China/epidemiology* ; Humans ; Minisatellite Repeats ; Molecular Typing ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis/genetics* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant/transmission*

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common childhood neuropsychiatric disorder that has been linked to the dopaminergic system. This study aimed to investigate the effects of regulation of the dopamine D4 receptor (DRD4) on functional brain activity during the resting state in ADHD children using the methods of regional homogeneity (ReHo) and functional connectivity (FC). Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data were analyzed in 49 children with ADHD. All participants were classified as either carriers of the DRD4 4-repeat/4-repeat (4R/4R) allele (n = 30) or the DRD4 2-repeat (2R) allele (n = 19). The results showed that participants with the DRD4 2R allele had decreased ReHo bilaterally in the posterior lobes of the cerebellum, while ReHo was increased in the left angular gyrus. Compared with participants carrying the DRD4 4R/4R allele, those with the DRD4 2R allele showed decreased FC to the left angular gyrus in the left striatum, right inferior frontal gyrus, and bilateral lobes of the cerebellum. The increased FC regions included the left superior frontal gyrus, medial frontal gyrus, and rectus gyrus. These data suggest that the DRD4 polymorphisms are associated with localized brain activity and specific functional connections, including abnormality in the frontal-striatal-cerebellar loop. Our study not only enhances the understanding of the correlation between the cerebellar lobes and ADHD, but also provides an imaging basis for explaining the neural mechanisms underlying ADHD in children.
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity ; diagnostic imaging ; genetics ; pathology ; Brain ; diagnostic imaging ; Cerebellum ; diagnostic imaging ; Child ; Corpus Striatum ; diagnostic imaging ; Female ; Frontal Lobe ; diagnostic imaging ; Genotype ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Minisatellite Repeats ; genetics ; Neural Pathways ; diagnostic imaging ; Oxygen ; blood ; Receptors, Dopamine D4 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Rest

Animals ; Cattle ; microbiology ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Minisatellite Repeats ; Mycobacterium bovis ; drug effects ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of VNTR-ZNF and -14C/T variants of the promoter region of the ABCA1 gene on the transcription activity of genes in vitro.

METHODSThe recombinants were constructed by ligating DNA fragment containing VNTR-ZNF ACCCC inserted/deleted allele with or without -14C/T substitution fragments with a PGL2-basic vector containing luciferase reporter gene. The recombinants were then transfected into HepG2 cells using the cationic lipid method. After 48 h, transfected cells were collected and used to detect the luciferase activity.

RESULTSLuciferase activity of PGL2-ZNF-ACCCCDel was greater than that of PGL2-ZNF-ACCCCIns. Luciferase activity of PGL2-ZNFDel-14C was greater than that of PGL2-ZNFDel-14T, PGL2-ZNFIns-14C, PGL2-ZNFIns-14T.

CONCLUSIONCompared with the insertion type, the ACCCC-deleted type of VNTR-ZNF can significantly enhance the transcription activity of ABCA1. And co-transfection of -14 C allele can further enhance this activity.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter 1 ; genetics ; Base Sequence ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Hep G2 Cells ; Humans ; Luciferases ; genetics ; metabolism ; Minisatellite Repeats ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; genetics ; Zinc Fingers ; genetics

BACKGROUND: To the best of our knowledge, the association between pediatric AML and mitochondrial aberrations has not been studied. We investigated various mitochondrial aberrations in pediatric AML and evaluated their impact on clinical outcomes. METHODS: Sequencing, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number determination, mtDNA 4,977-bp large deletion assessments, and gene scan analyses were performed on the bone marrow mononuclear cells of 55 pediatric AML patients and on the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 55 normal controls. Changes in the mitochondrial mass, mitochondrial membrane potential, and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were also examined. RESULTS: mtDNA copy numbers were about two-fold higher in pediatric AML cells than in controls (P<0.0001). Furthermore, a close relationship was found between mtDNA copy number tertiles and the risk of pediatric AML. Intracellular ROS levels, mitochondrial mass, and mitochondrial membrane potentials were all elevated in pediatric AML. The frequency of the mtDNA 4,977-bp large deletion was significantly higher (P< 0.01) in pediatric AML cells, and pediatric AML patients harboring high amount of mtDNA 4,977-bp deletions showed shorter overall survival and event-free survival rates, albeit without statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: The present findings demonstrate an association between mitochondrial genome alterations and the risk of pediatric AML.
Bone Marrow Cells/metabolism ; Case-Control Studies ; Child ; Cohort Studies ; DNA, Mitochondrial/chemistry/genetics/metabolism ; Female ; Flow Cytometry ; Gene Deletion ; Gene Dosage ; *Genome, Mitochondrial ; Humans ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/genetics/mortality/*pathology ; Male ; Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial ; Minisatellite Repeats/genetics ; Odds Ratio ; Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Survival Rate

OBJECTIVETo develop a multiple-locus variable-number tandem-repeat (VNTR) analysis (MLVA) assay for Acinetobacter pittii typing.

