[Association of single nucleotide polymorphisms in the promoter region of the TLR9 gene with childhood atopic asthma].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the distribution characteristics of the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the promoter region of the toll-like receptor 9 gene (TLR9) in Chinese Han children from Zhejiang province, and their associations with asthma susceptibility and phenotypes. METHODS: A case-control study was conducted. A total of 312 asthmatic children aged between 1.9 and 11.6 and 339 age matched healthy controls were enrolled in this study from April 2007 to November 2008. The -1486 C/T in rs187084 and -1237 C/T in rs5743836 loci of the TLR9 gene were genotyped by direct DNA sequencing of the PCR products. Serum levels of IFN gamma, IL-12 and IL-4 were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.Serum levels of total IgE were detected by chemiluminescence, and serum levels of antigen specific IgE antibodies were detected by fluoroenzymeimmunoassay. RESULTS: (1) The -1486 C/T polymorphism was identified in both groups. The genotype frequencies of TT, TC and CC at -1486 C/T were 41.0%, 44.3%, 14.7% in the healthy controls, and 38.8%, 48.4%, 12.8% in the asthmatic children. The -1237 C/T polymorphism was not detected in the population. (2) There were no statistically significant differences in the allele and genotype frequencies at the -1486 C/T locus between the two groups (P;>0.05). (3) Serum levels of IFN gamma and IL-4 differed significantly among the three genotypes at the -1486 C/T locus in asthmatic children (P<0.01). The CC genotype had the lowest levels of serum IFN gamma and the highest levels of serum IL-4 among the three genotypes. There were no significant differences in these cytokines among the healthy controls (P>0.05). No statistical differences of serum IL-12 were found among the three genotypes in the two groups (P>0.05). (4) There were no significant differences of total IgE (log-transformed) among the three genotypes in the asthmatic children (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: The -1237 C/T polymorphism of TLR9 gene was not detected in Chinese Han children in this study. The -1486 C/T polymorphism was associated with the levels of serum IFN gamma and IL-4 in children with asthma. However, there were no correlations between the -1486C/T polymorphism and serum IL-12 levels, total IgE levels or asthmatic susceptibility.

[The pathological effects of snoring on pregnant women].

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the pathological effect of snoring on pregnant women in Wenzhou area. METHODS: The study was performed between January 2006 and February 2008, 601 women with pregnancies being in clinic or the ward were surveyed about snoring occur, measuring physiological and biochemical parameters in the 13th, 28th week of pregnancy and before delivery, recording the complication and pregnancy outcome. According to their pregnancy and snoring occur, they were divided into the first, the second and the third trimester snoring group and non-snoring group. RESULT: Compared with the non-snoring group, The BMI, abdominal perimeter, the neck circumference and systolic blood pressure in snoring group of every trimester increased significantly (P<0.05). There were no significant differences about the hip circumference of snoring group in the first trimester (P>0.05), but they increased significantly in the second and the third trimester (P<0.05). There were no significant differences about the diastolic blood pressure of snoring group in the first and the second trimester (P>0.05), but they increased significantly in the third trimester (P<0.05). There were no significant differences about the snoring group's BMI, abdominal perimeter, the neck circumference, the hip circumference and blood pressure between the groups of every trimester (P>0.05). Compared with the non-snoring group, the incidence of snoring group's gestational hypertension, premature birth and abdominal delivery increased significantly every trimester of pregnancy (P<0.05). There were no significant differences Between the snoring groups of every trimester (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: The snore makes pregnant women physiological characteristics changed, the incidence of gestational hypertension, premature delivery and abdominal delivery increased. So we should pay more attentions to them in their perinatal stage.