Polymorphisms in MicroRNA Target Sites of TGF-ß Signaling Pathway Genes and Susceptibility to Allergic Rhinitis.

BACKGROUND: The polymorphisms inside microRNA target sites locating in the 3'-UTR region may introduce the micro-RNA-binding changes, which may regulate the gene expression and correlate with the potential diseases. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to investigate whether the polymorphisms in microRNA target sites of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-ß) signaling pathway genes are associated with the susceptibility of mite-sensitized allergic rhinitis (AR) in a Han Chinese population. METHODS: In this case-control study, 454 AR patients and 448 healthy controls were recruited. Three HapMap single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were mapped to putative microRNA recognition sites and genotyped by TaqMan allelic discrimination assay. RESULTS: The genotype and allele frequencies of 3 SNPs (rs1590 in TGFBR1; rs1434536 and rs17023107 in BMPR1B) showed lack of significant association with AR. However, in the subgroup analysis, the TG, GG, and TG/GG genotypes of rs1590 exhibited significantly increased risk of AR in the male subgroup (TG: adjusted OR = 1.57, 95% CI = 1.08-2.31; GG: adjusted OR = 1.76, 95% CI = 1.09-2.86; TG/GG: adjusted OR = 1.62, 95% CI = 1.13-2.33). The CT genotypes of rs17023107 might have potential to protect against AR in the patients age of <15 years (adjusted OR = 0.37, 95% CI = 0.14-0.95) and the males (adjusted OR = 0.48, 95% CI = 0.25-0.95). No significant association was found between SNPs and the total serum IgE level. CONCLUSIONS: In a Han Chinese population, stratified by age and gender, susceptibility to mite-sensitized AR may be associated with 2 SNPs (rs1590 and rs17023107) in microRNA target sites of TGF-ß signaling pathway genes.

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D inversely associated with blood eosinophils in patients with persistent allergic rhinitis.

OBJECTIVE: The relationship between vitamin D and allergic rhinitis (AR) remains unclear. The present study investigated their association by examining serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels, blood eosinophils, and the expression of vitamin D receptors (VDR) on nasal mucosa in patients with AR. METHODS: A total of 32 patients with persistent AR and 25 controls were enrolled in this study. Serum 25(OH)D levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and eosinophils in the peripheral blood were examined by an automated hematology system, while VDR expression on inferior turbinate mucosa was assessed by immunohistochemistry. Furthermore, the correlation of serum 25(OH)D levels with blood eosinophils in persistent AR was analyzed. RESULTS: No significant difference in serum 25(OH)D levels was detected between the AR and control groups (p = 0.371). Interestingly, the serum 25(OH)D levels of the AR group were negatively correlated with blood eosinophil count and its proportion (p = 0.019 and p = 0.010, respectively) even when adjusting confounding factors including age, sex, body mass index, and the season of blood sampling. On the other hand, no significant difference in the expression levels of VDR on nasal mucosa was found between the AR group and the control group (p = 0.231). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the serum 25(OH)D might be inversely associated with blood eosinophils in patients with persistent AR. However, the relationship between vitamin D and AR still requires further clarification.

The role of vitamin D in allergic rhinitis.

Recent studies suggest that vitamin D is related to allergic rhinitis (AR). In this review, we first discuss the physiology and metabolism of vitamin D, then we review the function of vitamin D in the immune system, and above all, we highlight the current research regarding the role of vitamin D in AR. Finally, we find that there are both experimental and clinical studies showing that vitamin D is associated with AR, although the results are not consistent and even conflicting. Evidences from those clinical studies show a slightly tendency that serum vitamin D level might be inversely associated with the risk of AR. Meanwhile, it seems that gender and age may influence the relationship between vitamin D and AR. However, because of the heterogeneity in defining AR, differences in study design and so on, all these findings need to be confirmed by further studies. Additional clinical studies as well as experimental research are needed to better understand how vitamin D influences AR.

Association of VDR and CYP2R1 Polymorphisms with Mite-Sensitized Persistent Allergic Rhinitis in a Chinese Population.

