[An epidemiological study of bronchial asthma in Qinghai Province].

OBJECTIVE: To study the prevalence of asthma in Qinghai Province between 2006 to 2007. METHODS: According to the geographical location and the altitude (1920 - 4500 m), stratified-cluster-random sampling was use for this study. A total of 27 851 individuals were investigated by household survey at 49 locations in 4 autonomous prefectures, Xining Municipal City and Haidong Administrative District. The questionnaire included respiratory symptoms, personal history, allergic history, and family medical history. Chest X-ray and pulmonary function tests (ventilation function and bronchodilatation test) were performed. Diagnosis of bronchial asthma was made according to the criteria in the Guidelines for Asthma Management by Chinese Respiratory Society. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of asthma was 0.38% (105/27 851). The prevalence of asthma in females was [0.45% (61/13 433)], which was higher than that in males [0.31% (44/14 418)]. The prevalence of asthma in children [0.85% (30/3510)] was higher than that in adults [0.31% (75/24 341)]. The prevalence of asthma in different occupational populations was as follows: farmers [0.61% (46/7524)], government officials and employees [0.23% (12/5252)], half farmers and half herdsmen [0.22% (4/1792)], inhabitants [0.20% (12/5865)], factory workers [0.06% (1/1808)] and herdsmen [0% (0/2100)]. The prevalence of asthma in farmers was higher than those in other occupations. The prevalence of asthma was also different in geographical locations and altitudes, 0.45% (91/20 314) in population living at 1920 - 3000 m above sea level, 0.29% (13/4462) at 3001 - 3500 m above sea level and 0.03% at greater than 3500 m above sea level. The prevalence of asthma in rural, urban, half farming and half herding areas and the pastoral areas was 0.64% (65/10 119), 0.27% (37/13 933), 0.15% (2/1310) and 0.04% (1/2489) respectively; the highest in rural areas and the lowest in the pastoral areas. CONCLUSIONS: The overall prevalence of asthma in Qinghai Province was lower than that in the nation as a whole. The prevalence of asthma in higher altitudes was lower than that in the lower altitudes, and was lower in herdsmen as compared to other occupational populations.

Dermatoglyphics from all Chinese ethnic groups reveal geographic patterning.

Completion of a survey of dermatoglyphic variables for all ethnic groups in an ethnically diverse country like China is a huge research project, and an achievement that anthropological and dermatoglyphic scholars in the country could once only dream of. However, through the endeavors of scientists in China over the last 30 years, the dream has become reality. This paper reports the results of a comprehensive analysis of dermatoglyphics from all ethnic groups in China. Using cluster analysis and principal component analysis of dermatoglyphics, it has been found that Chinese populations can be generally divided into a southern group and a northern group. Furthermore, there has been considerable debate about the origins of many Chinese populations and about proper assignment of these peoples to larger ethnic groups. In this paper, we suggest that dermatoglyphic data can inform these debates by helping to classify a Chinese population as a northern or southern group, using selected reference populations and quantitative methods. This study is the first to assemble and investigate dermatoglyphics from all 56 Chinese ethnic groups. It is fortunate that data on population dermatoglyphics, a field of physical anthropology, have now been collected for all 56 Chinese ethnic groups, because intermarriage between individuals from different Chinese ethnic groups occurs more frequently in recent times, making population dermatoglyphic research an ever more challenging field of inquiry.

Multiple synostoses syndrome is due to a missense mutation in exon 2 of FGF9 gene.

Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) play diverse roles in several developmental processes. Mutations leading to deregulated FGF signaling can cause human skeletal dysplasias and cancer.(1,2) Here we report a missense mutation (Ser99Asp) in exon 2 of FGF9 in 12 patients with multiple synostoses syndrome (SYNS) in a large Chinese family. In vitro studies demonstrate that FGF9(S99N) is expressed and secreted as efficiently as wild-type FGF9 in transfected cells. However, FGF9(S99N) induces compromised chondrocyte proliferation and differentiation, which is accompanied by enhanced osteogenic differentiation and matrix mineralization of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). Biochemical analysis reveals that S99N mutation in FGF9 leads to significantly impaired FGF signaling, as evidenced by diminished activity of Erk1/2 pathway and decreased beta-catenin and c-Myc expression when compared with wild-type FGF9. Importantly, the binding of FGF9(S99N) to its receptor is severely impaired although the dimerization ability of mutant FGF9 itself or with wild-type FGF9 is not detectably affected, providing a basis for the defective FGFR signaling. Collectively, our data demonstrate a previously uncharacterized mutation in FGF9 as one of the causes of SYNS, implicating an important role of FGF9 in normal joint development.