METHODSPolymorphic VNTRs were searched by Tandem Repeats Finder. The distribution and polymorphism of each VNTR locus were analyzed in all the A. pittii genomes deposited in the NCBI genome database by BLAST and were evaluated with a collection of 20 well-characterized clinical A. pittii strains and one reference strain. The MLVA assay was compared with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) for discriminating A. pittii isolates.

RESULTSTen VNTR loci were identified upon bioinformatic screening of A. pittii genomes, but only five of them showed full amplifiability and good polymorphism. Therefore, an MLVA assay composed of five VNTR loci was developed. The typeability, reproducibility, stability, discriminatory power, and epidemiological concordance were excellent. Compared with PFGE, the new optimized MLVA typing scheme provided the same and even greater discrimination.

CONCLUSIONCompared with PFGE, MLVA typing is a faster and more standardized alternative for studying the genetic relatedness of A. pittii isolates in disease surveillance and outbreak investigation.

Acinetobacter ; classification ; genetics ; DNA Fingerprinting ; methods ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field ; Minisatellite Repeats ; Polymerase Chain Reaction

OBJECTIVETo investigate the humoral and cellular immune responses induced by MUC1-2VNTR DNA vaccine in multiple myeloma (MM) tumor-bearing mice.

METHODSIn vitro, multiple myeloma cells were transfected by plasmid pcDNA3.1-2VNTR/myc-hisB with Lipofectamine2000. The above-mentioned mouse myeloma cells were inoculated subcutaneously into female BALB/c mice for establishing tumor-bearing animal models. These female BALB/c mice were immunized with pcDNA-2VNTR/myc-hisB or pcDNA/myc-hisB. The cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activity was detected by the LDH method and the spleen lymphocyte proliferation activity was detected by CCK-8 method.

RESULTSAfter immunization of BALB/c tumor-bearing mice with recombinant plasmid for 25 days, the tumor mass (0.5605 ± 0.2065 g) was significantly lighter than that in the empty plasmid control group (1.521 ± 0.6985 g) (P < 0.01) and the control group (1.5315 ± 0.5425 g) (P < 0.01). The difference of tumor mass was not statislically significant between empty plasmid control group (1.521 ± 0.6985 g) and the control group (1.5315 ± 0.5425 g) (P > 0.05). The CTL and NK cell activity was significantly higher in the group of intramuscular injection with recombinant plasmid than that in control group. The spleen lymphocyte proliferation was statistically significantly increased after being immunized with recombinant plasmid pcDNA3.1-2VNTR/myc-hisB, compared with empty vector (P < 0.01). The results showed that MUC1-2VNTR gene immunization could induce anti-tumor effect in MM tumor-bearing mice.

CONCLUSIONMUC1-2VNTR DNA immunization can elicit both humoral and cellular tumor specific immune response to multiple myeloma in MM tumor-bearing mice. It suggested that the MUC1-2VNTR DNA vaccine may be a potential treatment measure for patients with MM.

Animals ; Cancer Vaccines ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Genetic Vectors ; Humans ; Immunization ; Killer Cells, Natural ; immunology ; Lymphocyte Activation ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Minisatellite Repeats ; Mucin-2 ; genetics ; Multiple Myeloma ; immunology ; therapy ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Plasmids ; Spleen ; cytology ; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic ; immunology ; Transfection ; Vaccines, DNA ; therapeutic use

OBJECTIVETo study the expression of Aggrecan and the relationship between the variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) of Aggrecan and lumbar disc herniation (LDH).

METHODSThe disease group comprised of 74 patients already diagnosed with symptomatic LDH. The control group consisted of 15 patients restricted to spinal trauma and 113 healthy blood donors without symptoms of LDH who were not diagnosed with LDH. Disc tissue samples were obtained from surgical operations and blood samples were donated from all participants. The Aggrecan expression in isolated tissues was assessed by western blot using specific antibodies. The Aggrecan gene VNTR region was analyzed by PCR.

