Population Polymorphism of IFNL3 and IFNL4 Genes of Type 3 Interferon Associated with Spontaneous Clearance of Hepatitis C Virus in Representatives of Caucasian and Mongoloid Races.

The frequency of single nucleotide polymorphisms of IFNL3 gene (rsl12979860 and rs8099917) and dinucleotide polymorphism of IFNL4 gene (ss469415590) were estimated in healthy inhabitants of Mongolia and Irkutsk regions taking into account their races. Population and genetic studies were performed in 1520 conventionally healthy volunteers (blood donors), representatives of Caucasian and Mongoloid races. Significant race-related differences in the incidence of IFNL3 and IFNL4 gene polymorphisms associated with spontaneous clearance of hepatitis C virus were found in healthy volunteers.

Mongolian and Japanese Joint Conference on "Echinococcosis: diagnosis, treatment and prevention in Mongolia" June 4, 2009.

The first Mongolian-Japanese Joint Conference on "Echinococcosis: diagnosis, treatment and prevention in Mongolia" was held in Ulaanbaatar on June 4th, 2009. It was the first chance for Mongolian experts (clinicians, pathologists, parasitologists, biologists, epidemiologists, veterinarians and others working on echinococcosis) joined together. Increase in the number of cystic echinococcosis (CE) cases year by year was stressed. CE in children may be more than adult cases. Alveolar echinococcosis was suspected chronic malignant hepatic tumors or abscesses. Main discussion was as to how to introduce modern diagnostic tools for pre-surgical diagnosis, how to establish the national system for the data base of echinococcosis with the establishment of a network system by experts from different areas. The importance of molecular identification of the parasites in domestic and wild animals was also stressed.

High-risk status of HIV-1 infection in the very low epidemic country, Mongolia, 2007.

Thirty-six HIV-1 cases had been reported by December 2007 in Mongolia. Therefore, Mongolia has been regarded as a very low HIV-1 epidemic country, although the surveillance system is not fully developed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk status of HIV-1 infection in Mongolia. A total of 1415 blood samples from high-risk populations including female sex workers, men who have sex with men, mobile men, tuberculosis patients and male sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinic clients and 1050 samples from healthy controls were collected. The seroprevalences of anti-HIV-1/2, anti-Treponema pallidum, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBs Ag), anti-hepatitis C virus and hepatitis B surface antibody in the high-risk populations were 0%, 23.1%, 15.5%, 8.0% and 48.2%, and those in the controls were 0%, 3.1%, 14.7%, 4.4% and 44.4%, respectively. HIV-1 prevalence is currently low. However, according to the high prevalence of STIs in the high-risk populations, the risk status for HIV-1 infection is estimated to be high.