Association between a functional single nucleotide polymorphism in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene and risk of child asthma.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) promotes synaptic remodeling and modulates the function of other neurotransmitters. Allergic inflammation triggers neuronal dysfunction and structural changes in the airways. Genetic polymorphisms in functional regions of the BDNF gene have a plausible role in modulating the risk of child asthma (CA). This study examined the potential association between CA and three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in BDNF (rs2030323, rs6265, and rs16917204 in the promoter, exon 4, and 3'-untranslated regions, respectively). The study was conducted in 350 children with asthma and 356 healthy controls. The genotype and allele frequencies and difference between groups were analyzed using HaploView 4.0 and SPSS 20.0 software platforms. The analysis revealed a strong association between the rs6265 genotype distribution and CA. The frequency of the G allele was significantly higher in CA patients than in healthy controls (P = 0.0007, odds ratio = 1.323, 95% confidence interval = 1.073-1.632). Strong linkage disequilibrium was observed between rs16917204 and rs6265. A significantly higher number of G-G haplotypes were observed in CA patients than in controls (P = 0.024 after Bonferroni correction), while the G-A haplotypes were more significant in controls (P = 0.013 after Bonferroni correction). This suggested that BDNF gene polymorphisms confer susceptibility to CA, and also support the notion that BDNF dysfunction is involved in the pathophysiological process of CA.

Underlying mechanism of 2-methoxyestradiol-induced apoptosis and growth arrest in SKOV3 human ovarian cancer cells.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we sought to investigate the effects of 2-methoxyestradiol (2-ME) on cisplatin-induced apoptosis and growth inhibition in SKOV3 ovarian cancer cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cells were treated with 2-ME, carboplatin, or both, the control group, and cell viability and growth inhibition assays were performed using the MTT method. Apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry analysis. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and western blotting were used to monitor the mRNA and protein expression of the pro-apoptotic genes bax and caspase-3 and the anti-apoptotic gene bcl-2. The phosphorylation of Bcl-2 protein was monitored by western blotting. RESULTS: Cell viability was inhibited by all three treatments in a time-dependent manner. Importantly, the combination treatment resulted in significantly reduced cell growth compared with the other groups. The mRNA and protein expression of Bax and caspase-3 were increased in the combination treatment group, and the expression of Bcl-2 was decreased in the combination treatment group as compared with the other two groups. The ratio of bax to Bcl-2 mRNA in the combination treatment group was higher than that in the carboplatin-treated group. Finally, phosphorylation of Bcl-2 protein was increased stronger in the combination treatment group compared with the carboplatin-treated group. CONCLUSIONS: 2-ME promoted the growth inhibitory and apoptosis-inducing effects of platinum-based agents in SKOV3 ovarian cancer cells. The mechanism mediating this effect may be related to the phosphorylation of Bcl-2 protein, which reduces the formation of dimers and, thereby, increases apoptosis. Moreover, 2-ME promoted the mRNA and protein expression of Bax, thereby, increasing the Bax/Bcl-2 expression ratio and activating the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway.

Prevalence and types of androgenetic alopecia in Shanghai, China: a community-based study.

BACKGROUND: There are ethnic differences in the prevalence and types of androgenetic alopecia (AGA). Although there have been several reports on the prevalence and types of AGA in caucasian and Asian populations, there are very few data on a Chinese population that have been derived from a sufficient number of samples. OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence and types of AGA in a Chinese population, and to compare the results with those in caucasians and Koreans reported previously in the literature. METHODS: A population-based cross-sectional study was carried out in 7056 subjects (3519 men and 3537 women) from May 2006 to December 2006 in a community of Shanghai. Questionnaires were completed during face-to-face interviews at the subjects' homes. The degree of AGA was classified according to the Norwood and Ludwig classifications. RESULTS: The prevalence of AGA in Chinese men was 19.9%, and the prevalence of female pattern AGA in men was 0.1%. The most common type in men was type III vertex (3.5%). The prevalence of AGA in women was 3.1%, while male pattern AGA was found in those aged over 50 years (0.4%), and the most common type was type I (Ludwig classification) (1.4%). A family history of AGA was present in 55.8% of men and 32.4% of women with AGA. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of AGA in Chinese men was lower than in caucasian men but was similar to that in Korean men; however, over the age of 60 years it was approaching that in caucasian men but was higher than that in Korean men. The most common type in Chinese men with AGA was type III vertex. Interestingly, the prevalence of AGA in Chinese women was lower than that in Korean women and caucasian women, and type I was the most common type (Ludwig classification).