Search

IntroductionPatient activation is determined by an individual’s knowledge, skills and confidence in managing his/her health. It is vital for people living with HIV (PLWH) to enhance their self-management skills and health outcomes, especially those from low- and middle-income regions, since they are at higher risk of worse health outcomes. However, literature from those regions is limited, especially in China.ObjectivesThis study aimed to explore the status and factors associated with patient activation among Yi minority PLWH in Liangshan, China and to determine whether patient activation is associated with HIV clinic outcomes.MethodsThis cross-sectional study included 403 Yi minority people living with HIV in Liangshan between September and October 2021. All participants completed an anonymous survey measuring sociodemographic characteristics, HIV-related information, patient activation and illness perception. Multivariate linear regression and multivariate binary logistic regression were used to explore factors associated with patient activation and the association between patient activation and HIV outcomes, respectively.ResultsThe Patient Activation Measure (PAM) score was low (mean = 29.8, standard deviation = 4.1). Participants with negative illness perception, low income, and self-rated antiretroviral therapy (ART) effect based on self-perception were most likely to have a lower PAM score (β = −0.3, −0.2, −0.1, respectively; all p

Bilingual education policy in Liangshan, China, has been implemented since the end of the 1970s using two bilingual school models. This study examines how mainstream and bilingual education are correlated with the Yi population's social attachment to the larger social system, and their cultural attachment to ethnocultural maintenance. The student-reported survey data collected from ten junior high schools in Liangshan were analysed using a multinomial logistic regression model that produced three findings. Firstly, family socioeconomic status is determinant in the Yi minority's school setting choices. Secondly, school settings are significantly associated with Yi students' educational achievements and occupational expectations. Lastly, Yi minority's cultural attachments to their mother tongue has become significantly reduced among those attending Chinese-only schools, yet no significant discrepancy has been noted among students attending schools with two models of bilingual education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Liangshan is one of the areas severely affected by both HIV and poverty in China. We investigated associations between perceptions of social norms related to casual sex and the occurrence of casual sex in lifetime among Yi minority people. Participants were Yi minority people aged 15–49 years old living in Liangshan. Of the participants, 11.8% were confirmed to be HIV-positive. About half of the participants (46.6%) had engaged in casual sex in their lifetime. All six perceptions of social norms were significantly associated with the presence of casual sex in lifetime. They were acceptable of belife: (1) casual sex in general (OR: 15.03), (2) not to use condom during casual sex (OR: 1.58), (3) a Yi woman to have more than one sex partner(OR: 4.54), (4) a Yi man to have more than one sex partner(OR: 4.51), (5) premarital sex with casual sex partner (OR: 4.29), and (6) extra-marital sex with casual sex partner (OR: 3.23). Casual sex may play an important role in facilitating HIV transmission among Yi minority people. Future interventions should consider making use of the Yi clan system to change perceptions of social norms related to casual sex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the correlation between CYP11B2 gene -344C/T polymorphism and essential hypertension in Yi people of Yunnan Shuanghe Township. Methods: We collected peripheral blood of 308 Yi residents of Shuanghe township, Jinning county, Yunnan province, including 132 patients with essential hypertension (EH group) and 176 control group members. The target fragment was amplified by PCR and restriction endonuclease enzymes were used. Identify the genotype, calculate genotype frequency and allele frequency, and perform correlation analysis. Results: The genotype frequency of TT in the EH group/control group was 64.39%/60.23%, CT was 29.55%/32.95%, CC was 6.06%/6.81%, and the allele T frequency was 79.17% /76.70%, the frequency of allele C was 20.83%/23.30%;but there was no significant difference between the two groups (P > 0.05), however, the TT genotype frequency in female patients (70.00%) was higher than that in control group (56.44%) (P < 0.05). In EH group, the genotype frequency TT of male /female patients was 55.77%/70.00%, CT was 32.69%/27.50%, CC was 11.54%/2.50%, and allele T frequency was 72.12%/83.75%. The frequency of allele C was 27.88%/16.25%, and the genotype frequency of TT, CC and allele frequency of the two groups were significantly different (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The distribution of CYP11B2 gene -344C/T polymorphism in Yi people with essential hypertension has gender differences, but it may not be related to essential hypertension in Yi people of Yunnan Shuanghe township. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Prolylcarboxypeptidase (PRCP) is a negative regulator of the pressor actions of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. It is also involved in the kallikrein-kinin system. This gene has an important role in blood pressure (BP) regulation.Methods: A case-control study was performed for 615 Yi participants (303 cases and 312 controls) from a remote mountainous area in Yunnan Province of China. For the PRCP gene, 11 tag single-nucleotide polymorphisms were genotyped using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method.Results: The PRCP gene rs12290550 was associated with the occurrence of essential hypertension (EH) and BP traits. Logistic regression analysis indicated that the rs12290550 T allele was significantly linked to the risk of EH (odds ratio (OR) = 1.85, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.44-2.39, p = 0.2 × 10-5). Under Bonferroni correction, the H7 TAGCACTAACA haplotype containing the risk allele rs12290550 T increased the risk of EH (OR = 4.53, 95% CI 2.29-8.93, p = 0.2×10-5).Conclusions: