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Huang C, Aghaei-Zarch SM. From molecular pathogenesis to therapy: Unraveling non-coding RNAs/DNMT3A axis in human cancers. Biochem Pharmacol 2024; 222:116107. [PMID: 38438051 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2024.116107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 02/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024]
Abstract
Cancer is a comprehensive classification encompassing more than 100 forms of malignancies that manifest in diverse tissues within the human body. Recent studies have provided evidence that aberrant epigenetic modifications are pivotal indicators of cancer. Epigenetics encapsulates DNA methyltransferases as a crucial class of modifiers. DNMTs, including DNMT3A, assume central roles in DNA methylation processes that orchestrate normal biological functions, such as gene transcription, predominantly in mammals. Typically, deviations in DNMT3A function engender distortions in factors that drive tumor growth and progression, thereby exacerbating the malignant phenotype of tumors. Consequently, such abnormalities pose significant challenges in cancer therapy because they impede treatment efficacy. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) represent a group of RNA molecules that cannot encode functional proteins. Recent investigation attests to the crucial significance of regulatory ncRNAs in epigenetic regulation. Notably, recent reports have illuminated the complex interplay between ncRNA expression and epigenetic regulatory machinery, including DNMT3A, particularly in cancer. Recent findings have demonstrated that miRNAs, namely miR-770-5p, miR-101, and miR-145 exhibit the capability to target DNMT3A directly, and their aberration is implicated in diverse cellular abnormalities that predispose to cancer development. This review aims to articulate the interplay between DNMT3A and the ncRNAs, focusing on its impact on the development and progression of cancer, cancer therapy resistance, cancer stem cells, and prognosis. Importantly, the emergence of such reports that suggest a connection between DNMT3A and ncRNAs in several cancers indicates that this connecting axis offers a valuable target with significant therapeutic potential that might be exploited for cancer management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunjie Huang
- School of Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong 226001, China
| | - Seyed Mohsen Aghaei-Zarch
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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2
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Azarbakhsh H, Dehghani SS, Hassanzadeh J, Hassani AH, Janfada M, Mirahmadizadeh A. The Trend of Years of Life Lost due to Gastrointestinal Cancers in Fars (Iran) 2004-2019. IRANIAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH 2024; 53:671-679. [PMID: 38919300 PMCID: PMC11194660 DOI: 10.18502/ijph.v53i3.15149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
Background Gastrointestinal cancers can cause major health problems globally since their burden is increasing in many countries. We aimed to investigate the trend of years of life lost due to gastrointestinal cancers in Fars Province, southern Iran during the 2004-2019. Methods In this cross-sectional survey study, we obtained the information regarding all deaths due to gastrointestinal cancers in Fars Province from the electronic population-based death registration system (EDRS). Years of Life Lost (YLL) was calculated using the YLL template of 2015 by the WHO. To examine the trend for different years, join point regression based on the log-linear model was used. Joinpoint regression analysis describes changing trends over successive periods of time and the increasing or decreasing rate within each period. Results During the years of 2004-2019, 9742 deaths due to gastrointestinal cancers occurred in Fars Province. 6013 (61.72%) cases were male and 3729 (38.28%) cases were female (Male / Female Sex Ratio: 1.61). Overall, 4152 cases (42.63%) were due to gastric cancer and 2112 cases (21.68%) were due to liver cancer. Total years of life lost due to premature death from gastrointestinal cancers during the 16-year study period was 73565 yr (2.33 per 1000 persons) in men, 52766 yr (1.71 per 1000 persons) in women, and 126331 yr (2.02 per 1000 persons) in both sexes. Conclusion Among all cancers, the highest mortality rates in both sexes belong to gastric cancer. This study showed the trend of YLL rate of malignant neoplasms of liver and intrahepatic bile ducts, esophagus, oral cavity, and colon cancer were increasing in both sexes, however, the trend of YLL rate for malignant neoplasms of the small intestine was decreasing in both sexes. Variation of GI cancers patterns and trends around the Fars Province indicated that a more comprehensive control plan is needed to control these variations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Habibollah Azarbakhsh
- Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Health, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Seyed Sina Dehghani
- Social Medicine Department, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Jafar Hassanzadeh
- Department of Epidemiology, Research Center for Health Sciences, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Amir Hossein Hassani
- Social Medicine Department, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Maryam Janfada
- Non-Communicable Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
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Zhang YH, Chen XL, Wang YR, Hou YW, Zhang YD, Wang KJ. Prevention of malignant digestive system tumors should focus on the control of chronic inflammation. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2023; 15:389-404. [PMID: 37009320 PMCID: PMC10052658 DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v15.i3.389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic inflammation, through a variety of mechanisms, plays a key role in the occurrence and development of digestive system malignant tumors (DSMTs). In this study, we feature and provide a comprehensive understanding of DSMT prevention strategies based on preventing or controlling chronic inflammation. The development and evaluation of cancer prevention strategies is a longstanding process. Cancer prevention, especially in the early stage of life, should be emphasized throughout the whole life course. Issues such as the time interval for colon cancer screening, the development of direct-acting antiviral drugs for liver cancer, and the Helicobacter pylori vaccine all need to be explored in long-term, large-scale experiments in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue-Hua Zhang
- College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, Henan Province, China
- Henan International Joint Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Pediatric Diseases, Henan Children's Hospital Zhengzhou Children’s Hospital, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450018, Henan Province, China
| | - Xiao-Lin Chen
- Department of Prenatal Diagnosis Center, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, Henan Province, China
| | - Yi-Ran Wang
- Henan International Joint Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Pediatric Diseases, Henan Children's Hospital Zhengzhou Children’s Hospital, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450018, Henan Province, China
| | - Yu-Wei Hou
- Henan International Joint Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Pediatric Diseases, Henan Children's Hospital Zhengzhou Children’s Hospital, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450018, Henan Province, China
| | - Yao-Dong Zhang
- Henan International Joint Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Pediatric Diseases, Henan Children's Hospital Zhengzhou Children’s Hospital, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450018, Henan Province, China
| | - Kai-Juan Wang
- Henan International Joint Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Pediatric Diseases, Henan Children's Hospital Zhengzhou Children’s Hospital, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450018, Henan Province, China
- Henan Children’s Hospital Zhengzhou Children’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Key Laboratory of Tumor Epidemiology of Henan Province, State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, Henan Province, China
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4
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Hawkes N, Dave U, Rahman M, Richards D, Hasan M, Rowshon AHM, Ahmed F, Rahman MM, Kibria MG, Dodds P, Hawkes B, Goddard S, Rahman I, Neville P, Feeney M, Jenkins G, Lloyd K, Ragunath K, Edwards C, Taylor-Robinson SD. The Role of National Specialist Societies in Influencing Transformational Change in Low-Middle Income Countries - Reflections on the Model of Implementation for a National Endoscopy Training Programme in Bangladesh. Clin Exp Gastroenterol 2021; 14:103-111. [PMID: 33790613 PMCID: PMC7997947 DOI: 10.2147/ceg.s297667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) and the Bangladesh Gastroenterology Society (BGS) have collaborated on an endoscopy training programme, which has grown up over the past decade from a small scheme borne out of the ideas of consultant gastroenterologists in Swansea, South Wales (United Kingdom) to improve gastroenterology services in Bangladesh to become a formalised training programme with broad reach. In this article, we document the socioeconomic and historical problems that beset Bangladesh, the current training needs of doctors and how the BSG-BGS collaboration has made inroads into changing outcomes both for gastroenterologists in Bangladesh, but also for the populations they serve.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil Hawkes
