Biomedical subjects

Xiang Chen

Publications and source records attributed to Xiang Chen.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed2006

[Concentration of IL-18 and PGE2 in synovial fluid in patients with osteoarthritis and its significance].

OBJECTIVE: To detect the concentrations of interleukin-18 (IL-18) and prostaglandin E2(PGE2) in synovial fluid (SF), and to determine the role of IL-18 and PGE2 in osteoarthritis (OA) pathogenesis. METHODS: IL-18 and PGE2 were measured concurrently in synovial fluid samples from 54 patients with knee OA (OA group) and from 9 controls (control group). Quantitative determination of IL-18 was performed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). PGE2 was examined by inhibitory enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A linear regression between IL-18 and PGE2 was analysed. RESULTS: The concentrations of IL-18 and PGE2 in SF from the OA group were significantly higher than those from the control group (P<0.01). The average value of IL-18 in the control group was (28.768+/-13.575) x 10(-9)ng/L, and (72.303+/-40.130) x 10(-9)ng/L in the OA group (P<0.01); the average value of PGE2 in the control group was (24.697+/-7.814) x 10(-9)ng/L, and (42.302+/-23.818) x 10(-9)ng/L in the OA group (P<0.01). IL-18 was related with PGE2 in a linear curve fashion (the control group: r=0.76, P<0.001; the OA group: r=0.94, P<0.001). CONCLUSION: IL-18 and PGE2 are significantly higher in the OA group than those in the control group, and they might take part in the cartilage degradation in OA pathogenesis. The increase of IL-18 might induce the increase of PGE2, and that might play an important role in OA pathogenesis.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

[Clinical observation of hand-assisted laparoscopic live donor nephrectomy].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the feasibility and advantage of hand-assisted laparoscopic live donor nephrectomy in renal transplantation. METHODS: Six living relative donors received retroperitoneal left-side laparoscopic nephrectomy. The operating time of nephrectomy, the warm ischemic time, the recovery time of allograft and donors were recorded and analyzed. RESULTS: The mean operating time of nephrectomy was 150 minutes, the mean warm ischemic time was 3.5 minutes, and the mean time of micturition after graft reperfusion was 82 seconds. The donors recovered rapidly and returned to normal within 30 days . The urine volume and renal function of the 6 recipients were normal without complications in the following 3 months. CONCLUSION: Hand-assisted laparoscopic live donor nephrectomy is feasible with short operating time and warm ischemic time; the donors experience less pain, and recover rapidly. This technique may be widely used in living donor nephrectomy.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Determination of aminoheterocycle and azabicycle in gliclazide bulk by capillary zone electrophoresis with amperometric detection.

A simple, reliable and reproducible method, based on capillary zone electrophoresis with amperometric detection (CZE-AD), was developed for simultaneous determination of 3-amino-3-azabicyclo[3,3,0]octane (aminoheterocycle) and 3-azabicyclo[3,3,0]octane (azabicycle) in gliclazide bulk drug. The optimal conditions of CZE-AD were 50 mM borate solution (pH 9.0) as running buffer, 14 kV as separation voltage and 0.95 V (versus SCE) as detection potential. Under the selected optimum conditions, the two analytes could be perfectly separated within 9 min. The linearity range of aminoheterocycle was from 1.0 x 10(-6) to 1.0 x 10(-3) M and that of azabicycle was from 2.0 x 10(-6) to 1.0 x 10(-3) M. Their detection limits were 5.0 x 10(-7) and 1.0 x 10(-6) M, respectively, (S/N=3). This proposed method demonstrated long-term stability and reproducibility with relative standard deviations of less than 2% for both migration time and peak current. It has been successively used for the determination of these two analytes in gliclazide bulk drug, and the assay results were satisfactory.

Benzylamines↗

PubMed2005

Over-expression and purification of isotopically labeled recombinant ligand-binding domain of orphan nuclear receptor human B1-binding factor/human liver receptor homologue 1 for NMR studies.

