Analysis of the factors contributing to endometriosis in China and UK / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the differences in the factors associated with endometriosis between Chinese and British patients.@*METHODS@#This case-control study was conducted in 387 patients with endometriosis and 199 non-endometriosis patients admitted to John Radcliffe Hospital (Oxford, UK) and in 101 patients with endometriosis and 50 non-endometriosis patients admitted in the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine. The clinical data including height, weight, body mass index, marital status, employment, menstruation, fertility, and operation reasons were collected via a standardized WERF EPHect questionnaire.@*RESULTS@#Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that body mass index, surgery for dysmenorrhea, history of pregnancy, counts of previous surgeries for endometriosis and status of employment were all significantly associated with endometriosis in the UK (P < 0.05), while a history of dysmenorrhea was significantly correlated with endometriosis in Chinese patients (P < 0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Dysmenorrhea may be the most important common factor associated with endometriosis in China and the UK, but the other factors contributing to endometriosis may differ between these two countries.

Distribution of Candida albican genotype and Candida species is associated with the severity of vulvovagianl candidiasis / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the distribution of pathogenic C.albican genotype and Candida species in association with the severity of vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) of the internal transcribed spacer analysis was employed to identify the Candida species isolated from the vaginal secretions of 198 patients with acute VVC. SSCP and GeneScan analyses of microsatellite locus I polymorphism were used to determine the genotypes of the clinical isolates of C. albican associated with VVC. All the patients were scored for clinical signs and symptoms to evaluate the severity of VVC.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A total of 198 Candida strains were isolated from VVC patients, including 140 (70.7%) C. albicans strains and 58 (29.3%) non-albicans strains. In the 95 patients with severe VVC and 103 with mild-moderate VVC, C.albican was detected in 62.1% and 76.6% of the patients, respectively (P=0.011). Thirty-eight microsatellite locus I genotypes were detected in 140 unrelated C. albican strains, among which the dominant genotypes 30-45 (44 strians, 31.43%) and 32-46 (23 strains, 16.43%) were the most common, followed by genotypes 30-46 (4 strains, 2.86%) and 32-47 (9 strains, 6.42%). The overall frequencies of the 4 genotypes were significantly higher in severe VVC than in mild-moderate VVC cases (77.9% vs 42.0%, P<0.001).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>C. albicans remains the most common pathogenic Candia species in patients with VVC, but the non-alibcans species seem more likely to cause severe VVC. The dominant genotypes of C. albicans with a tropism for the vagina are correlated to the severity of VVC.</p>

No association of AhR gene 1661G/A and ARNT gene 567G/C polymorphisms with endometriosis in southern Han Chinese women / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the association between the arylhydrocarbon receptor gene (AhR) 1661G/A or arylhydrocarbon nuclear translocatorgene (ARNT) 567G/C polymorphism and endometriosis in southern Han Chinese women.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The polymorphisms of AhR gene 1661G/Aand ARNT gene 567G/C in 431 cases of endometriosis and 499 healthy women were genotyped by fluorescence quantitative PCR-based high resolution melting.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The frequencies of genotypes AA, AG, GG and alleles A and G in controls were 12.0%, 41.9%, 46.1%, 33.0% and 67.0%, respectively, which were not significantly different from those in patients with endometriosis (9.7%, 44.6%, 45.7%, 32.0% and 68.0%, respectively). The genotype frequencies of GG, GC, CC and alleles C and G in controls (15.6 %, 51.7%, 32.7%, 58.5%, 41.5%) were not significantly different from those in patients with endometriosis (13.5%, 47.8%, 38.7%, 62.6%, 37.4%), either. And no interaction of AhR 1661G/A and ARNT 567G/C on endometriosis was found.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>No association between AhR 1661G/A and ARNT 567G/C genetic polymorphisms and endometriosis was found in the southern Han Chinese women in this study.</p>

Association of single nucleotide polymorphism in CYP17 and ERα genes with endometriosis risk in southern Chinese women / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms in cytochrome P450 17 (CYP17) and estrogen receptor alpha (ERα ) genes with the risk of endometriosis among southern Chinese women.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Two SNPs rs743572 (CYP17 gene 34T/C) and rs9322331 (ERα gene -397T/C) were genotyped by high resolution melting curve in 432 endometriosis patients and 499 matched controls.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There was no significant difference in the genotype frequencies of the two loci between endometriosis patients and the control subjects (P> 0.05). And there was no significant interaction effect of these two genes on the disease either.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>CYP17 gene and ERα gene may not be genetic risk factors for endometriosis among southern women in China.</p>

Association of the IL-6 gene 634C/G polymorphism with susceptibility to endometriosis / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the association of interleukin 6 gene (IL-6) promoter region 634C/G (rs1800796) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) with the genetic susceptibility to endometriosis (Ems) in south Han Chinese women.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A case-control study was performed in 432 Ems patients and 499 control women to evaluate the SNP of IL-6 634C/G by using a fluorescent quantitative PCR-based high resolution melting (HRM) method.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There were statistical significances in the IL-6 634C/G alleles, whether or not to carry allele G and genotype distributions between Ems patients and control women (P=0.032, 0.014 and 0.045, respectively). Allele C enhanced the risk of Ems 1.057 times while allele G reduced the risk of Ems 0.835 time. Carrying allele G reduced the risk of Ems 0.822 time, whereas not carrying allele G enhanced the risk of Ems 1.143 times. Compared with genotype CC, the risk of Ems with genotype CG reduced 0.704 time (95% CI: 0.533-0.931). There was no significant difference in whether or not carrying allele G distribution between Ems patients and control women (P=0.729).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The present study demonstrated significant association between the SNP of IL-6 634C/G and genetic susceptibility to Ems in south Han Chinese women.</p>

