The blood clam, Tegillarca granosa, is widely cultivated in China. We isolated 6 microsatellite loci from T. granosa and used them to investigate genetic diversity and population structure of 5 widely distributed populations of blood clam collected from eastern and southeastern China. The allele number per locus varied from 4 to 9, and the polymorphism information content value was 0.301 to 0.830. The mean observed and expected heterozygosities varied from 0.304 to 0.460 and 0.556 to 0.621, respectively; the population from Yueqing had the smallest observed heterozygosity. In the neighbor-joining tree, Shandong, Fenghua and Yueqing populations clustered together, and there was geographic divergence between Shandong and Guangxi populations. Some microsatellite loci that were isolated from these mainland China samples were not found in blood clams collected from Malaysia.
BACKGROUND: A vast amount of literature describes the incidence of fracture as a risk for recurrent osteoporotic fractures in western and Asian countries. Osteoporosis evaluation and treatment after a low-trauma fracture, however, has not been well characterized in postmenopausal women in Asia. The purpose of this study was to characterize patient and health system characteristics associated with the diagnosis and management of osteoporosis among postmenopausal women hospitalized with a fragility fracture in Asia.
METHODS: Patient surveys and medical charts of postmenopausal women (N=1,122) discharged after a fragility hip fracture from treatment centers in mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Thailand between July 1, 2006 and June 30, 2007 were reviewed for bone mineral density (BMD) measurement, osteoporosis diagnosis, and osteoporosis treatment.
RESULTS: The mean (SD) age was 72.9 (11.5) years. A BMD measurement was reported by 28.2% of patients, 51.5% were informed that they had osteoporosis, and 33.0% received prescription medications for osteoporosis in the 6 months after discharge. Using multivariate logistic regression analyses, prior history of fracture decreased the odds of a BMD measurement (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.45-0.88). Having a BMD measurement increased the odds of osteoporosis diagnosis (OR 10.1, 95% CI 6.36-16.0), as did having health insurance (OR 4.95, 95% CI 1.51-16.21 for private insurance with partial self-payment relative to 100% self-payment). A history of fracture was not independently associated with an osteoporosis diagnosis (OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.56-1.15). Younger age reduced the odds of receiving medication for osteoporosis (OR 0.59, 95% CI 0.36-0.96 relative to age ≥65), while having a BMD measurement increased the odds (OR 1.79, 95% CI 1.23-2.61).
CONCLUSIONS: Osteoporosis diagnosis and treatment in Asian countries were driven by BMD measurement but not by fracture history. Future efforts should emphasize education of general practitioners and patients about the importance of fracture.
Primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG) is a major cause of blindness worldwide. We conducted a genome-wide association study including 1,854 PACG cases and 9,608 controls across 5 sample collections in Asia. Replication experiments were conducted in 1,917 PACG cases and 8,943 controls collected from a further 6 sample collections. We report significant associations at three new loci: rs11024102 in PLEKHA7 (per-allele odds ratio (OR)=1.22; P=5.33×10(-12)), rs3753841 in COL11A1 (per-allele OR=1.20; P=9.22×10(-10)) and rs1015213 located between PCMTD1 and ST18 on chromosome 8q (per-allele OR=1.50; P=3.29×10(-9)). Our findings, accumulated across these independent worldwide collections, suggest possible mechanisms explaining the pathogenesis of PACG.
This article sought to describe the health-care data situation in six selected economies in the Asia-Pacific region. Authors from Thailand, China mainland, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, and Malaysia present their analyses in three parts. The first part of the article describes the data-collection process and the sources of data. The second part of the article presents issues around policies of data sharing with the stakeholders. The third and final part of the article focuses on the extent of health-care data use for policy reform in these different economies. Even though these economies differ in their economic structure and population size, they share some similarities on issues related to health-care data. There are two main institutions that collect and manage the health-care data in these economies. In Thailand, China mainland, Taiwan, and Malaysia, the Ministry of Health is responsible through its various agencies for collecting and managing the health-care data. On the other hand, health insurance is the main institution that collects and stores health-care data in South Korea and Japan. In all economies, sharing of and access to data is an issue. The reasons for limited access to some data are privacy protection, fragmented health-care system, poor quality of routinely collected data, unclear policies and procedures to access the data, and control on the freedom on publication. The primary objective of collecting health-care data in these economies is to aid the policymakers and researchers in policy decision making as well as create an awareness on health-care issues for the general public. The usage of data in monitoring the performance of the heath system is still in the process of development. In conclusion, for the region under discussion, health-care data collection is under the responsibility of the Ministry of Health and health insurance agencies. Data are collected from health-care providers mainly from the public sector. Routinely collected data are supplemented by national surveys. Accessibility to the data is a major issue in most of the economies under discussion. Accurate health-care data are required mainly to support policy making and evidence-based decisions.
