Gastric cancer has high morbidity and mortality in China. It is ranked first in malignant tumors of the digestive system. Its etiology and pathogenesis are still unclear, but they may be associated with a variety of factors. Genetic susceptibility genes have become a research hotspot in China. Elucidating the genetic mechanisms of gastric cancer can facilitate achieving individualized preventio...

An improved sib-pair test for linkage is introduced which is superior to the previously proposed tests. The test is derived from the standard chi-squared goodness of fit statistic by restricting the alternative hypothesis to the genetically possible. Critical values are given and exact power comparisons are made with the previously proposed tests. The new test is shown to be more powerful for f...

BACKGROUND We know very little about the genetic factors affecting susceptibility to drug-induced central nervous system (CNS) toxicities, and this has limited our ability to optimally utilize existing drugs or to develop new drugs for CNS disorders. For example, haloperidol is a potent dopamine antagonist that is used to treat psychotic disorders, but 50% of treated patients develop characteri...

Dupuytren’s disease is a benign fibroproliferative disease of unknown aetiology. It is often familial and commonly affects Northern European Caucasian men, but genetic studies have yet to identify the relevant genes. Transforming growth factor beta one (TGF1) is a multifunctional cytokine which plays a central role in wound healing and fibrosis. It stimulates the proliferation of fibroblasts an...

Because of their high prevalence in the general population, genetic variants that determine susceptibility to environmental exposures may contribute greatly to the development of occupational diseases in the setting of specific exposures occurring in the workplace. Studies investigating genetic susceptibilities in the workplace may: (1) provide mechanistic insight into the aetiology of disease,...

Fibromyalgia (FM) affects 1% to 5% of the population, and approximately 90% of the affected individuals are women. FM patients experience impaired quality of life and the disorder places a considerable economic burden on the medical care system. With the recognition of FM as a major health problem, many recent studies have evaluated the pathophysiology of FM. Although the etiology of FM remains...

Candida spp. are medically important fungi causing severe mucosal and life-threatening invasive infections, especially in immunocompromised hosts. However, not all individuals at risk develop Candida infections, and it is believed that genetic variation plays an important role in host susceptibility. On the one hand, severe fungal infections are associated with monogenic primary immunodeficienc...

INTRODUCTION Recent advances in the understanding of human susceptibility to tuberculosis have resulted from the application of molecular techniques to answer mechanistic questions on genetic regulation of host defense. METHODS This review is based upon a MEDLINE search of articles relevant to human genetic susceptibility to mycobacteria. RESULTS The impact of natural selection in shaping s...