Chinese medicine for menopausal syndrome: current status, problems and strategies / 中国结合医学杂志

The use of Chinese medicine (CM) for the management of: menopausal syndrome is considered effective both at home and abroad, and more and more clinical studies are confirming its efficacy. However, many problems still exit in current studies, such as the standard of CM syndrome differentiation, the design methodology and criteria to assess the quality of clinical trials and the efficacy of interventions. In this paper, the authors present the CM research and treatment strategies for menopausal syndrome with concepts explaining the CM understanding of the mechanism of the disorder. It is concluded that CM is effective for menopausal syndrome, but improvement in both study methodology and treatment strategy is needed. In detail, it is firstly necessary to conduct clinical studies to evaluate the difference of various CM treatments for menopausal syndrome manifesting different symptoms, so as to establish a comprehensive treatment protocol of CM. Secondly, an acknowledged evaluation system needs to be founded, which embodies the characteristics of CM, and covers appropriate endpoint indices and parameters to objectively evaluate the effect and study quality of CM. Finally, an epidemiological survey with large sample size should be implemented with robust statistical design and CM expertise to collect data for establishing diagnostic criteria for menopause in different stages and with different symptoms.

A comprehensive prevention programs on AIDS, HBV and syphilis among pregnant women and couples experienced premarital medical examination / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective To evaluate the effect of comprehensive prevention programs on HIV,HBV and syphilis transmission from mother to child and between premarital couples. Methods HIV, HBV and syphilis were screened among pregnant women with interventional measure for infected women; HIV, HBV and syphilis (TP) were screened among premarital couples with medical advice. Results The HIV,HBsAg and TP positive rates were 8.4‰(111/13 280) ,54‰(711/13 186)and 12.8‰( 159/12 401 ) respectively among pregnant women and the total positive rate of the three diseases was 73.8‰ which was significantly higher than HIV positive rate (P＜0.001). The positive rates of HIV, HBsAg and TP were 17.6‰(464/26 324), 95.3‰( 1826/19 152) and 18.6‰(355/19 099) respectively among premarital couples and the total positive rate of the three diseases was 131.5‰ which was significantly higher than HIV positive rate alone (P＜0.001).Comprehensive prevention was more economical than prevention for HIV alone. Conclusion The comprehensive strategies for prevention of HIV, HBV and syphilis was feasible, effective and economical that could help to actively conduct the preventive measures.

Effect of gene polymorphism of TNF-beta on the concentration of TNF in serum of patient with endometriosis / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To determine the polymorphism in +252 site of tumor necrosis factor-beta(TNF-beta) gene in patients with or without endometriosis, to evaluate the levels of TNF-alpha and TNF-beta in the serum with or without endometriosis, to explore the relation between polymorphism of TNF-beta gene and the genetic susceptibility of endometriosis, and to explore the pathogenic mechanism of endometriosis at gene level.@*METHODS@#By polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method, polymorphism on +252 site of TNF-beta gene was measured in 82 patients with endometriosis (the endometriosis group) and 80 patients without endometriosis (the control group). With the sandwich-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), the levels of TNF-alpha and TNF-beta in the serum of the two groups were determined.@*RESULTS@#The TNF-beta level in the serum in the endometriosis group with TNF-beta gene +252 site AA genotype significantly increased, compared with GG genotype (t=2.029, P<0.05); while TNF-alpha and TNF-beta level in the serum had no statistical significance in patients with other genotypes in TNF-beta gene +252 site in the endometriosis group and the control group.@*CONCLUSION@#TNF-beta gene +252 site AA genotype might be enhance TNF-beta level in the serum of patients with endometriosis.

Association of tumor necrosis factors-beta gene polymorphism with endometriosis in women in Guangdong Province / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the polymorphism of +252 site in intron 1 of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-beta gene in relation to genetic susceptibility of endometriosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) was employed to detect the polymorphism of +252 site in intron 1 of TNF-beta gene in 82 Chinese Han patients with endometriosis in Guangdong Province and 80 Han patients without endometriosis (control group), and the relation between TNF gene polymorphism and the risk of endometriosis was analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The +252 site of TNF-beta allele and genotype distribution showed significant difference between endometriosis and control groups (Chi2=6.562, P<0.05; chi2=6.562, P<0.05), and relative risk of endometriosis in relation to allele A was increased by 1.793 fold. The risk of endometriosis was 3.33-fold higher in women of AA genotype than those of GG genotype (Chi2=6.562, P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Allele A in TNF-beta gene +252 site can significantly increase the relative risk of endometriosis in women in Guangdong, among which TNF-beta AA genotype might be one of the genetic susceptible factors for endometriosis.</p>