Effective Components of Social Emotional Learning Programs: A Meta-analysis.

Previous reviews have synthesized the impacts of universal school-based social emotional learning (SEL) programs. However, they have yet to attempt a meta-analytic approach with rigorous inclusion criteria to identify the key SEL components and explore what make these programs work. This study aims to fill that gap by examining the impacts of SEL programs and exploring the moderating effects of methodological characteristics, implementation features, and program components on SEL effectiveness. The final sample consisted of 12 high-quality SEL programs, 59 studies, and 83,233 participants, with an overall effect size of 0.15. Meta-regression results indicated that these SEL programs could significantly improve youth social emotional skills, reinforce affect and attitudes, promote academic performance, increase prosocial behaviors, and reduce antisocial behaviors. Training teachers' social emotional skills and reducing cognitive elements in SEL curricula were found to be effective components of SEL programs, whereas pedagogical activities, climate support, and family engagement were not. Large-scale studies of SEL programs tended to generate smaller effect sizes, and those with low program dosages were found to be less effective than those approaching the recommended dosage. Policy and practical implications on how to scale SEL programs are discussed.

Association Study between Ghrelin Gene Polymorphism and Metabolic Syndrome in a Han Chinese Population.

BACKGROUND: Ghrelin, in humans, is a hormone secreted from the stomach with an orexigenic effect, which is good for digestion and absorption, as well as regulating physical growth, metabolism, and energy balance. It is also involved in the development of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study assessed the association between single nucleotide variants of the GHRL gene and the risk of metabolic syndrome in a Han Chinese population. METHODS: A case-control study was performed on 3780 Han Chinese comprising 1813 MetS cases and 1967 controls. Three missense polymorphisms in GHRL (rs26802, rs10490816, and rs696217) were selected, and the association between these polymorphisms and the risk of MetS was investigated. Metabolic syndrome was defined according to the criteria of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF). RESULTS: Using Pearson's 2 test, we found that there were no significant differences in genotype distributions and allele frequencies between cases and controls (all p > 0.05). There were also no significant differences in haplotype distributions between MetS cases and healthy controls. Furthermore, we confirmed that rs26802 of the GHRL gene is associated with body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, systolic blood pressure (SBP), and fasting glucose; rs10490816 is associated with triglycerides (TG) and total cholesterol (TC); while rs696217 is associated with hip circumference and fasting glucose. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that mutations in the GHRL gene did not confer risk for MetS in our study population. Therefore, functional analysis and replication studies in other populations are needed to further investigate the exact role of the GHRL gene in MetS.

Zinc Finger Protein 259 (ZNF259) Polymorphisms are Associated with the Risk of Metabolic Syndrome in a Han Chinese Population.

BACKGROUND: Zinc finger protein 259 (ZNF259) binds to the cytoplasmic domain of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in quiescent cells and contributes tolipid metabolism. This case and control study investigated the association between ZNF259 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and metabolic syndrome (MetS). METHODS: This study included 1,812 MetS patients and 2,036 controls from the Jilin province of Northeastern China. MetS was diagnosed using the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria. Three ZNF259 SNPs (rs964184, rs2075290 and rs2075294) were genotyped using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). RESULTS: There were significant differences between metabolic syndrome and healthy control subjects for the ZNF259 rs964184 and rs2075290 genotypes. The minor alleles of both SNPs were associated with an increased risk of MetS and associated conditions (elevated triglycerides, elevated blood pressure, increased abdominal obesity, fasting hyperglycemia, and low HDL-C; p < 0.05). The distribution of haplotype G-G-G (rs964184, rs2075290 and rs2075294) was significantly different between MetS patients and controls (OR = 1.39; 95% CI, 1.24 - 1.56; p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that ZNF259 variants were associated with elevated MetS risk in a Han Chinese population from the Jilin province of Northeastern China.

Mass spectrum analysis of serum biomarker proteins from patients with schizophrenia.

