Young Adult Japanese Women Research Articles

Association Between TSLP Polymorphisms and Eczema in Japanese Women: the Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study.

We examined the association between thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and eczema in young adult Japanese women. Cases were 188 women who met the criteria of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) for eczema. Controls were 565 women without eczema according to the ISAAC criteria, who had not been diagnosed with asthma, atopic eczema, and/or allergic rhinitis by a doctor and who had no asthma as defined by the European Community Respiratory Health Survey criteria and no rhinoconjunctivitis according to the ISAAC criteria. Compared with women with the TT genotype of SNP rs1837253, those with the TC or CC genotype had a significantly increased risk of eczema after adjustment for age and smoking, although this association was not significant in crude analysis. There were no relationships between SNP rs3806933 or rs2289276 and eczema. The TC and CC genotypes combined of SNP rs1837253 may be significantly positively associated with eczema.

IL5RA polymorphisms, smoking and eczema in Japanese women: the Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study.

The present case-control study examined the relationship between IL5RA SNPs and eczema in young adult Japanese women. Cases and control subjects were selected from pregnant women who participated in the baseline survey of the Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study, which is an ongoing prebirth cohort study. Cases comprised 188 women with eczema in the previous 12 months as defined according to the criteria of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC), regardless of the presence of a doctor's diagnosis of atopic eczema. Control subjects comprised 1130 women without eczema as defined according to the ISAAC criteria who also had not been diagnosed with atopic eczema by a doctor. Compared with the AA genotype of IL5RA SNP rs17881144, the AT genotype, but not the TT genotype, was significantly associated with a decreased risk of eczema. The ATTAGA haplotype and the GTAGCA haplotype of rs17882210, rs3804797, rs334809, rs9831572, rs6771148 and rs17881144 were significantly associated with an increased risk of eczema. In contrast, the GCTGCA haplotype was significantly related to a decreased risk of eczema. Multiplicative interactions between IL5RA SNPs rs334809 and rs17881144 and smoking with respect to eczema were marginally significant (P = 0.07 and 0.07, respectively). This is the first study to show significant associations between IL5RA SNP rs17881144, the ATTAGA haplotype, the GTAGCA haplotype, and the GCTGCA haplotype and eczema. Smoking may modify the relationships between SNPs rs334809 and rs17881144 and eczema.

IL3 rs40401 Polymorphism and Interaction with Smoking in Risk of Asthma in Japanese Women: The Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study

Three previous genetic association studies conducted in Korea and China investigated the relationship between IL3 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs40401 and asthma, but their results were inconsistent. We examined this relationship and the possibility of an interaction between IL3 SNP rs40401 and smoking in young adult Japanese women. Included were 89 women who met the criteria of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS) for asthma. Control subjects were 700 women without asthma according to the ECRHS criteria who had not been diagnosed with asthma and/or allergic rhinitis by a doctor and/or who had not met the criteria of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood for rhinoconjunctivitis. A significant positive association was found between SNP rs40401 and the risk of asthma, with the TT genotype as the reference under the additive model: the adjusted odds ratio was 1.39 (95% CI: 1.004-1.93). The positive association was not statistically significant in any other genetic model. Compared with subjects with the TT or TC genotype of SNP rs40401 who had never smoked, those with the CC genotype who had ever smoked had a significantly increased risk of asthma: the adjusted OR was 2.67 (95% CI: 1.23-5.79); the additive interaction, but not the multiplicative interaction, was significant. This study suggests that IL3 SNP rs40401 is significantly associated with the risk of asthma in young adult Japanese women and reveals that the combination of ever smoking and having the CC genotype of IL3 SNP rs40401 is significantly positively associated with asthma.

Association between 17q12-21 variants and asthma in Japanese women: rs11650680 polymorphism as potential genetic marker for asthma.

Epidemiological evidence on the relationship between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs7216389 and rs11650680 on chromosome 17q12-21 and asthma is inconsistent. We examined this issue in young adult Japanese women. Case subjects were 202 women who had been diagnosed with asthma by a doctor, while 1290 women without doctor-diagnosed asthma served as control subjects. Adjustments were made for age and the presence of older siblings. There were no significant associations between SNP rs7216389 and asthma. Compared with the CC genotype of SNP rs11650680, the CT genotype, but not the TT genotype, was significantly inversely associated with asthma: the adjusted odds ratio for the CT genotype was 0.67 (95% confidence interval: 0.46-0.96). This inverse relationship was significant in women with late-onset asthma, but not in those with early-onset asthma. Under the dominant model, a significant inverse association was found between rs11650680 and asthma in women without older siblings, but not in those with older siblings; the interaction, however, was not significant. This is the first study to show that the CT genotype of SNP rs11650680 was significantly inversely associated with asthma, especially adult-onset asthma. We could not find evidence for interactions between rs11650680 and older siblings affecting asthma.

