Will the new cytogenetics replace the old cytogenetics?

With the advent of array-based comparative genomic hybridization technology, the analog cytogenetic analysis that has been used for the past 100 years could be replaced by the quantitative, microarray-based molecular analysis. Major advantages of the new array-based cytogenetic technologies are the high resolution and the high throughput. This technology is the first to offer an autonomous whole-chromosome analysis in one hybridization reaction for the detection of submicroscopic gains/losses. However, as with any new technology, it needs to be validated with regard to its performance in various applications (e.g. clinical genetic testing and cancer applications), comparative cost, and the data interpretation.     

Heritability and Expression of C-Reactive Protein in Type 2 Diabetes in the Diabetes Heart Study

Elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) levels are associated with both prevalent and incident cardiovascular disease. In this study, familial aggregation was estimated, and we tested for association between serum CRP levels and polymorphisms within the CRP and APOE genes in sib-ships with type 2 diabetes mellitus, a population at increased risk for cardiovascular disease. CRP levels were determined in 461 diabetes-affected subjects from 224 sibships from the Diabetes Heart Study (DHS). Heritability estimates of CRP levels were obtained using variance component models. Genetic influence on serum CRP levels by single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the CRP and APOE genes was evaluated by association analysis using mixed models. Subjects were Caucasian American (84%) and African-American (16%), 53% female, and had an average age of 62.2 ± 9.2 years. The median CRP level was 3.3 mg/L (range 0 to 59.3 mg/L), and estimated heritability for CRP was approximately 40%. Estimates of heritability were significantly greater than zero (P < 0.0001) and relatively constant, despite adjustments for important modifiers (age, sex, ethnicity, diabetes duration, statin-use and anti-inflammatory use) of CRP. There was no significant evidence for association of CRP levels with CRP gene SNPs; however, consistent with previous reports, there was significant evidence of association of CRP levels with polymorphisms within the APOE gene. These data indicate CRP levels are significantly influenced by genetic (and/or environmental) factors that are shared within DHS families. While the APOE locus shows evidence of contributing to CRP levels, no evidence of CRP gene polymorphism association with CRP levels was observed.     

The haplotype block, NFKBIL1-ATP6V1G2-BAT1-MICB-MICA, within the class III-class I boundary region of the human major histocompatibility complex may control susceptibility to hepatitis C virus-associated dilated cardiomyopathy

Cardiomyopathy is a heart muscle disease with impaired stretch response that can result in severe heart failure and sudden death. A small proportion of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients may be predisposed to develop dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). The molecular mechanisms involved in the predisposition remain unknown due in part to the lack of information on their genetic background. Because the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) region has a pivotal role in controlling the susceptibility to HCV-induced liver disease, we hypothesized that particular HLA alleles and/or non-HLA gene alleles within the human major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genomic region might control the predisposition to HCV-associated DCM (HCV-DCM) and/or HCV-associated HCM (HCV-HCM). Here, we present mapping results of the MHC-related susceptibility gene locus for HCV-associated cardiomyopathy by analyzing microsatellite and single nucleotide polymorphism markers. To delineate the susceptibility locus, we genotyped 44 polymorphic markers scattered across the entire MHC region in a total of 59 patients (21 HCV-DCM and 38 HCV-HCM) and 120 controls. We mapped HCV-DCM susceptibility to a non-HLA gene locus spanning from NFKBIL1 to MICA gene loci within the MHC class III-class I boundary region. Our results showed that HCV-DCM was more strongly associated with alleles of the non-HLA genes rather than the HLA genes themselves. In addition, no significant association was found between the MHC markers and HCV-HCM. This marked difference in the MHC-related disease susceptibility for HCV- associated cardiomyopathy strongly suggests that the development of HCV- DCM and HCV-HCM is under the control of different pathogenic mechanisms.     

Propene Polymerisation with rac‐[Me2Si(2‐Me‐4‐(α‐naphthyl)‐1‐Ind)2]ZrCl2 as a Highly Active Catalyst: Influence of Monomer Concentration,Polymerisation Temperature and a Heterogenising Support

Propene was polymerised at high temperatures (up to 90 °C) using rac‐[Me₂Si(2‐Me‐4‐(α‐naphthyl)‐1‐Ind)₂]ZrCl₂/MAO as the catalytic system. The increasing deactivation reaction rate of the catalyst for polymerisations above 60 °C was less for a silica supported catalyst compared with the homogeneous one. The isotacticity of polypropene decreases from 99 to 96%. Also the morphology changes with different temperatures.

Increasing of the thermal stability for the rac‐[Me₂Si(2‐Me‐4‐(α‐naphthyl)‐1‐Ind)₂]ZrCl₂/MAO/SiO₂ with respect of the rac‐[Me₂Si(2‐Me‐4‐(α‐naphthyl)‐1‐Ind)₂]ZrCl₂/MAO system.     