Diagnosis of schizophrenia does not have a clear objective test at present, so we aimed to identify the potential biomarkers for the diagnosis of schizophrenia by comparison of serum protein profiling between first-episode schizophrenia patients and healthy controls. The combination of a magnetic bead separation system with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/TOF-MS) was used to analyze the serum protein spectra of 286 first-episode patients with schizophrenia, 41 chronic disease patients and 304 healthy controls. FlexAnlysis 3.0 and ClinProTools(TM) 2.1 software was used to establish a diagnostic model for schizophrenia. The results demonstrated that 10 fragmented peptides demonstrated an optimal discriminatory performance. Among these fragmented peptides, the peptide with m/z 1206.58 was identified as a fragment of fibrinopeptide A. Receiver operating characteristic analysis for m/z 1206.58 showed that the area under the curve was 0.981 for schizophrenia vs healthy controls, and 0.999 for schizophrenia vs other chronic disease controls. From our result, we consider that the analysis of serum protein spectrum using the magnetic bead separation system and MALDI-TOF/TOF-MS is an objective diagnostic tool. We conclude that fibrinopeptide A has the potential to be a biomarker for diagnosis of schizophrenia. This protein may also help to elucidate schizophrenia disease pathogenesis.

The prevalence and correlates of neurotic disorders among undergraduates at a mainland Chinese university.

OBJECTIVES: To study the prevalence and risk factors of neurotic disorders (NDs) among Chinese university students. METHODS: Stratified random sampling was used to select students who were interviewed using the World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview Version 3.0 to diagnose psychiatric disorder and collected socio-demographic, and family structure and environment data. The response rate was 90 % (N = 1,843). The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th Revision (ICD-10) criteria were used to diagnose NDs. We used logistical regression to evaluate the links between NDs and selected correlates. RESULTS: The prevalence of NDs was 25.6 % (lifetime), 15.7 % (12-month), and 6.8 % (30-day) among the university students with no significant gender differences in these rates. No family structure characteristics were related to 12-month prevalence of NDs (P > 0.05). In contrast, family environment factors including a history of family disputes (OR 1.562, CI 1.108-2.203), parental mental health problems (OR 1.800, CI 1.379-2.349), and absence of care in childhood (OR 1.916, 95 % CI 1.331-2.759) were associated with higher prevalence rates of NDs. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show a high prevalence of NDs in this sample of Chinese undergraduates. Social environment factors, in the student's family of orientation, were significantly associated with the prevalence of NDs. These findings support the importance of negative family experiences during childhood and adolescence and increasing vulnerability to NDs.

The effectiveness of Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies program: A meta-analysis.

Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS) is a widely-used social emotional learning program for preschool and elementary school students. The purpose of this review is to examine its effects, and explore the moderation effects of methodological and implementation features on intervention effectiveness. Using stringent inclusion criteria, 20 qualified studies and 177 effect sizes involving 30,454 participants were included. Results showed that the overall effect size of PATHS was 0.11. In particular, the effect size of PATHS on social emotional skills (ES = 0.16) was the largest compared with other outcome domains, including attitude or relations (ES = 0.08), emotional well-being (ES = 0.02), prosocial behaviors (ES = 0.04), conduct problems (ES = 0.06), and academic performance (ES = 0.05). PATHS had no different impact whether it was implemented in the universal or target contexts. Research design, sample size, and intervention dosage could moderate the effectiveness of PATHS significantly, and dosage was the predominant factor in determining the effects of PATHS. Policy and practical implications were discussed.

Effects of educational technology on reading achievement for Chinese K-12 English second language learners: A meta-analysis.

No systematic published research has reviewed the impact of educational technology on English reading outcomes targeting the Chinese-speaking population. Therefore, this review intended to examine the impact of educational technology and its alternative types on reading achievement for Chinese English second language learners (ESLs) to understand how to best use technology applications to facilitate reading instruction. A total of 35 qualified studies were included in our analysis covering a sample size of 7,989 Chinese K-12 participants. Consistent with previous meta-analyses, our findings indicated a modest positive impact of educational technology on reading outcomes compared with the traditional teaching method (d = +0.37). For the five types of intervention identified in this review, we found that the comprehensive model had the largest impact (d = +0.60), followed by social media tools (d = +0.46), integrated online-learning system (d = +0.31), and multimedia-transmission model (d = +0.27). However, supplementary activities did not generate educationally meaningful effects on reading outcomes for Chinese ESLs (d = +0.05). The impacts of different moderators, implications, and limitations were also discussed. We argue for further integrating technology with the existing curriculum and pedagogy. The study adds to the second language (L2) reading literature corpus.

Troglitazone induced apoptosis via PPARγ activated POX-induced ROS formation in HT29 cells.