As recent studies have described an association between vitamin D and allergic rhinitis, we hypothesized that vitamin D pathway-related genes may be candidate genes for susceptibility to allergic rhinitis. Thus, we sought to evaluate whether polymorphisms in the vitamin D receptor (VDR) and CYP2R1 genes are associated with mite-sensitized persistent allergic rhinitis (PER) in a Han Chinese population. A hospital-based case-control study consisting of 519 patients with mite-sensitized PER and 447 healthy controls was conducted. Five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in VDR and CYP2R1 were selected for genotyping. The genotype and allele frequencies of rs9729, rs2228570, rs1544410, and rs731236 in VDR as well as rs2060793 in CYP2R1 were not significantly associated with susceptibility to mite-sensitized PER. After stratification analyses, however, both the CT and CT/TT genotypes of rs2228570 in VDR exhibited a significantly decreased risk (CT: adjusted odds ratio (OR)=0.58, 95% confidence intervals (CI)=0.37-0.91; CT/TT: adjusted OR=0.61, 95% CI=0.40-0.93) of mite-sensitized PER, while the AA genotype of rs2060793 in CYP2R1 exhibited a significantly increased risk (adjusted OR=1.85, 95% CI=1.03-3.34) of PER in the age subgroup of <16 years old. Both the AG and AG/GG genotypes of rs731236 in VDR exhibited a significantly decreased risk (AG: adjusted OR=0.43, 95% CI=0.21-0.89; AG/GG: adjusted OR=0.46, 95% CI=0.23-0.94) of PER in the female subgroup. Analysis of the locus-locus interactions of VDR and CYP2R1 revealed two models that involved combined SNPs of VDR and CYP2R1 were statistically significant (P<0.05). Our data suggest that age and gender may have an impact on the association of three SNPs (rs2228570, rs731236, and rs2060793) in genes of the vitamin D pathway with the risk of mite-sensitized PER in this Chinese population. The VDR and CYP2R1 variants may be involved in genetic interactions in the pathogenesis of PER.

Effects of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α on bone conduction impairment in otitis media with effusion.

CONCLUSION: Elevated levels of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) in middle ear effusion may play an important role in the pathogenesis of bone conduction impairment associated with otitis media with effusion (OME). The mechanism may be related to the up-regulation of nitric oxide (NO) expression. OBJECTIVES: This study was undertaken to investigate the role of HIF-1α in the pathogenesis of sensorineural hearing loss associated with OME. METHODS: One hundred and eight OME patients were divided into two groups: OME without bone conduction impairment (group 1) and OME with bone conduction impairment (group 2). The levels of HIF-1α, NO, and quinolinic acid (QUIN) in the middle ear effusion and serum of these patients were investigated. The relationship between these factors and the bone conduction threshold (BCT) differences were analyzed. RESULTS: The levels of HIF-1α and NO concentrations in the middle ear effusion were found to be significantly higher in group 2 than in group 1 (both p < 0.05). The OME patients' BCT differences at 4000 Hz were correlated with the levels of HIF-1α and the NO concentrations in the middle ear effusion. Furthermore, the HIF-1α levels were correlated with the levels of NO but not with the levels of QUIN in the effusion.

Transvenous treatment of complex cavernous dural arteriovenous fistulae with Onyx and coils.

Transvenous embolization has become the treatment of choice for such lesions We evaluated Onxy for patients with cavernous dural arteriovenous fistulae (CDAVFs) who underwent transvenous embolization via different transvenous approaches. Case records of six patients with symptomatic CDAVFs, treated between October 2006 and November 2007 were reviewed. A total of seven transvenous procedures were performed in the six patients with CDAVFs. All the patients with CDAVFs of the cavernous sinus were symptom free following embolization. The approach via the internal jugular vein and the inferior petrosal sinus was possible in four of the six patients, with complete occlusion of the fistula. In the remaining two patients, the approach was via the facial vein. Transient bradyarrythmia without morbidity was the only complication in two patients.

Expression of a truncated ripening inhibitor (RIN) protein from tomato and production of an anti-RIN antibody.

The tomato ripening mutant, ripening inhibitor (rin), whose fruits fails to ripen, has been identified and widely studied. The RIN gene has been cloned. Here we present the expression of a truncated form of the RIN protein from tomato and the preparation of a polyclonal antibody against it. The resulting antibody recognized the RIN of crude protein extracts from different tomato tissues. The protein level of RIN in tomato was detected with this antibody by western blot, which suggested the accumulation of RIN protein increased gradually during tomato fruit ripening.

[Detection of total nitrogen and organic matter in rhizosphere of transgenic cotton by near-infrared diffuse reflectance spectroscopy].

With the rapid development of the transgenic biotechnology, more and more transgenic plants have been poured into the market, and scientists have paid much attention to transgenic plants' ecological safety. To analysize the content of organic matter and total nitrogen in rhizosphere of transgenic cottons and their parents, the dried soil were scanned by continuous wave of near infrared diffuse reflectance spectroscopy ranging from 12,000 to 4 000 cm(-1) with a resolution of 4 cm(-1) and scanning for 64 times. Bruker OPUS software was applied for quantification. This method was compared with the standard methods. The results showed that the precision of NIRS was very similar to the standard methods. On the other hand, the results also showed that the contents of organic matter and total nitrogen in rhizosphere soil of transgenic cottons were significantly higher than those of their parents, which could arise from the foreign toxin secretion of root.

