Digit ratio (2D:4D) in Chinese women with gastric cancer.

OBJECTIVES: Digit ratio, especially the second-to-fourth digit ratio (2D:4D), is a proxy indicator for prenatal exposure and sensitivity to sexual hormones which may influence the susceptibility to certain cancers. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether there is a possible association between 2D:4D and gastric cancer (GCA) in north Chinese women. METHODS: Photographs of the left and right hands of 167 women (controls: 113; patients: 54) were collected. Left hand, right hand, and right minus left hand (Dr-l) 2D:4D were analyzed and compared. RESULTS: The GCA group presented significantly lower 2D:4D than controls (left: P < .01; right: P < .05). No significant difference was observed in Dr-l between the two groups. In patients, there were no correlations between 2D:4D and age at GCA or tumor staging. CONCLUSIONS: Decreased 2D:4D (especially of the left hand) may suggest a higher prenatal testosterone (lower prenatal estrogen) exposure in north Chinese women with GCA.

[Hand dermatoglyphic traits and azoospermia in the Chinese Han males in Ningxia area].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between hand dermatoglyphic traits and azoospermia in the Chinese Han males in Ningxia area. METHODS: Using the inkpad prints, we obtained dermatoglyphics of both hands from 212 Han males in Ningxia area, including 106 azoospermia patients and 106 fathers as normal controls. We analyzed the photographs of the prints with the Image-Pro Plus 6.0 software and compared the finger print patterns, finger ridge counts, atd angles (the angle between the index finger triradius ï¼»aï¼½ and the little finger triradius ï¼»dï¼½ to the axial triradius ï¼»tï¼½) and a-b ridge counts between the two groups of subjects. RESULTS: The prevalence rate of radial loops in both hands was markedly higher in the azoospermia patients than in the normal controls (3.77% vs 1.70%, P < 0.01) while that of arches showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups (1.89% vs 1.51%, P > 0.05). The prevalence rates of whorls and ulnar loops, the finger ridge counts, and the a-b ridge counts were all lower in the azoospermia patients than in the fertile controls though none with statistically significant difference between the two groups (P > 0.05). The atd angles in both hands were significantly lower in the former than in the latter group (right hand: ï¼»40.52 ± 4.61ï¼½° vs ï¼»42.99 ± 4.65ï¼½°, P < 0.05; left hand: ï¼»40.04 ± 4.21ï¼½° vs ï¼»42.18 ± 4.87ï¼½°, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: There are some abnormal variations in the hand dermatoglyphic traits, especially the prevalence of radial loops and the atd angle in the Chinese Han male patients with azoospermia in Ningxia area.