Gender Differences in Smoking Initiation and Cessation Associated with the Intergenerational Transfer of Smoking across Three Generations: The Nagahama Study.

Global tobacco policies lowered overall and male smoking rates, but female smoking rates have remained unchanged. Parent-child studies revealed the effects of parental smoking, but gender differences had mixed results. We investigated the effects of long-term smoking behavior in families over three generations in order to clarify gender differences. A cross-sectional study in a community-based genome cohort was conducted using a self-reported questionnaire. A total of 8652 respondents were stratified by gender regarding smoking initiation. A logistic regression analysis was performed to analyze the family smoking history. A total of 2987 current smokers and ever-smokers were compared regarding smoking cessation. With respect to smoking initiation, women were affected by their smoking mothers (odds ratio (OR), 2.4; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.8-3.2) and grandmothers (OR, 1.7; CI, 1.1-2.4). Women who continued smoking were affected only by their smoking mothers (OR, 1.6; CI, 1.05-2.49). In conclusion, gender differences in smoking initiation and cessation are possibly associated with family smoking history. Mothers and grandmothers were shown to have a strong influence on women with respect to both smoking initiation and cessation. Future research should focus on providing evidence for effective gender-specific intervention programs to curb long-term smoking in women.

Platelet hexosaminidase a enzyme assay effectively detects carriers missed by targeted DNA mutation analysis.

Biochemical testing of hexosaminidase A (HexA) enzyme activity has been available for decades and has the ability to detect almost all Tay-Sachs disease (TSD) carriers, irrespective of ethnic background. This is increasingly important, as the gene pool of those who identify as Ashkenazi Jewish is diversifying. Here we describe the analysis of a cohort of 4,325 individuals arising from large carrier screening programs and tested by the serum and/or platelet HexA enzyme assays and by targeted DNA mutation analysis. Our results continue to support the platelet assay as a highly effective method for TSD carrier screening, with a low inconclusive rate and the ability to detect possible disease-causing mutation carriers that would have been missed by targeted DNA mutation analysis. Sequence analysis performed on one such platelet assay carrier, who had one non-Ashkenazi Jewish parent, identified the amino acid change Thr259Ala (A775G). Based on crystallographic modeling, this change is predicted to be deleterious, as threonine 259 is positioned proximal to the HexA alpha subunit active site and helps to stabilize key residues therein. Accordingly, if individuals are screened for TSD in broad-based programs by targeted molecular testing alone, they must be made aware that there is a more sensitive and inexpensive test available that can identify additional carriers. Alternatively, the enzyme assays can be offered as a first tier test, especially when screening individuals of mixed or non-Jewish ancestry.

Population-based Tay-Sachs screening among Ashkenazi Jewish young adults in the 21st century: Hexosaminidase A enzyme assay is essential for accurate testing.

Tay-Sachs disease (TSD) carrier screening, initiated in the 1970s, has reduced the birth-rate of Ashkenazi Jews with TSD worldwide by 90%. Recently, several nationwide programs have been established that provide carrier screening for the updated panel of Jewish genetic diseases on college campuses and in Jewish community settings. The goals of this study were to determine the performance characteristics of clinical TSD testing in college- and community-based screening programs and to determine if molecular testing alone is adequate in those settings. Clinical data for TSD testing were retrospectively anonymized and subsequently analyzed for 1,036 individuals who participated in these programs. The performance characteristics of the serum and the platelet Hexosaminidase assays were compared, and also correlated with the results of targeted DNA analysis. The serum assay identified 29 carriers and the platelet assay identified 35 carriers for carrier rates of 1/36 and 1/29, respectively. One hundred sixty-nine samples (16.3%) were inconclusive by serum assay in marked contrast to four inconclusive samples (0.4%) by the platelet assay. Molecular analysis alone would have missed four of the 35 carriers detected by the platelet assay, yielding a false negative rate of 11.4% with a sensitivity of 88.6%. Based on the results of this study, platelet assay was superior to serum with a minimal inconclusive rate. Due to changing demographics of the Ashkenazi Jewish population, molecular testing alone in the setting of broad-based population screening programs is not sufficient, and biochemical analysis should be the assay of choice.