- Department of Gastroenterology, Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, Llantrisant, South Wales, UK
- British Society of Gastroenterology Central Office, London, UK
| | - Umakant Dave
- Department of Gastroenterology, Swansea Bay University Health Board, Swansea, UK
| | - Mesbah Rahman
- British Society of Gastroenterology Central Office, London, UK
- Department of Gastroenterology, Swansea Bay University Health Board, Swansea, UK
| | - Dafydd Richards
- Department of Gastroenterology, Swansea Bay University Health Board, Swansea, UK
| | - Mahmud Hasan
- Office of the Central Secretariat, Bangladesh Gastroenterology Society, Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Office of Central Secretariat, Gastroliver Foundation, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - A H M Rowshon
- Office of the Central Secretariat, Bangladesh Gastroenterology Society, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Faruque Ahmed
- Office of the Central Secretariat, Bangladesh Gastroenterology Society, Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Department of Gastroenterology, Sheikh Russel National Gastroliver Institute and Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - M Masudur Rahman
- Department of Gastroenterology, Sheikh Russel National Gastroliver Institute and Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - M G Kibria
- Department of Gastroenterology, Sheikh Russel National Gastroliver Institute and Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Phedra Dodds
- Department of Endoscopy Nursing, Office of the JAG GRS Team, Powys Health Board, Brecon, UK
| | - Bethan Hawkes
- Office of the Wales Cancer Network Pathway, Welsh Cancer Network, Cardiff, UK
| | - Stuart Goddard
- Welsh Institute of Minimal Access Therapy, Cardiff MediCentre, Welsh Institute for Minimal Access Therapy, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Imdadur Rahman
- Department of Gastroenterology, Southampton NHS Trust, Southampton, UK
| | - Peter Neville
- Department of Gastroenterology, Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, Llantrisant, South Wales, UK
| | - Mark Feeney
- Department of Gastroenterology and Liver Medicine, Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, Devon, UK
| | - Gareth Jenkins
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Medicine, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Keith Lloyd
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Medicine, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Krish Ragunath
- Office of the Provost, Faculty of Health Sciences, Bentley Campus, Curtin Medical School, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Cathryn Edwards
- British Society of Gastroenterology Central Office, London, UK
- Department of Gastroenterology and Liver Medicine, Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, Devon, UK
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Kabiri N, Khodayari‐zarnaq R, Khoshbaten M, Janati A. Policy Analysis of Gastrointestinal Cancer Prevention in Iran: A Framework Based on a Qualitative Study. WORLD MEDICAL & HEALTH POLICY 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/wmh3.389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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Tang J, Pan R, Xu L, Ma Q, Ying X, Zhao J, Zhao H, Miao L, Xu Y, Duan S, Wang J. IL10 hypomethylation is associated with the risk of gastric cancer. Oncol Lett 2021; 21:241. [PMID: 33664805 PMCID: PMC7882872 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2021.12502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2018] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Interleukin-10 (IL10), a pleiotropic cytokine secreted by type-2 helper (Th2) T cells, contributes to the oncogenic activation or inactivation of tumor-suppressor genes. The present study investigated whether hypomethylation of IL10 CpG island (CGI) was associated with the risk of developing gastric cancer (GC) and the prognosis of patients with GC. A fragment (hg18, chr1: 206945638-206945774) at the CGI of IL10 was selected for the present methylation assay. Quantitative methylation-specific PCR was used to evaluate the methylation of IL10 CGI in 117 tumor samples from patients with GC. The results demonstrated that IL10 CGI methylation was significantly lower in the tumor tissues compared with that in the paired adjacent non-tumor tissues (median percentage of methylated reference, 29.16 vs. 42.82%, respectively; P=4×10−8). Furthermore, results from receiver operating characteristic curve analysis identified a significant area under the curve of 0.706, with a sensitivity and a specificity of 77.8 and 58.1%, respectively, between cancer tissues and paired adjacent non-tumor tissues. Furthermore, the methylation of IL10 CGI was significantly associated with patients' age at diagnosis (r=−0.201; P=0.03). Subgroup analyses demonstrated that the association between IL10 CGI hypomethylation and the risk of GC was specific for patients with low differentiation (P=1×10−7) and Borrmann types III+IV (P=1×10−7). In addition, IL10 CGI hypomethylation was significantly associated with the risk of GC for patients without smoking history (P=3×10−7) or a family history of cancer (P=2×10−7). The results from Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated that IL10 CGI hypomethylation was associated with a significantly shorter overall survival of patients with GC (P=0.041). Similar results were identified for patients with GC who did not have smoking history (P=0.037) or a family history of cancer (P=0.049). The results from this study demonstrated that IL10 CGI hypomethylation may be considered as a potential biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of patients with GC in the Chinese population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junjian Tang
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214000, P.R. China.,Department of Vascular Surgery, Taihu Hospital, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214004, P.R. China
| | - Ranran Pan
- Medical Genetics Center, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, P.R. China
| | - Lele Xu
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215200, P.R. China
| | - Qinghua Ma
- Department of Preventive Health, The Third People's Hospital of Xiangcheng District, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215134, P.R. China
| | - Xiuru Ying
- Medical Genetics Center, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, P.R. China
| | - Jun Zhao
- Medical Genetics Center, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, P.R. China
| | - Haibin Zhao
- Department of Pathology, Taihu Hospital, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214004, P.R. China
| | - Li Miao
- Department of Pediatrics, Xuzhou Medical University Affiliated Hospital of Lianyungang, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 222002, P.R. China
| | - Yue Xu
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215007, P.R. China
| | - Shiwei Duan
- Medical Genetics Center, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, P.R. China
| | - Jinzhi Wang
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215007, P.R. China
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Chen YL, Liu XL, Li L. Prognostic value of low microRNA-34a expression in human gastrointestinal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Cancer 2021; 21:63. [PMID: 33446130 PMCID: PMC7807881 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-020-07751-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Mounting evidence shows that microRNA-34a (miR-34a) is involved in cancer prognosis. Therefore, we summarize the predictive role of miR-34a for survival in patients with gastrointestinal cancers (GICs). Methods All eligible studies were found by searching PubMed, Web of Science and EMBASE, and survival results were extracted. Then, the hazard ratio (HR) with the corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated to evaluate the prognostic role of miR-34a in GICs. The association between miR-34a expression and clinicopathological characteristics was estimated by odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs. Results A total of 20 studies were included in this meta-analysis. For overall survival (OS), lower miR-34a expression could probably predict poorer outcome in GICs, with a pooled HR of 1.86 (95% CI: 1.52–2.28, P < 0.01). For disease-free survival (DFS), progression-free survival (PFS), and recurrence-free survival (RFS), lower miR-34a expression was related to worse DFS/PFS/RFS with a pooled HR of 1.86 (95% CI: 1.31–2.63, P < 0.01). A significant relation of differentiation/TNM stage/lymphatic metastasis and the expression level of miR-34a was identified. Conclusion This meta-analysis revealed that lower miR-34a expression is significantly connected with worse OS and DFS/PFS/RFS in GIC patients. In addition, the miR-34a expression level is relatively lower in patients with lymph node metastasis than in patients without lymph node metastasis, and decreased miR-34a expression levels are linked to poor tumour differentiation and late TNM stage. MiR-34a may become a new factor for the prognosis prediction and progression of GICs. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-020-07751-y.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Ling Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, 899 Ping Hai Road, Suzhou, 215006, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiao-Lin Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, 899 Ping Hai Road, Suzhou, 215006, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Ling Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, 899 Ping Hai Road, Suzhou, 215006, Jiangsu, China.
