BackgroundHepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are the major causes of chronic hepatitis infection (CHI). This longitudinal cohort study investigated the association of CHI with hepatic and extrahepatic cancer development in Taiwan.MethodsPatients with HBV infection and HCV infection were identified from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. A Cox proportional hazard model was used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) for determining the association between CHI and cancer development.ResultsThe patients with HBV infection exhibited an increased risk of colorectal cancer (HR: 1.36, 95 % CI: 1.09–1.70), liver cancer (HR: 21.47, 95 % CI: 18.0–25.6), gallbladder and extrahepatic bile duct cancer (HR: 2.05, 95 % CI: 1.07–3.91), pancreatic cancer (HR: 2.61, 95 % CI: 1.47–4.61), kidney cancer (HR: 1.72, 95 % CI: 1.10–2.68), ovarian cancer (HR: 2.31, 95 % CI: 1.21–4.39), and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HR: 2.10, 95 % CI: 1.25–3.52). The patients with HCV infection exhibited an increased risk of liver cancer (HR: 25.10, 95 % CI: 20.9–30.2), gallbladder and extrahepatic bile duct cancer (HR: 2.60, 95 % CI: 1.42–4.73), ovarian cancer (HR: 5.15, 95 % CI: 1.98–13.4), and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HR: 2.30, 95 % CI: 1.34–3.96).ConclusionThe present population-based study revealed that in addition to its association with primary liver cancer, CHI is associated with an increased risk of extrahepatic cancer.

The poor transferability of genetic risk scores (GRSs) derived from European ancestry data in diverse populations is a cause of concern. We set out to evaluate whether GRSs derived from data of African American individuals and multiancestry data perform better in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) compared to European ancestry-derived scores. Using summary statistics from the Million Veteran Program (MVP), we showed that GRSs derived from data of African American individuals enhance polygenic prediction of lipid traits in SSA compared to European and multiancestry scores. However, our GRS prediction varied greatly within SSA between the South African Zulu (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), R2 = 8.14%) and Ugandan cohorts (LDL-C, R2 = 0.026%). We postulate that differences in the genetic and environmental factors between these population groups might lead to the poor transferability of GRSs within SSA. More effort is required to optimize polygenic prediction in Africa.

Background and AimLynch syndrome, caused by germline mutations in mismatch repair genes, is a predisposing factor for colorectal cancer (CRC). This retrospective cohort study investigated the risk factors associated with the development of CRC in patients with MLH1 and MSH2 germline mutations.MethodsIn total, 301 MLH1 and MSH2 germline mutation carriers were identified from the Amsterdam criteria family registry provided by the Taiwan Hereditary Nonpolyposis Colorectal Cancer Consortium. A Cox proportional hazard model was used to calculate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to determine the association between the risk factors and CRC development. A robust sandwich covariance estimation model was used to evaluate family dependence.ResultsAmong the total cohort, subjects of the Hakka ethnicity exhibited an increased CRC risk (HR = 1.62, 95% CI = 1.09–2.34); however, those who performed regular physical activity exhibited a decreased CRC risk (HR = 0.62, 95% CI = 0.41–0.88). The CRC risk was enhanced in MLH1 germline mutation carriers, with corresponding HRs of 1.72 (95% CI = 1.16–2.55) and 0.54 (95% CI = 0.34–0.83) among subjects of the Hakka ethnicity and those who performed regular physical activity, respectively. In addition, the total cohort with a manual occupation had a 1.56 times higher CRC risk (95% CI = 1.07–2.27) than did that with a skilled occupation. Moreover, MSH2 germline mutation carriers with blood group type B exhibited an increased risk of CRC development (HR = 2.64, 95% CI = 1.06–6.58) compared with those with blood group type O.ConclusionThe present study revealed that Hakka ethnicity, manual occupation, and blood group type B were associated with an increased CRC risk, whereas regular physical activity was associated with a decreased CRC risk in MLH1 and MSH2 germline mutation carriers.

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Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) kill more than 41 million people every year, accounting for 71% of all deaths globally. The prevalence of NCDs is estimated to be higher than that of infectious diseases in Africa by 2030. Precision medicine may help with early identification of cases, resulting in timely prevention and improvement in the efficacy of treatments. However, Africa has been lagging behind in genetic research, a key component of the precision medicine initiative. A number of genomic research initiatives which could lead to translational genomics are emerging on the African continent which includes the Non-communicable Diseases Genetic Heritage Study (NCDGHS) and the Men of African Descent and Carcinoma of the Prostate (MADCaP) Network. These offer a promise that precision medicine can be applied in African countries. This review evaluates the advances of genetic studies for cancer, hypertension, type 2 diabetes and body mass index (BMI) in Africa.

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Background In populations with high rates of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-coinfection, the nature of the relationship between human papillomavirus (HPV)-16 and -18 (L1, E6 and E7) antibodies and cervical cancer is still uncertain. We measured the association between seropositivity to HPV (L1, E6 and E7) proteins and cervical cancer among black South African women with and without HIV co-infection. Methods We used questionnaire data and serum collected from consecutively recruited patients with a newly diagnosed cancer from the Johannesburg Cancer Study from 1346 cervical cancer cases and 2532 controls (diagnosed with other non-infection related cancers). Seropositivity to HPV proteins was measured using a multiplex serological assay based on recombinant glutathione S-transferase (GST) fusion proteins. We measured associations between their presence and cervical cancer using unconditional logistic regression models and evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of these HPV biomarkers. Results Among controls, HIV-negative women from rural areas compared to urban had significantly higher HPV seroprevalence, HPV16 E7 (8.6% vs 3.7%) and HPV18 E7 (7.9% vs 2.0%). HPV16 E6 and E7 antibodies were positively associated with cervical cancer in HIV-positive (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 33; 95% CI 10–107) and HIV-negative women (AOR = 97; 95% CI 46–203). In HIV-positive women, HPV E6/E7 antibodies had low sensitivity (43.0%) and high specificity (90.6%) for cervical cancer detection. In HIV-negative women, HPV E6/E7 antibodies sensitivity was 70.6% and specificity was 89.7%. Conclusions Our data show that HPV (L1, especially E6 and E7) antibody positivity is associated with cervical cancer in both HIV-positive and HIV-negative women. Nonetheless, being HIV-positive plays an important role in the development of cervical cancer.

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