This research was to determine nutritional composition, essential and toxic elemental content, and major phenolic acid with antioxidant activity in Kadsura coccinea fruit. The results indicated that Kadsura coccinea fruit exhibited the high contents of total protein, total fat, ash and essential elements such as calcium (Ca), ferrum (Fe) and phosphorus (P). The levels of four common toxic elements, i.e. cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), arsenic (As) and lead (Pb), were lower than legal limits. By high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis, gallic acid was identified as major phenolic acid in peel and pulp tissues. Its contents were no significant difference in both tissues. In comparison with two commercial antioxidants, the major phenolic acid extracted from Kadsura coccinea exhibited stronger 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical-scavenging activity and reducing power. Kadsura coccinea fruit is a good source of nutrition and natural antioxidant. It is worthwhile to popularize this exotic fruit around the world.
To provide current insights into the opinions, attitudes, and knowledge of menopausal women in Asia regarding menopause and hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
Strontium ranelate is a new effective anti-osteoporotic treatment having a unique mode of action, reducing bone resorption while promoting continued bone formation, with a broad range of anti-fracture efficacy at vertebral as well as peripheral sites. In Phase III studies, it has proven its early and sustained efficacy against vertebral fractures in Caucasians along with a significant increase in lumbar bone mineral density (BMD). The aim of this randomized double-blind study was to demonstrate the efficacy of strontium ranelate (2 g/day) on lumbar spine bone mineral density and the clinical and biological safety in Asian postmenopausal osteoporotic patients compared to placebo over 1 year. Three hundred and twenty-nine eligible women from mainland China, Hong Kong and Malaysia were randomized into the study. The baseline characteristics were similar in the treatment and placebo groups: mean age of 66.2+/-6.5 years, time since menopause 17.6+/-7.2 years. In the Full Analysis Set (FAS, N=302), the mean baseline lumbar L2-L4 BMD was 0.715+/-0.106 g/cm(2) in the strontium ranelate group and 0.708 +/- 0.109 g/cm2 in the placebo group. The mean baseline femoral neck BMD was 0.575+/-0.074 g/cm2 and 0.566+/-0.069 g/cm2 respectively and mean total hip BMD was 0.642+/-0.080 g/cm2 and 0.631 +/-0.088 g/cm2 respectively. The overall compliance was 91.4% in the study drug group, and 97.4% in the placebo group. After 1 year of treatment, the lumbar spine, femoral neck and total hip BMD in the treated group was significantly increased by 3-5% as compared to placebo. Strontium ranelate was well tolerated. The most frequently reported emergent adverse events were comparable in both groups (60.4% versus 60.0%), with majority of them being mild gastrointestinal disorders. There were no clinically relevant changes in laboratory tests, such as blood routine, hepatic and renal function. It is thus concluded that the effects of 2 g/day strontium ranelate on BMD and its safety profile in this cohort of postmenopausal osteoporotic Asian women were consistent with results obtained from Caucasian women in which the efficacy on the reduction in risk of fracture has been proven.
BACKGROUND: It has been unclear as to whether the Rome II criteria could be applied to patients in the Asia region with functional gastrointestinal (GI) diseases. The aim of the present study was to determine if symptoms of Asian patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders formed groups which corresponded to the Rome II diagnostic criteria.
METHODS: A modified English version of Talley's bowel disease questionnaire was developed in collaboration with various research teams in accordance with the Rome II criteria. This instrument was translated into the local languages of the following nine Asian regions: China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. From September to December 2001, newly enrolled outpatients attending 14 GI or medical clinics in these regions were invited to complete the questionnaire. From these respondents, patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders fulfilling the '12 weeks out of 12 months' criteria were separated for further analysis. Principal component factor analysis with varimax rotation was used to identify symptom clusters or factors. These factors were compared with the existing classification of functional GI diseases derived from the Rome II criteria.
RESULTS: Factor analysis of symptoms from 1012 functional GI patients supported the Rome II classification of the following groups of functional GI disorders: diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome, functional constipation, functional dyspepsia, functional abdominal pain syndrome, functional heartburn, and functional vomiting. Functional diarrhea was combined with functional anorectal disorders, and globus merged with functional dysphagia into one factor. Some of the functional dyspepsia, abdominal bloating and belching symptoms were loaded into one factor.
CONCLUSIONS: Factor analysis of symptoms from a sample of Asian patients with functional GI disorders partially supported the use of the Rome II classification.