Medical students' reflection on the family planning services at primary health clinics in Malaysia.

Context: Family planning is crucial for everyone within the reproductive age to promote the health and welfare of every member of the family. For the medical students, it is essential to have core knowledge, understanding of family planning concept, and competency in communication skills with the patients. The final-year medical students are posted in Maternal and Child Health Clinics for 3 weeks to gain the knowledge and practical experiences on the primary healthcare in the community.

Knowledge, attitudes, and barriers toward research: The perspectives of undergraduate medical and dental students.

Context: Scientific research not only promotes health and combats diseases of an individual, but also it can strengthen the effectiveness of health systems. Hence, understanding of scientific methods becomes a crucial component in the medical profession.

Aims: This study was conducted to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and barriers toward research among undergraduate medical and dental students.

Polymorphisms of the formylpeptide receptor gene (FPR1) and susceptibility to stomach cancer in 1531 consecutive autopsy cases.

Formylpeptide receptor (FPR1) is involved in inflammation, which is important in the pathogenesis of diverse conditions, including common diseases and cancers. To date, little is known about the relationships between FPR1 and such diseases, aside from the fact that FPR1 is related to periodontitis, which is implicated in systemic diseases such as stomach cancer. We hypothesized that FPR1 polymorphisms related to periodontal disease may confer susceptibility to stomach cancer.

Association of a cyclin-dependent kinase 5 regulatory subunit-associated protein 1-like 1 (CDKAL1) polymorphism with elevated hemoglobin A₁(c) levels and the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in Japanese men: interaction with dietary energy intake.

Genome-wide association studies have identified the cyclin-dependent kinase 5 regulatory subunit-associated protein 1-like 1 (CDKAL1) gene as a novel risk factor for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Application of this genetic marker for prevention of type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in healthy populations has not yet been evaluated. The authors examined the effects of a CDKAL1 polymorphism (rs9465871) on metabolic phenotype and of gene-lifestyle (CDKAL1-energy intake) interaction on MetS in a cohort of apparently healthy Japanese men examined in 2003.

Association between a polymorphism of aminolevulinate dehydrogenase (ALAD) gene and blood lead levels in Japanese subjects.

This cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between the aminolevulinate dehydrogenase (ALAD) genotype and blood lead levels among 101 Japanese workers. Blood lead concentration measurement, biomarkers, and genotyping were performed. The minor allele frequency (MAF) for ALAD (ALAD2) was 0.

A functional SNP in ITIH3 is associated with susceptibility to myocardial infarction.

Myocardial infarction (MI) results from complex interactions of multiple genetic and environmental factors. To disclose genetic backgrounds of MI, we performed a large-scale, case-control association study using 52,608 gene-based single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers, and identified a candidate SNP located on chromosome 3p21.2-p21.

Polymorphism of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene (C677T MTHFR) is not a confounding factor of the relationship between serum uric acid level and the prevalence of hypertension in Japanese men.

Background: The association between serum uric acid (UA) and the prevalence of hypertension, and the relationship between methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) polymorphism and hypertension remains unclear. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the C677T MTHFR mutation genotype (VV) is independently associated with the prevalence of hypertension or blood pressure (BP), and examined any interaction of MTHFR and UA with BP.

Methods And Results: Participants were randomly selected from all residents (aged 40-69 years) in a rural county of Japan, and the data for the men (n=335) were analyzed.

The 2.3 genotype of ESRRA23 of the ERR alpha gene is associated with a higher BMI than the 2.2 genotype.

ERR alpha (NR3B1) is an orphan nuclear receptor believed to be involved in energy metabolism and obesity. A 23-base pair sequence in the 5'-flanking region of the ERR alpha gene, referred to as ESRRA23, is polymorphic in human chromosomes. Here, we investigated the influence of the ESRRA23 polymorphism on obesity in 703 Japanese individuals by analyzing indices of obesity and related lifestyle factors.

Epidemiological aspects of obesity and NASH/NAFLD in Japan.

Although the characteristics of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) have become well recognized, mainly in the clinical and pathological fields, epidemiological findings, including magnitude of the disease in a population (prevalence, outcomes, and mortality) and risk factors (relative risk and population attributable risk) are scarce in the Asia-Oceania region. Obesity is known to be one of the most important risk factors for NASH/NAFLD, and observed increases in NASH/NAFLD in selected areas or settings may be linked to the increase in overweight and obesity in Japanese adults in the last few decades. Obesity could be a major key to explaining NASH/NAFLD, because of the complex causal web that includes obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, high blood pressure, etc.

Epidemiological evidence that acetaldehyde plays a significant role in the development of decreased serum folate concentration and elevated mean corpuscular volume in alcohol drinkers.

Background: Elevated mean corpuscular volume (MCV) is a traditional biological marker for alcohol abuse and alcoholism, but the underlying mechanism is unclear. Three recent epidemiologic studies consistently showed that MCV was elevated by alcohol drinking more markedly among individuals with genetically inactive aldehyde dehydrogenase-2 (ALDH2) (encoded by ALDH2*2 mutant allele) than those with active ALDH2 (encoded by ALDH2*1/2*1 genotype), suggesting that the elevated MCV was etiologically linked to acetaldehyde exposure. The purpose of the present study was to clarify further this relationship by examining the status of folate and vitamin B12.

The relationships between plasma total homocysteine and selected atherosclerotic risk factors according to the C677T methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene in Japanese.

Background: Variation of plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) levels among individuals is modified by 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) genotypes and selected atherosclerotic risk factors.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Methods: Healthy Japanese men (n=213) and women (n=242) aged 40-69 years were examined.

Large-scale search of SNPs for type 2 DM susceptibility genes in a Japanese population.

The etiology of type 2 diabetes (DM) is polygenic. We investigated here genes and polymorphisms that associate with DM in the Japanese population. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of 398 derived from 120 candidate genes were examined for association with DM in a population-based case-control study.

Are the associations between life-style related factors and plasma total homocysteine concentration different according to polymorphism of 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene (C677T MTHFR)? A cross-sectional study in a Japanese rural population.

Mild hyperhomocysteinemia is one of the known strong risk factors for atherosclerotic diseases, and therefore it is important to clarify factors that could determine plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) level. A cross-sectional study with a random sample of 455 Japanese rural residents aged 40-69 years was conducted in 2000 to investigate the associations of plasma tHcy concentration with 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene and selected life-style related factors. The frequency of the mutant allele, Valine (V) allele, was 0.