Cancer incidence and spectrum among Uygurs in Hotan District in China

Cancer is the leading cause of death in China and a significant public health problem with increasing incidence and fatality rates. The Han nationality is the main ethnic group in China, and many reports on the epidemiology of cancers in Han nationality are published. However no studies report the cancer spectrum of Uygurs which are one of the minority nationalities in China. Hence, we present incidence and mortality numbers of different cancers for the Uygur patients for the period 2018-2020 in Hotan District where Uygur population accounts for 99 %. During the 3-year study period, 2509 new Uygur cancer cases were registered, comprising 774 men and 1735 women. Cervical cancer was the most common, followed by esophageal, breast, gastric and colorectal cancers. The most common cancers in women and men were cervical cancer and esophageal cancer, respectively. In conclusion, the cancer spectrum in Hotan is different from other regions of China and our research revealed the cancer incidence in Hotan, which could help us to take appropriate measures to reduce the incidence rate.

Association of ACE2 variant rs4646188 with the risks of atrial fibrillation and cardioembolic stroke in Uygur patients with type 2 diabetes

Background

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia. Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is an independent risk factor for AF. The cardioembolic stroke (CS) risk is increased when both conditions coexist. Whether angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) genetic variants predict increased risks AF and CS in Uygur patients with T2D remain elusive.

Methods

A total of 547 Uygur subjects (272 controls and 275 T2D patients) were recruited to the study from south Xinjiang. Eight ACE2 variants were identified by MassARRAY system.

Results

ACE2 rs2074192 (CC, adjusted RR = 2.55, 95% CI 1.35–4.80, P = 0.004), rs4240157 (CC + CT, adjusted RR = 2.26, 95% CI 1.27–4.04, P = 0.006) and rs4646188 (TT, adjusted RR = 2.37, 95% CI 1.16–4.86, P = 0.018) were associated with higher AF risk. ACE2 rs4240157 (CC + CT, adjusted RR = 2.68, 95% CI 1.36–5.27, P = 0.004) and rs4646188 (TT, adjusted RR = 2.56, 95% CI 1.06–6.20, P = 0.037) were further associated with higher CS risk. The 3 ACE2 variants were related to larger left atrial end-systolic diameter (LAD) (all P < 0.05), but not all of the 3 ACE2 variants were related to increased levels of serum sodium (rs4240157 and rs4646188, all P < 0.05), HsCRP (rs4240157 and rs4646188, all P < 0.05) as well as decreased serum potassium levels (rs2074192 and rs4646188, all P < 0.05). The 3 ACE2 variants exhibited heterogeneity on circulating RAAS activation. In particular, ACE2 rs4646188 was associated with higher levels of ACE (P = 0.017 and 0.037), Ang I (P = 0.002 and 0.001), Ang II (both P < 0.001) and ALD (P = 0.005 and 0.011).

Conclusion

These results indicated ACE2 rs4646188 was associated with increased risk of AF and CS among diabetic patients in Uygurs, which could be a promising genetic predisposition marker for early and personalized prevention strategies for the aforementioned clinical pathologies.