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Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating progressive motor neuron disease that affects people of all ethnicities. Approximately 90% of ALS cases are sporadic and thought to have multifactorial pathogenesis. To understand the genetics of sporadic ALS, we conducted a genome-wide association study using 1,173 sporadic ALS cases and 8,925 controls in a Japanese population. A combined meta-analysis of our Japanese cohort with individuals of European ancestry revealed a significant association at the ACSL5 locus (top SNP p = 2.97 × 10 -8 ). We validated the association with ACSL5 in a replication study with a Chinese population and an independent Japanese population (1941 ALS cases, 3821 controls; top SNP p = 1.82 × 10 -4 ). In the combined meta-analysis, the intronic ACSL5 SNP rs3736947 showed the strongest association (p = 7.81 × 10 -11 ). Using a gene-based analysis of the full multi-ethnic dataset, we uncovered additional genes significantly associated with ALS: ERGIC1, RAPGEF5, FNBP1, and ATXN3. These results advance our understanding of the genetic basis of sporadic ALS.

To identify commercial Japanese monovarietal green tea and imported green tea samples, leading Japanese cultivars were fingerprinted by using six simple sequence repeat markers analyzed by a capillary sequencer. Two well-authenticated imported Chinese monovarietal green tea samples were also fingerprinted by the same markers, one of which, was Fuyun, was a clonally propagated cultivar, and the other, Jiukengzhong, was seed-propagated. At least three markers used in this study identified 16 leading Japanese cultivars and Fuyun. Although Jiukengzhong was a mixed population with diverse genotypes, some individuals had a unique allele in one simple sequence repeat marker that was not detected in the 16 leading Japanese cultivars, an additional 39 cultivars, and Fuyun. This allele was effective as a detection marker for Jiukengzhong. These results support the use of simple sequence repeat markers for the identification of Japanese monovarietal green tea and also of imported green tea made from foreign cultivars.

To evaluate the prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection in northwest China, 179 chronic liver disease patients in this area were examined for antibody to hepatitis C virus core protein (anti-HCVcore). This antibody was found in only 5 (14 percent) of 37 chronic non-A, non-B liver disease patients, in 11 (16%) of 67 asymptomatic hepatitis B virus carriers, and in 20 (27%) of 75 chronic hepatitis B patients. High titers of anti-HCVcore (cut off index > 2) were observed in 3 (60%), 5 (45%), and 9 (45%) of the anti-HCVcore-positive cases of these groups, respectively. We further investigated the seroprevalence of antibodies to hepatitis B virus in the 37 chronic non-A, non-B liver disease patients. All 5 anti-HCVcore-positive cases were positive for a hepatitis B virus marker, with only 44% (14/32) of the anti-HCVcore-negative patients (P < 0.05). Based on these findings, it is concluded that the prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection in chronic non-A, non-B liver disease is unexpectedly low in northwest China and that hepatitis B and C viruses seem to have a similar mode of infection in that area.