The findings of this study demonstrate the strong association of the PRCP gene with EH. rs12290550 may be a useful genetic predictor of EH in the Yi minority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Hypertension is a serious risk factor affecting up to 30% of the world's population with a heritability of more than 30-50%. The aim of this study was to investigate the contribution of the polymorphisms localized in the angiotensinogen (AGT) gene, a main component of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, in inducing the susceptibility to essential hypertension (EH) among isolated populations (Yi and Hani minorities) with low prevalence rate from the remote region of Yunnan in China.Methods: A case-control association study was performed, and all subjects were genotyped for the seven single nucleotide polymorphisms localized in the AGT region by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis.Results: Three polymorphisms, i.e. rs5046, rs5049, and rs2478544, were significantly associated with EH among the Hani minority. The associations, found in the Yi minority, did not reach a conclusive level of statistical significance. The polymorphisms of rs2478544 and rs5046 caused the transformations of exonic splicing enhancer sites and transcription factor binding sites, respectively, in the bioinformatic analyses. The haplotype-rs5046T, rs5049A, rs11568020G, rs3789679C, rs2478544C was susceptible for EH among the Hani minority.Conclusion: Our findings suggested that the AGT polymorphisms have played a vital role in determining an individual's susceptibility to EH among the isolated population, which would be helpful for EH management in the remote mountainous region of Yunnan in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) plays an important role in maintaining blood pressure homeostasis and vascular integrity. Recently, a G894T polymorphism in exon 7 of the eNOS gene has been reported to be associated with high blood pressure. We investigated the association between this polymorphism and essential hypertension (EH) in Hani (n = 305 individuals) and Yi (n = 233 individuals) minorities of China. Methods: eNOS genotyping with polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism was performed in 267 normotensive (NT) subjects and 271 EH subjects. Results: The frequencies of eNOS G894T genotypes in NT controls and EH cohort in Hani population were GG: 0.714 vs. 0.581; GT + TT: 0.286 vs. 0.419, respectively. The frequencies of eNOS G894T genotypes in NT controls and EH cohort in Yi population were GG: 0.552 vs. 0.717; GT + TT: 0.448 vs. 0.283, respectively. There was a significant difference in G894T genotype distribution between NTs and hypertensives in both Hani and Yi populations (p <0.05). Conclusions: The present study suggested an association between a G894T polymorphism of eNOS gene and EH in Hani and Yi minority groups of China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Background: Aldosterone synthase (CYP11B2) is a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of aldosterone. Recently, a C-344T polymorphism in the promoter region of the CYP11B2 gene has been reported to be in association with high blood pressure. We investigated the association between this polymorphism and essential hypertension in Hani (n =305 individuals) and Yi (n =233 individuals) minorities of China. Methods: CYP11B2 genotyping with polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism was performed in 267 normotensive subjects and 271 essential hypertensive subjects. At the same time, the T(-344)C polymorphism detection in 33 subjects was also performed by sequencing. Result: The frequency of CYP11B2 C-344T genotype in normotensive controls and essential hypertensive cohort in Hani population were TT: 0.729 vs. 0.610; CT+CC: 0.271 vs. 0.390, respectively. The frequency of CYP11B2 C-344T genotype in normotensive controls and essential hypertensive cohort in Yi population were TT: 0.612 vs. 0.475; CT+CC: 0.388 vs. 0.525, respectively. The frequency of CC+CT genotype in the essential hypertensive group was significantly higher than that in the normotensive controls in both Hani and Yi populations (P <0.05). Conclusion: The -344C allele of the CYP11B2 may play a role in genetic predisposition to developing essential hypertension in Hani and Yi minorities of China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objectives: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major public health problem in southwestern China. Our aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of HCV infection and its correlates in the Yi population of this region., Methods: A community-based survey was conducted to investigate sociodemographic characteristics and other associated factors for HCV infection in a rural area of southwestern China. Blood samples were collected and tested for antibodies to HCV. Anti-HCV positive samples were further assessed for HCV RNA., Results: A total of 2558 participants aged ≥ 14 years were included in our analysis. Of them, 2.8% (95% CI 2.2% to 3.5%) were positive for HCV antibody. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that sex (male vs female: adjusted OR (aOR)=3.30, 95% CI 1.80 to 6.07), marital status (unmarried vs married: aOR=0.27, 95% CI 0.09 to 0.80), ever using injection drug (aOR=28.65, 95% CI 15.9 to 51.64) and ever having blood transfusion (aOR=7.64, 95% CI 1.94 to 30.16) were significantly associated with HCV infection (indicated by positive HCV antibody). Stratified analysis by HIV infection found that in HIV-negative individuals, sex (male vs female: aOR=3.84, 95% CI 1.88 to 7.85), ever using injection drug (aOR=22.15, 95% CI 8.45 to 58.04), having multiple sexual partners (aOR=2.57, 95% CI 1.26 to 5.23), and ever having blood transfusion (aOR=16.54, 95% CI 4.44 to 61.58) were significantly associated with HCV infection and in HIV-positive individuals, ever using injection drug (aOR=8.96, 95% CI 3.16 to 25.38) was associated with HCV infection., Conclusion: The data suggested a higher risk of HCV infection in this area when compared with the rest of China and some unique associated factors. Rapid scale-up of targeted interventions are needed to prevent further transmission and consequent morbidities., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.)