Clinical value of contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) combined with contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) for characterization and diagnosis of small nodular lesions in liver.

Objectives: To explore the clinical value of contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) combined with contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) for characterization and diagnosis of small nodular lesions in the liver and investigate the association between such small nodular lesions and the degree of tumor differentiation.

Methods: Combined imaging modalities were performed on 120 patients who were admitted by Linyi Maternal and Child Health hospital from December 2018 to December 2020 and diagnosed with hepatic nodular lesions. The CT scans were interpreted by two senior imageologists while the ultrasound scans were analyzed by two senior sonographers.

Linkage of angiotensinogen gene polymorphisms with hypertension in a sibling study of Hong Kong Chinese.

Objective: The angiotensinogen gene has been linked with human essential hypertension in whites but the relationship in Asian populations has been less consistent. This study aimed to examine genetic associations between hypertension and the M235T, T174M, and G-217A polymorphisms of the angiotensinogen gene in Chinese siblings.

Methods: We studied members of 126 families with a hypertensive proband, including 434 siblings, of which 178 were hypertensive.

How well do HapMap haplotypes identify common haplotypes of genes? A comparison with haplotypes of 334 genes resequenced in the environmental genome project.

One of the goals of the International HapMap Project is the identification of common haplotypes in genes. However, HapMap uses an incomplete catalogue of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and might miss some common haplotypes. We examined this issue using data from the Environmental Genome Project (EGP) which resequenced 335 genes in 90 people, and thus, has a nearly complete catalogue of gene SNPs.

An affected pedigree member analysis of linkage between the dopamine D2 receptor gene TaqI polymorphism and obesity and hypertension.

Background: Dopamine modulates a variety of physiological functions including natriuresis and satiety. We have previously reported that the TaqI polymorphism of the dopamine D2 receptor (DD2R) gene is associated with both blood pressure and obesity indices in a normoglycaemic Hong Kong Chinese population. In this study, we present evidence confirming the linkage between this gene polymorphism, obesity and hypertension.

[Epidemiological study of nasopharyngeal carcinoma risk in relatives of high-risk families in Guangdong].

Background & Objective: Familial clustering of NPC has been widely observed, however, related investigations were mainly involved in individual reports for high-risk families or case-control study with small sample size, so no quantitive evaluation for NPC risk in relatives of high-risk families documented in high-risk area until now. The purpose of the study was to estimate NPC risk among relatives of high-risk pedigrees in Guangong province, so as to provide information for genetic epidemiology and clinical genetic consultation.

Methods: One hundred and thirteen high-risk pedigrees were collected in the Cancer Center of Sun Yat-sen University, and standardized incidence ratio (SIR) was used to estimate NPC risk of first degree relatives (FDR).

Familial risk and clustering of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Guangdong, China.

Background: Previous studies have suggested that genetic susceptibility may play an important role in the etiology of nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC). However, to date, few large-scale studies have been conducted on familial risk and clustering of NPC in a high-risk area of China.

Methods: In the current study, 2252 patients with NPC who were treated at the Cancer Center of Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangdong Province, China, were identified as probands.