The human hepatitis B virus enhancer II B1 binding factor (hB1F), which regulates the expression of hepatitis B virus genes, is identified as a nuclear receptor. It regulates several liver-specific genes and plays an important role in the bile acid biosynthesis pathway. A significantly optimized protocol has been worked out to prepare 15N and/or 13C-labeled hB1F ligand-binding domain in minimal medium with high yields for NMR studies. Under the various conditions optimized for the purification of His6-hB1F ligand-binding domain, the yield of the purified protein is estimated to be 25-30 mg from 0.5 L of M9 minimal media. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry data confirm the correctness of the primary sequence. Dynamic light scattering experiment proves that the protein exists as a monomeric form. In addition, the circular dichroism results show that the protein has a well-regulated secondary structure and a high alpha-helical content in ammonium bicarbonate buffer at 20 degrees C and pH 7.4. Finally, uniformly 15N-labeled protein is characterized by a TROSY-HSQC spectrum, and the dispersion of 15N-1H cross-peaks in the spectrum indicates the presence of well-ordered and properly folded protein as a monomer.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2005

Characterization of the TGN exit signal of the human mannose 6-phosphate uncovering enzyme.

The human mannose 6-phosphate uncovering enzyme participates in the uncovering of the mannose 6-phosphate recognition tag on lysosomal enzymes, a process that facilitates recognition of those enzymes by mannose 6-phosphate receptors to ensure delivery to lysosomes. Uncovering enzyme has been identified on the trans-Golgi network at steady state. It has been shown to traffic to the plasma membrane from where it is rapidly internalized via endosomal structures, the process being mediated by a tyrosine-based internalization motif, Y488HPL, in its cytoplasmic tail. Using immunogold electron microscopy a GFP-uncovering enzyme fusion construct was found to be colocalized with the cation-dependent mannose 6-phosphate receptor in regions of the trans-Golgi network, suggesting that uncovering enzyme might follow a similar pathway of exit from the trans-Golgi network as that of the cation-dependent mannose 6-phosphate receptor. In this study, we identified the signal sequence in the cytoplasmic tail of uncovering enzyme responsible for its exit from the trans-Golgi network. Using GFP fusion constructs of the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains of uncovering enzyme, we could show, by automated analysis of confocal immunofluorescence images, that residues Q492EMN in the cytoplasmic tail of uncovering enzyme are involved in its exit from the trans-Golgi network. Detailed characterization of the exit signal revealed that residue Q492 is the most important to the exit function while M494 and N495 also contribute. The cytoplasmic tail of the uncovering enzyme does not possess any of the known canonical signal sequences for interaction with Golgi-associated gamma ear-containing adaptor proteins. The identification of a trans-Golgi network exit signal in its cytoplasmic tail elucidates the trafficking pathway of uncovering enzyme, a crucial player in the process of lysosomal biogenesis.

Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic↗

PubMed2005

Objective clustering of proteins based on subcellular location patterns.

The goal of proteomics is the complete characterization of all proteins. Efforts to characterize subcellular location have been limited to assigning proteins to general categories of organelles. We have previously designed numerical features to describe location patterns in microscope images and developed automated classifiers that distinguish major subcellular patterns with high accuracy (including patterns not distinguishable by visual examination). The results suggest the feasibility of automatically determining which proteins share a single location pattern in a given cell type. We describe an automated method that selects the best feature set to describe images for a given collection of proteins and constructs an effective partitioning of the proteins by location. An example for a limited protein set is presented. As additional data become available, this approach can produce for the first time an objective systematics for protein location and provide an important starting point for discovering sequence motifs that determine localization.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2005

Solution structure of BmP08, a novel short-chain scorpion toxin from Buthus martensi Karsch.

A novel short-chain scorpion toxin BmP08 was purified from the venom of the Chinese scorpion Buthus martensi Karsch by a combination of gel-filtration, ion exchange, and reversed-phase chromatography. The primary sequence of BmP08 was determined using the tandem MS/MS technique and Edman degradation, as well as results of NMR sequential assignments. It is composed of 31 amino acid residues including six cysteine residues and shares less than 25% sequence identity with the known alpha-KTx toxins. BmP08 shows no inhibitory activity on all tested voltage-dependent and Ca(2+)-activated potassium channels. The 3D-structure of BmP08 has been determined by 2D-NMR spectroscopy and molecular modeling techniques. This toxin adopts a common alpha/beta-motif, but shows a distinctive local conformation and features a 3(10)-helix and a shorter beta-sheet. The unique structure is closely related to the distinct primary sequence of the toxin, especially to the novel arrangement of S-S linkages in the molecule, in which two disulfide bridges (C(i)-C(j) and C(i+3)-C(j+3)) link covalently the 3(10)-helix with one strand of the beta-sheet structure. The electrostatic potential surface analysis of the toxin reveals salt bridges and hydrogen bonds between the basic residues and negatively charged residues nearby in BmP08, which may be unfavorable for its binding with the known voltage-dependent and Ca(2+)-activated potassium channels. Thus, finding the target for this toxin should be an interesting task in the future.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2005