OBJECTIVE: In order to investigate the potential mechanisms in troglitazone-induced apoptosis in HT29 cells, the effects of PPARγ and POX-induced ROS were explored. METHODS: [3- (4, 5)-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, Annexin V and PI staining using FACS, plasmid transfection, ROS formation detected by DCFH staining, RNA interference, RT-PCR & RT-QPCR, and Western blotting analyses were employed to investigate the apoptotic effect of troglitazone and the potential role of PPARγ pathway and POX-induced ROS formation in HT29 cells. RESULTS: Troglitazone was found to inhibit the growth of HT29 cells by induction of apoptosis. During this process, mitochondria related pathways including ROS formation, POX expression and cytochrome c release increased, which were inhibited by pretreatment with GW9662, a specific antagonist of PPARγ. These results illustrated that POX upregulation and ROS formation in apoptosis induced by troglitazone was modulated in PPARγ-dependent pattern. Furthermore, the inhibition of ROS and apoptosis after POX siRNA used in troglitazone-treated HT29 cells indicated that POX be essential in the ROS formation and PPARγ-dependent apoptosis induced by troglitazone. CONCLUSION: The findings from this study showed that troglitazone-induced apoptosis was mediated by POX-induced ROS formation, at least partly, via PPARγ activation.

[A case-control study between gene polymorphisms of polyunsaturated fatty acids metabolic rate-limiting enzymes and paranoid schizophrenia of Han ethnicity in Jilin Province].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate an association between gene polymorphisms of FADS 1 (fatty acid desaturase 1) , FADS2 (fatty acid desaturase 2) and ELOVL2 (elongation of very long chain fatty acids (FEN1/ Elo2, SUR4/Elo3, yeast) -like 2) and paranoid schizophrenia of the Han ethnicity in Jilin province of China. METHODS: We genotyped 3 single nucleotide polymorphisms from 3 candidate genes in 100 paranoid schizophrenia cases and 95 healthy controls using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. All samples are from Han ethnicity in Jilin province of China. RESULTS: The genotype distributions of rs174556 in FADS1 gene and rs174617 in FADS2 gene showed no significant difference between case and control groups (P > 0.05). The genotype distribution of rs3756963 in ELOVL2 gene showed significant difference between case group and control group (P < 0.05). The distribution proportion of allele T carriers in case group was higher than that in control group. Trans-phase gene interaction analysis showed that the distribution proportion of combined genotypes included rs3756963 (T/T) was higher in case group than that in control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: rs174556 in FADS1 gene and rs174617 in FADS2 gene may not be associated with paranoid schizophrenia. rs3756963 in ELOVL2 gene may be associated with paranoid schizophrenia.

2-[3-((Z)-2-{4-[Bis(2-chloro-eth-yl)amino]-phen-yl}ethen-yl)-5,5-dimethyl-cyclo-hex-2-en-1-yl-idene]propane-dinitrile.

The highly conjugated title compound, C(23)H(25)Cl(2)N(3), is nearly planar (the mean deviation from the plane being 0.049 Å), except for the -C(CH(3))(2) group on the cyclo-hexene ring and the two CH(2)Cl groups. The cyclo-hexene ring has an envelope configuration. In the crystal, the packing is stabilized by C-H⋯Cl inter-actions and C-H⋯π inter-actions involving the benzene ring.

A family- and population-based study of the UFD1L gene for schizophrenia.

The present work was undertaken to investigate the association of the UFD1L locus with schizophrenia among 304 Chinese family trios of Han descent. We detected four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the 5'-end region of the UFD1L gene. The transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) revealed allelic associations for rs5746744 (chi(2) = 8.02, P = 0.005) and rs1547931 (chi(2) = 7.18, P = 0.007), but failed to replicate disease association for rs5992403 present in the promoter region, which was initially found in Italian and Canadian samples. The allelic association for rs5746744 and rs1547931 was replicated with independently recruited case-control samples. The 2-SNP haplotype analysis showed an association for the rs5992403-rs5746744 haplotypes (chi(2) = 18.92, df = 3, P = 0.0003), the rs5746744-rs1547931 haplotypes (chi(2) = 11.06, df = 3, P = 0.011) and the rs1547931-rs2238769 haplotypes (chi(2) = 18.88, df = 3, P = 0.0003). The 4-SNP haplotype analysis also showed strong association with illness (chi(2) = 29.54, df = 9, P = 0.0005) but there were more than one individual haplotypes with a low frequency excessively non-transmitted. The four SNPs tested were not located in the same LD block among the Chinese population. This study raises the possibility that a disease-resistant variant may be carried by two or more haplotypes at the UFD1L locus due to frequent recombination during meiosis.

A study of the PEMT gene in schizophrenia.

