Chinese Population (chinese + population)

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Distribution within Medical Sciences

Kinds of Chinese Population

  • adult chinese population
  • han chinese population
  • southern chinese population


  • Selected Abstracts


    A GENETIC VARIANT OF APOLIPOPROTEIN M INCREASES SUSCEPTIBILITY TO CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE IN A CHINESE POPULATION

    CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PHARMACOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 5-6 2008
    Wei-Wei Xu
    SUMMARY 1High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is widely accepted as a lipoprotein that protects against coronary artery and other atherosclerotic diseases. Recently, a new apolipoprotein encoded by the APOM gene, which plays an important role in affecting the intrinsic properties of HDL, has been reported. Genetic variations exist in the APOM gene, but their significance is presently unclear. The aim of the present study was to elucidate whether the APOM T-855C mutant allele is implicated in coronary artery disease (CAD). 2In the present study, 418 patients with CAD and 372 controls were studied, all of whom were Han Chinese from Jiangsu Province, China. Plasma levels of triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), HDL,cholesterol (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein,cholesterol (LDL-C) were evaluated. Genomic DNA from the whole blood from these subjects was subjected to polymerase chain reaction amplification and restriction enzyme digestion to determine genotype with respect to the APOM T-855C polymorphism. 3The allelic frequencies were in Hardy,Weinberg equilibrium. Plasma HDL levels were significantly lower in subjects with CAD than in control subjects (1.08 ± 0.31 vs 1.25 ± 0.32, respectively; P < 0.001) and the distribution of genotypes and allelic frequencies was significantly different in the two groups (P = 0.013 and 0.005, respectively). Multiple logistic regression analysis after adjustment for age, gender, smoking, body mass index, hypertension and serum glucose showed that, compared with the wild-type TT genotype, carriers of the C allele had an increased risk of CAD (odds ratio = 1.819, 95% confidence interval 1.142,2.898; P = 0.012). 4In conclusion, the results of the present study suggest that the APOM T-855C polymorphism carries an increased risk for CAD in this Chinese population. [source]


    Brief Intervention for Problem Drinkers in a Chinese Population: A Randomized Controlled Trial in a Hospital Setting

    ALCOHOLISM, Issue 1 2009
    Yun-Fang Tsai
    Background:, Alcohol is a legal and accessible substance in Taiwan. As excessive alcohol has been linked to health and social problems, it is necessary to develop a brief, rapid, and low-cost tool to help health care providers deal with persons in Taiwan whose alcohol consumption has become hazardous or harmful to their health. Methods:, A randomized controlled clinical trial with 6- and 12-month follow-ups was designed. Eighteen medical/surgical units at a medical center in northern Taiwan were randomly assigned to 2 groups: experimental (n = 9) and control (n = 9). Inpatients on the units were enrolled if they met the following criteria: were older than 18 years, had no severe psychiatric illness, and were not pregnant. The experimental group (n = 138) received the intervention, a 15-minute counseling visit in which nurses screened participants using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), provided a health promotion booklet for adults, and individually discussed the booklet contents with patients based on their drinking level (AUDIT score). The control group (n = 137) received no treatment. Patterns of alcohol consumption were determined by AUDIT scores at baseline, 6, and 12 months later. Results:, Alcohol use disorders identification test scores decreased significantly in both groups at 6 months after the intervention, but did not differ significantly between the 2 groups. However, 12 months after the brief alcohol intervention, experimental subjects' AUDIT scores were significantly better than those of the control group. Conclusions:, Our brief alcohol intervention provided a 12-month benefit for problem drinkers in Taiwan. [source]


    Linkage Disequilibrium Pattern in Asthma Candidate Genes from 5q31-q33 in the Singapore Chinese Population

    ANNALS OF HUMAN GENETICS, Issue 2 2010
    Pallavi N. Parate
    Summary Studies have shown linkage between microsatellite markers from the chromosome 5q31-q33 region with asthma, atopy and total IgE levels in the Singapore Chinese population. However, subsequent case-control studies failed to show association between the polymorphisms in the candidate genes from this region and asthma or related phenotypes. In this study, we investigated 20 asthma candidate genes from this region for all possible informative polymorphisms within our population, linkage disequilibrium (LD) structure and tagging SNP transferability from HapMap populations. We re-sequenced these genes and identified 267 polymorphisms including 26 insertion-deletions, four microsatellite markers and 237 single nucleotide polymorphisms. The region contained 17 distinct LD blocks with the largest within the serine peptidase inhibitor kazal type 5 (SPINK5) gene spanning 23 kb. Of the 267 polymorphisms identified, 40% are represented in HapMap Han Chinese from Beijing and 29% in Han Chinese from Denver. 72% of the polymorphisms can be represented by tagged SNPs from the HapMap Beijing Han Chinese population and are highly correlated in terms of minor allele frequencies and LD structure. Our data suggest that although the HapMap Han Chinese population from Beijing is very similar to the Singapore Chinese population, this similarity is insufficient to account for up to 28% of the polymorphisms in the local population. [source]