The solution structure of BmTx3B, a member of the scorpion toxin subfamily alpha-KTx 16.

This article reports the solution structure of BmTx3B (alpha-KTx16.2), a potassium channel blocker belonging to the subfamily alpha-KTx16, purified from the venom of the Chinese scorpion Buthus martensi Karsch. In solution, BmTx3B assumes a typical CSalphabeta motif, with an alpha-helix connected to a triple-stranded beta-sheet by 3 disulfide bridges, which belongs to the first structural group of short-chain scorpion toxins. On the other hand, BmTx3B is quite different from other toxins (such as ChTx and AgTx2) of this group in terms of the electrostatic and hydrophobic surface distribution. The functional surface (beta-face) of the molecule is characterized by less basic residues (only 2: Lys28 and Arg35) and extra aromatic residues (Phe1, Phe9, Trp15, and Tyr37). The peptide shows a great preference for the Kca1.1 channel over the Kv channel (about a 10(3)-fold difference). The model of BmTx3B/Kca1.1 channel complex generated by docking and dynamic simulation reveals that the stable binding between the BmTx3B and Kca1.1 channel is favored by a number of aromatic pi-pi stacking interactions. The influences of these structural features on the kinetic behavior of the toxin binding to Kca1.1 channel are also discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2005

BmP09, a "long chain" scorpion peptide blocker of BK channels.

A novel "long chain" toxin BmP09 has been purified and characterized from the venom of the Chinese scorpion Buthus martensi Karsch. The toxin BmP09 is composed of 66 amino acid residues, including eight cysteines, with a mass of 7721.0 Da. Compared with the B. martensi Karsch AS-1 as a Na(+) channel blocker (7704.8 Da), the BmP09 has an exclusive difference in sequence by an oxidative modification at the C terminus. The sulfoxide Met-66 at the C terminus brought the peptide a dramatic switch from a Na(+) channel blocker toaK(+) channel blocker. Upon probing the targets of the toxin BmP09 on the isolated mouse adrenal medulla chromaffin cells, where a variety of ion channels coexists, we found that the toxin BmP09 specifically blocked large conductance Ca(2+)- and voltage-dependent K(+) channels (BK) but not Na(+) channels at a range of 100 nm concentration. This was further confirmed by blocking directly the BK channels encoded with mSlo1 alpha-subunits in Xenopus oocytes. The half-maximum concentration EC(50) of BmP09 was 27 nm, and the Hill coefficient was 1.8. In outside-out patches, the 100 nm BmP09 reduced approximately 70% currents of BK channels without affecting the single-channel conductance. In comparison with the "short chain" scorpion peptide toxins such as Charybdotoxin, the toxin BmP09 behaves much better in specificity and reversibility, and thus it will be a more efficient tool for studying BK channels. A three-dimensional simulation between a BmP09 toxin and an mSlo channel shows that the Lys-41 in BmP09 lies at the center of the interface and plugs into the entrance of the channel pore. The stable binding between the toxin BmP09 and the BK channel is favored by aromatic pi -pi interactions around the center.

Adrenal Medulla↗

PubMed2005

Study on sensitivity development of 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid by capillary zone electrophoresis-amperometric detection with p-methyl benzoate as stacking agent.