The phospholipid hypothesis of schizophrenia is becoming popular because of the findings from the niacin flush test, the treatment with polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), biochemical studies for the phospholipid metabolism pathway and genetic studies of phospholipase A2. The present study attempted to investigate the gene coding for phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PEMT), which is an important enzyme for the synthesis of membrane phospholipids. We recruited 271 Chinese parent-offspring trios of Han descent and detected 3 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at the PEMT locus. The transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) showed allelic association for rs464396 (X2=9.4, P=0.002), but not for the other two. The 2-SNP haplotype analysis showed haplotypic association for both the rs936108-rs464396 haplotypes (X2=25.7, d.f.=3, P=0.00001) and the rs464396-rs4244593 haplotypes (X2=17.3, d.f.=3, P=0.0006). The 3-SNP haplotype analysis also showed a haplotypic association (X2=24.4, d.f.=7, P=0.0006). The present results suggest that the PEMT gene may contribute to the etiology of schizophrenia.

Mechanisms involved in ceramide-induced cell cycle arrest in human hepatocarcinoma cells.

AIM: To investigate the effect of ceramide on the cell cycle in human hepatocarcinoma Bel7402 cells. Possible molecular mechanisms were explored. METHODS: [3- (4, 5)-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, plasmid transfection, reporter assay, FACS and Western blotting analyses were employed to investigate the effect and the related molecular mechanisms of C2-ceramide on the cell cycle of Bel7402 cells. RESULTS: C2-ceramide was found to inhibit the growth of Bel7402 cells by inducing cell cycle arrest. During the process, the expression of p21 protein increased, while that of cyclinD1, phospho-ERK1/2 and c-myc decreased. Furthermore, the level of CDK7 was downregulated, while the transcriptional activity of PPARgamma was upregulated. Addition of GW9662, which is a PPARgamma specific antagonist, could reserve the modulation action on CDK7. CONCLUSION: Our results support the hypothesis that cell cycle arrest induced by C2-ceramide may be mediated via accumulation of p21 and reduction of cyclinD1 and CDK7, at least partly, through PPARgamma activation. The ERK signaling pathway was involved in this process.

Is KPNB3 locus associated with schizophrenia?

OBJECTIVE: To reconfirm the association of KPNB3 with schizophrenia in Chinese population. METHODS: Two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs2588014 and rs626716 at the KPNB3 locus, were genotyped in 304 Chinese Han family trios consisting of fathers, mothers, and affected offsprings with schizophrenia. These 2 SNPs were detected by PCR-based restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis. The Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium for genotypic distributions was estimated by the goodness-of-fit test. The UNPHASED program was used to perform transmission disequilibrium test (TDT), haplotype analysis, and pair-wise measure of linkage disequilibrium (LD) between these 2 SNPs. RESULTS: The genotypic distributions of both rs2588014 and rs626716 were in the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (P > 0.05). The TDT revealed allelic association with rs626716 (chi2 = 9.31, P = 0.0023) but not with rs2588014 (chi2 = 3.44, P = 0.064). The global P-value was 0.0099 for 100 permutations. The haplotype analysis also showed a disease association (chi2 = 25.97, df = 3, P = 0.0000097). CONCLUSION: The present study provides further evidence in support of the KPNB3 association with schizophrenia in Chinese population.

A Case-Control Study of the Association between Polymorphisms in the Fibrinogen Alpha Chain Gene and Schizophrenia.

Our previous studies using the mass spectrum analysis provided evidence that fibrinopeptide A (FPA) could be a potential biomarker for schizophrenia diagnosis. We sought further to demonstrate that variants in the fibrinogen alpha chain gene (FGA) coded FPA might confer vulnerability to schizophrenia. 1,145 patients with schizophrenia and 1,016 healthy volunteers from the Han population in Northeast China were recruited. The association of three tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs2070011 in the 5'UTR, rs2070016 in intron 4, and rs2070022 in the 3'UTR) in FGA and schizophrenia was examined using a case-control study design. Genotypic distributions of these three SNPs were not found to be significantly different between cases and controls (rs2070011: χ2 = 1.28, P = 0.528; rs2070016: χ2 = 4.11, P = 0.128; rs2070022: χ2 = 1.23, P = 0.541). There were also no significant differences in SNP allelic frequencies between cases and controls (all P > 0.05). Additionally, the frequency of haplotypes consisting of alleles of these three SNPs was not significantly different between cases and healthy control subjects (global χ2 = 9.27, P = 0.159). Our study did not show a significant association of FGA SNPs with schizophrenia. Future studies may need to test more FGA SNPs in a larger sample to identify those SNPs with a minor or moderate effect on schizophrenia.

