Application of Microhaplotypes in Sibling Kinship Testing / 法医学杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To investigate the efficacy of different numbers of microhaplotype (MH) loci and the introduction of different reference samples on the identification of full sibling, half sibling and differentiation between full sibling and half sibling kinships, and to explore the effect of changing mutation rate on sibling testing.@*METHODS@#First, a family map involving three generations was established, and four full sibling identification models, five half sibling identification models and five models distinguishing full and half siblings were constructed for different reference samples introduced. Based on the results of the previous study, two sets of nonbinary SNP-MH containing 34 and 54 loci were selected. Based on the above MH loci, 100 000 pairs of full sibling vs. unrelated individuals, 100 000 pairs of half sibling vs. unrelated individuals and 100 000 pairs of full sibling vs. half sibling were simulated based on the corresponding sibling kinship testing models, and the efficacy of each sibling kinship testing model was analyzed by the likelihood ratio algorithm under different thresholds. The mutant rate of 54 MH loci was changed to analyze the effect of mutation rate on sibling identification.@*RESULTS@#In the same relationship testing model, the systematic efficacy of sibling testing was positively correlated with the number of MH loci detected. With the same number of MH loci, the efficacy of full sibling testing was better than that of uncle or grandfather when the reference sample introduced was a full sibling of A, but there was no significant difference in the identification efficacy of the four reference samples introduced for full sibling and half sibling differentiation testing. In addition, the mutation rate had a slight effect on the efficacy of sibling kinship testing.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Increasing the number of MH loci and introducing reference samples of known relatives can increase the efficacy of full sibling testing, half sibling testing, and differentiation between full and half sibling kinships. The level of mutation rate in sibling testing by likelihood ratio method has a slight but insignificant effect on the efficacy.

Relationship between serum N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide and metabolic syndrome: a cross-sectional study / 中华心血管病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the relationship between serum N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and metabolic syndrome (MS).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 1323 Beijing residents (559 male) were investigated. MS was defined by the modified 2004 Chinese Diabetes Society criteria and 439 cases were diagnosed as MS according to this criteria. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the odds ratios (OR) of MS. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to analyze the association between NT-proBNP and characteristic variables.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>NT-proBNP was significantly lower in MS group compared to non-MS group [32.51 (29.17, 36.14) ng/L vs.38.55 (35.73, 41.50) ng/L, P = 0.012] after adjusted for age and gender. NT-proBNP level decreased with the presence of MS components (from 0 to 4 or 5) (45.92, 37.24, 35.40, 31.55 and 33.65 ng/L respectively, P = 0.043 for linear trend). Among the components, groups with larger waist circumference, higher fasting glucose and triglycerides were associated with lower NT-proBNP level. After adjustment for potential confounders, compared with the lowest NT-proBNP quartile, the adjusted odds ratio of the second, third and fourth quartile for having MS were 0.782 (95%CI: 0.544 - 1.122, P > 0.05), 0.709 (95%CI: 0.489 - 1.028, P > 0.05), 0.604 (95%CI: 0.405 - 0.900, P < 0.05), respectively. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that female gender (β = 0.248, P < 0.001), age (β = 0.167, P < 0.001), systolic blood pressure (β = 0.154, P < 0.001) were positively related to NT-proBNP level while waist circumference (β = -0.082, P = 0.004), diastolic blood pressure (β = -0.085, P = 0.015), triglycerides (β = -0.101, P < 0.001), total cholesterol (β = -0.078, P = 0.004), eGFR (β = -0.150, P < 0.001) were negatively correlated to NT-proBNP level.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>In this cohort, higher serum NT-proBNP concentration is associated with lower incidence of metabolic syndrome.</p>

Association between peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gene single nucleotide polymorphisms and arterial stiffness in adult Chinese population / 中华心血管病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor(PPAR) and arterial stiffness in adult Chinese population (> 50 years).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Cardiovascular risk factors from participants of Beijing epidemiological investigation were analyzed. Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) was measured by Complior system. The subjects were divided into normal arterial stiffness group (cfPWV < 12 m/s, n = 844) and increased arterial stiffness group (cfPWV > 12 m/s, n = 530). Three valid SNPs including rs1053049, rs1800234 and rs8192678 in the PPAR and PPARγC1a gene were genotyped by TaqMan allelic discrimination assays.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The age [(67.9 ± 8.8) years vs. (58.0 ± 9.7) years], prevalence of hypertension [71.1% (377/530) vs. 30.5% (257/844)] and diabetes mellitus [21.7% (115/530) vs. 11.0% (93/844)] were all significantly higher in increased arterial stiffness group than in normal group (all P < 0.05). The frequencies of CC, CT and TT type of rs8192678 [CC: 32.2% (272/844) vs. 30.8% (163/530), CT: 48.7% (411/844) vs. 52.1% (276/530), TT: 19.1% (161/844) vs. 17.2% (91/530)], rs1053049 [CC: 55.7% (470/844) vs. 51.3% (272/530), CT: 36.7% (310/844) vs. 39.1% (207/530), TT: 7.6% (64/844) vs. 9.6% (51/530)] and rs1800234 [CC: 88.4% (746/844) vs. 90.4% (479/530), CT + TT: 11.6% (98/844) vs. 9.6% (51/530)] were similar between the two groups. There was also no association between haplotypes and the increased arterial stiffness in this cohort.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>In this community-based population, we found that aging, hypertension and diabetes mellitus were associated but SNPs of PPAR and PPARγC1a were not associated with arterial stiffness.</p>

