Familiarity of evidence based practices in Chinese caregivers of autistic children.

Although researchers have investigated special educators' and clinicians' knowledge and use of evidence-based practices (EBPs), there is very little research on caregivers' perception of the importance of EBPs for their autistic children. Moreover, there is even less research on how EBPs have been translated or disseminated in international communities not within the English-speaking, Western population. In order to provide appropriate support for caregivers of autistic children in all communities, we need more information to identify possible barriers that may affect caregiver involvement. We used a survey to ask 81 Chinese caregivers of autistic children in Guangzhou, China to investigate their familiarity with EBPs for autistic individuals and any external sources used inform their decision about treatment options for their autistic child. Results showed that 58.6% of the participants had no knowledge of what an EBP was and an additional 29.7% of the participants had heard of EBPs but not sure what they were. These results amplify the need for increased dispersion of ASD intervention knowledge to global communities and how to increase caregiver knowledge on treatment options for their autistic child.

Effect of mobile health reminders on tuberculosis treatment outcomes in Shanghai, China: A prospective cohort study.

Background: Poor adherence increases the risk of unfavorable outcomes for tuberculosis (TB) patients. Mobile health (mHealth) reminders become promising approaches to support TB patients' treatment. But their effects on TB treatment outcomes remain controversial. In this prospective cohort study, we evaluated the effect of the reminder application (app) and the smart pillbox on TB treatment outcomes compared with the standard care in Shanghai, China. Methods: We recruited new pulmonary TB (PTB) patients diagnosed between April and November 2019 who were aged 18 or above, treated with the first-line regimen (2HREZ/4HR), and registered at Songjiang CDC (Shanghai). All eligible patients were invited to choose the standard care, the reminder app, or the smart pillbox to support their treatment. Cox proportional hazard model was fitted to assess the effect of mHealth reminders on treatment success. Results: 260 of 324 eligible patients enrolled with 88 using standard care, 82 the reminder app, and 90 the smart pillbox, followed for a total of 77,430 days. 175 (67.3%) participants were male. The median age was 32 (interquartile range [IQR] 25 to 50) years. A total of 44,785 doses were scheduled for 172 patients in the mHealth reminder groups during the study period. 44,604 (99.6%) doses were taken with 39,280 (87.7%) monitored by the mHealth reminders. A significant time-dependent downward linear trend was observed in the monthly proportion of dose intake (p < 0.001). 247 (95%) patients were successfully treated. The median treatment duration of successfully treated patients in the standard care group was 360 (IQR 283-369) days, significantly longer than those in the reminder app group (296, IQR 204-365, days) and the smart pillbox group (280, IQR 198-365, days) (both p < 0.01). Using the reminder app and the smart pillbox was associated with 1.58 times and 1.63 times increase in the possibility of treatment success compared with the standard care, respectively (both p < 0.01). Conclusion: The reminder app and the smart pillbox interventions were acceptable and improved the treatment outcomes compared with the standard care under the programmatic setting in Shanghai, China. More high-level evidence is expected to confirm the effect of mHealth reminders on TB treatment outcomes.

Chemically revised conducting polymers with inflammation resistance for intimate bioelectronic electrocoupling.

Conducting polymers offer attractive mixed ionic-electronic conductivity, tunable interfacial barrier with metal, tissue matchable softness, and versatile chemical functionalization, making them robust to bridge the gap between brain tissue and electronic circuits. This review focuses on chemically revised conducting polymers, combined with their superior and controllable electrochemical performance, to fabricate long-term bioelectronic implants, addressing chronic immune responses, weak neuron attraction, and long-term electrocommunication instability challenges. Moreover, the promising progress of zwitterionic conducting polymers in bioelectronic implants (≥4 weeks stable implantation) is highlighted, followed by a comment on their current evolution toward selective neural coupling and reimplantable function. Finally, a critical forward look at the future of zwitterionic conducting polymers for in vivo bioelectronic devices is provided.

Corrigendum: Accelerating Decreases in the Incidences of Hepatocellular Carcinoma at a Younger Age in Shanghai Are Associated With Hepatitis B Virus Vaccination.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.855945.].

Prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection and incidence of active tuberculosis in school close contacts in Shanghai, China: Baseline and follow-up results of a prospective cohort study.

Background: The management of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is a key action for the realization of the "End tuberculosis (TB) Strategy" worldwide, and it is important to identify priority populations. In this prospective cohort study, we evaluated the prevalence of LTBI and incidence of active TB among close contacts and explored the suitable TB control strategy in schools. Methods: We designed a cohort with 2 years of follow-up, recruiting freshman/sophomore TB patients' close contacts from three administrative districts in Shanghai. These were chosen based on different levels of TB incidence reported in 2019. Questionnaires were included and all participants received both tuberculin skin test (TST) and QuantiFERON-TB Gold (QFT) at baseline, then tracked the outcomes of them during the follow-up period. Results: The prevalence of LTBI was 4.8% by QFT. Univariate analysis showed that the risk of LTBI was higher in those contacting bacteriologically confirmed patients or did not have BCG scars, including smokers. The risk increased with poor lighting and ventilation conditions at contact sites. Multivariate analysis showed that those contacting with bacteriologically confirmed patients (OR=4.180; 95%CI, 1.164-15.011) or who did not have BCG scars (OR=5.054; 95%CI, 2.278-11.214) had a higher risk of being LTBI, as did the current smokers (OR=3.916; 95%CI, 1.508-10.168) and those who had stopped smoking (OR=7.491; 95%CI, 2.222-25.249). During the 2-year follow-up period, three clinically diagnosed cases of TB were recorded, the 2-year cumulative incidence was 0.4% (95%CI 0.1-1.2), the median duration for TB occurrence was 1 year, the incidence rate of active TB was 2.0 per 1000 person-years with a total of 1497.3 observation person-years. For those LTBI, no one initiated preventive treatment, in the QFT (+) cohort, 1 TB case was observed, 71 person-years with an incidence rate of 14.1 14.1 (95%CI 2.5-75.6) per 1000 person-years, in the TST (+++) cohort, 2 TB cases were observed 91.5 person-years with an incidence rate of 21.9 (95%CI 6.0-76.3) per 1000 person-years. Conclusions: The results suggest that school close contacts are one of the key populations for LTBI management. Measures should be taken to further reduce the prevalence of LTBI and the incidence of active TB among them.

Whole-genome sequencing for surveillance of fluoroquinolone resistance in rifampicin-susceptible tuberculosis in a rural district of Shanghai: A 10-year retrospective study.

Background: Fluoroquinolones (FQs) are the most important second-line anti-tuberculosis (anti-TB) drugs, primarily used for the treatment of multidrug- or rifampicin-resistant TB (MDR/RR-TB). However, FQs are also commonly used to treat other bacterial infections. There are few published data on the rates of FQ resistance among rifampicin-susceptible TB. Methods: We used whole-genome sequencing (WGS) to determine the prevalence of FQ resistance among rifampicin-susceptible TB in a rural district of Shanghai. This was a population-based retrospective study of all culture-positive pulmonary TB patients diagnosed in the Chongming district of Shanghai, China during 2009-2018. Results: The rate of FQ resistance was 8.4% (29/345) among TB, 6.2% (20/324) among rifampicin-susceptible TB, and 42.9% (9/21) among MDR/RR-TB. Transmission of FQ-resistant strains was defined as strains differing within 12 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) based on WGS. Among the rifampicin-susceptible TB, 20% (4/20) of FQ resistance was caused by the transmission of FQ-resistant strains and 45% (9/20) of FQ resistance was identified as hetero-resistance. Conclusions: The prevalence of FQ resistance in rifampicin-susceptible TB was higher than expected in Shanghai. Both the transmission and the selection of drug-resistant strains drive the emergence of FQ resistance in rifampicin-susceptible TB isolates. Therefore, the WGS-based surveillance system for TB should be urgently established and the clinical awareness of the rational use of FQs for respiratory infections should be enhanced to prevent the premature occurrence of FQ resistance.

Spatial analysis of tuberculosis treatment outcomes in Shanghai: implications for tuberculosis control.