Association between single nucleotide variants of vascular endothelial growth factor A and the risk of thyroid carcinoma and nodular goiter in a Han Chinese population.

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether genetic variants in the vascular endothelial growth factor A gene (VEGFA) were risk factors for papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) or nodular goiter (NG) in Han Chinese. A total of 2,319 subjects (861 PTC patients, 562 NG patients, and 896 healthy controls) were included. Five tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (tagSNPs: rs3024997, rs3025040, rs833070, rs25648, and rs10434) in VEGFA were genotyped. SNP rs3025040 T allele was associated with a decreased risk of NG (P<0.05). SNP rs3024997 was associated with an increased risk of PTC (P<0.05) and NG (P<0.001) when an over-dominant model (AA+GG vs. AG) was considered. PTC patients carry the less frequent TT genotype (compared to the CC genotype) (P <0.05) of SNP rs3025040. Likewise, NG patients have the less frequent TC genotype compared to the CC (P <0.05). No significant association of SNPs rs833070, rs25648, and rs10434 with PTC or NG was observed. Haplotypes AT (rs3024997 and rs3025040) and GTA (rs10434, rs3025040, and rs3024997) showed a lower risk for NG (P <0.01 and P <0.05, respectively), while haplotypes GTT (rs833070, rs3025040, and rs3024997) and GGGT (rs833070, rs10434, rs3024997, and rs3025040) predicted the risk of progression to NG (both P <0.05). Haplotype AGAC (rs833070, rs10434, rs3024997, and rs3025040) conferred protection for PTC (P <0.05). In summary, this study indicated for the first time that SNPs rs3024997 and rs3025040 in VEGFA were significantly associated with PTC and/or NG. Haplotypes of the VEGFA may influence the risk of PTC and NG.

[Inhibiton of conjugated linoleic acid isomers on the proliferation of tumor cells].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of five conjugated linoleic acid isomers on the proliferation of human tumor cell AGS and Bel7402. METHODS: AGS, Bel7402 and Lovo cells incubated in vitro were used as model. The cell visibility was investigated after treatment with conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). RESULTS: All the five isomers had inhibitory ability to AGS, Bel7402 and Lovo cell proliferation, and the effect on AGS was more effective than that on Bel7402 and Lovo. The inhibitory effect was dose-dependent. CONCLUSION: The five isomers of CLA exhibited proliferation inhibitory effect on the tumor cell of AGS and Be17402.

Prevalence, correlates of major depression: A mental health survey among undergraduates at a mainland Chinese university.

INTRODUCTION: This cross-sectional survey among Chinese university students aimed to estimate the prevalence and risk factors of major depressive disorder (MDD) among undergraduates, in order to provide basic information for the prevention and treatment of depression among the college-aged population. METHODS: A total of 2,046 undergraduates were interviewed face to face using the World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview Version 3.0 (WHO-CIDI, version 3.0). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV (DSM-IV) criteria were used to diagnose MDD. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the associations between MDD and selected correlates. RESULTS: The survey response rate was 90.1% (N = 1,843). The prevalence rates of MDD were 3.9% (lifetime), 2.4% (12 months) and 0.4% (30 days). No significant gender or age differences were found in prevalence rates. No sociodemographic characteristics were related to the lifetime prevalence of MDD. In contrast, family structure and environment factors specifically being from a single-parent family (odds ratio [OR] = 2.513, confidence interval [CI] = 1.404-2.500), parents having mental problems (OR = 1.809, CI = 1.104-2.964), and physical punishment (OR = 1.789, CI = 1.077-3.001) were associated with higher lifetime prevalence of MDD. DISCUSSION: These findings showed a relatively lower prevalence of DSM-IV/CIDI MDD in this sample of Chinese undergraduates than that reported for students in other countries. However, the prevalence rate for university students was higher than that reported for general Chinese population. Family structure and socio-environmental factors in the student's family of origin significantly correlated with the lifetime prevalence of MDD.

