CFTR genotype analysis of Asians in international registries highlights disparities in the diagnosis and treatment of Asian patients with cystic fibrosis.

PURPOSE: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is not well-characterized in Asians, potentially resulting in delayed diagnosis and poor prognosis. We characterized CF in Asian subgroups to address these disparities. METHODS: De-identified ethnicity and CFTR variant data were obtained from the United States, United Kingdom, and Canadian CF registries. We measured the prevalence of CF, CFTR variant allele frequencies, effectiveness of screening panels, and eligibility for modulator therapies. RESULTS: The prevalence of CF was 1 in 74,982 people (Canada) to 1 in 13,340 people (United Kingdom) for South Asians and 1 in 256,541 (Canada) to 1 in 52,563 (United Kingdom) for other Asians, suggesting 26,000 to 146,000 patients with CF in South Asia. p.(F508del) variant was markedly less frequent in Asians than in non-Hispanic Whites. Splicing and nonsense variants occurred at high allelic frequencies in Asians, resulting in 41% to 49% of South Asians and 21% to 39% of other Asians being ineligible for CFTR modulator therapies. Hologic/EU2v1 panels failed to identify 37% to 47% of South Asian and 23% to 46% of other Asian patients with CF. CONCLUSIONS: Among Asians, CF appears to be more common in South Asians. A significant CF population may exist in South Asia. CFTR variants in South and other Asians markedly differ from non-Hispanic Whites causing inequities in newborn screening, diagnosis, and treatment. New strategies are necessary to mitigate these health care disparities.

Disaggregating Asian American Cigarette and Alternative Tobacco Product Use: Results from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) 2006-2018.

INTRODUCTION: Asian Americans suffer high rates of smoking and tobacco-related deaths, varying by ethnic group. Trends of cigarette and alternative tobacco product use among Asian Americans, specifically considering ethnic group, sex, and nativity, are infrequently reported. METHODS: Using National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data from 2006-2018 and the 2016-2018 alternative tobacco supplement (e-cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco, pipes), we explored cigarette and alternative tobacco product use by Asian ethnic group (Asian Indian (n = 4373), Chinese (n = 4736), Filipino (n = 4912)) in comparison to non-Hispanic Whites (NHWs (n = 275,025)), adjusting for socioeconomic and demographic factors. RESULTS: Among 289,046 adults, 12% of Filipinos were current smokers, twice the prevalence in Asian Indians and Chinese (p < 0.001). The male-female gender difference was fivefold for Chinese (10.3% vs. 2.2%; p < 0.001), eightfold for Asian Indians (8.7% vs. 1.1%; p < 0.001), and twofold for Filipinos (16.8% vs. 9.0%). Moreover, 16.3% of US-born and 10.3% of foreign-born Filipinos were current smokers. Odds of ever using e-cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco, and pipes in comparison to NHWs were lowest for Chinese (ORs 0.6, 0.5, 0.2, and 0.5). DISCUSSION: Filipinos had the highest current smoking rates of Asian ethnic groups. Though more Asian men were current smokers, the high rate of current smoking among Filipinas is concerning. More US-born Filipinos were current smokers than foreign-born, despite rates typically decreasing for US-born Asians. Investigating cultural factors contributing to less frequent use of tobacco products, such as alternative tobacco products among Chinese, may aid campaigns in curbing tobacco usage.