新疆地区维吾尔族乳腺癌BRCA1基因突变分析

目的研究新疆地区维吾尔族乳腺癌患者BRCA1基因突变情况及突变位置。方法选取70例维吾尔族乳腺癌根治标本,对照组为32例维汉族乳腺良性病变（纤维腺病及纤维腺瘤）及乳腺癌旁非癌组织;应用PCR-单链构象多态性和DNA序列测定的方法检测BRCA1基因突变。结果（1）70例维吾尔族乳腺癌中发现9例BRCA1突变的12个新位点。（2）70例维吾尔族乳腺癌BRCA1的突变率为12.86%（9/70）,22例维吾尔族早发性乳腺癌（≤35岁）BRCA1突变率为31.82%（7/22）。维吾尔族早发性乳腺癌BRCA1突变率（7/22）高于维吾尔族晚发性乳腺癌（2/48）,差异有统计学意义（χ^2=10.295,P〈0.01）。（3）70例维吾尔族乳腺癌中发现9例BRCA1基因核苷酸多态性位点,其中8例多态性位点均为3232A〉G。（4）2例双侧乳腺癌中均检测出BRCA1基因的突变。结论BRCA1突变可能与新疆维吾尔族乳腺癌尤其是维吾尔族早发性乳腺癌及双侧乳腺癌的发生密切相关。     

Aberrant expression of beta-catenin and mutation of exon 3 of the beta-catenin gene in renal and urothelial carcinomas

The present study attempted to clarify the significance of aberrant expression of beta-catenin protein and mutation of exon 3 of the beta-catenin gene in renal and urothelial carcinogenesis. beta-Catenin expression was examined immunohistochemically and mutation of the beta-catenin gene was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) and direct sequencing. beta-Catenin immunoreactivity was observed at the cell membrane in all 30 renal cell carcinomas (RCC) examined, and no RCC showed a mobility-shifted SSCP band. Of 46 transitional cell carcinomas (TCC) examined, there was reduced expression of beta-catenin, as compared with its expression in non-cancerous transitional epithelium, in 22 cases (48%) and beta-catenin accumulation in the nucleus in five cases (11%). Of four renal pelvis TCC examined, point mutation of exon 3 of the beta-catenin gene at codon 45 resulting in amino acid substitution (Ser to Phe) was detected in one (25%). The incidence of reduced expression of beta-catenin correlated significantly with the growth pattern (superficial type vs invasive type) of TCC (P < 0.05). These data indicate that: (1) aberrant beta-catenin expression may be at least partly involved in urothelial carcinogenesis, but less significantly so in renal carcinogenesis, and (2) it may be associated with the progression of TCC showing invasive growth.     

基于稀疏表示变量选择方法的影像遗传学数据分析

目的:采用影像遗传学研究方法探索精神分裂症的影像遗传学特征。方法:在传统稀疏回归模型的基础上，改进 了其在不同范数条件下进行变量选择的能力，形成一种基于稀疏表示变量选择算法，并将该算法应用于208 个受试者的 41 236个功能磁共振成像数据和722 177个单核苷酸多态性数据的综合分析。通过对两类数据施加不同的权重因子，并 使用不同的Lp （p=0、0.5、1）范数分别对模型进行求解，筛选出两类数据在不同条件下的显著特征。结果:基因DAOA和 HTR2A在3种范数下均被筛选出。此外，在影像学数据方面，发现中央前回、枕上回、顶下缘角回、角回、内侧和旁扣带脑 回、后扣带回脑区与精神分裂症相关，此发现与先前精神分裂症的临床医学研究结果一致。结论:基于稀疏表示变量选择 方法应用于影像遗传学数据分析是一个有效可行的途径，为今后精神分裂症的影像遗传学研究提供了一种新的研究 思路。     

听觉诱发电位提取方法的研究与分析

论述了运用小波变换进行听觉诱发电佗单次提取的原理、方法和实验分析。结果表明，对单次试验信号，经小波变换及相关分析后，可从带自发脑电干扰的信号中提取诱发电位信号。小波变换分析方法与传统的叠加平均方法相比，可减少试验次数，缩短检测周期。     

我国部分省份（地区）汉族人群HLA-I类基因多态性地区差异分析

目的探讨我国部分省份（地区）汉族人群HLA-I类经典基因座位HLA-A、HLA-B、HLA-Cw位点的群体遗传学特点及其基因频率分布的地区差异。方法选取1014例无关汉族拟行造血干细胞移植治疗患者及其健康家系供者的血液样本,提取基因组DNA后,采用序列特异性引物聚合酶链式反应（PCR-SSP）分型技术进行HLA-A、HLA-B、HLA-Cw位点基因分型,分析不同地区汉族人群及不同种族间的基因频率分布特征。基于文献报道的我国不同地区汉族人群及不同种族的HLA-I类基因频率资料,计算种群间遗传距离（D）,比较不同地区汉族人群及不同种族间遗传距离差异。结果Hard-Weinberg吻合度检验表明,本研究抽样群体适于进行遗传学统计分析。HLA-A位点共检测出14种基因型,最常见的是A^＊02（0.330）、A^＊11（0.240）、A^＊24（0.155）、A^＊33（0.075）;HLA-B位点共检测出27种基因型,最常见的是B^＊13（0.134）、B^＊15（0.143）、B^＊40（0.133）、B^＊46（0.102）;HLA-Cw位点共检测出13种基因型,最常见的是Cw^＊01（0.157）、Cw^＊03（0.247）、Cw^＊07（0.181）、Cw^＊08（0.106）。群体汉族与其他人种间HLA-A、HLA-B基因频率差异均有统计学意义（P〈0.05）;除兰州汉族人群仅同南方汉族、湖南、山东、江苏、台湾汉族人群间HLA-A、HLA-B基因频率差异有统计学意义（P〈0.05）外,其余各地区汉族人群间HLA-A、HLA-B基因频率差异均有统计学意义（P〈0.05）。各地区汉族人群间平均遗传距离D=0.164,辽宁和北方汉族人群间遗传距离（D=0.064）最小,江苏与湖南汉族人群间遗传距离（D=0.299）最大;不同地区汉族人群间遗传距离普遍小于种族间遗传距离。结论我国不同地区汉族人群HLA-I类基因频率分布存在显著差异,但其差异要明显小于世界不同人种间的分布差异。我国汉族人群所特有的HLA-I类基因频率分布格局资料对区域性疾?