    Effect of Obesity on P-Wave Parameters in a Chinese Population

    ANNALS OF NONINVASIVE ELECTROCARDIOLOGY, Issue 3 2010
    Ph.D., Tong Liu M.D.
    Objective: To study the association between obesity and P-wave duration and dispersion (Pd) in order to evaluate the potential risk for atrial fibrillation development in Chinese subjects using the definitions applied for Asian populations. Methods: The study population consisted of 40 obese (body mass index (BMI) , 25 Kg/m2, according to the World Health Organization classification for the Asian population) subjects and 20 age- and sex-matched normal weight controls. Maximum P-wave duration (Pmax), minimum P-wave duration (Pmin), and Pd were carefully measured using a 12-lead electrocardiogram, while the presence of interatrial block (IAB; P , 110 ms) was assessed. Results: There were no significant differences between the two groups regarding age, sex, history of hypertension or diabetes, and hyperlipidemia. Compared to controls, BMI, left atrial diameter (LAD), and interventricular septal thickness were increased, while Pmax (111.9 ± 9.3 vs 101.1 ± 6.0 ms, P < 0.01) and Pd (47.9 ± 9.3 vs 31.8 ± 6.9 ms, P < 0.01) were significantly prolonged in the obese group. Pmin was similar between the two groups. The prevalence of IAB was significantly greater in the obese subjects. Pearson's correlation analysis showed that there were positive correlations between Pd and BMI (r = 0.6, P < 0.001), as well as between Pd and LAD (r = 0.366, P < 0.05). Conclusion: Our data suggest that obesity is associated with increased Pmax and Pd, and increased prevalence of IAB, parameters that have been associated with atrial fibrillation. The correlation of these electrocardiogram parameters with LAD indicates an association between increased BMI and atrial remodeling in Asian subjects. Ann Noninvasive Electrocardiol 2010;15(3):259,263 [source]


    Familial Aggregation and Heritability of Electrocardiographic Intervals and Heart Rate in a Rural Chinese Population

    ANNALS OF NONINVASIVE ELECTROCARDIOLOGY, Issue 2 2009
    Jianping Li M.D., Ph.D.
    Background: Estimates of the genetic influences on electrocardiographic (ECG) parameters are inconsistent in previous reports, and no such studies have been performed in China. So we estimated genetic contributions to PR and QRS intervals and the rate-adjusted QT interval (Bazett's QTc) in a Chinese rural population. Methods: A total of 2909 subjects from 847 families were enrolled in the current study. Genetic contributions to ECG parameters were estimated in two ways: correlation coefficients among family members (father-mother, parent-offspring, first sibling-other sibling) and the heritability of each of the ECG parameters. Results: Our results showed significant correlations among family members on theses parameters: the correlation coefficients for PR interval, QRS duration, QTc interval, and HR, between parent-sibling, and sibling-sibling were 0.17 and 0.13, 0.18 and 0.23, 0.22 and 0.28, 0.19 and 0.18, respectively. The heritability for PR interval, QRS duration, QTc interval, and HR were estimated as 0.34, 0.43, 0.40, and 0.34, respectively. Conclusion: Genetic factors, together with the environmental and other cofactors contribute no more than 60% to the variance of the ECG intervals, supporting the concept that multiple factors, including gene-gene and gene-environment interactions could influence ECG interval phenotypes, and genetic factors play a major role. [source]


    Inherited Accessory Nail of the Fifth Toe Cured by Surgical Matricectomy

    DERMATOLOGIC SURGERY, Issue 8 2004
    Ching-Chi Chi MD
    Background. The inherited accessory nail of the fifth toe is a common condition in the Chinese population. Objective. The objective was to demonstrate three lesions in two cases of inherited accessory nail of the fifth toe successfully treated with surgical matricectomy. Methods. Under local anesthesia and use of tourniquet, the proximal nail fold was incised and the matrix of the accessory nail was exposed and then excised by scalpel surgery. The skin defect left after removal of the lesion was repaired with a rotation flap. Results. Histopathologic examination of the surgical specimens revealed that the matrices of the accessory nails were completely extirpated. No recurrence was found 2 years after operation. Conclusion. The inherited accessory nail of the fifth toe was cured by surgical matricectomy. [source]


    Effect of RBP4 gene variants on circulating RBP4 concentration and Type 2 diabetes in a Chinese population

    DIABETIC MEDICINE, Issue 1 2008
    C. Hu
    Abstract Aims Retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4) is a newly discovered adipokine, which plays a role in insulin resistance and obesity. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between genetic variants of the RBP4 gene, circulating RBP4 concentrations and phenotypes related to glucose and lipid metabolism in the Chinese population. Methods We sequenced exons and the putative promoter region to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the RBP4 gene in 32 Chinese subjects. Additional SNPs were selected from a public database to increase marker density. Taking account of the pairwise linkage disequilibrium and minor allele frequencies, a subset of SNPs was further genotyped in 255 Type 2 diabetic patients and 372 normal control subjects. Circulating RBP4 concentrations and phenotypes related to glucose and lipid metabolism were measured. Results Ten SNPs were identified and five were further genotyped in the full sample. No individual SNP was significantly associated with Type 2 diabetes, but a rare haplotype CAA formed by +5388 C>T, +8201 T>A and +8204 T>A was more frequent in diabetic patients (P = 0.0343, empirical P = 0.0659 on 10 000 permutations). In both groups, non-coding SNPs were associated with circulating RBP4 concentrations (P < 0.05). In the normal control subjects, the SNP +5388 C>T was associated with serum C-peptide levels both fasting and 2 h after an oral glucose tolerance test (P = 0.0162 and P = 0.0075, respectively). Conclusion Our findings suggest that genetic variants in the RBP4 gene may be associated with circulating RBP4 concentration and phenotypes related to glucose metabolism. [source]


    Aortic Root Dimension as an Independent Predictor for All-Cause Death in Adults <65 Years of Age (from The Chin-Shan Community Cardiovascular Cohort Study)

    ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, Issue 5 2010
    Chao-Lun Lai M.D.
    Background: Evidence on aortic root dimension for predicting cardiovascular morbidity and mortality is inconclusive. This cohort study sought to characterize the predictive power of aortic root dimension on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in an ethnic Chinese population. Methods: We recruited 1,851 participants in the Chin,Shan Community Cardiovascular Cohort (CCCC) study who had received echocardiography without previous cardiovascular events. Aortic root dimension was measured by M-mode echocardiography and indexed by body surface area to obtain aortic root dimension index (AOI). The end points were all-cause death and incident cardiovascular events including coronary heart disease and stroke over a median follow-up of 11.9 years. Results: Although tertiles of AOI was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events and all-cause death in univariate analysis, the significance diminished after adjusting for age variable (P for trend = 0.11 for cardiovascular events; P for trend = 0.23 for all-cause death). In subgroup analysis, we found a significant association between tertiles of AOI and risk of all-cause death in the final multivariate Cox regression model in adults <65 years. The adjusted relative risk was 1.88 (95% CI, 1.04 to 3.40) in participants in the upper tertile of AOI compared with participants in the lower tertile (P for trend = 0.037). In adults ,65 years, tertile of AOI was not associated with all-cause death (P for trend = 0.14). Tertiles of AOI was not associated with cardiovascular events throughout this study. Conclusion: Our study showed a significant association between AOI and all-cause death in adults <65 years in an ethnic Chinese population. (Echocardiography 2010;27:487-495) [source]


    Associations of cohort and socio-demographic correlates with transitions from alcohol use to disorders and remission in metropolitan China

    ADDICTION, Issue 8 2009
    Sing Lee
    ABSTRACT Aims To examine socio-demographic associations of transitions from alcohol use to disorders and of remission from disorders in metropolitan China. Design and setting Face-to-face interviewing by trained lay-interviewers on a multi-staged, clustered sample from the general population of Beijing and Shanghai, China. Participants A total of 5201 adults aged 18,70 years and with household registration. Measurements World Mental Health version of Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Findings Lifetime prevalence estimates for alcohol use, regular use (at least 12 drinks in a year), DSM-IV abuse and dependence with abuse were 65.4%, 39.5% (60.4% of ever-drinkers), 4.6% (11.6% of regular users) and 0.9% (20.4% of lifetime alcohol abusers), respectively. These estimates were higher among respondents from the recent cohort; 64.3% and 36.9% respondents with a history of lifetime abuse and dependence respectively had remitted. The number of socio-demographic associations for the onset of each transitional stage decreased from alcohol use to alcohol dependence. Onset of ever-use was more common in respondents who were male, 18,50 years of age, with middle education level and never married, but less common among the previously married and students. First onset of regular use among those with ever-use was more common in respondents who were male, less than 50 years of age and never married, but less common in students. Being male and less than 50 years of age was associated with more alcohol abusers among regular users. Conclusion This study was the first to reveal in a Chinese population that qualitatively different risk factors might operate during the different stages of progression from alcohol use to disorders. Further research is needed to clarify the mechanisms underlying these differences in order to guide prevention programmes. [source]


    Predicting the development of early skin test sensitization in offspring of parents with asthma

    EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL INVESTIGATION, Issue 6 2007
    Y. Jin
    Abstract Background, The direct causal relationship between skin sensitization and asthma are controversial until now and remains to be further researched. Our aim is to analyse the role of parental asthma in the development of skin sensitization in offspring. Materials and methods, This study was performed among nuclear families (determined by index of asthma patients), and subjects included parents and offspring. Parents were subdivided into four phenotypes on the basis of skin sensitization (SPT+ or SPT,) and asthma status (AST+ or AST,) and offspring were subdivided into three age groups: 3,8, 9,14 and 15,20 years. The main tests included a standard questionnaire and skin prick tests. Results, Offspring's skin sensitization differed among parental phenotypes at all ages (P < 0·05). In the SPT+/AST,, SPT,/AST+ and SPT+/AST+ groups, offspring were significantly more likely to be allergic than the ones in SPT,/AST, group at 3,8 years. Offspring with at least one parent with asthma were significantly more likely to have positive skin prick test response than those with non-asthmatic parents at age 3,8 years and 9,14 years, but not at 15,20 years among offspring with allergic parents. Results were independent of asthma in the children and of the characteristics of atopy in the parents. Conclusion, Parent asthma history is an independent risk factor for allergic sensitization in their offspring in a Chinese population. [source]


    GENETIC STUDY: An association of prodynorphin polymorphisms and opioid dependence in females in a Chinese population

    ADDICTION BIOLOGY, Issue 3 2009
    Toni-Kim Clarke
    ABSTRACT Prodynorphin (PDYN) binds to ,-opioid receptors and is known to regulate dopaminergic tone, making this system important for the reinforcing and rewarding properties of drugs of abuse such as opioids. The binding of dynorphins to ,-opioid receptors also produces aversive states that may affect the development of opioid dependence. Recent animal results have shown that PDYNknockout mice show decreased ethanol consumption; however, this finding was restricted to female mice. We were interested to analyse a possible gender specificity of dynorphin effects in humans and to this end three single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in PDYN were genotyped in a Chinese population of 484 opioid dependents and 374 controls. An interaction between sex and genotype was found in female opioid dependents. Chi-squared tests for association revealed that the genotype distributions of SNPs rs1997794 (P = 0.019) and rs1022563 (P = 0.006) in the promoter and 3, region of PDYN, respectively, were found to be associated with opioid dependence. Therefore, SNPs in PDYN are significantly associated with the risk of developing opioid dependence; however, this effect may only be seen in females. These data suggest that PDYN polymorphisms should be studied in additional female opioid-dependent populations with an emphasis on the promoter and 3, regions of the gene. [source]


    Gender and age differences in the distribution of the HDL subclasses among the Chinese population

    EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF LIPID SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 4 2010
    Li Tian
    Abstract Background and aims: to analyze the gender and age differences in the distribution of the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) subclasses among the Chinese population, and to clarify the mechanism of these changes. Methods and results: the apoA-I contents of the plasma HDL subclasses were determined by 2-DE coupled with immunodetection in 324 men (including 186 normolipidemic subjects) and 186 women (including 114 normolipidemic subjects). The contents of pre,1 -HDL and HDL3 (HDL3c, HDL3b, HDL3a) were significantly lower, whereas the contents of HDL2a and HDL2b were higher for women than for men in the <50,years age group. Moreover, the contents of pre,1 -HDL and HDL3 were higher for female subjects; the HDL2a and HDL2b contents were lower for both female and male subjects in the 50,59, 60,69, and ,70,years age groups versus the subjects of the same gender in the <50,years age group. When compared to the normolipidemic premenopausal women, pre,1 -HDL, HDL3b, and HDL3a increased while HDL2b decreased significantly in normolipidemic men and postmenopausal women. Conclusions: the contents of the large-sized HDL particles HDL2b were higher, but the contents of the small-sized HDL particles (pre,1 -HDL, HDL3b, HDL3a) were lower for women versus men in the <50,years age group. Meanwhile, the gender difference in distribution of the HDL subclass narrowed obviously with advancing age. Moreover, the characteristics of the HDL subclass distribution profile for the normolipidemic postmenopausal women resembled those for the normolipidemic men. [source]


    COX-2 polymorphisms and the risk for head and neck cancer in white patients

    HEAD & NECK: JOURNAL FOR THE SCIENCES & SPECIALTIES OF THE HEAD AND NECK, Issue 7 2009
    Wilbert H. M. Peters PhD
    Abstract Background. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is an enzyme involved in the synthesis of prostaglandins and thromboxanes, which are regulators of processes such as inflammation, cell proliferation, and angiogenesis, all relevant for cancer development. We investigated whether functional genetic polymorphisms in COX-2 may have a risk-modifying effect on head and neck carcinogenesis. Methods. Blood from 431 white patients with oral, pharyngeal, or laryngeal carcinoma and 438 white healthy controls was investigated for the presence of 2 functional promoter region polymorphisms (,1195A,G and ,765G,C) in COX-2. Results. Logistic regression analysis did not show differences in COX-2 genotype distributions between patients and controls. Also no differences were found when stratified according to tumor localization, sex, or tobacco consumption. Conclusion. In contrast to earlier reports on the role of these COX-2 polymorphisms in mediating susceptibility to squamous esophageal carcinoma in a Chinese population, we could not demonstrate a risk-modifying effect in head and neck carcinogenesis in whites. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2009 [source]


    Array-MLPA: comprehensive detection of deletions and duplications and its application to DMD patients,

    HUMAN MUTATION, Issue 1 2008
    Fanyi Zeng
    Abstract Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) is widely used to screen genes of interest for deletions and duplications. Since MLPA is usually based on size-separation of the amplification products, the maximum number of target sequences that can be screened in parallel is usually limited to ,40. We report the design of a robust array-based MLPA format that uses amplification products of essentially uniform size (100,120,bp) and distinguishes between them by virtue of incorporated tag sequences. We were thus able to increase probe complexity to 124, with very uniform product yields and signals that have a low coefficient of variance. The assay designed was used to screen the largest set studied so far (249 patients) of unrelated Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) cases from the Chinese population. In a blind study we correctly assigned 98% of the genotypes and detected rearrangements in 181 cases (73%); i.e., 163 deletions (65%), 13 duplications (5%), and five complex rearrangements (2%). Although this value is significantly higher for Chinese patients than previously reported, it is similar to that found for other populations. The location of the rearrangements (76% in the major deletion hotspot) is also in agreement with other findings. The 96-well flow-through microarray system used in this research provides high-throughput and speed; hybridization can be completed in 5 to 30,minutes. Since array processing and data analysis are fully automated, array-MLPA should be easy to implement in a standard diagnostic laboratory. The universal array can be used to analyze any tag-modified MLPA probe set. Hum Mutat 29(1), 190,197, 2008. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


    Distribution of peroxisome proliferator,activated receptor,gamma polymorphisms in Chinese and Dutch patients with inflammatory bowel disease

    INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASES, Issue 2 2010
    Umid Kumar Shrestha
    Abstract Background: As peroxisome proliferator,activated receptor,gamma (PPAR-,) is frequently expressed in colon, its genetic polymorphism may play a role in the etiology of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The aims of the present study were to determine the distribution of PPAR-, polymorphisms Pro12Ala and C161T and to explore the association between the PPAR-, genotypes and phenotypes of IBD patients. Methods: A total of 244 IBD patients [212 ulcerative colitis (UC) and 32 Crohn's disease (CD)] and 220 controls in the Chinese population and 603 IBD patients (302 UC and 301 CD) and 180 controls in the white Dutch population were enrolled in the study. The phenotypes of Chinese IBD patients were grouped according to disease location. The PPAR-, polymorphisms Pro12Ala and C161T were genotyped by PCR-based methods. Results: In the Chinese population, T carriers of the PPAR-, C161T polymorphism were more common in UC patients than in the controls [37.7% vs. 25.5%, odds ratio 1.77, 95% confidence interval 1.18,2.68, P = 0.007], whereas Ala carriers of the Pro12Ala polymorphism showed no significant association in UC patients, but there was a significant association of Ala carriers with more extensive disease among the UC patients (P = 0.002); Pro12Ala and C161T genotypes did not show any associations with CD patients. No associations were found for the PPAR-, C161T SNP studied in the Dutch IBD population. Conclusions: Our study showed the potential association between the PPAR-, C161T polymorphism and UC patients in the central Chinese population. This finding was not replicated in the Dutch population. Further studies are necessary to explore the functional implication of the PPAR-, C161T polymorphism in Chinese UC patients. (Inflamm Bowel Dis 2009;) [source]


