Molecular Epidemiology and Bioinformatics

The core currently consists of following investigators: Xiaobin Wang, MD, MPH, ScD, Ruchi Gupta, MD, MPH, Binyan Wang, MD, PhD, Hui-Ju Tsai, MPH, PhD, Xin Liu, MD, PhD, Lester Arguelles, PhD, Xiumei Hong, MD, PhD, Guoying Wang, MD, PhD, Rong Liu, MD, PhD, Nataliya Kuptsova-Clarkson, MD, PhD. Molecular Epidemiology and Bioinformatics core is designed to bridge epidemiological, clinical, and bench research through interdisciplinary collaborations and application of advanced methods in molecular biology, population genetics, bioinformatics, and biotechnology. Its research focus is to elucidate the role of environmental/community factors, genetic and epigenetic factors, and gene-environment interactions in the development of complex human diseases, especially those diseases with prenatal and early life origins. Ongoing funded studies focus on adverse reproductive outcomes, food allergy and related conditions, and obesity and metabolic syndrome. These studies are supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and foundations, including the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation and the Food Allergy Initiative. This core has also trained and supported a growing number of K awardees and postdoctoral fellows.

    Wang X, Demirtas H, Xu X. Homocysteine, B Vitamins, and cardiovascular disease. New England Journal of Medicine 2006; 355 (2) 207-209. 

    Wang L, Wang X, Laird N, Zuckerman B, Stubblefield P, Xu X. Polymorphism in maternal LRP8 gene is associated with fetal growth. American Journal of Human Genetics 2006; 78( 5): 770-7. 

    Kumar* R, Wang* B, Wang* X, Chen C, Yang J, Fu L, Xu X. Bronchodilator responses in Chinese children from asthma index families and the general population. Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology 2006; 117 (6) 1257-1263. *these authors made equal contributions. 

    Wang X, Qin X, Demirtas H, Li J, Mao G, Huo Y, Sun N, Liu L, Xu X. Efficacy of folic acid supplementation in stroke prevention: A meta-analysis. Lancet 2007; 369: 1876-1882. 

    Wang H, Story RE, Venners SA, Wang B, Yang J, Li Z, Wang L, Liu X, Tang, G, Xing H, Wang X. Patterns and interrelationships of body fat measures among rural Chinese children aged 6-18 years. Pediatrics; 2007 Jul;120(1):e94-e101. 

    Tsai H, Liu X, Mestan K, Yu Y, Zhang S, Pearson C, Ortiz K, Zuckerman B, Bauchner H, Cerda S, Stubblefield P, Xu X, Wang X. Maternal cigarette smoking, metabolic gene polymorphisms, and preterm delivery: New insights on GxE interactions and pathogenic pathways. Human Genetics 2008;123:359-69. PMCID: PMC Journal In Process 

    Kumar R, Yu Y, Story RF, Pongracic JA, Gupta R, Pearson C, Ortiz K, Bauchner H, Wang X. Prematurity, chorioamnionitis and the development of recurrent wheezing: A prospective birth cohort study. Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology 2008;121(4):878-884. PMCID: PMC Journal In Process 

    Kim JS, Ouyang F, Pongracic JA, Fang Y, Wang B, Liu X, Xing H, Caruso D, Liu X, Zhang S, Xu X, Wang X. Dissociation between the prevalence of atopy and allergic disease in rural China among children and adults. Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology 2008;122:929-935, e4. PMCID: PMC2747487 

    Hong X, Tsai H, Liu X, Li Z, Liu X, Tang G, Xing H, Yang J, Wang B, Feng Y, Xu Xin, Xu Xiping, Wang X. A Large-scale genome-wide linkage analysis to map loci linked to stature in Chinese population. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 2008 Nov;93(11):4511-8. Aug 26. PMC2582574 

    Hong X, Zhou H, Tsai HJ, Wang X, Liu X, Wang B, Xu X, Xu X. Cysteinyl Leukotriene Receptor 1 Gene Variation and Risk of Asthma. Eur Respir J. 2009 Jan;33(1):42-8. Oct 1. PMCID: PMC Journal In Process 

    Arguelles LM, Langman CB, Ariza AJ, Ali FN, Dilley K, Price H, Liu X, Zhang S, Hong X, Wang B, Xing H, Li Z, Liu X, Zhang W, Xu X, Wang X. Heritability and environmental factors affecting vitamin D status in rural Chinese adolescent Twins. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 2009;(94)9:3273-81. PMCID: PMC2741721 

    Zhang S, Liu X, Yu Y, Hong X, Christoffel KK, Wang B, Tsai HJ, Li Z, Liu X, Tang G, Xing H, Brickman WJ, Zimmerman D, Xu X, Wang X. Genetic and Environmental Contributions to Phenotypic Components of Metabolic Syndrome: A Population-based Twin Study. Obesity. 2009 Apr 30. PMCID: PMC Journal In Process 

    Zhang S, Liu X, Brickman WJ, Christoffel KK, Zimmerman D, Tsai HJ, Wang G, Wang B, Li Z, Tang G, Liu X, Yang J, Xu X, Wang X. Association of plasma leptin concentrations with adiposity measurements in rural Chinese adolescents. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 2009; (94)9:3497-504. PMCID: PMC2741718 

