The Impact of Customized Short Message Service on High-Risk Behaviors Among MSM in China, a Randomized Controlled Trial Study.

An individual based randomized controlled trial (RCT) was designed to evaluate the impact of a customized short message service (SMS) intervention on HIV-related high-risk behaviors among Men who have sex with men (MSM). In total, 631 HIV-negative MSM were enrolled at baseline and divided into intervention and control groups randomly. Nine months later, the intervention group who received additional customized SMS intervention reported significantly lower rates of multiple partners, unclear partner infection status and condomless anal intercourse compared to the control group who received the routine intervention only. Six months post stopping the SMS intervention, the rates of unclear partner infection status and condomless anal intercourse still remained lower report in the intervention group. Our study shown that the customized SMS interventions can significantly reduce the HIV-related high-risk behaviors among MSM and with sustained effects over a period of time.

Identification of novel lncRNAs associated with sensitivity of HIV antiretroviral therapy: A two-stage matched case-control study.

BACKGROUND: To identify long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) that may be used as potential biomarkers of sensitivity to antiretroviral therapy (ART) against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. METHOD: A two-stage matched case-control study was conducted. First, in the screening stage, peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) of six subjects receiving lamivudine-based ART (3 ART-resistant and 3 ART-sensitive subjects with matching durations of ART) were subjected to comprehensive microarray expression profiling in order to screen out lncRNAs associated with ART sensitivity. Secondly, during the validation stage, promising lncRNAs were evaluated via a 1:4 matched case-control study using 50 subjects (10 ART-resistant and 40 ART-sensitive subjects with matching durations of ART). RESULTS: Seven lncRNAs were screened out (P < 1.06 × 10-3) in the first stage. Among these, two lncRNAs (n341598 and n407911) survived validation conducted at the second stage (n341598: P < 0.001; n407911: P = 0.007), while another lncRNA n406445 showed marginally significant (P = 0.049). All three showed higher expression in ART-resistant subjects compared to that in ART-sensitive subjects. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for n341598 was 0.867 (95 % CI: 0.796-0.966; P < 0.001), which was better than that for n406445 (0.702) and n407911 (0.780). Meanwhile, the AUC for n341598 was better than that of any combination of the three lncRNAs. CONCLUSION: Our study identified three highly expressed lncRNAs in patients with HIV ART-resistant, among which the lncRNA n341598 may be utilized as an optimal biomarker to distinguish ART-resistant and ART-sensitive patients. Further studies aimed at revealing the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of ART sensitivity by n341598 are warranted to complement our findings.

Comparison of different obesity indices associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus among different sex and age groups in Nantong, China: a cross-section study.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, the obesity index that is most closely related to type 2 diabetes remains controversial. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the associations of five anthropometric indices (body mass index [BMI], body adiposity index, waist circumference [WC], waist-to-hip ratio, and waist-to-height ratio [WHtR]) with T2DM among Chinese adults divided into four groups according to sex and age. METHODS: A total of 4007 adult participants (1669 men and 2338 women) were included in the study. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals were used with binary logistic regression models to estimate the risk of T2DM for each obesity index. Furthermore, we compared the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of each obesity index for the criterion of T2DM under the influence of risk factors. RESULTS: WC had the highest OR (3.211 and 1.452) and AUC (0.783 and 0.614) in both age groups of men. However, WHtR (OR = 2.366, AUC = 0.771) and BMI (OR = 1.596, AUC = 0.647) were the optimal criteria for predicting T2DM among females in the 18-59 and ≥ 60 years age groups, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that there is a positive association between obesity-related anthropometric indices and T2DM in different sex and age groups. WC appears to be the optimal anthropometric index for predicting T2DM in men. The optimal obesity indices related to T2DM were WHtR and BMI for women aged 18-59 and ≥ 60 years, respectively.