    Investigation of the root canal configuration of mandibular first molars in a Taiwan Chinese population

    INTERNATIONAL ENDODONTIC JOURNAL, Issue 11 2009
    G. Chen
    Abstract Aim, To investigate the root form and canal morphology of mandibular first molar teeth in a Taiwan Chinese population. Methodology, A total of 183 mandibular first molars were collected and examined visually through a dissecting microscope after rendering the teeth transparent. The number of roots, number of canals and canal configuration were recorded. The root canal morphology was categorized and compared according to Vertucci (1984). Results, Overall 46% of the mandibular first molars had four canals and 20% had extra-distal roots (distolingual root). In addition, 97% of the specimens had two mesial canals and 46% had two distal canals. In total, 68% of teeth with two mesial canals had two separated apical foramina, and 33% of teeth with two distal canals had two apical foramina. The most common canal configurations (Vertucci, 1984) of mesial roots were type 4 (46%) and type 2 (23%). Type 1 was encountered in 54% of the distal roots. Conclusions, The frequency of the extra-distal root on the mandibular first molar was 20%, and the incidence of three canals (Vertucci's type 8 classification) with separate apical foramina at the apex of the mesial root was 6%. The three-rooted variation of the mandibular first molar appears to be a genetic characteristic of an Asiatic racial background. [source]


    Putative functional polymorphisms of MMP9 predict survival of NSCLC in a Chinese population

    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 9 2009
    Guangfu Jin
    Abstract Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play a crucial role in cancer progression and their over-expression is often associated with unfavorable survival of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Because genetic variants can alter expression level or biological activity of MMPs, we hypothesized that potentially functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in key MMP genes may be associated with the survival of NSCLC patients. We selected and genotyped 14 putative functional SNPs in six MMP genes (MMP1, MMP2, MMP3, MMP7, MMP9 and MMP12) using PCR-RFLP methods in 561 NSCLC patients. Kaplan-Meier method with the log-rank test and Cox proportional hazard models were used for the survival analyses. The C-1562T, Arg279Gln and Arg668Gln polymorphisms in MMP9 were significantly associated with survival of patients with NSCLC (log-rank p values = 0.032, 0.038 and 0.036, respectively). The C-1562T and Arg668Gln loci were in complete linkage disequilibrium (r2 = 1). Patients carrying the 668Gln allele had improved survival with a median survival time (MST) of 51.6 months, compared with 21.8 months for those with the 668Arg/Arg genotype (log-rank p = 0.010). In contrast, the 279Gln/Gln genotype was associated with a significantly shortened MST (17.3 months, log-rank p = 0.030) in the recessive model. In the final multivariate Cox regression model, 279Gln/Gln was identified as an independent prognostic factor with an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.60 (95% confidence interval 1.07,2.41). The MMP9 Arg279Gln and Arg668Gln SNPs are potential predictors of survival in NSCLC patients. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


    Validation of a memory inventory for the assessment of awareness of memory deficits in Alzheimer's disease in Chinese elderly

    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 10 2006
    Victor Wing Cheong Lui
    Abstract Background This paper describes the development and validation of the Memory Inventory for Chinese (MIC), for measuring the awareness of memory deficits in the Chinese population with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Methods A combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches was adopted. The MIC was developed with focus group discussion and pilot testing. It has a patient and a caregiver version. A consecutive series of 79 new out-patients with the National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke and the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorder Association (NINCDS-ADRDA) criteria of probable and possible AD and 20 non-demented elderly subjects were recruited. Results A high internal consistency was found, with Cronbach alpha of 0.89 for the patient version and 0.90 for the caregiver version of MIC. The inter-rater reliability was satisfactory. For validity assessment, the caregiver score of the MIC correlated significantly with cognitive score of the subject as assessed by the Mini-Mental State Examination (rp,=,,0.37; p,<,0.01). The Memory Deficit Awareness Score, calculated by subtracting the patient score from the caregiver score, correlated significantly with clinician ratings of awareness of memory impairment (rs,=,,0.67; p,<,0.01). Conclusions The MIC appears to be a culturally appropriate and valid instrument for the measurement of awareness of memory deficits in Chinese patients with AD. Potential applications of the MIC should be further explored in other subtypes of dementia and in prospective studies. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


    Depression in dementia: a comparative and validation study of four brief scales in the elderly Chinese

    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 5 2004
    Chee Kum Lam
    Abstract Aim The study aimed to determine: (i) the diagnostic accuracy of four brief depression scales, the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), Even Briefer Assessment Scale for Depression (EBAS DEP), Single Question and Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (Cornell) in an elderly Chinese population with varying dementia severity; and (ii) which scale had the best diagnostic performance. Method All four scales were administered to 88 elderly outpatients with dementia: 66 without and 22 with depression. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to establish the optimal cut-off scores of the GDS, EBAS DEP and Cornell scales. The patients' dementia-severity was dichotomously categorized into mild and moderate-severe dementia, and the above analysis was repeated in both these groups to look at changes in the scales' diagnostic performance as dementia advances. Results The best diagnostic scale for detecting depression in dementia was the Cornell scale. Its optimal cut-off score was 6/7 (sensitivity 91.7%, specificity 80.0%) in the mild dementia group and 12/13 (sensitivity 70.0%, specificity 87.0%) in the more advanced dementia group. The optimal cut-off scores of the GDS and EBAS DEP also shifted to higher values when moving from the mild to the more advanced dementia groups, indicating the increasing difficulty on all these scales to detect depression with worsening cognitive impairment. The Single Question, however, was more robust with much less changes in its diagnostic parameters in both dementia cohorts: sensitivity 58.3%, specificity 90.0% for mild dementia, and 60.0 and 84.8%, respectively, for more advanced dementia. Conclusion An efficient strategy to diagnose depression in dementia amongst elderly Chinese patients is to administer the Single Question followed by, when necessary, the Cornell scale. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