OBJECTIVES: Tuberculosis (TB) treatment outcomes are a key indicator in the assessment of TB control programs. We aimed to identify spatial factors associated with TB treatment outcomes, and to provide additional insights into TB control from a geographical perspective. METHODS: We collected data from the electronic TB surveillance system in Shanghai, China and included pulmonary TB patients registered from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2016. We examined the associations of physical accessibility to hospitals, an autoregression term, and random hospital effects with treatment outcomes in logistic regression models after adjusting for demographic, clinical, and treatment factors. RESULTS: Of the 53,475 pulmonary TB patients, 49,002 (91.6%) had successful treatment outcomes. The success rate increased from 89.3% in 2009 to 94.4% in 2016. The successful treatment outcome rate varied among hospitals from 78.6% to 97.8%, and there were 12 spatial clusters of poor treatment outcomes during the 8-year study period. The best-fit model incorporated spatial factors. Both the random hospital effects and autoregression terms had significant impacts on TB treatment outcomes, ranking 6th and 10th, respectively, in terms of statistical importance among 14 factors. The number of bus stations around the home was the least important variable in the model. CONCLUSIONS: Spatial autocorrelation and hospital effects were associated with TB treatment outcomes in Shanghai. In highly-integrated cities like Shanghai, physical accessibility was not related to treatment outcomes. Governments need to pay more attention to the mobility of patients and different success rates of treatment among hospitals.

Accelerating Decreases in the Incidences of Hepatocellular Carcinoma at a Younger Age in Shanghai Are Associated With Hepatitis B Virus Vaccination.

Background: Routine vaccination of infants for protecting against hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and its serious consequences, including hepatocellular cancer (HCC), has been carried out in Shanghai, China, since 1986. We therefore have examined the trend of HBV infection and HCC incidences before and after HBV vaccination over decades to assess the potential influences of the Shanghai HBV vaccination program. Methods: Data on incidences of HBV infection and HCC were collected from the Shanghai Cancer Registry and the Shanghai HBV vaccination follow-up study. Joint-point regression and the Bayesian age-period-cohort statistical analysis methods were used. Results: The incidences of HBV infection dramatically declined from 23.09 and 1.13 per 100,000 for males and females in 2000 to 3.24 (-85.97%) and 0.22 (-80.53%) per 100,000 in 2014, respectively. Sero-epidemiological data from the sampling surveys during 20 years of follow-up showed that less than 1% of people undergoing HBV vaccination have a positive serum HBsAg. Consistently, the annual adjusted standardization rates (ASR) of HCC steadily fell from 33.38 and 11.65 per 100,000 for males and females in 1973 to 17.34 (-49.2%) and 5.60 (-51.9%) per 100,000 in 2014, respectively. The annual percentage change in overall HCC incidences is about -2%. HCC incidences in males at younger age groups (age <50 years old), particularly in those with age <34 groups, showed an accelerating decrease over time, whereas HCC incidences significantly declined in the female population across all age groups except for those under 19 years of age. The results supported that the universal HBV vaccination in newborns is easy to implement with high coverages and is effective for preventing both HBV infection and HCC in populations.

Population genomics provides insights into the evolution and adaptation to humans of the waterborne pathogen Mycobacterium kansasii.

Mycobacterium kansasii can cause serious pulmonary disease. It belongs to a group of closely-related species of non-tuberculous mycobacteria known as the M. kansasii complex (MKC). Here, we report a population genomics analysis of 358 MKC isolates from worldwide water and clinical sources. We find that recombination, likely mediated by distributive conjugative transfer, has contributed to speciation and on-going diversification of the MKC. Our analyses support municipal water as a main source of MKC infections. Furthermore, nearly 80% of the MKC infections are due to closely-related M. kansasii strains, forming a main cluster that apparently originated in the 1900s and subsequently expanded globally. Bioinformatic analyses indicate that several genes involved in metabolism (e.g., maintenance of the methylcitrate cycle), ESX-I secretion, metal ion homeostasis and cell surface remodelling may have contributed to M. kansasii's success and its ongoing adaptation to the human host.

A trade-off between antifouling and the electrochemical stabilities of PEDOTs.

