OBJECTIVE To screen for GJB2,mitochondrial DNA12S rRNA 1555A>G and SLC26A4 gene mutations in 27 non syndromic hereditary hearing loss families,clarify the genetic causes.METHODS 125 members from 27 deaf families were for questionnaire surveys,audiological examinations,and peripheral blood DNA extraction.The GJB2,SLC26A4,and mitochondrial DNA A1555G coding regions were amplified and directly sequenced.RESULTS Twelve families and 52 individuals were screened for deafness gene mutations,the detection rate in 27 families was 44%(12/27),and the detection rate in all the members was 42%(52/125).The detection rate of gene mutation for GJB2 is 31%(39/125),for SLC26A4 is 6%(8/125),and for mitochondrial DNA1555A>G mutation is 4%(5/125).CONCLUSION GJB2,SLC26A4 and mitochondrial A1555G have a high detection rate in families with hereditary deafness.Mutation screening of these three genes can clarify the genetic causes of most deafness families and can be used as genetic screening targets for hereditary deaf families.

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with positive anti-SSA antibody.Methods:The data of patients with positive anti-SSA antibody hospitalized in Beijing Tiantan Hospital between December 2011 and May 2020 were retrieved. Patients who fulfilled the diagnosis of MS were enrolled. MS patients with negative anti-SSA antibody hospitalized in the same period were matched based on gender and age in a ratio of 1∶2. The clinical characteristics of MS patients with positive anti-SSA antibody and those with negative anti-SSA antibody were compared. We used SPSS 24.0 statistical software to perform data analysis. The Shapiro-Wilk test was used to determine whether continuous variables conform to a normal distribution. The group differences of non-normal distribution of measurement data were analyzed by Mann-Whitney U test. Fisher exact probability method was used to compare the group differences of categorical variables. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results:There were 785 hospitalized patients with anti-SSA positivity. Among these, a total of 7 patients (0.89%) were diagnosed as MS. Fourteen MS patients with negative anti-SSA antibody were included with matched sex and age. There was a statistical significant difference in the frequency of positive antinuclear antibody (ANA)and anti-Ro-52 antibody between MS patients with positive anti-SSA antibody and those with negative anti-SSA (6/7 vs. 0/14, P<0.001; 4/7 vs. 0/14, P=0.006, respectively). No statistical significant difference in other clinical features was detected between the two groups (P>0.05).Conclusion:The frequency of ANA and anti-Ro-52 antibody positivity is significantly higher in MS patients with positive anti-SSA antibody. Our results suggest the presence of positive anti-SSA antibody has no affect on clinical features of MS. The relationship between MS and anti-SSA positivity may be incidently coexisted.

The CC chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) is a G protein-coupled receptor that regulates chemotaxis and effector functions of immune cells. It also serves as the major co-receptor for the entry of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Recently, CCR5 inhibitors have been developed and used for the treatment or prevention of HIV infections. Additionally, it has been identified that CCR5 controls bone homeostasis by regulating osteoclastogenesis and the communication between osteoblasts and osteoclasts. However, the effects of CCR5 inhibition on bone tissue in elderly patients are unknown. This study aimed to examine the bone phenotype of aged CCR5 knockout (KO) mice. Femoral and tibial bones were isolated from 12-month and 18-month old wild-type (WT) and CCR5 KO mice, and microcomputed tomography and histology analyses were performed. Twelve-month-old CCR5 KO mice exhibited a decreased trabecular bone mass and cortical bone thickness in both femoral and tibial bones compared with age-matched WT mice. Eighteen-month-old mice also showed a decreased trabecular bone mass in femurs compared with control WT mice, but not in tibial bones. Unlike in 12-month-old mice, the cortical margin of femurs and tibias in 18-month-old mice were rough, likely because they were aggravated by the deficiency of CCR5. Overall, our data suggest that the deficiency of CCR5 with aging can cause severe bone loss. When CCR5 inhibitors or CCR5 inactivating technologies are used in elderly patients, a preventive strategy for bone loss should be considered.

Myeloid leukemias are highly diverse diseases and have been shown to be associated with microRNA (miRNA) expression aberrations. The present study involved an in-depth miRNome analysis of two human acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell lines, HL-60 and THP-1, and one human chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cell line, K562, via massively parallel signature sequenc-ing. mRNA expression profiles of these cell lines that were established previously in our lab facil-itated an integrative analysis of miRNA and mRNA expression patterns. miRNA expression profiling followed by differential expression analysis and target prediction suggested numerous miRNA signatures in AML and CML cell lines. Some miRNAs may act as either tumor suppres-sors or oncomiRs in AML and CML by targeting key genes in AML and CML pathways. Expres-sion patterns of cell type-specific miRNAs could partially reflect the characteristics of K562, HL-60 and THP-1 cell lines, such as actin filament-based processes, responsiveness to stimulus and phag-ocytic activity. miRNAs may also regulate myeloid differentiation, since they usually suppress dif-ferentiation regulators. Our study provides a resource to further investigate the employment of miRNAs in human leukemia subtyping, leukemogenesis and myeloid development. In addition, the distinctive miRNA signatures may be potential candidates for the clinical diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of myeloid leukemias.

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology, with its high-throughput capacity and low cost, has developed rapidly in recent years and become an important analytical tool for many genomics researchers. New opportunities in the research domain of the forensic studies emerge by harnessing the power of NGS technology, which can be applied to simultaneously analyzing multi-ple loci of forensic interest in different genetic contexts, such as autosomes, mitochondrial and sex chromosomes. Furthermore, NGS technology can also have potential applications in many other aspects of research. These include DNA database construction, ancestry and phenotypic inference, monozygotic twin studies, body fluid and species identification, and forensic animal, plant and microbiological analyses. Here we review the application of NGS technology in the field of forensic science with the aim of providing a reference for future forensics studies and practice.