Educational and Behavioral Counseling in a Methadone Maintenance Treatment Program in China: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

INTRODUCTION: Methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) programs have been rapidly scaled up nationwide in China in recent years, and psychosocial intervention measures, including counseling, were recommended for improving the outcomes of MMT. However, the effectiveness of counseling in MMT programs remains controversial. This study investigated the efficacy of educational and behavioral counseling (EBC) mode in an MMT program in China. METHODS: A total of 125 eligible participants were randomized to EBC or a control group. Patients in the EBC group received weekly, manual-guided, group educational counseling for 8 weeks and individual behavioral counseling for the next 8 weeks. Patients in the control group received standard methadone maintenance treatment as usual (TAU). RESULTS: During the 16-week trial, the EBC group showed better treatment attendance (P = 0.022) and a greater increase in knowledge regarding heroin addiction (P = 0.001) and MMT (P = 0.005) than did the TAU group. Between the two groups, there were no significant differences regarding drug abstinence and reduction of risky behaviors. CONCLUSION: EBC affiliated with MMT improved patients' cognition and adherence to treatment, facilitating their successful recovery. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ChiCTR-IOR-15006673: http://www.chictr.org.cn.

Genetic variant in MTRR, but not MTR, is associated with risk of congenital heart disease: an integrated meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Congenital heart disease (CHD) is one of the most common birth defects and the leading cause of deaths among individuals with congenital structural abnormalities worldwide. Both Methionine synthase reductase (MTRR) and Methionine synthase (MTR) are key enzymes involved in the metabolic pathway of homocysteine, which are significant in the earlier period embryogenesis, particularly in the cardiac development. Evidence is mounting for the association between MTRR A66G (rs1801394)/MTR A2756G (rs1805087) and the CHD risk, but results are controversial. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis integrating case-control and transmitted disequilibrium test (TDT) studies to obtain more precise estimate of the associations of these two variants with the CHD risk. METHODS: To combine case-control and TDT studies, we used the Catmap package of R software to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: A total of 9 reports were included in the final meta-analysis. Eight of them comprised of 914 cases, 964 controls, and 441 families that were germane to MTRR A66G polymorphism; and 4 reports comprised of 250 cases, 205 controls, and 53 families that were relevant to MTR A2756G polymorphism. The pooled OR for the MTRR 66 G allele versus A allele was 1.35 (95% CI = 1.14-1.59, P<0.001, Pheterogeneity = 0.073). For MTR A2756G, the G allele conferred a pooled OR of 1.10 (95% CI = 0.78-1.57, P = 0.597, Pheterogeneity = 0.173) compared with the A allele. Sensitivity analyses were carried out to asses the effects of each individual study on the pooled OR, indicating the stability of the outcome. Moreover, positive results were also obtained in all subgroups stratified by study type and ethnicity except the subgroup of TDT studies in MTRR A66G variant. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis demonstrated a suggestive result that the A66G variant in MTRR, but not the A2756G in MTR, may be associated with the increase of CHD risks.

A functional variant rs1820453 in YAP1 and breast cancer risk in Chinese population.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the association between rs1820453 which located in the promoter region of yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1) gene and breast cancer (BC) risk. METHOD AND FINDINGS: We conducted a hospital-based case-control study including a total of 480 BC cases and 545 cancer-free controls in Chinese population. Then the expression quantitative trait locus (e-QTL) analysis was performed to explore the possible function of rs1820453 to the YAP1 gene expression. The association between rs1820453 and BC risk was significantly identified with the odds ratio (OR) was 1.27 (95 % confidence interval (CI) =1.03-1.57) under allelic model when adjusted by age and menopausal status. In addition, the correlation analysis of rs1820453 and YAP1 expression level found that this variant was significantly associated with the gene expression in Chinese population. When compared with level of mRNA expression of the AA genotype (6.011 ± 0.046), the mRNA expression level in CC genotype (5.903 ± 0.026) was statistically lower (P=0.024). CONCLUSION: The results from this study suggested that rs1820453 A>C change may affect the gene expression and contribute to the risk of developing BC in Chinese population though larger sample-size studies along with functional experiments were anticipated to warrant the results.