Strong nonspecific protein/cell adhesion on conducting polymer (CP)-based bioelectronic devices can cause an increase in the impedance or the malfunction of the devices. Incorporating oligo(ethylene glycol) or zwitterionic functionalities with CPs has demonstrated superior performance in the reduction of nonspecific adhesion. However, there is no report on the evaluation of the antifouling stability of oligo(ethylene glycol) and zwitterion-functionalized CPs under electrical stimulation as a simulation of the real situation of device operation. Moreover, there is a lack of understanding of the correlation between the molecular structure of antifouling CPs and the antifouling and electrochemical stabilities of the CP-based electrodes. To address the aforementioned issue, we fabricated a platform with antifouling poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) featuring tri(ethylene glycol), tetra(ethylene glycol), sulfobetaine, or phosphorylcholine (PEDOT-PC) to evaluate the stability of the antifouling/electrochemical properties of antifouling PEDOTs before and after electrical stimulation. The results reveal that the PEDOT-PC electrode not only exhibits good electrochemical stability, low impedance, and small voltage excursion, but also shows excellent resistance toward proteins and HAPI microglial cells, as a cell model of inflammation, after the electrical stimulation. The stable antifouling/electrochemical properties of zwitterionic PEDOT-PC may aid its diverse applications in bioelectronic devices in the future.

Transparent Conductive Silk Film with a PEDOT-OH Nano Layer as an Electroactive Cell Interface.

Bioelectronics based on biomaterial substrates are advancing toward biomedical applications. As excellent conductors, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) and its derivatives have been widely developed in this field. However, it is still a big challenge to obtain a functional layer with a good electroconductive property, transparency, and strong adhesion on the biosubstrate. In this work, poly(hydroxymethyl-3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT-OH) was chemically polymerized and deposited on the surface of a regenerated silk fibroin (RSF) film in an aqueous system. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) was used as the surfactant to form micelles which are beneficial to the polymer structure. To overcome the trade-off between transparency and the electroconductive property of the PEDOT-OH coating, a composite oxidant recipe of FeCl3 and ammonium persulfate (APS) was developed. Through electrostatic interaction of oppositely charged doping ions, a well-organized conductive nanoscale coating formed and a transparent conductive RSF/PEDOT-OH film was produced, which can hardly be achieved in a traditional single oxidant system. The produced film had a sheet resistance (Rs) of 5.12 × 104 Ω/square corresponding to a conductivity of 8.9 × 10-2 S/cm and a maximum transmittance above 73% in the visible range. In addition, strong adhesion between PEDOT-OH and RSF and favorable electrochemical stability of the film were demonstrated. Desirable transparency of the film allowed real-time observation of live cells. Furthermore, the PEDOT-OH layer provided an improved environment for adhesion and differentiation of PC12 cells compared to the RSF surface alone. Finally, the feasibility of using the RSF/PEDOT-OH film to electrically stimulate PC12 cells was demonstrated.

A Whole-Genome Sequencing-Based Study to Delineate the Risk and Characteristics of Tuberculosis Transmission in an Insular Population Over 10 Years in Shanghai.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) has remained a tough problem in China. This study aims to identify the risk of tuberculosis transmission and to assess its characteristics. METHODS: We performed a molecular epidemiological study for patients with culture-positive Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) in Shanghai, from 2009 to 2018. Demographic information was obtained from the Tuberculosis Information Management System. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was conducted with a threshold of 12 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to distinguish the genomic cluster. To analyze the characteristics of TB transmission, the contact investigation for clustered cases was performed. RESULTS: In total, 94 (27.25%) of the 345 enrolled patients were grouped into 42 genomic clusters, indicating local transmission of M. tuberculosis strains. Compared to a health system delay <14 days, patients with a health system delay ≥14 days [adjusted odds ratios (AOR) = 2.57, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.34-4.95] were more likely to be clustered. Patients under 65 years old (AOR = 3.11, 95% CI: 1.76-5.49), residents (AOR = 2.43, 95% CI: 1.18-4.99), and Beijing genotype strains (AOR = 3.35, 95% CI: 1.32-8.53) were associated with increased risk of clustering. Interestingly, patients with resistance to isoniazid (AOR = 2.36, 95% CI: 1.15-4.88) had a higher risk of transmission. Sixteen confirmed/probable epidemiological links were identified. Local transmission of imported cases and household transmission were prominent. CONCLUSION: Health system delay is a crucial factor for TB transmission. Patients with resistance to isoniazid should be priority targets for contact investigation to reduce transmission.