[Epidemiologic study on hearing impairment and ear diseases in old people].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of hearing impairment and ear diseases in old people and provide scientific data for drawing up the prevention and treatment strategies. METHODS: Using the probability proportion to size (PPS) method, 1261 people over 60 years were investigated in 40 clusters in Jiangsu Province with the WHO protocol. RESULTS: The prevalence of hearing impairment was 58.1% (the standardized rate: 59.5% in the whole country, 60.9% in Jiangsu province). Degrees of hearing impairment were mild (33.1%), moderate (17.8%), severe (5.9%) and profound (1.3%). The prevalence of hearing disability was 25.0% (the standardized rate: 26.6% in the whole country, 28.1% in Jiangsu province). There were significant difference of the prevalence between male and female, as well as urban and rural, and different ages. The prevalence of the ear diseases was auricle malformation (0.2%), wax (1.7%), otitis externa (0.1%), fungi (0.5%), serous otitis media (1.2%), chronic suppurative otitis media (1.6%), dry perforation of tympanic membrance (2.3%). The causes of hearing impairment were ear diseases (2.9%), non-infectious condition (92.6%), genetic condition (0.3%) and undetermined causes (4.2%). Of which, 31.1% of persons needed hearing aids while 2.3% of persons needed medicine treatment, but 0.9% of persons needed non-urgent surgery and 1.0% of persons needed other treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of hearing impairment and disability in the old rised obviously than the last investigation in 1987. It was a heavy burden for social development in China. The government and the whole society should take more concern about the problem. The scientific strategies of prevention and treatment were urgently needed and implemented.

[Mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene A827G in two pedigrees with nonsyndromic deafness].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship of associating mitochondrial DNA 12S rRNA gene mutations with non-syndromic and aminoglycoside-induced hearing loss happening to Chinese families. METHODS: The diagnosis was validated by hearing tests. Blood samples were collected from 20 family members (13 subjects from pedigree A and 7 from pedigree B) and 32 sporadic deafness cases. DNA was extracted from the leukocytes in blood samples. The gene fragments of mitochondrial DNA 12S rRNA, tRNA(Ser(UCN)) and GJB(2) were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). PCR products were analyzed by sequencing. RESULTS: The target gene fragments of all individuals were successfully amplified by PCR. The mitochondrial DNA 12S rRNA 827 A to G transition was detected from all maternal members including 12 patients with hearing loss, which was the homoplasmic mutation. Non-maternal members in two pedigrees did not carry this mutation. However, the tRNA(Ser(UCN)) A7445G, 12SrRNA A1555G and GJB2 gene mutations were not found from both the family members of two pedigrees and sporadic patients. One sporadic individual (1/32) who was diagnosed as aminoglycoside-induced hearing impairment carried A827G mutation too. CONCLUSION: It is confirmed that the mitochondrial DNA 12S rRNA gene is a hot spot for mutations associated with non-syndromic inherited hearing loss. The 12S rRNA nt827 A to G mutation may play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of hearing impairment in two Chinese pedigrees.

[Relationship between ethylene and polygalacturonase in tomato fruits].

Ethylene and PG (polygalacturonase) are both key plant growth regulators in fruit ripening process. The expression of PG was markedly inhibited in either antisense ACS tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum cv. Lichun) where endogenous ethylene synthesis was suppressed, or in Nr mutant in which ethylene perception was severely damaged. Also, the PG activities in fruits of these mutants were significantly lower than that of wild-type tomato (Fig. 1B). PG gene expression was promoted in mature green tomato fruit by exogenous ethylene 100 microL/L treatment for 4 h, and was inhibited significantly in breaking tomato fruit after being treated with 1-MCP (1-methylcycloprane) 1 microL/L, a specific ethylene reception inhibitor. Ethylene production of antisense PG tomato fruit during 45-50 DAP was lower than that of wild-type tomato (Fig. 4), and the level of transcriptional expression of both the ethylene receptor gene LeETR4 and the ethylene response factor gene LeERF2 were lower in this transgenic tomato fruit (Fig. 5). Ethylene production and the expression of LeETR4 and LeERF2 were both promoted by treatments with D-GA 100 mg/L, a product of enzymatic degradation of PG, in immature tomato fruit (Fig. 6 and Fig. 7). The relationship of PG and ethylene in tomato fruit in this study provided forceful evidences to support the mechanism by which PG and ethylene synergistically regulated climacteric fruit ripening and softening.