Case-control study of rhinoconjunctivitis associated with IL5RA polymorphisms in Japanese women: The Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study

BackgroundEpidemiological research on the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the IL5RA gene and allergic disorders is limited. We examined the relationship between IL5RA SNPs and risk of rhinoconjunctivitis in young adult Japanese women. MethodsIncluded were 393 women who met the criteria of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) for rhinoconjunctivitis. Controls were 767 women without rhinoconjunctivitis according to the ISAAC criteria who had not been diagnosed with allergic rhinitis by a doctor. Adjustment was made for age, region of residence, presence of older siblings, smoking, and education. ResultsCompared with the CC genotype of SNP rs6771148, the CG genotype, but not the GG genotype, was significantly associated with a reduced risk of rhinoconjunctivitis: the adjusted OR for the CG genotype was 0.76 (95% CI: 0.58–0.99). No evident associations were found between SNPs rs17882210, rs3804797, rs334809, rs9831572, or rs17881144 and rhinoconjunctivitis. The ACTAGA haplotype of rs17882210, rs3804797, rs334809, rs9831572, rs6771148, and rs17881144 was significantly inversely associated with rhinoconjunctivitis (crude OR=0.58, 95% CI: 0.37–0.88) while the GTAGCA haplotype was significantly positively related to rhinoconjunctivitis (crude OR=1.74, 95% CI: 1.14–2.65). No significant interactions affecting rhinoconjunctivitis were observed between any of the six SNPs and smoking. ConclusionThis is the first study to show significant associations between IL5RA SNP rs6771148, the ACTAGA haplotype, and the GTAGCA haplotype and the risk of rhinoconjunctivitis. We did not find evidence for interactions affecting rhinoconjunctivitis between any of the IL5RA SNPs and smoking.

IL3 SNP rs40401 variant is a risk factor for rhinoconjunctivitis in Japanese women: The Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study

BackgroundNo studies have investigated the relationship between IL3 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs40401 and allergic rhinitis. We performed a case-control study to examine this issue and to assess interactions between the SNP and smoking or older siblings in young adult Japanese women. MethodsIncluded were 393 women who met the criteria of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) for rhinoconjunctivitis. Controls were 767 women without rhinoconjunctivitis according to the ISAAC criteria who had not been diagnosed with allergic rhinitis by a doctor. ResultsCompared with women with the TT genotype of SNP rs40401, those with the CC genotype had a significantly increased risk of rhinoconjunctivitis: the adjusted OR was 1.52 (95% CI: 1.05-2.19). This positive relationship was significant under the additive model: the adjusted OR was 1.23 (95% CI: 1.02-1.47). The positive association fell just short of the significance level under the dominant or recessive model. There was no significant interaction between SNP rs40401 and smoking with respect to rhinoconjunctivitis. Compared with subjects with the TT or TC genotype of IL3 SNP rs40401 who had one or more older siblings, those with the CC genotype who had no older siblings had a 2.33-fold increased risk of rhinoconjunctivitis; nevertheless, the interaction was not significant. ConclusionThis is the first study to show a significant positive association between IL3 SNP rs40401 variant and the risk of rhinoconjunctivitis. We could not find evidence for interactions between SNP rs40401 and smoking or older siblings affecting rhinoconjunctivitis.

Case–Control Study of Eczema in Relation to IL4Rα Genetic Polymorphisms in Japanese Women: The Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study

Epidemiological research on the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the IL4Rα gene and eczema is sparse. We investigated the associations between IL4Rα SNPs rs1805011, rs1805015 and rs1801275 and risk of eczema in young adult Japanese women. Included were 188 women who met the criteria of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) for eczema. Controls were 635 women without eczema according to the ISAAC criteria who also had not been diagnosed with asthma, atopic eczema and/or allergic rhinitis by a doctor. Adjustment was made for age, region of residence, number of children, smoking and education. Under the additive model, SNP rs1805011 was significantly related to eczema: the adjusted OR was 0.55 (95% CI: 0.31-0.99). SNP rs1805015 was significantly associated with eczema in the additive and dominant models: the adjusted ORs were 0.55 (95% CI: 0.30-0.98) and 0.55 (95% CI: 0.30-0.997), respectively. There was no significant association between SNP rs1801275 and eczema. None of the haplotypes were significantly related to eczema. Significant associations between SNPs rs1805011 and rs1805015 and eczema were reported in women who had never smoked, but not in those who had ever smoked; the multiplicative interactions, however, were not significant. This is the first study to demonstrate significant associations between IL4Rα SNPs rs1805011 and rs1805015 and eczema. We do not find evidence for interactions affecting eczema between IL4Rα SNPs and smoking.