Tunable Protein/Cell Binding and Interaction with Neurite Outgrowth of Low-Impedance Zwitterionic PEDOTs.

Zwitterionic poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) is an effective electronic material for bioelectronics because it exhibits efficient electrical trade-off and diminishes immune response. To promote the use of zwitterionic PEDOTs in bioelectronic devices, especially for cell alignment control and close electrocoupling, features such as tunable interaction of PEDOTs with proteins/cells and spatially modulating cell behavior are required. However, there is a lack of reliable methods to assemble zwitterionic EDOTs with other functionalized EDOT materials, having different polarities and oxidation potentials, to prepare PEDOTs with the aforementioned surface properties. In this study, we have developed a surfactant-assisted electropolymerization to assemble phosphorylcholine (PC)-functionalized EDOT with other functionalized EDOTs. By adjusting compositions, the interaction of PEDOT copolymers with proteins/cells can be finely tuned; the composition adjustment has an ignorable influence on the impedance of the copolymers. We also demonstrate that the cell-repulsive force generated from PC can spatially guide the neurite outgrowth to form a neuron network at single-cell resolution and greatly enhance the neurite outgrowth by 179%, which is significantly more distinctive than the reported topography effect. We expect that the derived tunable protein/cell interaction and the PC-induced repulsive guidance for the neurite outgrowth can make low-impedance zwitterionic PEDOTs more useful in bioelectronics.

Effect of the Xpert MTB/RIF on the detection of pulmonary tuberculosis cases and rifampicin resistance in Shanghai, China.

BACKGROUND: Xpert MTB/RIF (Xpert) is an automated molecular test recommended by World Health Organization (WHO) for diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB). This study evaluated the effect of Xpert implementation on the detection of pulmonary TB (PTB) and rifampicin-resistant TB (RR-TB) cases in Shanghai, China. METHODS: Xpert was routinely implemented in 2018 for all presumptive PTB patients. All PTB patients above 15 years-old identified within the Provincial TB Control Program during the first half of each of 2017 and 2018, were enrolled to compare the difference in proportions of bacteriological confirmation, patients with drug susceptibility test (DST) results for rifampicin (ie, DST coverage) and RR-TB detection before and after Xpert's implementation. RESULTS: A total of 6047 PTB patients were included in the analysis with 1691 tested by Xpert in 2018. Percentages of bacteriological confirmation, DST coverage and RR-TB detection in 2017 and 2018 were 50% vs. 59%, 36% vs. 49% and 2% vs. 3%, respectively (all p-values < 0.05). Among 1103 PTB patients who completed sputum smear, culture and Xpert testing in 2018, Xpert detected an additional 121 (11%) PTB patients who were negative by smear and culture, but missed 248 (23%) smear and/or culture positive patients. Besides, it accounted for an increase of 9% in DST coverage and 1% in RR-TB detection. The median time from first visit to a TB hospital to RR-TB detection was 62 days (interquartile range -IQR 48-84.2) in 2017 vs. 9 days (IQR 2-45.7) in 2018 (p-value < 0.001). In the multivariate model, using Xpert was associated with decreased time to RR-TB detection (adjusted hazard ratio = 4.62, 95% confidence interval: 3.18-6.71). CONCLUSIONS: Integrating Xpert with smear, culture and culture-based DST in a routine setting significantly increased bacteriological confirmation, DST coverage and RR-TB detection with a dramatic reduction in the time to RR-TB diagnosis in Shanghai, China. Our findings can be useful for other regions that attempt to integrate Xpert into routine PTB and RR-TB case-finding cascade. Further study should focus on the identification and elimination of operational level challenges to fully utilize the benefit of rapid diagnosis by Xpert.

