Total Serum IgE in a Population-Based Study of Asian Children in Taiwan: Reference Value and Significance in the Diagnosis of Allergy

Background

Total serum immunoglobulin (IgE) test is usually performed to aid in the diagnosis of allergic diseases, but its reference values may vary among people of different ethnic backgrounds.

Objectives

To establish reference values of total IgE in Asian children and to assess their significance in the diagnosis of atopy and allergic diseases.

Study design

1321 Asian children aged 5-18 years in the Prediction of Allergies in Taiwanese CHildren (PATCH) study, a population-based cohort, were evaluated for total and specific IgE by ImmunoCAP and Phadiatop Infant, respectively.

Results

Male, atopy, allergic diseases, recent symptoms of upper respiratory infection, and lower FEV₁/FVC, were associated with higher total IgE levels in univariate analyses. Multivariate analysis revealed that atopy was the single most important determinant explaining 66.1% of the variability of total IgE levels in this population. The area under the receiver-operator characteristic (ROC) curve of total IgE for diagnosing atopy, asthma, rhinitis, and eczema were 0.92, 0.72, 0.70, and 0.70, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of total IgE at the optimal cutoff of 77.7 kU/L on the ROC curve for diagnosing atopy were 82.3%, 87.1%, 89.5%, and 78.6%, respectively. The corresponding values using the upper 95% CI of total IgE (164.3 kU/L) in non-atopic children were 61.2%, 95.0%, 94.3%, and 64.6%, respectively; whereas a customary cutoff (100 kU/L) provided accuracy between that of the aforementioned two cutoffs. Total IgE at the cutoff of 77.7 kU/L provided modest sensitivity and specificity (49.0%-78.3%) for diagnosing allergic diseases, but had high negative predictive values (84.2%-97.9%).

Conclusions

Total serum IgE discriminates Asian children with and without atopy independent of allergic symptoms, with an optimal cutoff of 77.7 kU/L. The study confirms the insufficient diagnostic accuracy of total IgE alone to detect allergic diseases, but low total IgE levels may help exclude allergic diseases.     

Pathways-Driven Sparse Regression Identifies Pathways and Genes Associated with High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol in Two Asian Cohorts

Standard approaches to data analysis in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) ignore any potential functional relationships between gene variants. In contrast gene pathways analysis uses prior information on functional structure within the genome to identify pathways associated with a trait of interest. In a second step, important single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) or genes may be identified within associated pathways. The pathways approach is motivated by the fact that genes do not act alone, but instead have effects that are likely to be mediated through their interaction in gene pathways. Where this is the case, pathways approaches may reveal aspects of a trait''s genetic architecture that would otherwise be missed when considering SNPs in isolation. Most pathways methods begin by testing SNPs one at a time, and so fail to capitalise on the potential advantages inherent in a multi-SNP, joint modelling approach. Here, we describe a dual-level, sparse regression model for the simultaneous identification of pathways and genes associated with a quantitative trait. Our method takes account of various factors specific to the joint modelling of pathways with genome-wide data, including widespread correlation between genetic predictors, and the fact that variants may overlap multiple pathways. We use a resampling strategy that exploits finite sample variability to provide robust rankings for pathways and genes. We test our method through simulation, and use it to perform pathways-driven gene selection in a search for pathways and genes associated with variation in serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in two separate GWAS cohorts of Asian adults. By comparing results from both cohorts we identify a number of candidate pathways including those associated with cardiomyopathy, and T cell receptor and PPAR signalling. Highlighted genes include those associated with the L-type calcium channel, adenylate cyclase, integrin, laminin, MAPK signalling and immune function.     

尼古丁调控细胞凋亡的分子机制

尼古丁是烟草中生物碱的主要成分,其生物学作用广泛。尼古丁参与影响神经系统、呼吸系统和心血管系统等重要器官的发育,并与癌症的发生有着密切的关系。尼古丁通过对细胞凋亡的调控,发挥其生物学作用。现对尼古丁调控细胞凋亡相关的各种信号通路及其分子机制进行综述。     

不同浓度复合液体维生素对凹纹胡蜂访问偏好的影响

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云南地区小蜜蜂的饲养方法

为了小蜜蜂Apis florea资源的利用和保护,本论文对其饲养方法及生物学特性进行了研究。在云南省蒙自市,收集野生小蜜蜂8群,对其筑巢、蜂蜜生产、蜂群越冬等饲养方法进行研究,观察并记录饲养过程中蜂群生物学特性。辅助蜂群筑巢过程中,支撑巢脾的树枝距离地面高度在0.6-1.0 m,蜂群较稳定,不易弃巢;利用"巢脾分区切割"的方法生产蜂蜜可以提高产量,减少蜂群分蜂次数;模拟野外筑巢环境,用塑料框和稻草包装,置于日光室的网室内,可有效辅助蜂群越冬。通过对小蜜蜂饲养方法的探索,明确了云南地区小蜜蜂饲养过程中的筑巢高度及科学合理的蜂蜜生产、蜂群越冬方法,为深入研究该种传粉蜂资源的利用与保护提供了重要的参考依据。     