Polymorphisms in the IL4 gene, smoking, and rhinoconjunctivitis in Japanese women: The Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study

Epidemiological evidence on the relationship between IL4 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and allergic rhinitis is limited. We conducted a case-control study to investigate this issue in young adult Japanese women. Included were 393 women who met the criteria of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) for rhinoconjunctivitis. Controls were 703 women without rhinoconjunctivitis based on the ISAAC criteria who had not been diagnosed with allergic rhinitis and/or asthma by a doctor. Compared with the TT genotype of IL4 SNP rs2227284, the GG genotype, occurring in 10.2% of control subjects, was significantly inversely associated with the risk of rhinoconjunctivitis: the adjusted OR was 0.60 (95% CI: 0.37-0.98). There were no significant relationships between SNP rs2243250, rs2070874, or rs2243290 and rhinoconjunctivitis. None of the haplotypes were significantly related to rhinoconjunctivitis. A significant inverse relationship between the combination of the TG and GG genotypes of SNP rs2227284 and rhinoconjunctivitis was observed in women who had never smoked, but not in those who had ever smoked (P for interaction=0.11). This is the first study to demonstrate a significant relationship between IL4 SNP rs2227284 and rhinoconjunctivitis. Smoking may modify the relationship between SNP rs2227284 and rhinoconjunctivitis.

ADAM33 polymorphisms, smoking and asthma in Japanese women: the Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study

Multiple A disintegrin and metalloprotease 33 (ADAM33) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been shown to be associated with asthma, but results have been inconsistent. To examine the association between ADAM33 SNPs rs2787094, rs628977, rs2280089, rs2280090, rs2280091, rs2853209, rs528557 and rs612709 and asthma in young adult Japanese women, and to perform haplotype analyses and assess interactions between SNPs and smoking. A total of 89 cases who met the criteria of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS) for asthma were included in the study. Control subjects were 1281 women without asthma, as per ECRHS criteria, who had not been diagnosed with asthma by a doctor. Adjustment was made for age, region of residence, presence of older siblings, smoking and education. Under a co-dominant model, the AA genotype of the rs612709 SNP was significantly positively associated with asthma compared with the GG genotype: the adjusted OR was 4.27 (95%CI 1.49-12.25). A significant positive relationship was found between the CCGGAAGA haplotype and asthma. Interactions between SNPs rs628977 and rs528557 and smoking were marginally significant (P = 0.09 and 0.095, respectively). ADAM33 SNP rs612709 and the CCGGAAGA haplotype may be associated with asthma. Smoking may modify the associations between SNPs rs628977 and rs528557 and asthma.

Dietary meat and fat intake and prevalence of rhinoconjunctivitis in pregnant Japanese women: baseline data from the Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study

BackgroundDietary fat exerts numerous complex effects on proinflammatory and immunologic pathways. Several epidemiological studies have examined the relationships between intake of fatty acids and/or foods high in fat and allergic rhinitis, but have provided conflicting findings. The current cross-sectional study investigated such relationships in Japan.MethodsStudy subjects were 1745 pregnant women. The definition of rhinoconjunctivitis was based on criteria from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood. Information on dietary factors was collected using a validated self-administered diet history questionnaire. Adjustment was made for age; gestation; region of residence; number of older siblings; number of children; smoking; secondhand smoke exposure at home and at work; family history of asthma, atopic eczema, and allergic rhinitis; household income; education; and body mass index.ResultsThe prevalence of rhinoconjunctivitis in the past 12 months was 25.9%. Higher meat intake was significantly associated with an increased prevalence of rhinoconjunctivitis: the adjusted odds ratio between extreme quartiles was 1.71 (95% confidence interval: 1.25-2.35, P for trend = 0.002). No measurable association was found between fish intake and rhinoconjunctivitis. Intake of total fat, saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, α-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, linoleic acid, arachidonic acid, and cholesterol and the ratio of n-3 to n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid intake were not evidently related to the prevalence of rhinoconjunctivitis.ConclusionsThe current results suggest that meat intake may be positively associated with the prevalence of rhinoconjunctivitis in young adult Japanese women.