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Lau HCH, Kranenburg O, Xiao H, Yu J. Organoid models of gastrointestinal cancers in basic and translational research. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2020; 17:203-222. [PMID: 32099092 DOI: 10.1038/s41575-019-0255-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Cancer is a major public health problem worldwide. Gastrointestinal cancers account for approximately one-third of the total global cancer incidence and mortality. Historically, the mechanisms of tumour initiation and progression in the gastrointestinal tract have been studied using cancer cell lines in vitro and animal models. Traditional cell culture methods are associated with a strong selection of aberrant genomic variants that no longer reflect the original tumours in terms of their (metastatic) behaviour or response to therapy. Organoid technology has emerged as a powerful alternative method for culturing gastrointestinal tumours and the corresponding normal tissues in a manner that preserves their genetic, phenotypic and behavioural traits. Importantly, accumulating evidence suggests that organoid cultures have great value in predicting the outcome of therapy in individual patients. Herein, we review the current literature on organoid models of the most common gastrointestinal cancers, including colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, oesophageal cancer, liver cancer and pancreatic cancer, and their value in modelling tumour initiation, metastatic progression and therapy response. We also explore the limitations of current organoid models and discuss how they could be improved to maximally benefit basic and translational research in the future, especially in the fields of drug discovery and personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harry Cheuk Hay Lau
- Institute of Digestive Disease, Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Onno Kranenburg
- UMC Utrecht Cancer Center, Utrecht Platform for Organoid Technology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Haipeng Xiao
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jun Yu
- Institute of Digestive Disease, Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong.
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Gupta MK, Vadde R. Applications of Computational Biology in Gastrointestinal Malignancies. IMMUNOTHERAPY FOR GASTROINTESTINAL MALIGNANCIES 2020:231-251. [DOI: 10.1007/978-981-15-6487-1_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
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Lin C, Clark R, Tu P, Tu R, Hsu YJ, Nien HC. The disconnect in hepatitis screening: participation rates, awareness of infection status, and treatment-seeking behavior. J Glob Health 2019; 9:010426. [PMID: 31073398 PMCID: PMC6486119 DOI: 10.7189/jogh.09.010426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Over 325 million people in the world are infected with hepatitis B or C virus. Chronic hepatitis is responsible for 78% of cases of hepatocellular carcinoma and an estimated 1.3 million preventable deaths a year. As “silent killers”, liver diseases are often asymptomatic and go undiagnosed until their terminal stage. Knowledge of infection status via screening is thus a vital part of preventing spread and seeking early treatment. Recently there has been a worldwide push to eliminate hepatitis. The objective of this study is to assess hepatitis B and C self-reported awareness of infection status vs correct awareness (compared to blood test results) and follow-up rates in Taiwan to inform global health promotion efforts that utilize screening interventions to prevent chronic liver diseases. Methods De-identified data from a Liver Foundation’s nationwide community-outreach free blood screening programs was utilized, including 50 909 participants’ data from 74 sites with a questionnaire (demographics, screening history, hepatitis awareness, monitoring behavior) and blood test results. Chi square tests were applied using R programing to examine the impacts of demographic variables on infection prevalence, awareness, and behavior relating to hepatitis. Results Among all participants, 41.1% indicated having had a hepatitis screening, of which only 60.8% knew their results. Around 69.7% and 66.5% self-reported awareness of their hepatitis B and C status respectively; 12.8% and 26.4% of individuals who tested positive for HBsAg and Anti-HCV respectively incorrectly thought they were not infected. Of those who self-reported awareness of their positive infection, 43.4% and 26.6% did not follow up with a health care professional for monitoring or treatment; the top reasons were “no symptoms”, “too busy”, and “don’t know where to follow up”. Rural populations showed higher infection prevalence but lower screening rates and self-reported awareness. Conclusions Intervention programs must address the substantial number of people that do not recall if they were screened or do not know the results of a screening. Discrepancies between self-reported awareness, correct awareness, and follow-up and disparities across demographic groups deserve further scrutiny. Global hepatitis eradication initiatives should reconsider how screening, test results, and education are presented in order to improve awareness and prevent chronic infection that could develop into life-threatening liver diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheryl Lin
- Policy and Organizational Management Program, Duke University, Durham, North Caroloina, USA.,Joint first authors
| | - Rachel Clark
- Policy and Organizational Management Program, Duke University, Durham, North Caroloina, USA.,Joint first authors
| | - Pikuei Tu
- Policy and Organizational Management Program, Duke University, Durham, North Caroloina, USA
| | - Rungting Tu
- College of Management, Shen-Zhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ya-Jung Hsu
- Liver Disease Prevention and Treatment Research Foundation, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsiao-Ching Nien
- Liver Disease Prevention and Treatment Research Foundation, Taipei, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
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