牛β-乳球蛋白基因的克隆及部分序列测定

为了制备乳腺生物反应器所需要的乳腺特异性表达的调控序列,用ＰＣＲ法从奶牛染色体上分５段扩增出了全长的牛 ＢＬＧ基因约 ８ ｋｂ,包括 １．８ ｋｂ的 ５’侧翼区、１．７ ｋｂ的 ３’侧翼区及 ４．７ ｋｂ的ｇＤＮＡ区。扩增出的各片段克隆到Ｔ－Ｖｅｃｔｏｒ上,酶切鉴定及序列分析均证实了所扩增片段的正确性。     

盐生杜氏藻甘油-3-磷酸脱氢酶的分离纯化及其特性的研究

利用ＰＥＧ分级,ＤＥＡＥ离子交换层析,ＢｌｕｅＳｅｐｈａｒｏｓｅ拟亲和层析,ＭｏｎｏＱ离子交换层析等手段,分离纯化盐生杜氏藻（Ｄｕｎａｌｉｅｌａｓａｌｉｎａ（Ｄｕｎａｌ）Ｔｅｏｄ．）甘油三磷酸（Ｇ３Ｐ）脱氢酶（ＥＣ１．１．１．８）,得到比活为１２．６Ｕ／ｍｇ的电泳纯的酶,并对此酶的生化特性进行了研究。４％～２０％非变性聚丙烯酰胺梯度凝胶电泳测得全酶分子量约为２７０ｋＤ,ＳＤＳＰＡＧＥ表明该酶只有一种分子量约为６５ｋＤ的亚基,据此推测该酶应为同四聚体。酶催化磷酸二羟丙酮（ＤＨＡＰ）还原的最适ｐＨ值为７．５,催化Ｇ３Ｐ脱氢的最适ｐＨ值为１０。该酶对４个底物还原型辅酶Ⅰ（ＮＡＤＨ）,二磷酸吡啶核苷酸（ＤＨＡＰ）,辅酶Ⅰ（ＮＡＤ）,Ｇ３Ｐ的表观Ｋｍ值分别为６３μｍｏｌ／Ｌ,２７２μｍｏｌ／Ｌ,１．５３ｍｍｏｌ／Ｌ,６．５２ｍｍｏｌ／Ｌ。该酶在保存过程中易失活。ＮＡＤＨ能降低酶失活的速度,而ＮＡＤ则不然。低浓度ＮａＣｌ对酶略有保护作用,但高浓度ＮａＣｌ加快酶的失活,且浓度越高效应越明显。     

地衣芽孢杆菌碱性蛋白酶的研究 Ⅰ.碱性蛋白酶高产菌的筛选及产酶条件初探

从成都佳丰食品厂等处采集的样品中平板分离初筛到124株碱性蛋白酶产生菌,进一步复筛出一株高产,且稳定的碱性蛋白酶产生菌株B．L．JF-ld,初步鉴定为地衣穿孢杆菌（Bacilluslicheniformis）。该菌的最适产酶条件为：培养基（％）为麦芽糖7．5,酵母膏3,NaCl0．5,K2HPO4·3H2O0．53,NaHPO4·2H2O0．03,Na2CO30．056,MnSO4l×10－4mol／L,pH8．7,通气量为（1：0．5）～（1：1）（v／v）,37℃发酵40h,酶活力单位高达7180U／ml。     

米非司酮抗着床作用的形态学观察

采用光镜和透射电镜方法观察米非司酮对大鼠子宫内膜形态结构的影响。实验用３０ 只成年雌性大鼠分为５ 组, 实验组给予米非司酮（Ｃ１： １２ｍ ｇ／ｋｇ, Ｃ２： ６ｍ ｇ／ｋｇ, Ｃ３： ３ｍ ｇ／ｋｇ）, 与阴性（Ａ组） 及阳性（Ｂ组） 对照组进行比较。结果显示米非司酮用药组子宫内膜和腺体发育受抑制。     

多胺对水稻CMS系及其保持系幼穗蛋白质、核酸和活性氧代谢的影响

用ＤＡｒｇ＋ ＭＧＢＧ 处理保持系, 降低花粉可育度, 并使其幼穗中蛋白质、ＤＮＡ 和ＲＮＡ含量以及蛋白酶、ＲＮＡ 酶和ＤＮＡ 酶活性下降,使Ｏ－·２ 生成速率和ＭＤＡ 含量上升。Ｐｕｔ＋ Ｓｐｄ ＋ Ｓｐｍ 可消除或部分消除ＤＡｒｇ ＋ＭＧＢＧ的上述效应（ 对酶活性的影响除外） 。ＤＡｒｇ ＋ ＭＧＢＧ 也使ＰＯＤ、ＳＯＤ 和ＣＡＴ活性上升, 但是,多胺只能降低抑制剂对ＰＯＤ 的刺激作用。用Ｐｕｔ＋ Ｓｐｄ ＋ Ｓｐｍ 处理不育系, 使花粉可育度轻度提高, 并使其幼穗蛋白质、ＤＮＡ和ＲＮＡ 含量略有上升,使蛋白酶、ＤＮＡ酶和ＲＮＡ 酶活性、Ｏ－·２ 生成速率、ＭＤＡ 含量、ＳＯＤ 和ＣＡＴ活性下降, 使ＰＯＤ 活性上升