Do children with primary nocturnal enuresis have a retarded bone age? A cross‐sectional study

OBJECTIVE: Nocturnal enuresis is a common pediatric problem, the etiology of which is unclear. In recent years, various studies have been published stating that children with nocturnal enuresis exhibit growth and skeletal maturation retardation. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we included 27 patients (16 boys, 11 girls) between the ages of 6 and 14 years who had presented with primary nocturnal enuresis (PNE) complaints. We included in the evaluation 19 healthy subjects (12 boys, 7 girls), who were the siblings of the children with PNE, as the control group. RESULTS: The patients in both groups were similar in chronological age, bone age, height and weight, with no significant difference between groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: The two groups in our study consisted of the same genetic background. Thus, our results were found to be different from the previous studies. We have concluded that there is no direct relationship between enuresis nocturnal and skeletal maturation.     

Content of HSP70 in rats with hereditary stress-induced arterial hypertension

Sensitivity of normotensive Wistar rats and NISAG rats (with hereditary arterial hypertension) to heat stress is compared at the organism and cell levels. High temperature sensitivity of NISAG rats correlates with a low content of the main heat shock protein HSP70. This relationship can serve as a biochemical marker of predisposition to arterial hypertension. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 124, No. 8, pp. 171–173, August, 1997     

肿瘤坏死因子β基因多态性在中国汉族SLE病人中的分布特点及与不同人种的比较研究

目的 :探讨中国江苏地区汉族人群TNFβ基因多态性在SLE病人中分布特点 ,并与不同人种进行比较研究。 方法 :收集江苏地区 16 8名无血缘关系健康个体及 6 6例SLE病人的静脉血提取DNA ,应用聚合酶链反应限制性片段长度多态性(PCR RFLP) ,分析TNFβ基因的多态性。 结果 :中国汉族SLE病人与白种SLE病人TNFβ基因频率差异无统计学意义 ;中国汉族健康个体TNFβ 1等位基因频率明显高于白种健康个体 ;SLE病人TNFβ 2基因频率较正常人明显升高 (SLE病人 6 7 4% ,正常人 5 5 1% ,P <0 0 5 ,R =1 6 8) ;中国汉族SLE病人与白种SLE病人TNFβ基因频率差异无统计学意义。 结论 :TNFβ等位基因频率在正常人分布具有种族差异 ,但在SLE病人分布无种族差异。     

Haemophilia A and haemophilia B: molecular insights

This review focuses on selected areas that should interest both the scientist and the clinician alike: polymorphisms within the factor VIII and factor IX genes, their linkage, and their ethnic variation; a general assessment of mutations within both genes and a detailed inspection of the molecular pathology of certain mutations to illustrate the diverse cause–effect relations that exist; a summary of current knowledge on molecular aspects of inhibitor production; and an introduction to the new areas of factor VIII and factor IX catabolism. An appendix defining various terms encountered in the molecular genetics of the haemophilias is included, together with an appendix providing accession numbers and locus identification links for accessing gene and sequence information in the international nucleic acid databases.     

Stimulatory and inhibitory epitopes in the T cell responses of mice to Der p 1

BACKGROUND: The responses of mice to the mite allergen Der p 1 have been used to study the mechanisms of allergic sensitization and the development of new types of immunotherapy. Many of the studies require a knowledge of the T cell epitopes, and because Der p 1 is polymorphic, the effect of natural amino acid substitution in the allergen. The intranasal administration of peptides containing T cell epitopes can induce a mucosal tolerance but it is not known if the major activity is limited to stimulatory peptides and if, as found for autoimmunity, some epitopes are not inhibitory. OBJECTIVE: To determine and compare the sequences of Der p 1 which contain stimulatory epitopes for the high responding H-2(b) and H-2(q) mice and the sequences which induce tolerance by intranasal administration of peptides. METHODS: T cell responses of mice immunized with Der p 1 were measured by in vitro T cell stimulation assays so an extensive study of epitope recognition and intranasal tolerance could be made. Synthetic peptides were used to examine the stimulatory and inhibitory ability of all Der p 1 sequences and to map the major H-2(b) epitope in detail. This included the effect of the common polymorphic amino acid 124 substitution found within this epitope. RESULTS: Three and two regions, respectively, were found to contain stimulatory T cell epitopes for H-2(b) and H-2(q) mice. The peptides in these regions were also the most active at inducing intranasal tolerance for the responding haplotype. The correspondence between inhibitory and stimulatory peptides was maintained for the fine mapping of the major H-2(b) epitope. This was found about a core region of 118-126 which was overlapping but separate to a consensus sequence for the binding of endogeneous peptides. Peptides with alanine at the naturally polymorphic residue 124 stimulated and inhibited responses to Der p 1 more effectively, while peptides with the valine 124 variant were immunogenic but poorly cross-reactive. CONCLUSIONS: The intranasal administration of peptides representing each of five epitopes recognized by two strains of mice were able to induce mucosal tolerance and the major tolerizing activity was limited to these epitopes. The position of the core major epitope for C57 mice, which differs from a previously predicted epitope, and its specificity for the natural alanine 124 variant is described.     