    Analysis of high-resolution HLA-A, -B, -Cw, -DRB1, and -DQB1 alleles and haplotypes in 718 Chinese marrow donors based on donor,recipient confirmatory typings

    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF IMMUNOGENETICS, Issue 5 2009
    A.-L. Hei
    Summary High-resolution human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-A, -B, -Cw, -DRB1, and -DQB1 alleles and haplotype frequencies were analysed from 718 Chinese healthy donors selected from the Chinese Marrow Donor Program registry based on HLA donor,recipient confirmatory typings. A total of 28 HLA-A, 61 HLA-B, 30 HLA-Cw, 40 HLA-DRB1 and 18 HLA-DQB1 alleles were identified, and HLA-A*1101, A*2402, A*0201, B*4001, Cw*0702, Cw*0102, Cw*0304, DRB1*0901, DRB1*1501, DQB1*0301, DQB1*0303 and DQB1*0601 were found with frequencies higher than 10% in this study population. Multiple-locus haplotype analysis by the maximum-likelihood method revealed 45 A,B, 38 Cw,B, 47 B,DRB1, 29 DRB1,DQB1, 24 A,B,DRB1, 38 A,Cw,B, 23 A,Cw,B,DRB1, 33 Cw,B,DRB1,DQB1 and 22 A,Cw,B,DRB1,DQB1 haplotypes with frequencies >0.5%. The most common two-, three-, four- and five-locus haplotypes in this population were: A*0207,B*4601 (7.34%), Cw*0102,B*4601 (8.71%), B*1302,DRB1*0701 (6.19%), DRB1*0901,DQB1*0303 (14.27%), A*3001,B*1302,DRB1*0701 (5.36%), A*0207,Cw*0102,B*4601 (7.06%), A*3001,Cw*0602,B*1302,DRB1*0701 (5.36%), Cw*0602,B*1302,DRB1*0701,DQB1*0202 (6.12%) and A*3001,Cw*0602,B*1302,DRB1*0701,DQB1*0202 (5.29%). Presentation of the high-resolution alleles and haplotypes data at HLA-A, -B, -Cw, -DRB1 and -DQB1 loci will be useful for HLA matching in transplantation as well as for other medical and anthropological applications in the Chinese population. [source]


    Sequencing-based analysis of the HLA-DPB1 polymorphism in Nu ethnic group of south-west China

    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF IMMUNOGENETICS, Issue 6 2006
    W. Hu
    In the present study, DNA typing for HLA-DPB1 was performed using polymerase chain reaction,sequencing-based typing method in 72 randomly selected Nu ethnic individuals inhabiting the Yunnan province of south-west China. Among the 12 detected DPB1 alleles, the most frequent was DPB1*1301, with the percentage of 20.83%, followed by DPB1*0501 (19.44%), DPB1*040101 (16.67%) and DPB1*2801 (9.72%). The allele DPB1*1501 was found for the first time in the Chinese population. Neighbour-joining showed that the Nu ethnic minority belonged to East Asian cluster and was most closely related to Lisu, being consistent with the historical records. In addition, the results obtained in this study will also provide useful information on organ transplantation, forensic investigations and disease association studies. [source]


    Variability in TRBV haplotype frequency and composition in Caucasian, African American, Western African and Chinese populations

    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF IMMUNOGENETICS, Issue 6 2005
    J. L. Brzezinski
    Summary The polymorphic T-cell receptor V, (TRBV) genes encode much of the variable region of the T-cell receptor , chain. Analysis of allele frequencies of three closely linked polymorphic TRBV genes, TRBV7-3, TRBV9 and TRBV6-4, was undertaken in several populations. The frequencies of these alleles are not significantly different in populations of Caucasians, African Americans and Western Africans. However, Chinese population is extremely homogenous at all three loci. The current study identifies the existence of haplotypic relationships between alleles of these genes in the Caucasian population. The ORF allele TRBV7-3*A3 is found exclusively on chromosomes bearing TRBV9*A2 and TRBV6-4*A2 in this cohort. In contrast, TRBV7-3*A1 and the null allele TRBV7-3*A2 are associated only with TRBV9*A1 and TRBV6-4*A1. This pattern of linkage disequilibrium (LD) is altered in the African American and Western African populations. In these cohorts, there is a marked reduction in LD between alleles of TRBV7-3 and TRBV9. This study is consistent with previous population genetic studies wherein African-derived samples have a greater level of genetic diversity compared to Caucasians. These data also demonstrate that patterns of LD are not consistent across the entire TRBV locus. [source]


    Concomitant developmental dental anomalies in Chinese children with dens evaginatus

    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PAEDIATRIC DENTISTRY, Issue 4 2006
    S. Y. CHO
    Summary., Aim., To determine the prevalence of concomitant developmental dental anomalies in a group of Chinese children with dens evaginatus. Methods., The dental records and orthopantomograms of 10,15 year old children and adolescents who had been diagnosed with dens evaginatus in a school dental clinic were reviewed retrospectively. Results., Four hundred and forty-eight of 7102 (6·3%) children were found to have dens evaginatus. Concomitant developmental dental anomalies were found in 77 children (17·2%). The most commonly seen dental anomalies in the study population were hypodontia, hyperdontia, microdontic maxillary lateral incisor, and dental impaction. The prevalence of these anomalies did not differ significantly to that found in the general Chinese population. When analysed separately, however, the prevalence of supernumerary premolars was found to be higher in children with dens evaginatus than in the general population, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0·01). Conclusion., Supernumerary premolars appeared to be more prevalent in Chinese children with dens evaginatus than in the general population. There may be an association of supernumerary premolars with dens evaginatus in this study population. [source]