Comparison of different obesity indices related with hypertension among different sex and age groups in China.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: To compare the relationships of five obesity-related routine anthropometric indicators (body mass index (BMI), body adiposity index (BAI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR)) for hypertension in both sexes and among different age groups of the Chinese population. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 12,064 adult participants (5638 males and 6426 females) were included. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals were used with binary logistic regression models to estimate the risk of hypertension for each obesity index. For the males, WHtR had the highest OR value in all age groups. The degrees of correlation between hypertension and the obesity indices for different age groups were different among the females. WC, BMI, and WHtR were the highest in the 18-44, 45-59, and ≥60 years age groups, respectively. Furthermore, we compared the area under the ROC curve (AUC) of each obesity index for the criterion of hypertension under the influence of risk factors. For the males, the AUC of WHtR was the largest (0.814, 0.710, and 0.662). WC (AUC = 0.820), BMI (AUC = 0.765), and WHtR (AUC = 0.668) tended to be the best criteria for hypertension among females in the 18-44, 45-59, and ≥60 years age groups respectively. In addition, BAI, as an obesity indicator proposed in recent years, has a positive association with hypertension except in 18-44 years women, which was not stronger than other obesity indicators. CONCLUSIONS: For males, WHtR appears to be the best obesity index related with hypertension. For young, middle-aged, and elderly women, the best obesity indices related with hypertension are WC, BMI, and WHtR, respectively.

Understanding the Role of Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) in HIV Prevention in Nantong, China.

Voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) service plays an essential part in the prevention of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics of participants and analyze the major factors of HIV infection in VCT in Nantong, China. This study was conducted between January 2010 and December 2015, based on the responses to questionnaires and blood test results retrieved from the Chinese National HIV/AIDS Comprehensive Control Information System (CNHCCIS). Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors related to HIV infection. Differences between first-time testers and repeat testers were assessed using the chi-squared or Fisher test. Over six years, a total of 11,560 VCT participants were included, and 420 cases were confirmed to be HIV-positive. Overall, the annual number of participants was relatively stable with a mean of 1927, while there was a rapid increase in the HIV detection rate (from 1.03% in 2010 to 7.52% in 2015). In multivariate analysis, referral counseling and having a HIV-positive spouse/fixed sex partners were found to be significantly associated with HIV infection among all participants, while being unmarried or divorced, having commercial heterosexual behaviors, and male-male sexual behaviors are additional HIV-related factors for males. Compared to first-time testers, repeat testers were more willing to engage in high-risk sexual behaviors and had higher HIV detection rates (P < 0.001). In conclusion, the HIV epidemic in Nantong is still not controlled. Therefore, in the future, it is critical to expand VCT services to increase the detection rate of HIV, which can prevent the transmission of HIV effectively.

Analysis of hospitalization expenses of 610 HIV/AIDS patients in Nantong, China.

BACKGROUND: The goal of this study was to describe the expenses related to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) management and care in Nantong Infectious Disease Hospital from October 2013 through June 2017. METHODS: The information of 610 HIV/AIDS inpatients were collected from the Electronic Medical Record System of the hospital. Univariate and path analysis were employed to evaluate the association between hospitalization expense and its related factors. RESULTS: The average hospitalization expenses per person was 5454 RMB (Renminbi, the currency of China, about $808 USD) and 23,555 RMB (about $3489 USD), respectively for HIV/AIDS patients. The average length of hospital stay was 10.0 ± 5.5 days for HIV patients and 21.7 ± 12.4 days for AIDS patients. For HIV patients, laboratory test fees constituted 37.46% of total expenses; while drug fees accounted for the largest proportion for AIDS patients. Path analysis indicated that the length of hospital stay was the most important factor affecting total expenses (total path coefficient = 0.563 for HIV patients and 0.649 for AIDS patients). Total expenses for HIV-infected females was higher than that of males (total path coefficient = 0.217), and the more complications led to higher expenses for AIDS patients. CONCLUSIONS: Though antiretroviral therapy (ART) is provided for free in China, associated medical care, particularly hospitalizations and fees, continue to drive up the medical costs of patients living with HIV and AIDS. Understanding the factors influencing these costs are crucial for determining policies and strategies that can reduce the economic burden of HIV/AIDS patients in China.

Functional Variant in 3'UTR of FAM13A Is Potentially Associated with Susceptibility and Survival of Lung Squamous Carcinoma.