ADAM33 genetic polymorphisms, smoking, and rhinoconjunctivitis in Japanese women: the Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study

Two previous studies have demonstrated a significant relationship between ADAM33 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and allergic rhinitis. Here, we investigated this issue in young adult Japanese women. The study included 393 women who met the criteria of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) for rhinoconjunctivitis. Controls included 767 women without rhinoconjunctivitis according to the ISAAC criteria who had not been diagnosed with allergic rhinitis by a doctor. The GC genotype of rs2787094, the CT genotype of rs628977, and the haplotype containing the rs2787094 C allele, the rs628977 T allele, the rs2853209 T allele, and the rs612709 G allele were significantly inversely associated with rhinoconjunctivitis. The AA genotype of rs2853209, the GA genotype of rs612709, and the haplotype carrying the rs2787094 G allele, the rs628977 C allele, the rs2853209 A allele, and the rs612709 G allele were significantly positively associated with rhinoconjunctivitis. A significant inverse relationship between rs628977 and rhinoconjunctivitis was demonstrated only in women who had never smoked, indicating a significant interaction between rs628977 and smoking. Our results suggest that SNPs and haplotypes in the ADAM33 gene are associated with rhinoconjunctivitis. This study is the first to demonstrate an interaction between rs628977 and smoking that affects rhinoconjunctivitis.

Dairy food, calcium and vitamin D intake and prevalence of allergic disorders in pregnant Japanese women

Epidemiological evidence for the associations between intake of dairy products, calcium and vitamin D and allergic disorders has been inconsistent. To examine such associations in Japan. This cross-sectional study enrolled 1745 pregnant women. The definitions of wheeze and asthma were based on European Community Respiratory Health Survey criteria, whereas those of eczema and rhinoconjunctivitis were based on International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood criteria. Information on dietary factors was collected using a validated self-administered diet history questionnaire. Intake of total dairy products, milk, yoghurt, cheese and calcium was not related to the prevalence of wheeze, asthma, eczema or rhinoconjunctivitis. After adjustment for potential confounders, vitamin D intake was found to be independently positively associated with the prevalence of asthma: the adjusted ORs for asthma in the first, second, third and fourth quartiles were respectively 1.00 (reference), 1.26 (95%CI 0.65-2.50), 2.08 (95%CI 1.13-3.94), and 1.82 (95%CI 0.97-3.51, P for trend = 0.03). There were no relationships between vitamin D consumption and the prevalence of wheeze, eczema or rhinoconjunctivitis. These findings suggest that vitamin D intake may be positively related to the prevalence of asthma in young adult Japanese women.

Low serum concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in young adult Japanese women: a cross sectional study

OBJECTIVES: The vitamin D nutrition status of young adult women is unclear, but a recent preliminary report suggested that they may have vitamin D insufficiency. This study assessed the serum concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D), an index of vitamin D nutrition status, in young adult Japanese women in comparison with those in older women and investigated whether serum 25(OH)D concentrations are associated with other calcium-related hormones and bone mass. METHODS: A cross sectional study of 77 healthy women, age 19 to 66 y, working in nursing homes in Japan was conducted in the winter of 1999 and 2000. The investigation included blood tests, forearm bone mass measurements, and a lifestyle questionnaire. RESULTS: The mean serum 25(OH)D concentration in women younger than 30 y was 34.0 nmol/L (standard deviation [SD] = 11.0) and significantly lower than that in women 30 y and older (50.0 nmol/L, SD = 14.4). The proportion of subjects younger than 30 y who had serum 25(OH)D concentrations less than 30 nmol/L was 42.1% and was significantly higher ( P < 0.001) than the proportion of those 30 y and older (10.3%). There was a weak but significant linear association between serum 25(OH)D concentrations and forearm bone mineral content ( R 2 = 0.114, P = 0.0052) but not between serum 25(OH)D concentrations and bone mineral density. The association held after adjusting for body weight ( R 2 = 0.139, P = 0.0111). Serum intact parathyroid hormone concentrations were within the normal range and not associated with serum 25(OH)D concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: Serum 25(OH)D concentrations in young adult Japanese women (<30 y old) are lower than those of older adult women (30 to 66 y), and lower serum 25(OH)D concentrations are likely associated with lower forearm bone mineral content.