    Tsai HJ, Kumar R, Pongracic J, Liu X, Story R, Yu Y, Deanna C, Costello J, Schroeder A, Fang Y, O'Gorman M, Wang X. Familial aggregation of food allergy and sensitization to food allergens: A family-based study. Clinical and Experimental Allergy. 2009 Jan;39(1):101-9. PMCID: PMC2729087 

    Gupta RS, Kim JS, Springston EE, Pongracic JA, Wang X, Holl J. Development of the Chicago Food Allergy Research Surveys: Assessing Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs of Parents, Physicians and the General Public. BMC Health Services Research 2009 Aug 7;9:142. PMCID: PMC2736935 

    Ouyang F, Kumar R, Pongracic J, Story RE, Liu X, Wang B, Xing H, Liu X, Li Z, Zhang W, Fang Y, Zhang S, Xu X, Wang X. Adiposity, serum lipid levels, and allergic sensitization in Chinese men and women. Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology 2009 Jan 7. PMCID: PMC2697621 [Available on 2010/04/01] 

    Schroeder A, Kumar R, Pongracic JA, Sullivan CL, Caruso DM, Costello J, Meyer KE, Vucic Y, Gupta R, Kim JS, Fuleihan R, Wang X. Food allergy is associated with an increased risk of asthma. Clinical and Experimental Allergy 2009; 39:261-270. PMCID: PMC Journal In Process 

    Gupta RS, Kim JS, Springston EE, Smith B, Pongracic JA, Wang X, Holl J. Food allergy knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs in the United States. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2009 Jul;103(1):43-50. 

    Liu X, Zhang SC, Tsai HJ, Hong XM, Wang BY, Fang YP, Liu X, Pongracic J, Wang X. Genetic and environmental contributions to allergen sensitization in a Chinese Twin Study. Clinical and Experimental Allergy 2009 Jul;39(7):991-8. PMCID: PMC2756049 

    Kumar R, Ouyang F, Story RF, Pongracic JA, Hong X, Wang G, Pearson C, Ortiz K, Bauchner H, Wang X. Gestational diabetes, atopic dermatitis and allergen sensitization in early childhood. Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology 2009 Sep 4. PMCID: PMC Journal In Process 

    Matoba N, Yu Y, Mestan K, Pearson C, Ortiz K, Porta N, Zuckerman B, Wang X. The Differential patterns of 27 cord blood immune biomarkers across gestational age. Pediatrics 2009 May;123 (5): 1320-8. PMCID: PMC Journal In Process 

    Yu Y, Tsai H, Liu X, Zhang S, Pearson C, Ortiz K, Zuckerman B, Bauchner H, Xu X, Wang X. The joint association between F5 gene polymorphisms and maternal smoking during pregnancy on preterm delivery. Human Genetics 2009 Jan;124(6):659-68. PMCID: PMC Journal-In Process 

    Mestan K, Yu Y, Thorsen P, Skogstrand K, Matoba N, Liu X, Kumar R, Hougaard DM, Bauchner H, Wang X. Cord blood biomarkers of the fetal inflammatory response. Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine 2009 May;22(5):379-87. PMCID: PMC Journal In Process 

    Tsai HJ, Yu Y, Zhang S, Pearson C, Ortiz K, Xu X, Bauchner H, Zuckerman B, Wang X. Association of genetic ancestry with preterm delivery and related traits among African American mothers. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2009 May 14. PMCID: PMC Journal-In Process 

    Hong X, Tsai HJ, Wang X. Genetics of Food Allergy. Current Opinion in Pediatrics 2009; 21(6):770-776. PMCID: PMC Journal In Process 

    Yu Y, Wang B, Brickman W, Zimmerman D, Li Z, Wang L, Liu X, Tang G, Xing H, Xu X, Wang X. Association of central adiposity with pre-diabetes and decreased insulin sensitivity in rural Chinese normal and overweight women. Metabolism (in press) 

    Mestan K, Yu Y, Matoba N, Cerda S, Demmin B, Pearson C, Ortiz K, Wang X. Placental inflammatory response is associated with poor neonatal growth: A preterm birth cohort study. Pediatrics (in press). 

    Hong X, Arguelles LM, Liu X, Tsai H, Hsu Y, Wang B, Zhang S, Li Z, Tang G, Liu X, Yang J, Xu X, Langman C, Wang X. Percent fat mass is inversely associated with bone mass and hip geometry in Rural Chinese Adolescents. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research 2010; Jan 29. 

    Hong X, Arguelles LM, Liu X, Tsai H, Hsu Y, Wang B, Zhang S, Li Z, Tang G, Liu X, Yang J, Wang L, Xu X, Langman C, Wang X. Plasma adipokines, bone mass, and hip geometry in rural Chinese adolescents. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 2010; Feb 10. PMCID: PMC Journal In Process. 

    Ouyang F, Christoffel KK, Brickman WJ, Zimmerman D, Wang B, Xing H, Zhang S, Arguelles, Wang G, Liu R, Xu X, Wang X. Adiposity is inversely related to insulin sensitivity in relatively lean Chinese adolescents: A population based twin study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2010; Mar;91(3):662-71. Epub 2010 Jan 27. PMCID: PMC Journal In Process.

Uncovering the Mystery of Food Allergies

Thirty years ago, food allergy was extremely rare. Today, 4.3 million children in the U.S. suffer from this life-threatening condition. This startling increase is prompting the development of a multi-site food allergy study led by Drs. Xiaobin Wang and Jackie Pongracic at Children's MemorialHospital...

Read More — Link to the  Children's Memorial Food Allergy Study