For its high reactivity and very short half-life, the hydroxyl radical (OH.) in vivo is very difficult to be detected. Usually, it is indirectly quantified by determining 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid (2,3-DHBA) and 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (2,5-DHBA), which are the reaction products of salicylic acid (SA) and OH.. Because 2,5-DHBA could be directly formed by the P(450) enzyme, only 2,3-DHBA is regarded as the real biomarker of OH.in biological studies. But the very low concentration of OH* in human bodies makes its determination very difficult and complicated. In this paper, a simple online stacking capillary zone electrophoresis coupled with amperometric detection (CZE-AD) method was explored to improve the detection sensitivity of 2,3-DHBA to reach the requirements in biological analysis. A mixture solution of 12.5 mmol/L Na(2)B(4)O(7)-25 mmol/L NaH(2)PO(4) (pH 7.9) was used as the running buffer and p-methyl benzoate was selected as a suitable stacker. The effects of the concentration, pH value, and injection time of p-methyl benzoate on stacking efficiency were carefully studied. Under the optimum stacking CZE-AD conditions, the detection sensitivity of 2,3-DHBA was improved about 20-fold and its detection limit reached the 10(-9) mol/L level. The experimental results showed that this was a potential method to determine OH* in vivo.

Benzoates↗

PubMed2005

Association of Sst I polymorphism in apolipoprotein C3 gene with hypertriglyceridaemia in coronary atherosclerotic heart disease and type II diabetes mellitus in Chinese population.

Several independent population studies have reported that the apolipoprotein C3 (APOC3) Sst I polymorphism in apolipoprotein (apo) A1 /C3/A4/A5 gene cluster is associated with Hypertriglyceridaemia (HTG). HTG is a known risk factor for coronary atherosclerotic heart disease(CHD)and type II diabetes mellitus (non-insulin-dependent diabetes, NIDDM). The aim of this study is to investigate the association between the APOC3 gene Sst I polymorphism and the hypertriglyceridaemia in CHD and NIDDM in Chinese population. The genotype and allele frequencies of APOC3 Sst I polymorphism (S1/S2) were analyzed by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism in 267 CHD patients, 246 NIDDM patients and 491 unrelated healthy control individuals. The frequencies of minor allele 52 in CHD group, NIDDM group and control group were 0.301, 0.307 and 0.286, respectively. Compared with controls, there was no significant difference in distribution of genotype and allele frequencies of Sst I polymorphic site in CHD patients and NIDDM patients, respectively. However, the frequency of S1 S2 genotype in the HTG subgroup was significantly higher than that of the normal triglyceridaemia subgroup (NTG) in CHD patients (0.542 > 0.357, chi2 = 8.77, P = 0.0124). In NIDDM patients, the frequency of S2 S2 genotype in the HTG subgroup was significantly high, compared with that in the NTG subgroup (0.200 > 0.055, chi2 = 20.21, P = 0.0000), and there was significantly difference in the distribution of allele frequencies in subgroups of NTG and HTG (chi2 = 19.86, P = 0.0000). The level of triglyceride (TG) in S1 S2 genotype patients of CHD group were higher than that of S1 S1 genotype patients (P = 0.036). In NIDDM and controls groups, S2 S2 genotype individuals exhibited a significant increase in plasma TG concentrations, respectively compared with S1 S1 and S1 S2 genotype individuals of each group (P < 0.01). The minor allele S2, which was associated with both CHD with HTG and NIDDM with HTG and may contribute to the susceptibility of hypertriglyceridemia in CHD and NIDDM patients, may be one of the genetic predispositions to both CHD with HTG and NIDDM with HTG in Chinese population.

Aged↗

PubMed2005

[Effects of CD147 on the production of matrix metalloproteinase-9 by fibroblasts and the invasion of melanoma cells].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate a possible role of CD147 in the production of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) by fibroblasts and the invasion of melanoma cells. METHODS: We cocultured CD147-expression melanoma cells with fibroblasts and examined the MMP-9 expression of fibroblasts by zymography and the invasion of melanoma cells by transwell invasion assay. RESULTS: MMP-9 expression was enhanced in conditioned media, while cocultured with melanoma cells in a dose-dependent manner, and CD147 antibody inhibited the production of MMP-9 in the fibroblasts. When fibroblasts were cultured at the bottom of the lower compartment of transwell invasion model, the number of melanoma cells that invaded significantly increased. Addition of anti-CD147 antibody to the upper compartment transwell invasion model resulted in the significant inhibition of the melanoma cell invasion in reconstituted basement membrane. CONCLUSION: CD147 expressed in melanoma cells plays an important role in the melanoma cell invasion by stimulating the production of MMP-9 by fibroblasts.

