[Spatial distribution of canine echinococcosis in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region from 2012 to 2018].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the distribution and changing trend of canine echinococcosis in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, so as to provide the scientific evidence for prevention and control of canine echinococcosis in high-risk areas of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. METHODS: All data pertaining to Echinococcus infections in canine feces and sampling survey of human echinococcosis were collected from the echinococcosis-endemic foci of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region from 2012 to 2018, and the prevalence of Echinococcus infections was investigated in dogs and humans. In addition, the spatial distribution characteristics and clusters of canine echinococcoses were identified. RESULTS: A total of 164 139 canine fecal samples were detected in the echinococcosis-endemic foci of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region from 2012 to 2018, and there were 2 136 fecal samples positive for Echinococcus coproantigens. The positive rates of Echinococcus coproantigens were 0.54% to 1.73% in dogs from 2012 to 2018, with a tendency towards a decline seen in the prevalence of Echinococcus infections in dogs (χ2 = 108.83, P < 0.01), and there was a significant difference in the positive rate of Echinococcus coproantigens in dogs among years (χ2 = 155.27, P < 0.01). Three-dimensional trend analysis showed that canine echinococcosis was mainly concentrated in east of central Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and a high prevalence was detected in New Barag Right Banner and Sonid Right Banner. The global spatial distribution of canine echinococcosis appeared a random pattern in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region from 2012 to 2018 (Moran's I > 0, P > 0.05), and there were "high-high" and "high-low" clusters of canine echinococcosis in local areas. The prevalence of human echinococcosis was 0.08%, and there was a significant difference in the prevalence among regions (χ2 = 147.61, P < 0.01), with a high prevalence seen in West Ujimqin Banner, Jarud Banner and New Barag Right Banner. In addition, the prevalence of human echinococcosis correlated positively with the Echinococcus coproantigen-positive rate in dogs (r = 0.52, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of Echinococcus infections shows an overall tendency towards a decline in dogs in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region from 2012 to 2018, with a high prevalence found in New Barag Right Banner and Sonid Right Banner. Human echinococcosis is concentrated in clusters of canine echinococcosis, where health education and targeted control interventions requires to be intensified.

[Epidemic situation of human echinococcosis in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region: a sampling survey from 2012 to 2017].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of human echinococcosis in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, so as to provide evidence for the development of the precision control strategy of human echinococcosis in the region. METHODS: A sampling survey of human echinococcosis was conducted in 28 banners (counties, districts) of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region from 2012 to 2017, and the epidemiological characteristics were descriptively analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 90 058 residents were examined for echinococcosis in 28 banners (counties, districts) of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region from 2012 to 2017, and 71 patients were detected with echinococcosis, with a detection rate of 0.08%. No echinococcosis cases were identified in 8 banners (counties), and there were 6 banners (counties) with echinococcosis prevalence of 0.1% to 1%, and 14 with prevalence of 0 to 0.1%. The echinococcosis prevalence was significantly greater in women (0.11%) than in men (0.05%) (χ2 = 10.09, P = 0.001), and the highest prevalence was detected in patients at ages of over 50 years (38 cases, 53.52%). In addition, the highest echinococcosis prevalence was detected in herdsmen (0.14%), or in primary school children (0.13%). CONCLUSIONS: Human echinococcosis is widely, but lowly prevalent in Inner Mongolia Region, with a diverse density of infections. Echinococcosis has remarkable characteristics of regional and population clusters in Inner Mongolia Region, and the management of echinococcosis requires to be reinforced in key regions and populations.

[Spatial distribution characteristics of reported echinococcosis patients in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region from 2013 to 2018].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the spatial distribution patterns and changing tendency of reported echinococcosis patients in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region from 2013 to 2018, so as to provide the evidence for the management of echinococcosis in high-risk areas. METHODS: All data pertaining to echinococcosis patients in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region were captured from the National Notifiable Communicable Disease Reporting System from 2013 to 2018 and analyzed using a spatial epidemiological method. RESULTS: The incidence of reported echinococcosis was 0.22 to 0.41 per 100 000 in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region from 2013 to 2018, and the number of banner reporting echinococcosis patients increased from 24 in 2013 to 39 in 2018. The highly prevalent areas of echinococcosis were mainly concentrated in West Ujimqin Banner (the highest incidence, 19.23 per 100 000), East Ujimqin Banner (the highest incidence, 12.93 per 100 000) and New Barag Right Banner (the highest incidence, 11.66 per 100 000). Three-dimensional trend analysis showed that the areas with high incidence of reported echinococcosis were mainly located in central by eastern parts of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. There was a positive spatial autocorrelation in the number of echinococcosis patients, and the cases appeared a clustering distribution (Moran's I > 0, P < 0.05), with "high-high" and "low-high" regions. CONCLUSIONS: The reported echinococcosis patients show a spatial aggregation in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and the hotspot areas are mainly concentrated in Xilingol League and Chifeng City, in which targeted control interventions for Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region are recommended to be intensified.

Regulation by Per-Arnt-Sim (PAS) kinase of pancreatic duodenal homeobox-1 nuclear import in pancreatic beta-cells.

The transcription factor PDX-1 (pancreatic duodenal homeobox-1) is required for normal pancreatic development and for the function of insulin-producing islet beta-cells in mammals. We have shown previously that glucose regulates insulin gene expression in part through the activation and translocation of PDX-1 from the nuclear periphery to the nucleoplasm. We have also found that PASK [PAS (Per-Arnt-Sim) kinase], a member of the nutrient-regulated family of protein kinases, is activated in response to glucose challenge in beta-cells and is involved in the regulation of expression of PDX-1. Purified PASK efficiently phosphorylated recombinant PDX-1 in vitro on a single site (Thr-152). To determine the impact of phosphorylation at this site, we generated wild-type and mutant (T152A, T152D and T152E) forms of PDX-1 and examined the distribution of each of these in clonal MIN6 beta-cells by immunocytochemical analysis. Unexpectedly, only the T152D mutation significantly affected subcellular distribution, increasing the ratio of nuclear/cytosolic labelling at low and high glucose concentrations, suggesting that phosphorylation at Thr-152 inhibits nuclear uptake in response to glucose. Based on these results, experiments to examine the contribution of Thr-152 to the overall phosphorylation of PDX-1 in intact cells will be undertaken.