    Possible coexistence of SLE and sarcoidosis in a Chinese female patient

    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RHEUMATIC DISEASES, Issue 1 2003
    K. K. Lee
    Abstract Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and sarcoidosis, both being multisystem disorders, share some common clinical features. However, while SLE is not an uncommon disease in the Chinese population, sarcoidosis is distinctly rare in the Chinese. We report a Chinese female patient whose presenting features tend to suggest a lupus-like illness. However, eventually, the diagnosis of sarcoidosis was documented, based on the histological findings of her lymph node biopsy. The possible coexistence of SLE and sarcoidosis is discussed. [source]


    Validation of the current prognostic models for nonmetastatic renal cell carcinoma after nephrectomy in Chinese population: A 15-year single center experience

    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF UROLOGY, Issue 3 2009
    Zheng Liu
    Objectives: To explore the applicability of the current prognostic models for nonmetastatic renal cell carcinoma in the Chinese population based on a single center experience. Methods: Clinical and pathological variables of 653 nonmetastatic renal cell carcinoma patients were retrospectively reviewed. Seven models were used to predict the prognosis, including the Yaycioglu model, the Cindolo model, the University of California Los Angeles Integrated Staging System model, the stage, size, grade, and necrosis model, the Kattan nomogram, the Sorbellini nomogram and the Karakiewicz nomogram. Three different end-points were used for validation, including overall survival, cancer-specific survival, and recurrence-free survival. Survival was estimated using the Kaplan,Meier method. Discriminating ability was assessed using the Harrell's concordance-index. Results: At the last follow up, 159 patients had died due to various causes, and disease recurrence occurred in 156 patients. The discriminating ability of all models was confirmed in the Chinese population. Nomograms discriminate better than algorithms, regardless of end-points. The Kattan nomogram was the most accurate, with the highest concordance-indexes of 0.752, 0.793 and 0.841 for overall survival, cancer-specific survival, and recurrence-free survival, respectively. Conclusions: The current prognostic models were developed and validated entirely based on Caucasian populations. This study defines the general applicability of the models for Chinese patients with nonmetastatic renal cell carcinoma treated with nephrectomy. The Kattan model was found to be the most accurate. The Cindolo model performed well in some situations, although only including clinical presentation and size of tumor. Therefore, models should be chosen according to different environments and purposes. [source]


    Large-Scale Genome-Wide Linkage Analysis for Loci Linked to BMD at Different Skeletal Sites in Extreme Selected Sibships,

    JOURNAL OF BONE AND MINERAL RESEARCH, Issue 2 2007
    Yi-Hsiang Hsu
    Abstract Few genome-wide linkage studies of osteoporosis have been conducted in the Asian population. We performed a genome-wide scan involving 3093 adult siblings with at least one sib-pair extremely concordant or discordant for hip BMD. Our results indicated four genome-wide significant QTLs for BMD. In comparison with 12 previous reported linkage studies, we reveal novel linkage regions that have reaching global significance. Introduction: The genetic basis for osteoporosis has been firmly established, but efforts to identify genes associated with this complex trait have been incomplete, especially in Asian populations. The purpose of this study was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for BMD in a Chinese population. Materials and Methods: We performed a genome-wide scan involving 3093 siblings 25,64 years of age from 941 families, with at least one sib-pair extreme concordant or discordant for total hip BMD from a large community-based cohort (n = 23,327) in Anhui, China. Linkage analysis was performed on BMD residuals adjusted for age, height, weight, occupation, cigarette smoking, physical activity, and alcohol consumption using the revised Haseman-Elston regression-based linkage model. Results: Our results revealed significant QTLs on chromosome 7p21.2 for femoral neck BMD (LOD = 3.68) and on chromosome 2q24.3 for total hip BMD (LOD = 3.65). Suggestive linkage regions were found to overlap among different skeletal sites on chromosomes 2q, 7p, and 16q. Sex-specific linkage analysis further revealed a significant QTL for lumbar spine BMD on chromosome 13q21.1 (LOD = 3.62) in women only. When performing multivariate linkage analysis by combining BMDs at four skeletal sites (i.e., whole body, total hip, femoral neck, and lumbar spine BMD), an additional significant QTL was found at chromosome 5q21.2 (LOD = 4.56). None of these significant QTLs found in our study overlapped with major QTLs reported by other studies. Conclusions: This study reveals four novel QTLs in a Chinese population and suggests that BMD at different skeletal sites may also share common genetic determinants. [source]


    Estrogen Receptor , Gene Polymorphisms and Peak Bone Density in Chinese Nuclear Families,

    JOURNAL OF BONE AND MINERAL RESEARCH, Issue 6 2003
    Yue-Juan Qin
    Abstract PBD is an important determinant of osteoporotic fractures. Few studies were performed to search for genes underlying PBD variation in Chinese populations. We tested linkage and/or association of the estrogen receptor , gene polymorphism with PBD in 401 Chinese nuclear families. This study suggests the ER-, gene may have some minor effects on PBM variation in the Chinese population. Low peak bone density (PBD) in adulthood is an important determinant of osteoporotic fractures in the elderly. PBD variation is mainly regulated by genetic factors. Extensive molecular genetics studies have been performed to search for genes underlying PBD variation, largely in whites. Few studies were performed in Chinese populations. In this study, we simultaneously test linkage and/or association of the estrogen receptor , (ER -,) gene polymorphism with PBD in 401 Chinese nuclear families (both parents plus their female children) of 1260 subjects, with the 458 children generally between 20 and 40 years of age. All the subjects were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) at polymorphic PvuII and XbaI sites inside the ER -, gene. Bone mineral density was measured at the lumbar spine (L1-L4) and hip (femoral neck, trochanter, and intertrochanteric region). Raw bone mineral density values were adjusted by age, height, and weight as covariates. We detected marginally significant results for within-family association (transmission disequilibrium; p = 0.054) between the spine bone mineral density variation and the ER -, XbaI genotypes. For the hip bone mineral density variation, significant (p < 0.05) linkage results were generally found for the two intragenic markers. Analyses of the haplotypes defined by the two markers confer further evidence for linkage of the ER -, with the hip PBD variation. In conclusion, this study suggests that the ER -, gene may have minor effects on PBD variation in our Chinese population. [source]