Risk of irregular menstrual cycles and low peak bone mass during early adulthood associated with age at menarche

The risk of irregular menstrual cycles and low peak bone mass of the lumbar spine in young adult women, associated with age at menarche, has not been clearly defined. The aim of this study was to investigate this further. A total of 180 college females aged 20-23 years were surveyed about menstruation, exercise, and calcium intake by means of a questionnaire. We also measured vertebral bone mineral density in these women by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. The subjects were divided into six groups according to their age at menarche. Comparisons were made of the mean body mass index (BMI) and T-scores (the ratio to the mean bone mineral density of young adult Japanese women) among those groups, and odds ratios of irregular menstrual cycles and low peak bone mass less than 87% (- 1 standard deviation (SD) of T-scores were calculated using the mean menarcheal age (12 years) group as a control. The mean BMI and T-scores were significantly lower in delayed menarche groups (equal to or more than 13 years) compared with early menarche groups (equal to or less than 12 years). The odds ratios of irregular menstrual cycles were 5.9 (95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.7-20.6), 13.7 (95% CI 3.6-51.6), and 73 (95% CI 6.5-813.9) in the 13-, 14-, and more than 14 years menarcheal age groups, respectively. The odds ratio of low peak bone mass less than 87% (- 1SD) was 3.4 (95% CI 1.1-10.3) in the 14 years menarcheal age group. Young adult women with delayed menarche may be at high risk for irregular menstrual cycles and low peak bone mass.

Associations between anthropometric indices of adiposity and atherogenic risk factors in Japanese working women aged 21-40 years.

This study was conducted to explore whether anthropometric indices of obesity are associated with atherogenic risk factors in young adult working women in Japan. The subjects were 492 women in an occupational setting. Predictor variables were body mass index (BMI), the sum of triceps and subscapular skinfold thickness (SFT), and the waist to hip ratio (WHR). Outcome variables were serum total cholesterol, triglyceride and blood pressures. The average age of the subjects was 26.3 (SD 3.9) years. The upper quartiles of BMI and SFT were significantly associated with all atherogenic risk factors, while the upper quartiles of WHR were not. Multiple comparisons revealed the 4th quartiles of BMI (> 22.25) and SFT (> 39 mm) to have significantly higher values for all atherogenic risk factors. We found that BMI and skinfold thickness were more relevant to the prediction of atherogenic risk factors than WHR in young adult Japanese women.

Fetishized Blackness: Hip Hop and Racial Desire in Contemporary Japan

Flipping television channels late one insomniac night in Tokyo in the winter of 1990, I happened upon a Japanese dancing duo performing with darkened faces, singing, outfitted in the trendiest costumes: baseball caps with brims turned to the back, expensive sneakers, and baggy trousers. That same year, a friend who was visiting Japan entered a dance hall which to his surprise appeared to be peopled almost exclusively by youths. Upon closer scrutiny he realized that the young men were Asian: Japanese with darkened faces, some with dreadlocks and some with fades, performing hip hop dance steps and breaking to rap music. The encounter of teenage and young adult Japanese men and women with rap music, hip hop style, and signs of blackness is a multifaceted reconfiguration of these variant signs, bound to global commodity exchange, Japanese racialism, and Japanese national identity. The contemporary pop-culture Japanese rendering of hip hop and rap consists of a fascination with the aural and visual styles (the sounds, movements, body language, and outfits) and an African American symbolic presence signaled by fetishizing skin and hairstyles. This disposition of hip hop requires as its foundation a separation of hip hop and rap from the specifics of American racialism, and a reconstruction bounded by Japanese racialism. The phenomenon of nonblack youth dressing themselves in black style is not unique to Japan. In the United States, white teenagers have also adopted the clothing, mannerisms, hairdos, vernacular, and other markers of hip hop style. In Japan, special salons advertise their expertise in dread-hair (doreddo hea), a process which may cost dearly in time and money; in America, white girls may plait their hair in small braids.' What is strikingly different in Japan is that skin is incorporated as an essential signifier of hip hop style. Japanese youth enamored of hip hop regularly darken their complexions with makeup, especially when they go out dancing. Recent works by John Russell have mapped out a domain of Japanese representations of blacks which he holds to be directly imported from the West. But present-day Japanese black face is usually not determined by the American historical counterpart.2 In the United States, the history of white entertainers in blackface has marked as racist the darkening of the skin in imitation of African Americans. The debacle of Ted Danson at the Nina Cornyetz