Search

BackgroundBehavioral interventions (BIs) remained the cornerstone of HIV prevention in resource-limited settings. One of the major concerns for such efforts is the loss-to-follow-up (LTFU) that threatens almost every HIV control program involving high-risk population groups.MethodsTo evaluate the factors associated with LTFU during BIs and HIV testing among men who have sex with men (MSM), 410 HIV sero-negatives MSM were recruited using respondent driven sampling (RDS) in Nanjing, China during 2008, they were further followed for 18 months. At baseline and each follow-up visits, each participant was counseled about various HIV risk-reductions BIs at a designated sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinic.ResultsAmong 410 participants recruited at baseline, altogether 221 (53.9%) were LTFU at the 18-month follow-up visit. Overall, 46 participants were found to be positive for syphilis infection at baseline while 13 participants were HIV sero-converted during the follow-up period. Increasing age was less (Adjusted Odds Ratio(aOR) of 0.90, 95% confidence Interval (CI) 0.86-0.94) and official residency of provinces other than Nanjing (AOR of 2.49, 95%CI 1.32-4.71), lower level of education (AOR of 2.01, 95%CI 1.10-3.66) and small social network size (AOR of 1.75, 95%CI 1.09-2.80) were more likely to be associated with higher odds of LTFU.ConclusionTo improve retention in the programs for HIV control, counseling and testing among MSM in Nanjing, focused intensified intervention targeting those who were more likely to be LTFU, especially the young, less educated, unofficial residents of Nanjing who had smaller social network size, might be helpful.

BackgroundRespondent-driven-sampling (RDS) has well been recognized as a method for sampling from most hard-to-reach populations like commercial sex workers, drug users and men who have sex with men. However the feasibility of this sampling strategy in terms of recruiting a diverse spectrum of these hidden populations has not been understood well yet in developing countries.MethodsIn a cross sectional study in Nanjing city of Jiangsu province of China, 430 MSM were recruited including 9 seeds in 14 weeks of study period using RDS. Information regarding socio-demographic characteristics and sexual risk behavior were collected and testing was done for HIV and syphilis. Duration, completion, participant characteristics and the equilibrium of key factors were used for assessing feasibility of RDS. Homophily of key variables, socio-demographic distribution and social network size were used as the indicators of diversity.ResultsIn the study sample, adjusted HIV and syphilis prevalence were 6.6% and 14.6% respectively. Majority (96.3%) of the participants were recruited by members of their own social network. Although there was a tendency for recruitment within the same self-identified group (homosexuals recruited 60.0% homosexuals), considerable cross-group recruitment (bisexuals recruited 52.3% homosexuals) was also seen. Homophily of the self-identified sexual orientations was 0.111 for homosexuals. Upon completion of the recruitment process, participant characteristics and the equilibrium of key factors indicated that RDS was feasible for sampling MSM in Nanjing. Participants recruited by RDS were found to be diverse after assessing the homophily of key variables in successive waves of recruitment, the proportion of characteristics after reaching equilibrium and the social network size. The observed design effects were nearly the same or even better than the theoretical design effect of 2.ConclusionRDS was found to be an efficient and feasible sampling method for recruiting a diverse sample of MSM in a reasonable time.

Background: The relationship between Fas -1377 G/A polymorphism and cancer susceptibility has been implicated in accumulating data. However, the data presented inconsistent results. This study was devised to investigate the association of Fas -1377 G/A polymorphism and cancer susceptibility in a large number of participants. Methods: The databases of PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science were searched and a total of 27 case-control studies including 13,355 cases and 16,078 controls were included in this meta-analysis. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using the fixed-effects model. Statistical analyses were performed by using Stata software. Results: The results suggested that Fas -1377 G/A polymorphism was overall associated with cancer susceptibility (additive model: OR, 1.16, 95%CI = 1.06–1.27, Pheterogeneity  = 0.381; recessive model: OR, 1.19, 95%CI = 1.10–1.29, Pheterogeneity  = 0.137). In the subgroup analysis by cancer type, significantly increased risk was observed in breast cancer (additive model: OR, 1.24, 95%CI = 1.04–1.58, Pheterogeneity  = 0.614; recessive model: OR, 1.24, 95%CI = 1.02–1.51, Pheterogeneity  = 0.349) and lung cancer (recessive model: OR, 1.25, 95%CI = 1.04–1.49, Pheterogeneity  = 0.090). Similarly, elevated cancer risk associated with Fas -1377 G/A polymorphism was revealed in Asians. Conclusions: The combined results suggest that Fas -1377 G/A polymorphism might modulate cancer susceptibility in an Asian-specific manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]