HIV-related posts from a Chinese internet discussion forum: An exploratory study.

BACKGROUND: In China, the introduction of antiretroviral treatment has increased the number of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). New technologies, such as social media, might be useful for enhancing HIV surveillance, especially given the lack of Chinese research, which is related to stigma and discrimination. Thus, the relative anonymity of social media may make it useful for evaluating "hard to reach" PLWHA. SETTING: This study used social media data to assess whether it reflected the prevalence of HIV and to explore PLWHA' needs and online habits. METHODS: In 2017, the Baidu Tieba platform was searched to obtain 2,500 HIV-related postings and 2,500 tuberculosis-related postings as a comparative sample. Word clouds and coding schemes were used to analyze the contents and review the users' needs and online habits. Negative binomial regression was used to evaluate the relationships between word cloud geolocations and provincial numbers of men who have sex with men (MSM) PLWHA cases, after controlling for socioeconomic status. RESULTS: Word cloud geolocations were associated with reported MSM-PLWHA cases (p<0.001). Over one-third of the HIV-related posts were seeking advice, with 40.12% being related to medical topics, although these posts received the fewest replies. The number of HIV-related social support requests was approximately 3-fold higher than the number of posts providing social support, although relatively similar proportions of support requests and support provision were observed in the tuberculosis-related postings. CONCLUSION: Social media may help enhance HIV surveillance. Our findings also indicate that the Chinese government, non-government organizations, and healthcare professionals should offer more online support to PLWHA.

Changes in the epidemic of pulmonary tuberculosis in Shanghai from 1992 to 2016.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate whether WHO's End TB Strategy targets can be achieved by analysing the incidence trend of pulmonary tuberculosis in Shanghai during 1992-2016. METHOD: The age-adjusted annual incidence of tuberculosis (TB) was calculated based on data from the national TB registration system. Linear regression was applied to analyse the trend of the epidemic, together with the statistical indicator of annual percent change (APC). RESULTS: The overall age-standardised rate decreased from 34.8/100 000 in 1992 to 21.2/100 000 in 2016, or by 2.15% (t = -13.258, P < 0.05) annually. After rapidly declining between 1999 and 2003 (-5.4% p.a.), the epidemic remained at a stable level with a lower annual declining rate (-1.1% p.a). In 2035, the estimated incidence will be 17.2/100 000 based on the APC in 2004-2016. There were two peaks in average incidence of the total population, 30.9/100 000 in the 20-24 age group and 66.4/100 000 in the 70-74 age group. Overall, the ratio of new to retreated cases continually rose and eventually reached 8.36:1 in 2016. The constituent ratio of smear-positive cases ranged from 35.9% to 47.8% without rising or decreasing trend (P = 0.065). CONCLUSION: The epidemic of TB in Shanghai has steadily declined during last two decades. A new strategy should be developed to rapidly reduce the incidence rate to achieve the WHO Goals in 2035.

Self-Extinguishing Resin Transfer Molding Composites Using Non-Fire-Retardant Epoxy Resin.

Introducing fire-retardant additives or building blocks into resins is a widely adopted method used for improving the fire retardancy of epoxy composites. However, the increase in viscosity and the presence of insoluble additives accompanied by resin modification remain challenges for resin transfer molding (RTM) processing. We developed a robust approach for fabricating self-extinguishing RTM composites using unmodified and flammable resins. To avoid the effects on resin fluidity and processing, we loaded the flame retardant into tackifiers instead of resins. We found that the halogen-free flame retardant, a microencapsulated red phosphorus (MRP) additive, was enriched on fabric surfaces, which endowed the composites with excellent fire retardancy. The composites showed a 79.2% increase in the limiting oxygen index, a 29.2% reduction in heat release during combustion, and could self-extinguish within two seconds after ignition. Almost no effect on the mechanical properties was observed. This approach is simple, inexpensive, and basically applicable to all resins for fabricating RTM composites. This approach adapts insoluble flame retardants to RTM processing. We envision that this approach could be extended to load other functions (radar absorbing, conductivity, etc.) into RTM composites, broadening the application of RTM processing in the field of advanced functional materials.

