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Objective: To examine the effects of two polymorphisms of the endothelial constitutive nitric oxide synthase (ecNOS) gene, 4a/4b(A:B) located in intron 4 and Glu298Asp(G:T) located in exon 7, on the development of acute coronary syndromes (ACS).Methods: 164 patients with ACS and 142 control participants were investigated for genotype and conventional risk factors. Genotype was determined by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis.Results: Genotype and allele frequencies of the A:B polymorphism in the ACS group (0.15:0.85 for AA+AB:BB, 0.09:0.91 for A:B) differed from those in the control group (0.26:0.74 for AA+AB:BB, 0.15:0.85 for A:B). However, genotype and allele frequencies of the G:T polymorphism in the ACS group (0.22:0.78 for TT+TG:GG, 0.11:0.89 for T:G) were similar to those in the control group (0.17:0.83 for TT+TG:GG, 0.09:0.91 for T:G). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the non-BB (AA+AB) and the non-BB+GG genotypes were significant protective factors against ACS (odds ratios 0.49 and 0.34, 95% confidence intervals 0.26 to 0.93 and 0.14 to 0.83, respectively). In addition, linear association analysis showed that the percentage of ACS patients was significantly lower in the genotype group non-BB+GG than in the genotype group BB+non-GG (39.6% v 62.7%, p = 0.01).Conclusions: The non-BB genotype of the ecNOS 4a/4b gene polymorphism is a protective factor against the development of ACS. The GG genotype of the ecNOS Glu298Asp polymorphism exerts a benefit in addition to the non-BB genotype in the Korean population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potential predictability of summer mean precipitation over the globe is investigated using data obtained from seasonal prediction experiments for 21 yr from 1979 to 1999 using the Korea Meteorological Administration–Seoul National University (KMA–SNU) seasonal prediction system. This experiment is a part of the Climate Variability and Predictability Program (CLIVAR) Seasonal Model Intercomparison Project II (SMIP II). The observed SSTs are used for the external boundary condition of the model integration; thus, the present study assesses the upper limit of predictability of the seasonal prediction system. The analysis shows that the tropical precipitation is largely controlled by the given SST condition and is thus predictable, particularly in the ENSO region. But the extratropical precipitation is less predictable due to the large contribution of the internal atmospheric processes to the seasonal mean. The systematic error of the ensemble mean prediction is particularly large in the subtropical western Pacific, where the air–sea interaction is active and thus the two-tier approach of the present prediction experiment is not appropriate for correct predictions in the region. The statistical postprocessing method based on singular value decomposition corrects a large part of the systematic errors over the globe. In particular, about two-thirds of the total errors in the western Pacific are corrected by the postprocessing method. As a result, the potential predictability of the summer-mean precipitation is greatly enhanced over most of the globe by the statistical correction method; the 21-yr-averaged pattern-correlation value between the predictions and their observed counterparts is changed from 0.31 before the correction to 0.48 after the correction for the global domain and from 0.04 before the correction to 0.26 after the correction for the Asian monsoon and the western Pacific region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) is a key protein involved in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) metabolism. It is known to affect plasma HDL-C levels, and its genetic regulation may be involved in the development of coronary artery disease (CAD). The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of the CETP Taq1B polymorphism in Koreans, and to investigate its relationship with plasma HDL-C levels and CAD. One-hundred and nineteen patients with significant CAD and 106 controls were examined with respect to their genotypes, lipid profiles and other risk factors of CAD. The genotype frequencies of B1B1:B1B2:B2B2 in males and females were 35.5%:50%:14.5% and 34.7%:42.6%:22.7%, respectively, which is comparable to previous reports in other ethnic groups. The B1B1 homozygote was associated with significantly lower HDL-C levels in females (p = 0.049) and non-smoking males (p = 0.037). After controlling for gender, body mass index (BMI) and smoking, the TaqIB polymorphism was still significantly associated with HDL-C levels (p = 0.046) and explained 5.4% of the HDL-C variation in this study. By univariate analysis, the B1B1 homozygote was a significant predictor of CAD (p = 0.043), and this was confirmed by multivariate analysis with traditional risk factors, i.e. the B1B1 homozygote was an independent predictor of CAD (p = 0.026, odds ratio = 1.97, 95% confidence interval: 1.08-3.57). In conclusion, the B1B1 homozygote of the CETP Taq1B polymorphism is associated with low HDL-C levels in females and non-smoking males, and may be an independent genetic risk factor of CAD in the Korean population.