Associations of plasma homocysteine and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels with arterial stiffness in Chinese population: a community-based study / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Arterial stiffness increases with age and is also associated with traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Little is known about the relations of homocysteine and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) to arterial stiffness in the Chinese community. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association of plasma homocysteine and hs-CRP levels with arterial stiffness in a community-based cohort.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We related levels of homocysteine and hs-CRP to four measures of arterial stiffness (carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV), carotid-radial PWV, carotid-ankle PWV and heart rate corrected augmentation index) in 1680 participants from two communities of Beijing, China. Arterial stiffness was measured within two days of the time of biomarker measurement.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In univariate analysis, homocysteine was positively associated with the carotid-femoral PWV (r = 0.211, P < 0.0001), carotid-radial PWV (r = 0.120, P < 0.0001) and carotid-ankle PWV (r = 0.148, P < 0.0001), whereas it was inversely related to the augmentation index (r = -0.052, P = 0.016). Hs-CRP was positively associated with the carotid-femoral PWV (r = 0.074, P = 0.001) and carotid-ankle PWV (r = 0.050, P = 0.02). In multiple-adjusted models (R(2) = 0.57), homocysteine levels remained a significant determinant of the carotid-femoral PWV (standardized β = 0.065, P = 0.007), whereas the association of hs-CRP with measurements of arterial stiffness was not present.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>In the Chinese population, plasma homocysteine levels are associated with alterations of aortic stiffness, whereas plasma levels of hs-CRP are not independently related to artery stiffening.</p>

Relationship between serum homocysteine and metabolic syndrome: a cross-sectional study / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective To explore the relationship between serum homocysteine and metabolic syndrome (MS).Methods A cohort with 1680 people involved in a community-based population in Beijing was investigated.Metabolic syndrome was defined by NCEP-ATP Ⅲ criteria.Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the odds ratios (OR) of MS.Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to analyze the association between Hcy and characteristic variables.Results Homocysteine was higher in MS population compared to those without MS ( 17.99 μmol/L vs.17.18 μmol/L,P=0.007) after adjusted for age and sex.Levels of homocysteine increased with the presence of MS components (from 0 to 4 or 5) (16.71,16.94,17.62,18.20,17.82 μmol/L respectively,P=0.044 for linear trend).Among the components,groups with larger waist circumference,higher blood pressure and triglycerides showed significantly higher Hcy level than their counterparts.Results from multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that the highest Hcy quartile (Hcy Ⅳ ) was significantly associated with MS.Compared with the lowest Hcy quartile (Hcy Ⅰ ),the adjusted odds ratio of having MS in HcyⅣ was 1.379(1.005-1.892) after adjusting for age,sex,levels on creatinine/estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)/low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and uric acid,smoking,alcohol intake and exercise.In the partial correlation analyses,Hcy was positively associated with body mass index (BMI),waist circumsternece,blood pressure,LDL-C,triglycerides (TG),uric acid,serum creatinine,eGFR,but inversely associated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and independently with age and sex.In multiple linear regression analysis,age,male sex,BMI,LDL-C,creatinine and uric acid were found to be independently associated with Hcy level.Conclusion There was an association noticed between the MS using NCEP-ATP Ⅲ criteria and the highest quartile level of Hcy in this study.Factors as age and being male,the levels of BMI,LDL-C,creatinine and uric acid were independently associated with the Hcy level.

S100A1 protein and heart failure / 第二军医大学学报

S100A,a Ca2+-depending inotropic factor in the heart,is found decreased during hear failure. Increase of S100A1 protein expression can improve cardiac function by regulating Ca2+ transportation, inhibiting left ventricular remodeling, decreasing apoptosis,and restoring energy supply of failing heart. Therefore,recovery of S100A1 protein expression in the failing heart is an effective strategy for treatment of heart failure.

Transfection of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells by adeno-associated virus 2/1 vector / 中国实验血液学杂志

This study was aimed to investigate the transfection efficacy of recombinant adeno-associated virus 2/1 (rAAV2/1) on bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) at different multiplicities of infection (MOI) and time, and effect of transfection on growth of rat BMMSCs. The rat BMMSCs cultured in vitro were transfected by using rAAV2/1 with enhanced green fluorescent protein (rAAV2/1-EGFP) at MOI of 1 x 10(4), 1 x 10(5) and 1 x 10(6); the EGFP expression was observed by fluorescent microscopy at 3, 7 and 14 days. The viability, proliferation multiple, differentiation ability of daughter cells were detected for evaluating the effect of rAAV2/1 on survival, proliferation and differentiation of BMMSCs and the fluorescence index (FI) were determined by flow cytometry. The results indicated that after transfection with rAAV2/1 for 24 hours the green fluorescence in BMMSCs were observed, but also the fluorescence gradually was enhanced along with prolonging of time, and reached to steady level after 7 days; the viability, proliferation multiple, differentiation ability of BMMSCs transfected by rAAV2/1-EGFP at different MOI showed no significant changes at 3,7 and 14 days (p > 0.05), meanwhile at same MOI the proliferation multiple obviously increased in comparison between 7 day vs 3 day and 14 days vs 7 days (p < 0.01). The flow cytometric detection showed that the transfection efficacy of rAAV2/1-EGFP on BMMSCs and FI increased significantly as the multiplicity of infection and culture time increased (p < 0.05). It is concluded that rAAV2/1-EGFP is able to transfect into BMMSCs effectively, but the transfection efficiency and fluorescence index increase significantly along with increase of multiplicity of infection and culture time. rAAV2/1-EGFP do not affect viability, proliferation multiple and differentiation ability of BMMSCs. rAAV2/1 is a kind of active vector for gene transfer to reform BMMSCs.