Incident rate and risk factors for tuberculosis among patients with type 2 diabetes: retrospective cohort study in Shanghai, China.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the incident rate of tuberculosis (TB) and its associates among adults with type 2 diabetes in Shanghai, China. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study among 170 399 patients with type 2 diabetes aged ≥18 years who were registered in Shanghai community-based diabetes management system between 2004 and 2009. Their TB status was tracked until 31 December 2014. Cox regression was performed to identify the risk factors for TB. RESULTS: We documented 785 new TB cases during 654 977 person-years of follow-up. The incident rate of TB was 224.20 (206.69, 243.16) per 100 000 person-years among men and 51.34 (44.75, 58.92) per 100 000 person-years among women. A 1-unit increase of BMI was associated with a risk reduction in 16% (P < 0.01) for men and a 14% (P < 0.01) reduction for women. TB cases were more likely to be insulin-dependent [men: hazard ratio = 2.13 (1.29, 3.53); women: 3.28 (1.28, 8.39)] and had a poor glucose level initially [men: 1.21 (1.15, 1.27); women: 1.27 (1.18, 1.37)]. The risk factor for TB specific to men was a young age at diagnosis of diabetes, and the protective factor specific to women was actively engaging in physical activity. CONCLUSIONS: TB incident rate among patients with type 2 diabetes was substantially higher among men than among women. The risk of TB was reversely associated with initial BMI. The severity of poor glucose control among patients with diabetes was also linearly associated with the risk of TB.

Recurrent tuberculosis in an urban area in China: Relapse or exogenous reinfection?

Recurrent tuberculosis is an important indicator of the effectiveness of tuberculosis control and can occur by relapse or exogenous reinfection. We conducted a retrospective cohort study on all bacteriologically confirmed tuberculosis cases that were successfully treated between 2000 and 2012 in Shanghai, an urban area with a high number but a low prevalence rate of tuberculosis cases and a low prevalence of HIV infection. Genotyping the Mycobacterium tuberculosis from clinical isolates was used to distinguish between relapse and reinfection. In total, 5.3% (710/13,417) of successfully treated cases had a recurrence, a rate of 7.55 (95% CI 7.01-8.13) episodes per 1000 person-years, more than 18 times the rate of tuberculosis in the general population. Patients who were male, age 30-59, retreatment cases, had cavitation, diabetes, drug-resistant or multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in their initial episode of tuberculosis, were at high risk for a recurrence. Among 141 recurrent cases that had paired isolates, 59 (41.8%) had different genotypes, indicating reinfection with a different strain. Patients who completed treatment were still at high risk of another episode of tuberculosis and exogenous reinfection contributed a significant proportion of the recurrent tuberculosis cases. Targeted control strategies are needed to prevent new tuberculosis infections in this setting.

Evolutionary Dynamics and Complicated Genetic Transmission Network Patterns of HIV-1 CRF01_AE among MSM in Shanghai, China.

To explore the evolutionary dynamics and molecular transmission patterns of HIV-1 CRF01_AE in depth among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Shanghai, we constructed phylogenetic tree and genetic transmission networks based on 1, 152 pol sequences from MSM, 282 from other risk groups and 795 references. Phylogenetic analyses identified two distinct major CRF01_AE lineages and a Shanghai-based sub-lineage. The estimated tMRCAs for lineage 1 and 2 were 1996.0 (1992.9-1999.2) and 1997.8 (1994.3-2001.4), respectively. Of the 1, 152 MSM, 681 (59.1%) were identified as belonging to 241 separate networks. Of these 681 individuals in networks, 74.2% were linked to cases diagnosed in different years, 4.3% were linked to heterosexual women, and 0.7% were linked to persons who inject drugs. A total of 71 networks including 180 individuals diagnosed in Shanghai with the same domicile were found. Recent infection (P = 0.022) and sampling year after 2011 (P < 0.001) were significantly associated with potential transmission links among the networks. Besides, a significant transmission of viruses with drug resistant mutations at V179D/E were found in the networks. Given these findings, we propose that genetic transmission analysis is a useful tool in HIV intervention strategies to curb the spread of virus and promoting public health.