    Genetic Polymorphism of KCNH2 Confers Predisposition of Acquired Atrial Fibrillation in Chinese

    JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 10 2009
    QUN-SHAN WANG M.D.
    Introduction: Nonfamiliar atrial fibrillation (AF) is usually associated with acquired structural heart disease, including valvular heart disease, coronary artery disease, and hypertension. Suggestive evidence indicates that these forms of acquired AF are more likely to occur in individuals with a genetic predisposition. We investigated the effect of the potassium channel voltage-gated subfamily member 2 (KCNH2) gene on the prevalence of acquired AF in a Chinese population. Methods: In a pair-matched, hospital-based case control study (297 vs 297) conducted in Chinese Hans, we investigated 4 tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (tSNPs), rs1805120, rs1036145, rs3807375, and rs2968857 in the KCNH2 gene, and determined their association with AF acquired from structural heart diseases. Results: We did not observe the association of rs1036145, rs3807375, and rs2968857 with AF. However, we determined that the tSNP, rs1805120, in exon 6 confers the risk of AF in Chinese Hans. Both genotype and allele frequencies of rs1805120 were distributed differently in cases and controls (P = 0.0289 and P = 0.0172, respectively). The most significant association was observed under a recessive model for the minor GG genotype with a 1.45-fold risk of developing AF (95% confidence interval 1.09,1.93, P = 0.012). The significance remained after controlling for the covariates of age, smoking, BMI, hypertension, and diabetes. Conclusion: We report a new genetic variation (rs1805120) in the KCNH2 gene that predisposes Chinese Han individuals to the risk of acquired AF. Further genetic and functional studies are required to identify the etiological variants in linkage disequilibrium with this polymorphism. [source]


    Increased Levels of Tissue Plasminogen Activator Antigen and Factor VIII Activity in Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation: Relation to Predictors of Thromboembolism

    JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 8 2001
    TZUNG-DAU WANG M.D.
    Atrial Fibrillation and Hypercoagulability.Introduction: Given that nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF)-associated stroke can be either cardioembolic or atherothrombotic, we investigated the relationships between nonvalvular AF and hemostatic factors reflecting intrinsic thrombogenic and atherogenic potentials (tissue plasminogen activator [t-PA] antigen, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, and factor VIII activity). We also evaluated the clinical applicability of these hemostatic factors by examining whether AF subjects with established clinical or echocardiographic predictors of thromboembolism had higher levels of these factors. Methods and Results: Of the 3,212 participants of a Chinese population-based study, 53 subjects (1.7%) with AF were identified. Among the hemostatic factors measured, t-PA antigen (median 12.8 vs 8.1 ng/mL; P < 0.01) and factor VIII activity (median 155% vs 133%; P < 0.05) were significantly higher in AF subjects after adjustment for age and sex. In multivariate analysis, features independently associated with t-PA antigen levels were AF, age, sex, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Features independently associated with factor VIII activity levels included AF, age, and total cholesterol. Levels of both t-PA antigen and factor VIII activity were primarily elevated in AF subjects with predictors of thromboembolism (age > 75 years, hypertension, diabetes, and left ventricular systolic dysfunction), whereas in AF subjects with no thromboembolic predictors, plasma levels of hemostatic factors examined were similar to those without AF. Conclusion: We demonstrated that nonvalvular AF was independently associated with increased peripheral levels of t-PA antigen and factor VIII activity. Levels of both hemostatic factors were primarily elevated in AF subjects with predictors of thromboembolism. Whether these hemostatic factors are independently predictive of future thromboembolic events in AF patients requires further investigation. [source]


    Detection of carcinomas in an asymptomatic Chinese population: advantage of screening with multiple tumor markers

    JOURNAL OF CLINICAL LABORATORY ANALYSIS, Issue 2 2006
    Kuo-Chien Tsao
    Abstract A total of 73,443 asymptomatic individuals were screened on a voluntary basis for cancer at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taiwan using a panel of tumor markers, including alpha fetoprotein (AFP), CA 125, CA 15-3, CA 19-9, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), prostate specific antigen (PSA), chromogranin A (CgA), and squamous cell specific antigen (SCC). The results are derived from data collected from January 1998 to October 2003. A total of 210 cancers (approximately 0.3%) were detected, including cancers of the liver, lung, colon, prostate, stomach, pancreas, breast, cervix, ovary, and bladder. Of the tumor markers monitored, elevated CA 19-9, CEA, and CA 125 were the most frequently detected in a variety of cancers. It was surprising to find that many cancers were not detected by their dominant markers but by the elevation of tumor markers not recommended for monitoring their tumor activity. Screening with multiple circulating tumor markers provides improved sensitivity for cancer detection in asymptomatic individuals before they reach the fatal advanced stage. Screening with multiple tumor markers also allows cancers to be detected in the absence of their dominant markers. If we had not measured the multiple tumor markers, these cancers would have gone undetected. J. Clin. Lab. Anal. 20:42,46, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]