The association between murine double minute 2 (MDM2) rs2279744 and endometrial cancer risk in a Chinese Han population

Some studies investigated the association between the murine double minute 2 (MDM2) rs2279744 polymorphism and endometrial cancer susceptibility, but provided controversial or inconclusive results. Thus, we decided to perform this case-control study to determine the association between MDM2 rs2279744 polymorphism and endometrial cancer in a Chinese Han population. A total of 215 endometrial cancer patients and 212 cancer-free controls were included in this case-control study. We genotyped the MDM2 rs2279744 polymorphism by the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). GG genotype showed a statistically significantly increased risk of developing endometrial cancer (OR=1.72, 95%CI 1.08-2.76, P=0.02). Statistically significant difference was observed when the patients and controls were compared according to G versus I (OR=1.40, 95%CI 1.07-1.84, P=0.01). A significantly higher frequency of G allele was observed in patients with stage III+IV, compared to stage I+II (OR=2.24, 95%CI 1.49-3.38, P=0.001). In conclusion, the study found that MDM2 rs2279744 polymorphism was significantly associated with endometrial cancer risk in a Chinese Han population.

Pleckstrin homology-like domain family B member 1 rs498872 polymorphism and glioma risk in Chinese Han population

This case-control study aimed to investigate the association between PHLDB1 rs498872 polymorphism and the risk of glioma in a Chinese Han population. A total of 210 patients and 235 controls were enrolled in this study. The CT genotype and TT genotype were significantly associated with the risk of glioma (OR=1.48, 95%CI 1.00-2.19, P=0.05 and OR=2.40, 95%CI 1.06-4.10, P=0.03), respectively. In addition, T allele of PHLDB1 rs498872 polymorphism was significantly associated with an increased risk of glioma (OR=1.58, 95%CI 1.08-2.29, P=0.02). We also found that PHLDB1 rs498872 polymorphism was not associated with histology and tumor grade of glioma. In conclusion, this study found that PHLDB1 rs498872 polymorphism was significantly associated with glioma risk in Chinese Han population.

The association between PAI-1 -675 4G/5G polymorphism and type 2 diabetes mellitus

In this study, we aimed to analyze the association between plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) -675 4G/5G polymorphism and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) risk. We included in 187 T2DM patients and 186 heathy controls between 2014 and 2017 from Tianjin Gong An Hospital, China. All patients and controls were ethnically Chinese Han population. The primers and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) conditions were performed. Results from this case-control study suggested that PAI-1 -675 4G/5G polymorphism was not associated with T2DM risk in four genetic models. Additionally, PAI-1 -675 4G/5G polymorphism was not associated with clinical and laboratory characteristics, such as age, gender, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and HbA1c. In conclusion, this case-control study suggested that PAI-1 -675 4G/5G polymorphism was not associated with T2DM risk in this population.

Long non-codingRNA (lncRNA) TUG1 and the prognosis of cancer: a meta-analysis

Some studies assessed the association between lncRNA taurine-upregulated gene 1 (TUG1) and the survival in cancer. However, the results were inconclusive.  Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to determine this association. We used the following electronic databases to search for eligible literature: PubMed, Embase, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and Wanfang. We used ORs and 95% CIs to measure the association between TUG1 and the survival of cancer. There was no significant association between TUG1 and OS of cancer (HR=1.26, 95% CI=0.97-1.64). In the subgroup analysis by cancer type, significant association could be find in osteosarcoma (HR=1.72, 95% CI=1.27-2.32) and digestive system's tumors (HR=1.66, 95% CI=1.04-2.66). In conclusion, this meta-analysis study indicated that TUG1 might associate with the OS of osteosarcoma and digestive system's tumors.

Genetics of the first seven proprotein convertase enzymes in health and disease

Members of the substilisin/kexin like proprotein convertase (PCSK) protease family cleave and convert immature pro-proteins into their biologically active forms. By cleaving for example prohormones, cytokines and cell membrane proteins, PCSKs participate in maintaining the homeostasis in a healthy human body. Conversely, erratic enzymatic function is thought to contribute to the pathogenesis of a wide variety of diseases, including obesity and hypercholestrolemia. The first characterized seven PCSK enzymes (PCSK1-2, FURIN, PCSK4-7) process their substrates at a motif made up of paired basic amino acid residues. This feature results in a variable degree of biochemical redundancy in vitro, and consequently, shared substrate molecules between the different PCSK enzymes. This redundancy has confounded our understanding of the specific biological functions of PCSKs. The physiological roles of these enzymes have been best illustrated by the phenotypes of genetically engineered mice and patients that carry mutations in the PCSK genes. Recent developments in genome-wide methodology have generated a large amount of novel information on the genetics of the first seven proprotein convertases. In this review we summarize the reported genetic alterations and their associated phenotypes.