Structure and function of DJ-1 and its role in Parkinson's disease / 中南大学学报(医学版)

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative movement disorder mainly due to degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. Most PD cases are sporadic and only 5%-10% of patients carry mutations with inheritance. Among them, the mutation of DJ-1 is related to the autosomal recessive early-onset parkinsonism. DJ-1, the Parkinson's disease-related protein, plays important roles in different physiopathological processes, including oxidative stress, cell translocation and regulation of transcription and translation. DJ-1 is known to be widely expressed in different areas of brain, including hippocampus, amygdala, substantia nigra and cortical areas. Several researchers have tried to demonstrate the clinical and neuroimaging features of DJ-1 related parkinsonism. The DJ-1 knockout mouse model was established to further explore the mechanisms of different functions. Moreover, the search for different forms of DJ-1 as potential biomarkers of PD also provides guidance for its accurate diagnosis and treatment in the future.

Association between cyclooxygenase gene rs20417 polymorphism and aspirin resistance: a meta-analysis

@#Background: Although the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of cyclooxygenase (COX) genes and the risk of aspirin resistance (AR) has been extensively studied, the results remain conflicting. The majority of studies have focused on the role of rs20417 (COX-2 -G765C) in AR. To derive a more comprehensive and accurate evaluation of this association, we performed a meta-analysis including the most recent studies. Methods: Relevant studies published up to October 2018 were identified by searching the PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane, China Nation Knowledge Infrastructure Platform, Wanfang, and VIP databases, and by manual searching reference lists of the retrieved articles. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were applied to assess the strength of associations. Sensitivity and subgroup analyses were performed to explore the stability of results and between-study heterogeneity, respectively. Results: A total of 18 studies on rs20417 were pooled into the meta-analysis. Rs20417 was found to be associated with an increased risk of AR (C vs. G: OR = 1.43, 95% CI = 1.10–1.86, p < 0.05; GC+CC vs. GG: OR = 1.54, 95% CI =1.15–2.05, p < 0.05). These associations were stronger in Chinese participants and in patients with ischemic stroke in subgroup analyses. Conclusion: The presence of rs20417 indicates an increased risk of AR, especially in Chinese participants and patients with ischemic stroke. This association could help to improve personalized medicine and initiate appropriate treatment as necessary. Further large-scale studies are warranted to confirm our findings.