一种简单、稳定、可靠的屏氧酶1基因多态性分析法

目的：建立一种简单、稳定、可靠的PON1基因多态性分析法。方法：取外周静脉血100μl，用ROSE法提取基因组DNA，用两对引物：P192F 5′-TAT TGT TGC TGT GGG ACC TGA G-3′,P192R 5′-CAC GCT AAA CCC AAA TAC ATC TC-3′；P55F 5′-GAA GAG TGA TGT ATA GCC CCA G-3′,P55R 5′-TTT AAT CCA GAG CTA ATG AAA GCC-3分别进行PCR扩增，用限制性内切酶AlwI,NlaⅢ对两种PCR产物分别进行酶切，3％琼脂糖凝胶电泳。结果：扩增的两个PCR产物在192、55多态性位点大小分别为99bp、170bp。Alw I酶切后，凝胶电脉得到完全酶切（66bp,33bp)，部分酶切（99bp、66bp、33bp)，未被酶切（99bp)三种类型DNA片段（RR，QR，QQ基因型）；NlaⅢ酶切后，凝胶电脉得到部分酶切（170bp,126bp,44bp)，未被酶切（170bp)两种类型DNA片段（LM，LL基因型）。经双盲重复检测，结果一致。应用此方法对胃癌患者血样标本检测，发现其PON1基因多态性在192位点频率较高。结论：采用一步PCR－RFLP技术可以建立简单、稳定、可靠的PON1基因多态性分析法。     

HLA-DPB1 gene polymorphism and multiple sclerosis: a large case-control study in the southwest of France

The polymorphism at the HLA-DPB1 locus has been characterized in a large number of patients with multiple sclerosis (n = 112) and in healthy controls (n = 115). Both patients and controls lived in the southwest of France (in the Pyrénées Atlantiques) and had similar ethnic background. The typing procedure involved the selective amplification of the second exon of the DPB1 locus by polymerase chain reaction, followed by hybridization of the amplified DNA with 14 sequence-specific oligonucleotide probes. Individual alleles were identified by the pattern of hybridization of the different probes. The distribution of the DPB1 alleles was not significantly different in multiple sclerosis patients and controls (p = 0.11). This does not corroborate the reported association of multiple sclerosis with the primed lymphocyte typing (PLT)-defined DPw4 specificity and is not in favour of a role played by polymorphic residues of the DP molecule in susceptibility to multiple sclerosis.     

Differentiation of Helicobacter pylori isolates by polymerase chain reaction—restriction fragment length polymorphism

Objective: To investigate the association between the diversity of urease gene and urease activity of clinical isolates of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). Methods: Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) of urease gene and rapid urease activity test were used to study the urease activity of different clinical isolates of H. pylori. Results: H. pylori clinical isolates were divided into 4 types according to their PCR-RFLP results of urease gene and urease activity. Type Ⅰ , possessing strong urease activity (0. 11) and presented 1 fragment of 1. 7 kb by PCR-RFLP, had close relations with gastric ulcer; type Ⅱ , with the weakest urease activity (0. 07) and 2 fragments (1. 3 and 0. 4 kb respectively) , was associated with duodenal bulb ulcer; type Ⅲ , with the strongest urease activity (0. 12) and 2 fragments (0. 4 and 0. 17 kb) with or without 1 fragment (0. 23 or 0. 37 kb) , was responsible for gastritis; type Ⅳ , with weak urease activity (0. 09) and 2 fragments     

载脂蛋白E基因多态性与脑梗死的关系

目的:探讨载脂蛋白E(apo E)外显子4基因多态性与湖北汉族人脑梗死的关系。方法:分别采用聚合酶涟反应(PCR)结合限制性片段长度多态性方法检测apo E基因多态性。结果:脑梗死apo E外显子4基因多态性与正常对照组相比差异有显著性(P<0.01)。结论:apo E外显子4基因可能是汉族人脑梗死的遗传危险因素。     

Discussing options between patients and health care professionals in genetic diagnosis: ethical and legal criteria

The specific characteristics of genetic data lead to ethical-legal conflicts in the framework of genetic diagnosis. Several international organisations, including UNESCO and the Council of Europe, have enacted rules referring to the use of genetic information. This paper discusses possible legal and ethical criteria that could be used in genetic testing.