Association between PLA2 gene polymorphisms and treatment response to antipsychotic medications: A study of antipsychotic-naïve first-episode psychosis patients and nonadherent chronic psychosis patients.

Here we investigated whether antipsychotic treatment was influenced by three polymorphisms: rs10798059 (BanI) in the phospholipase A2 (PLA2)G4A gene, rs4375 in PLA2G6, and rs1549637 in PLA2G4C. A total of 186 antipsychotic-naïve first-episode psychosis patients or nonadherent chronic psychosis individuals (99 males and 87 females) were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction analysis/restriction fragment length polymorphism. At baseline, and after 8 weeks of treatment with various antipsychotic medications, we assessed patients' Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) scores, PANSS factors, and metabolic syndrome-related parameters (fasting plasma lipid and glucose levels, and body mass index). We found that PLA2G4A polymorphism influenced changes in PANSS psychopathology, and PLA2G6 polymorphism influenced changes in PANSS psychopathology and metabolic parameters. PLA2G4C polymorphism did not show any impact on PANSS psychopathology or metabolic parameters. The polymorphisms' effect sizes were estimated as moderate to strong, with contributions ranging from around 6.2-15.7%. Furthermore, the polymorphisms' effects manifested in a gender-specific manner.

Association between the ACE-I/D polymorphism and nicotine dependence amongst patients with lung cancer.

The biologically active peptide angiotensin II is cleaved from angiotensinogen by the renin and the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), an enzymatic cascade known as the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). RAS may be important in the etiology of nicotine dependence by influencing dopaminergic signaling. In the present study, the association between an insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism of ACE and nicotine dependence amongst patients with lung cancer was assessed. To date, several studies have shown the relevance of this polymorphic variant in both nicotine dependence and lung cancer. However, the present study is the first to address the potential role of the ACE-I/D polymorphism in nicotine dependence among patients with lung cancer. Genotyping was performed in 305 patients with lung cancer (males/females, 214/91). Significantly more male smokers had the ACE-I allele compared with male non-smokers (44.9 vs. 20.0%; P<0.05). The risk of smoking was ~5-fold higher for males with the ACE-I allele (ACE-II homozygous and ACE-ID heterozygous) vs. ACE-DD homozygous (odds ratio, 5.47; 95% confidence interval, 1.4-21.9; P=0.016). The pack-year smoking history in a subgroup of females with squamous cell carcinoma carrying the ACE-I allele was significantly lower compared with ACE-DD (37.1±14.1 vs. 57.0±29.1; F=4.5; P=0.046). The ACE-I/D polymorphism accounted for 17.6% of the smoking severity in this patient group (ß, -0.42; multiple R2 change, 0.176; P=0.046). These results suggest that the ACE-I/D polymorphism contributes to the risk of nicotine dependence and smoking severity in lung cancer patients in a sex-specific manner.

Mass spectrometry-based glycomic profiling of the total IgG and total proteome N-glycomes isolated from follicular fluid.

Couples with infertility issues have been assisted by in vitro fertilization reproduction technologies with high success rates of 50-80%. However, complications associated with ovarian stimulation remain, such as ovarian hyperstimulation. Oocyte quality is a significant factor impacting the outcome of in vitro fertilization procedures, but other processes are also critical for fertilization success. Increasing evidence points to aberrant inflammation as one of these critical processes reflected in molecular changes, including glycosylation of proteins. Here we report results from a MALDI-TOF-MS-based glycomic profiling of the total IgG and total proteome N-glycomes isolated from the follicular fluid obtained from patients undergoing fertilization through either (1) assisted reproduction by modified natural cycle or (2) controlled ovarian stimulation (GnRH antagonist, GnRH Ant) protocols. Significant inflammatory-related differences between analyzed N-glycomes were observed from samples and correlated with the ovarian stimulation protocol used in patients.