FAM13A is associated with aging lung disease (primarily chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder and pulmonary fibrosis) and shows stable expression throughout lung development. However, a few systematic studies of FAM13A have been conducted to assess the pathogenesis of lung cancer, particularly susceptibility. We predicted that single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in FAM13A may be associated with lung cancer development. We systematically selected five functional SNPs (rs2602120, rs3017895, rs9224, rs7657817, and rs3756050) and genotyped them with the Genesky proprietary improved Multiligase Detection Reaction multiplex SNP genotyping system in a case-control study of 626 lung cancer cases and 667 cancer-free controls. The functional effects of FAM13A and specific miRNAs (miRNA-22-5p and miRNA-1301-3p) were evaluated based on The Cancer Genome Atlas database. We found that rs9224 in the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of FAM13A was potentially associated with an increased risk of lung squamous carcinoma (LUSQ) (additive model: odds ratio = 1.47, 95% confidence interval = 1.04-2.07, p = 0.028). In addition, the results of expression quantitative trait loci analysis suggested that the rs9224 polymorphism affects the expression of FAM13A (p = 0.050) and miRNA-22-5p (p = 0.031) in LUSQ. Further, survival analysis indicated decreased overall survival in the presence of the variant alleles of rs9224 (p = 0.048). The present results indicate that variant genotypes of rs9224 in the FAM13A 3'UTR may modify LUSQ susceptibility by affecting the binding of miRNA-22-5p and predict a poor prognosis of patients with LUSQ.

Influence of a municipal solid waste incinerator on ambient air PCDD/F levels: a comparison of running and non-running periods.

The concentration of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) in the ambient air of a municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) during its running and non-running periods was monitored in this study to investigate the contribution of the MSWI to PCDD/F pollution in the vicinal environment. Results show that the PCDD/F levels for the normal MSWI running period and after shut-down ranged 0.156-1.44 pg I-TEQ/m(3) (0.514 pg I-TEQ/m(3)) and 0.158-0.648 pg I-TEQ/m(3) (0.345 pg I-TEQ/m(3)), respectively. Significant differences were found between the results of the two surveys in 2011 and 2012. High PCDD/F levels were observed in two of the seven study sites in 2011, and these levels directly declined in 2012. A dramatic increase in PCDD/F concentrations was observed in two sites in 2012. Comparison of congener and homologue fingerprint characteristics in the two surveys, together with principal component analysis, revealed that the PCDD/F levels in all of the samples collected in 2012 and in three of the samples collected in 2011 are mainly influenced by heavy traffic. MSWI is the primary PCDD/F emission sources of the PCDD/Fs detected in the remaining samples collected in 2011.

[Study of syndrome differentiation factor of gouty arthritis with blood stasis syndrome based on connection number].

OBJECTIVE: To find the related syndrome factors of gouty arthritis with blood stasis syndrome by mathematical methods of set pair analysis and connection number so as to guide the diagnosis. METHODS: Seventy gouty arthritis patients diagnosed with blood stasis syndrome were analyzed according to priority by the method of connection number. Syndrome factors of gouty arthritis with blood stasis syndrome were selected according to the numerical values of dialectics connection value (DCV). RESULTS: In the nine observed items, the DCVs of five syndrome factors were above 0.5. These five factors were pain (0.858 0), sublingual varices and positive signs (varices and dark purple color) for palatal mucosa (0.773 1), tophus (0.723 0), varicose veins and telangiectasis (0.700 9), and squamous and dry skin (0.612 3). The DCVs of the other factors were below 0.5. CONCLUSION: The main factor 1 is pain; factor 2 is sublingual varices and positive signs (varices and dark purple color) for palatal mucosa; factor 3 is tophus; factor 4 is varicose veins and telangiectasis; factor 5 is dry skin. The others are secondary factors.

[Qinzhu Liangxue Decoction in treatment of blood-heat type psoriasis vulgaris: a randomized controlled trial].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical efficacy of Qinzhu Liangxue Decoction (QZLXD), a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine, in patients with blood-heat type psoriasis vulgaris. METHODS: Fifty-eight patients diagnosed with blood-heat type psoriasis vulgaris were randomly divided into two groups: QZLXD group (30 cases) and ampeptide group (28 cases). Patients in both groups were treated for 4 weeks. Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score, Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) score and the level of serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were obtained to evaluate the efficacy of the two treatments. RESULTS: There was a better curative result in QZLXD group than in ampeptide group (P<0.05). The response rates in QZLXD and ampeptide groups were 83.33% and 64.28% respectively. DLQI score was also significantly improved during 4-week treatment in QZLXD and ampeptide groups (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in VEGF level between QZLXD and ampeptide groups. CONCLUSION: QZLXD is remarkably advantageous in treatment of psoriasis vulgaris of blood-heat syndrome and improvement of patient's quality of life. The mechanism may be related to decrease in serum VEGF level and action against neogenesis of blood vessels.