MATERIALS AND METHODS: The KCNQ1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs): rs2237892, rs2283228, and rs2237895 were genotyped in 234 T2D and 177 normal Malay subjects.

RESULTS: The risk allele of the rs2283228 (A) was strongly associated with T2D (OR = 1.7, P = 0.0006) while the rs2237892 (C) was moderately associated with T2D (OR = 1.45, P = 0.017). The recessive genetic models showed that rs2283228 was strongly associated with T2D (OR = 2.35, P = 0.00005) whereas rs2237892 showed a moderate association with T2D (OR = 1.69, P = 0.01). The haplotype block (TCA), which contained the protective allele, correlated with a protection from T2D (OR = 0.5, P = 0.003). Furthermore, the diplotype (CAA-TCA) that contained the protective haplotype was protected against T2D (OR = 0.46, P = 0.006).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We selected 157 NPC cases and 136 controls from two hospitals in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for this study. The polymorphisms studied were genotyped by PCR-RFLP assay and allele and genotype frequencies, haplotype and linkage disequilibrium were determined using SNPstat software.

RESULTS: For the XPD Lys751Gln polymorphism, the frequency of the Lys allele was higher in cases than in controls (94.5% versus 85.0%). For the XRCC1 Arg280His polymorphism, the frequency of Arg allele was 90.0% and 89.0% in cases and controls, respectively and for XRCC1 Arg399Gln the frequency of the Arg allele was 72.0% and 72.8% in cases and controls respectively. All three polymorphisms were in linkage disequilibrium. The odds ratio from haplotype analysis for these three polymorphisms and their association with NPC was 1.93 (95%CI: 0.90-4.16) for haplotype CGC vs AGC allele combinations. The global haplotype association with NPC gave a p-value of 0.054.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 175 subjects comprising 84 patients and 91 healthy individuals were recruited. Multiplex PCR was optimized to co-amplify DYS388, DYS435, DYS437, and DYS439 loci. All samples were genotyped for alleles of four DYS loci using a Genetic Analysis System.

RESULTS: Of all DYS loci, allele 10 (A) of DYS388 had a significantly lower incidence of disease in compare with other alleles of this locus, while a higher incidence of disease was found among males who had either allele 12 (C) of DYS388 or allele 14 (E) of DYS439. Moreover, a total of 47 different haplotypes comprising different alleles of four DYS loci were found among the whole study samples, of which haplotypes AABC and CAAA showed a lower and higher frequency among cases than controls, respectively.

RESULTS: We identified a total of 644,225 SNPs in 131 neuropeptide genes in 6 worldwide population groups from a public database. Of these, 5163 SNPs that had ΔDAF |(African - non-African)| ≥ 0.20 were identified and fully annotated. A total of 20 outlier SNPs that included 19 missense SNPs with a moderate impact and one stop lost SNP with high impact, were identified in 16 neuropeptide genes. Our results indicate that an overall strong population differentiation was observed in the non-African populations that had a higher derived allele frequency for 15/20 of those SNPs. Highly differentiated SNPs in four genes were particularly striking: NPPA (rs5065) with high impact stop lost variant; CHGB (rs6085324, rs236150, rs236152, rs742710 and rs742711) with multiple moderate impact missense variants; IGF2 (rs10770125) and INS (rs3842753) with moderate impact missense variants that are in linkage disequilibrium. Phenotype and disease associations of these differentiated SNPs indicated their association with hypertension and diabetes and highlighted the pleiotropic effects of these neuropeptides and their role in maintaining physiological homeostasis in humans.

RESULTS: In addition to the Kinabatangan River, a known barrier for dispersal in tree shrews, the heterogeneous landscape along the riverbanks affected the genetic structure in this species. Specifically, while in larger connected forest fragments along the northern riverbank genetic connectivity was relatively undisturbed, patterns of genetic differentiation and the distribution of mitochondrial haplotypes in a local scale indicated reduced migration on the strongly fragmented southern riverside. Especially, oil palm plantations seem to negatively affect dispersal in T. longipes. Clear sex-biased dispersal was not detected based on relatedness, assignment tests, and haplotype diversity.

DESIGN: Meta-analysis of odds ratios.

SETTING: Not applicable.

PATIENT(S): Subjects were women with RPL and their partners.

INTERVENTION(S): Not applicable.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): The association between M2/ANXA5 haplotype and RPL was evaluated in a meta-analysis of odds ratios. We further scrutinized this association according to [1] the sequence of miscarriages, [2] the number of consecutive losses, [3] the extent of excluding other pathologies of RPL, and [4] the timing of fetal loss.

RESULT(S): Fourteen individual studies (n = 4,664 subjects) were included in this meta-analysis. The results show that women with the M2/ANXA5 haplotype have 1.54 times (95% confidence interval, 1.08-2.20) the odds of having associated RPL compared with women with the normal haplotype, regardless of consecutive or nonconsecutive pregnancy losses. Acknowledging the clinical heterogeneity among the studies, this significant association comes with a caveat that the lower bound of the confidence interval is close to unity. In couple populations (n = 2,449), M2/ANXA5 haplotype subjects have an odds ratio of 1.48 (95% confidence interval, 1.14-1.91) of experiencing RPL, which suggests contributions from paternal M2/ANXA5 carriers in RPL.