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Globally, the rapid aging of the population is predicted to become even more severe in the second half of the 21st century. Thus, it is expected to establish a growing expectation for innovative, non-invasive health indicators and diagnostic methods to support disease prevention, care, and health promotion efforts. In this study, we aimed to establish a new health index and disease diagnosis method by analyzing the minerals and free amino acid components contained in hair shaft. We first evaluated the range of these components in healthy humans and then conducted a comparative analysis of these components in subjects with diabetes, hypertension, androgenetic alopecia, major depressive disorder, Alzheimer's disease, and stroke. In the statistical analysis, we first used a student's t test to compare the hair components of healthy people and those of patients with various diseases. However, many minerals and free amino acids showed significant differences in all diseases, because the sample size of the healthy group was very large compared to the sample size of the disease group. Therefore, we attempted a comparative analysis based on effect size, which is not affected by differences in sample size. As a result, we were able to narrow down the minerals and free amino acids for all diseases compared to t test analysis. For diabetes, the t test narrowed down the minerals to 15, whereas the effect size measurement narrowed it down to 3 (Cr, Mn, and Hg). For free amino acids, the t test narrowed it down to 15 minerals. By measuring the effect size, we were able to narrow it down to 7 (Gly, His, Lys, Pro, Ser, Thr, and Val). It is also possible to narrow down the minerals and free amino acids in other diseases, and to identify potential health indicators and disease-related components by using effect size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) targeting the BCR-ABL1 fusion protein, encoded by the Philadelphia chromosome, have drastically improved the outcomes for patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Although several real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RQ-PCR) kits for the detection of BCR-ABL1 transcripts are commercially available, their accuracy and efficiency in laboratory practice require reevaluation. We have developed a new in-house RQ-PCR method to detect minimal residual disease (MRD) in CML cases. MRD was analyzed in 102 patients with CML from the DOMEST study, a clinical trial to study the rationale for imatinib mesylate discontinuation in Japan. The BCR-ABL1/ABL1 ratio was evaluated using the international standard (IS) ratio, where IS < 0.1% was defined as a major molecular response. At enrollment, BCR-ABL1 transcripts were undetectable in all samples using a widely-applied RQ-PCR method performed in the commercial laboratory, BML (BML Inc., Tokyo, Japan); however, the in-house method detected the BCR-ABL1 transcripts in five samples (5%) (mean IS ratio: 0.0062 ± 0.0010%). After discontinuation of imatinib, BCR-ABL1 transcripts were detected using the in-house RQ-PCR in 21 patients (21%) that were not positive using the BML method. Nineteen samples were also tested using a commercially available RQ-PCR assay kit with a detection limit of IS ratio, 0.0032 (ODK-1201, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Tokyo, Japan). This method detected low levels of BCR-ABL1 transcripts in 14 samples (74%), but scored negative for five samples (26%) that were positive using the in-house method. From the perspective of the in-house RQ-PCR method, number of patients confirmed loss of MMR was 4. These data suggest that our new in-house RQ-PCR method is effective for monitoring MRD in CML. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]