title: Evaluation of high sensitive C-reactive protein and 5-10 methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase genotype in japanese young adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To carry out a preliminary evaluation of subclinical inflammation and its genetic background in young adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-five healthy Japanese young adults aged 19-27 years (37 males and 18 females, mean age: 22.3 years), and 58 healthy Japanese adults aged 40 to 60 years (21 males and 37 females, mean age: 51.5 years) were included in this study.
  
  
  METHODS
  We measured plasma high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels and screened for the C677T polymorphism of the 5-10 methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene (MTHFR), which is considered a genetic risk factor for atherosclerosis, by HinfI digestion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hs-CRP levels of the young adult group were significantly lower than the levels of the middle aged group (0.014 +/- 0.030 mg/dl vs. 0.031 +/- 0.040 mg/dl, p = 0.005). The levels were significantly higher in males than in females (0.028 +/- 0.019 mg/dl vs. 0.013 +/- 0.010 mg/dl, p = 0.008) among young adults. Furthermore, we evaluated the relationship of the C677T genotype and hs-CRP values, but found no association between them.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the sample size is limited, our preliminary study demonstrated the profiles of hs-CRP in Japanese young adults. Further investigation will be needed to establish the guidelines for customized school health education using sensitive laboratory and genetic markers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Noboru
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takamura
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fukunaga
authors.forename: Mitsuo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kanagae
authors.forename: Yasuyo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: Kiyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Aoyagi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000235:genetics; D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2) / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2)