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Increasing evidence suggests that hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) and hyperlipidemia have been recognized as two independent risks for cardiovascular disease. However, the association between hyperlipidemia and HHcy in hypertensive patients has not been systemically elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate the relation between very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) and HHcy in hypertensive patients. From July 2013 to March 2014, a large cross-sectional study was performed using 4012 participants from urban and rural communities in Hunan province, China. Participants underwent accurate assessment of lipid profiles, homocysteine (Hcy), anthropometric, blood pressure, and other biochemical indicators. Among 1257 participants with hypertension, 626 (49.80%) were men and 631 (50.20%) were women. In total, 1081 (86.00%) of the participants were found to have HHcy, of which 559 (44.47%) were men and 522 (41.53%) were women. In the univariate analysis, the OR for patients with hypertension associated with hyperhomocysteinemia was significantly enhanced as the quartiles of the Log VLDL were increased. OR for quartile 4 was significantly higher than that for quartile 1 (OR = 3.7, 95% CI: 2.6–5.1; P<.001). Additional adjustment for the confounding variables did not reduce the ORs for the association between the Log VLDL and hypertension associated with hyperhomocysteinemia (OR = 3.8, 95% CI: 2.7–5.5; P<.001; OR = 4.3, 95% CI: 1.6–11.8; P=.004, respectively). We also conducted analyses with Log VLDL as a continuous variable. Each unit increase in the Log VLDL was associated with the 1.3-fold increased risk of hypertension associated with hyperhomocysteinemia (95% CI: 1.9–2.9; P<.001). Adjusting for Cr, TG, TC, and HDL did not affect the relationship. Our data indicate that the Log VLDL concentrations appear to be an independent contributor to hypertension associated with hyperhomocysteinemia, even after adjusting for age and other covariables. The utility of the Log VLDL as a diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic indicator for the disease warrants further investigation. HHcy: hyperhomocysteinemia; Hcy: homocysteine; VLDL: very low-density lipoprotein; CVD: cardiovascular disease; SBP: systolic blood pressure; DBP: diastolic blood pressure; BMI: body mass index; ALT: alanine aminotransferase; Cr: creatinine; UA: uric acid; TG: triglycerides; TC: total cholesterol; HDL: high-density lipoprotein; LDL: low-density lipoprotein; FBG: fasting blood glucose; CRP: C-reactive protein; MTHFR: methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase; NO: nitric oxide; HDL-C: high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Short tandem repeats (STRs) are powerful genetic markers widely used in human genetics. Population data and locus-specific mutation rates of STRs are crucial for the evaluation and interpretation of genetic evidence in forensic and population genetics. Aim: To investigate the mutation rates of 21 autosomal STRs in a population from central south China. Subjects and methods: This study analysed 3420 paternity cases with a Combined Paternity Index >10,000 from Han population in Hunan. A total of 68,743 meiotic transfers were analysed and 62 mutations were identified. Results: The overall mutation rate of STR loci was 0.9 × 10−3 (95% CI, 0.0007–0.0011) and the locus-specific mutation rates were estimated ranging from 0.0000–0.0023. Locus D1S1656 exhibited the highest mutation rate of 2.3 × 10−3 (95% CI, 0.0005–0.0006), followed by D12S391 with a mutation rate of 2.0 × 10−3 (95% CI, 0.0007–0.0044). No mutation was observed at TPOX, D2S1338 or Penta D. One-step mutation cases accounted for 96.77% of total mutations and the ratio of paternal vs maternal mutations was ∼4.85:1. Inter-population comparisons of locus-specific mutation rates of several STRs revealed significant differences between Han in Hunan and Han in other regions of China. Conclusion: The data justified the use of geographical data in further genetic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]