Basigin↗

PubMed2005

[Identification of genomic differences in avian pathogenic Escherichia coli using suppression subtractive hybridization analysis].

To identify unique DNA fragments associated with avian pathogenic Escherichia coli strains, suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) was used. The genome of nonpathogenic E. coli K-12 strain MG1655 was subtracted from the genome of avian highly pathogenic strain E037 (serotype O78) resulting in the identification of 17 specific fragments. And the genome of avian low pathogenic E. coli strain E526 (serotype O2) was subtracted from the genome of avian highly pathogenic strain E058 (serotype O2) resulting in the identification of 32 specific fragments. Sequence homology analysis was done and four types of fragments were identified: plasmid sequences, phage sequences, sequences with known function and sequences without any currently known function. And 12 specific fragments that were not found in E. coli K-12 were identified from two avian E. coli strains. The results suggested that there were some genetic differences between the highly pathogenic strains and low pathogenic or nonpathogenic strains.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

[Application of high frequency component in classification of different mental tasks].

Electroencephalogram (EEG) signals of different mental tasks were preprocessed using Independent Component Analysis (ICA). Auto-Regressive (AR) model was used to extract the feature, and Back-Propagation (BP) network as the classifier. When features were extracted from 20-100 Hz high frequency range, the classification accuracy was the same as that taken from the whole frequency range and was more higher than the result of 2-35 Hz normal EEG rhythm. The explanation of this phenomenon is: brain displays different rhythm assimilation during different mental task under the effect of 60 Hz power frequency, so the high frequency components of EEG include more mental modulated information which is useful for improving the classification accuracy. The result presents a new evidence for the brain rhythm assimilation phenomenon and gives a novel feature extraction method for realizing high accuracy real-time BCI based on mental task.

Brain↗

PubMed2004

Prevalence of serogroups and virulence factors of Escherichia coli strains isolated from pigs with postweaning diarrhoea in eastern China.

This study was undertaken to determine the present distribution of serogroups, hemolytic activity and virulence factors among Escherichia coli strains isolated from pigs with postweaning diarrhoea from eight provinces in eastern China. Two hundred and fifteen E. coli isolates were serogrouped with O-antisera, investigated for hemolytic activity, assessed for F4, F5, F6, F18 and F41 fimbrial antigens by monoclonal antibodies and detected for genes of enterotoxins and shiga-toxin-two-variant (Stx2e) by a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Among these E. coli isolates, 140 were determined to be placed in serogroups, 52 were unable to be serogrouped and the rest 23 auto-agglutinated. These isolates distributed in 45 serogroups and 64.3% (90/140) belonged to 12 O serogroups: O8, O9, O11, O20, O32, O91, O93, O101, O107, O115, O116 and O131. Hemolytic activity was detected in 11.6% (25/215) of all isolates. Several uncommon O serogroups were discovered in this study. Agglutination tests showed that 50.2% (108/215) of these isolates were positive for one or more of the five fimbrial antigens. Seventy-two E. coli strains expressed single fimbria and 36 strains expressed two or more fimbriae. Among these 215 E. coli isolates, strains expressing F18, F4, F6, F6 + F18 or F5 + F41 occurred more frequently. PCR analysis showed that 60.5% (130/215) of the isolates only harboured the gene of estI (STI) while 6.0% (13/215) strains possessed the genes of stx2e, estI and estII and 5.6% (12/215) of strains had the genes of estI/estII. Of all these isolates, 107 (49.8%) were negative for the fimbrial antigens examined. The fimbria-negative isolates usually possessed genetic determinant of estI (78, 72.9%).

Agglutination Tests↗

PubMed2004

Solution structure of BmKK4, the first member of subfamily alpha-KTx 17 of scorpion toxins.