RESULTSThe Aggrecan expression positive rate of control group was statistically and significantly higher (control group:86.67%, disease group:13.51%;χ(2) = 34.83, P < 0.05) than that of the disease group. Moreover, there was a statistically significant higher frequency of Allele 25 or Allele 21 in disease group compared to controls (A25disease group = 22.97%, A25control group = 12.11%, χ(2)A25 = 8.20, PA25 = 0.004; A21disease group = 6.76%, A21control group = 0.39%, χ(2)A21 = 14.35, PA21 = 0.000). Compared to the participants with 2 Alleles>25 repeats, subjects with 1 or 2 Alleles ≤ 25 repeats statistically and significantly over represented the disease group without the expression of Aggrecan (χ(2) = 5.69, P = 0.017).

CONCLUSIONSThe findings suggest a relationship between Aggrecan and symptomatic LDH, where symptomatic LDH has a tendency of allele 21 and allele 25 repeats.In addition, an association between the distribution of Aggrecan gene VNTR polymorphism and the expression of Aggrecan is observed in symptomatic LDH.

Aggrecans ; biosynthesis ; Alleles ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; genetics ; Minisatellite Repeats ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Genetic

OBJECTIVEHuman Lyme Borreliosis (LB), which is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (B. burgdorferi), has been identified as a major arthropod-borne infectious disease in China. We aimed to develop a multiple locus variable-number tandem repeat (VNTR) analysis (MLVA) assay for the genotyping of Borrelia burgdorferi strains detected in China.

METHODSB. garinii PBi complete 904.246 kb chromosome and two plasmids (cp26 and lp54) were screened by using Tandem Repeats Finder program for getting potential VNTR loci, the potential VNTR loci were analyzed and identified with PCR and the VNTR loci data were analyzed and MLVA clustering tree were constrcted by using the categorical coefficient and the unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic means (UPGMA).

RESULTSWe identified 5 new VNTR loci through analyzing 47 potential VNTR loci. We used the MLVA protocol to analyse 101 B. burgdorferi strains detected in China and finally identified 51 unique genotypes in 4 major clusters including B. burgdorferi sensu stricto (B.b.s.s), B. garinii, B. afzelii, and B. valaisiana, consistent with the current MLSA phylogeny studies. The allele numbers of VNTR-1, VNTR-2, VNTR-3, VNTR-4, and VNTR-5 were 7, 3, 9, 7, and 6. The Hunter-Gaston index (HGI) of five VNTR loci were 0.79, 0.22, 0.77, 0.71, and 0.67, respectively. The combined HGI of five VNTR loci was 0.96. Clustering of the strains of Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang was confirmed, and this situation was consistent with the close geographical distribution of those provinces.

CONCLUSIONThe MLVA protocol esytablished in this study is easy and can show strains' phylogenetic relationships to distinguish the strains of Borrelia species. It is useful for further phylogenetic and epidemiological analyses of Borrelia strains.

Borrelia burgdorferi Group ; genetics ; China ; Genotyping Techniques ; Minisatellite Repeats

OBJECTIVETo understand the genetic and epidemiologic characteristic of Brucella (B.) melitensis strains isolated in Guizhou province in 2010-2012.

METHODSB. genus specific BCSP31-PCR and species-specific AMOS-PCR were used to identify the bacteria strain, while the identified strains were analyzed under MLVA-16 and cluster analysis of B. melitensis strains. The strains were isolated from Guizhou and other provinces.

RESULTSSix B. melitensis strains were identified as B. melitensis using the BCSP31-PCR and AMOS-PCR. Data from the MLVA-16 analysis revealed the differences of repeated numbers at parts of the VNTR locus in the six strains isolated in Guizhou province. The six strains from Guizhou province and 105 B. melitensis strains from other province could be divided into 72 MLVA types(MT). Strain ZY and ZA from Guizhou province were typed as MT63, and LL3, LL4 and LL11 were typed as MT67, while strain SQ was typed as MT72. Data from the clustering analysis showed that ZY,ZA, LL3, LL4 and LL9 were most closely clustered with B. melitensis isolates from Yunnan, Fujian and Guangdong provinces, but strain SQ was genetically remote from other strains.

CONCLUSIONPCR methods, combined with MLVA-16, identified the six B. melitensis strains isolated in Guizhou province in 2010-2012 as B. melitensis biovar 3, with the genetic diversity of the strains showed. Six strains were closely related to the B. melitensis strains from Yunnan, Fujian and Guangdong provinces. The results of this study provided scientific basis for the control and prevention of Brucellosis in Guizhou province.

Brucella melitensis ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Brucellosis ; epidemiology ; China ; epidemiology ; Cluster Analysis ; Genetic Variation ; Humans ; Minisatellite Repeats ; Polymerase Chain Reaction