Interactions of Environmental Factors and APOA1-APOC3-APOA4-APOA5 Gene Cluster Gene Polymorphisms with Metabolic Syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: The present study investigated the prevalence and risk factors for Metabolic syndrome. We evaluated the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the apolipoprotein APOA1/C3/A4/A5 gene cluster and the MetS risk and analyzed the interactions of environmental factors and APOA1/C3/A4/A5 gene cluster polymorphisms with MetS. METHODS: A study on the prevalence and risk factors for MetS was conducted using data from a large cross-sectional survey representative of the population of Jilin Province situated in northeastern China. A total of 16,831 participations were randomly chosen by multistage stratified cluster sampling of residents aged from 18 to 79 years in all nine administrative areas of the province. Environmental factors associated with MetS were examined using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses based on the weighted sample data. A sub-sample of 1813 survey subjects who met the criteria for MetS patients and 2037 controls from this case-control study were used to evaluate the association between SNPs and MetS risk. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood lymphocytes, and SNP genotyping was determined by MALDI-TOF-MS. The associations between SNPs and MetS were examined using a case-control study design. The interactions of environmental factors and APOA1/C3/A4/A5 gene cluster polymorphisms with MetS were assessed using multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The overall adjusted prevalence of MetS was 32.86% in Jilin province. The prevalence of MetS in men was 36.64%, which was significantly higher than the prevalence in women (29.66%). MetS was more common in urban areas (33.86%) than in rural areas (31.80%). The prevalence of MetS significantly increased with age (OR = 8.621, 95%CI = 6.594-11.272). Mental labor (OR = 1.098, 95%CI = 1.008-1.195), current smoking (OR = 1.259, 95%CI = 1.108-1.429), excess salt intake (OR = 1.252, 95%CI = 1.149-1.363), and a fruit and dairy intake less than 2 servings a week were positively associated with MetS (P<0.05). A family history of diabetes (OR = 1.630, 95%CI = 1.484-1.791), cardiovascular disease or cerebral diseases (OR = 1.297, 95%CI = 1.211-1.389) was associated with MetS. APOA1 rs670, APOA5 rs662799 and rs651821 revealed significant differences in genotype distributions between the MetS patients and control subjects. The minor alleles of APOA1 rs670, APOA5 rs662799 and rs651821, and APOA5 rs2075291 were associated with MetS (P<0.0016). APOA1 rs5072 and APOC3 rs5128, APOA5 rs651821 and rs662799 were in strong linkage disequilibrium to each other with r2 greater than 0.8. Five haplotypes were associated with an increased risk of MetS (OR = 1.23, 1.58, 1.80, 1.90, and 1.98). When we investigated the interactions of environmental factors and APOA1/C3/A4/A5 gene cluster gene polymorphisms, we found that APOA5 rs662799 had interactions with tobacco use and alcohol consumption (PGE<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: There was a high prevalence of MetS in the northeast of China. Male gender, increasing age, mental labor, family history of diabetes, cardiovascular disease or cerebral diseases, current smoking, excess salt intake, fruit and dairy intake less than 2 servings a week, and drinking were associated with MetS. The APOA1/C3/A4/A5 gene cluster was associated with MetS in the Han Chinese. APOA5 rs662799 had interactions with the environmental factors associated with MetS.

Association between PLA2G12A Polymorphisms and Schizophrenia in a Han Chinese Population from Northeast China.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to explore the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the phospholipase A2 (PLA2), group XIIA gene (PLA2G12A) and schizophrenia. METHODS: This study included 1,063 schizophrenia patients and 1,103 healthy controls from a Han Chinese Population in Northeast China. Four tagSNPs (rs11728699 in intron 1, synonymous rs2285714 in exon 3, rs3087494 in the 3' UTR, and rs7694620 in the downstream region) in PLA2G12A were selected, and they were genotyped by the MALDI-TOF-MS technology. The Chi-square (χ2) test and haplotype analysis were performed to analyze the association of PLA2G12A SNPs and schizophrenia using the software packages SPSS 16.0 and Haploview 4.2. RESULTS: Among the four tagSNPs, only SNP rs3087494 in the 3' UTR of PLA2G12A showed significant differences in both allele frequencies (χ2 = 20.136, P<0.001) compared to healthy controls. The minor allele G of SNP rs3087494 is potentially a predictive factor for schizophrenia (OR = 0.753, 95% CI: 0.665-0.882). The frequency distribution of haplotypes consisting of specific alleles of two SNPs (rs7694620-rs3087494 or rs3087494-rs2285714), three SNPs (rs7694620-rs3087494-rs2285714 or rs3087494-rs2285714-rs11728699), or all four SNPs (rs7694620-rs3087494-rs2285714-rs11728699) was significantly different between schizophrenia patients and control subjects (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated that PLA2G12A SNPs or haplotypes might influence the susceptibility to schizophrenia in the Han Chinese population from Northeast China.