BmKK4 is a 30 amino acid peptide purified from the venom of the Chinese scorpion Buthus martensi Karsch. It has been classified as the first member of scorpion toxin subfamily alpha-KTx 17. The 3D structure of BmKK4 in solution has been determined by 2D NMR spectroscopy. This toxin adopts a common alpha/beta-motif, but shows a distinctive local conformation. The most novel feature is that the regular arrangements of the side chains of the residues involved in the beta-sheet of BmKK4 are distorted by a classic beta-bulge structure, which involves two residues (Asp18 and Arg19) in the first strand opposite a single residue (Tyr26) in the second strand. The bulge produces two main changes in the structure of the antiparallel beta-sheet: (1) It disrupts the normal alteration of the side chain direction; the side chain of Asp18 turns over to form a salt bridge with that of Arg19. (2) It accentuates the twist of the sheet, and alters the direction of the antiparallel beta-sheet. The unusual structural feature of the toxin is attributed to the shorter peptide segment (Leu15-Arg19) between the third and fourth Cys residues and two unique residues (Asp18 and Arg19) at the position preceding the fourth Cys. In addition, the lower affinity of the peptide for the Kv channel is correlated to the structural features: residue Arg19 instead of a Lys residue at the critical position for binding and the salt bridge formed between residues Arg19 and Asp18.

Amino Acid Motifs↗

PubMed2004

Solution structure of BmKK2, a new potassium channel blocker from the venom of chinese scorpion Buthus martensi Karsch.

A natural K+ channel blocker, BmKK2 (a member of scorpion toxin subfamily alpha-KTx 14), which is composed of 31 amino acid residues and purified from the venom of the Chinese scorpion Buthus martensi Karsch, was characterized using whole-cell patch-clamp recording in rat hippocampal neurons. The three dimensional structure of BmKK2 was determined with two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy and molecular modelling techniques. In solution this toxin adopted a common alpha/beta-motif, but showed distinct local conformation in the loop between alpha-helix and beta-sheet in comparison with typical short-chain scorpion toxins (e.g., CTX and NTX). Also, the alpha helix is shorter and the beta-sheet element is smaller (each strand consisted only two residues). The unusual structural feature of BmKK2 was attributed to the shorter loop between the alpha-helix and beta-sheet and the presence of two consecutive Pro residues at position 21 and 22 in the loop. Moreover, two models of BmKK2/hKv1.3 channel and BmKK2/rSK2 channel complexes were simulated with docking calculations. The results demonstrated the existence of a alpha-mode binding between the toxin and the channels. The model of BmKK2/rSK2 channel complex exhibited favorable contacts both in electrostatic and hydrophobic, including a network of five hydrogen bonds and bigger interface containing seven pairs of inter-residue interactions. In contrast, the model of BmKK2/hKv1.3 channel complex, containing only three pairs of inter-residue interactions, exhibited poor contacts and smaller interface. The results well explained its lower activity towards Kv channel, and predicted that it may prefer a type of SK channel with a narrower entryway as its specific receptor.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2004

Association of serum apolipoprotein C III levels and apolipoprotein C III gene Sst I polymorphism with carotid intima-media thickness in Chinese type 2 diabetic patients.

Apolipoprotein C III (apo C III) plays a central role in regulating plasma metabolism of triglyceride-rich lipoprotein (TRL). The G3238C allele (Sst I) in the 3'-untranslated region has been found to be associated with raised apo C III levels and hypertriglyceridemia (HTG). Some studies suggest that apo C III and the S(2) allele of apo C III gene are independent risk factors for atherosclerotic diseases. To study the potential association between these factors we analyzed the clinical data and their correlations with serum apo C III levels, apo C III gene Sst I polymorphism, and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in 78 unrelated Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes. Apo C III gene Sst I polymorphism was examined using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). Carotid IMT was measured by color doppler ultrasound examination. Serum apo C III levels were found to be positively associated with plasma TG ( r = 0.527, P < 0.001), TC (r = 0.424, P < 0.001), LDL-C (r = 0.308, P < 0.01) concentrations, and carotid IMT (r =0.359, P < 0.01 ). Multivariate analysis (backward) showed that diastolic blood pressure, apo C III, and fasting insulin levels were independent risk factors of carotid IMT. However, the results did not show the association between S(2) allele and carotid IMT in our diabetic patients. Thus, our study suggested that apo C III is an independent risk factor for atherosclerotic diseases in Chinese type 2 diabetes.

Apolipoprotein C-III↗