chinese schizophrenics. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that -1438A/G polymorphism of the 5-HT2A receptor gene is not causally related to the development of schizophrenia in Korean and Han Chinese population, and there no ethnic difference between Korean and Han Chinese population.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group* ; Genotype ; Humans ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A* ; Schizophrenia*

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the association between -1438A/G polymorphism of 5-HT2A receptor gene and schizophrenia in Korean and Han Chinese population. METHODS: A sample of 184 Korean patients with schizophrenia and 96 Korean healthy normal controls and 96 Han Chinese patients with schizophrenia and 96 Han-Chinese healthy normal controls were genotyped for a single nucleotide polymorphism with in 5-HT2A receptor gene (promoter region, A-1438G) by Msp I Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP). RESULTS: There was no difference in allelic frequencies and genotype frequencies of -1438A/G polymorphism between Korean schizophrenics and controls (p=0.13) and Han Chinese schizophrenics and controls (p=0.40). Also, -1438A/G polymorphism did not show ethnical difference between Korean and Han Chinese controls. The Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) scores showed no significant differences between genotypes of -1438A/G polymorphism in both of Korean and Han Chinese schizophrenics. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that -1438A/G polymorphism of the 5-HT2A receptor gene is not causally related to the development of schizophrenia in Korean and Han Chinese population, and there no ethnic difference between Korean and Han Chinese population.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group* ; Genotype ; Humans ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A* ; Schizophrenia*

Objective To understand oral health of the elderly in nursing home in Songjiang District, Shanghai, and to provide references for improving their oral health. Methods A total of 375 elderly people in 15 nursing homes in Songjiang District were investigated by questionnaires and oral examination.Tooth loss, denture repair, periodontal condition and oral hygiene habit were analyzed. Results The rate of the tooth loss reached 94.13%.The tooth loss rate in females (96.09%) was significantly higher than that in males (91.03%) (P < 0.01).The rate of complete edentulous jaws was 28.27%.There was a significant difference between the rate of complete edentulous jaws in females (34.35%) and in males (18.62%)(P < 0.05).The rate of denture restoration was 91.51% (97/106).The number of existing teeth per capita was 11.54, and the number of teeth per capita in males (14.48 per person) was significantly higher than that in females (9.70 per person) (P < 0.05).Both the rate of the tooth loss of upper and lower posterior teeth were significantly higher than that of upper and lower anterior teeth (P < 0.01).Thirty-three percent (33.33%) of the elderly brushed their teeth more than twice a day, and almost 20.53% of them didn′t brush their teeth. Conclusion The oral health of the elderly in the nursing homes in Songjiang District is not satisfactory at present.It is necessary to strengthen the publicity and education of oral health care for the elderly in nursing homes in cooperation with multiple departments to improve their awareness of oral health care including appropriate tooth repair for the quality of life.