Kazakh Ethnicity Research Articles

Associations of Amino Acids with the Risk of Prediabetes: A Case-Control Study from Kazakhstan.

The high global prevalence of prediabetes requires its early identification. Amino acids (AAs) have emerged as potential predictors of prediabetes. This study investigates the association between amino acids and prediabetes in the Kazakh population. In this case-control study, serum AAs levels were measured using the Trace GC 1310 gas chromatography system coupled with the TSQ 8000 triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (Thermo Scientific, Austin, TX, USA) followed by silylation with the BSTFA + 1% TMCS derivatization method. Biochemical parameters, including total cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C, triglycerides, fasting glucose, HbA1c, and Creatinine, were assessed for each participant. Trained professionals conducted anthropometric and physical examinations (which included taking blood pressure and heart rate measurements) and family history collection. A total of 112 Kazakh individuals with prediabetes and 55 without prediabetes, aged 36-65 years, were included in the study. Only Alanine and valine showed a significant association with prediabetes risk among the 13 AAs analyzed. Our findings revealed an inverse relationship between Alanine and Valine and prediabetes in individuals of Kazakh ethnicity. A lower serum level of Alanine and Valine may serve as a predictive biomarker for prediabetes in the Kazakh population.

Late diagnosis of CKD and associated survival after initiation of renal replacement therapy in Kazakhstan: analysis of nationwide electronic healthcare registry 2014–2019

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) presents a significant global health challenge, often progressing to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) necessitating renal replacement therapy (RRT). Late referral (LR) to nephrologists before RRT initiation is linked with adverse outcomes. However, data on CKD diagnosis and survival post-RRT initiation in Kazakhstan remain limited. This study aims to investigate the impact of late CKD diagnosis on survival prognosis after RRT initiation. Data were acquired from the Unified National Electronic Health System (UNEHS) for CKD patients initiating RRT between 2014 and 2019. Survival post-RRT initiation was assessed using the Cox Proportional Hazards Model. Totally, 211,655 CKD patients were registered in the UNEHS databases and 9,097 (4.3%) needed RRT. The most prevalent age group among RRT patients is 45–64 years, with a higher proportion of males (56%) and Kazakh ethnicity (64%). Seventy-four percent of patients were diagnosed late. The median follow-up time was 537 (IQR: 166–1101) days. Late diagnosis correlated with worse survival (HR = 1.18, p < 0.001). Common comorbidities among RRT patients include hypertension (47%), diabetes (21%), and cardiovascular diseases (26%). The history of transplantation significantly influenced survival. Regional disparities in survival probabilities were observed, highlighting the need for collaborative efforts in healthcare delivery. This study underscores the substantial burden of CKD in Kazakhstan, with a majority of patients diagnosed late. Early detection strategies and timely kidney transplantation emerge as crucial interventions to enhance survival outcomes.

Polymorphism of Folate Metabolism Genes among Ethnic Kazakh Women with Preeclampsia in Kazakhstan: A Descriptive Study.

Preeclampsia is a severe multifactorial complication of pregnancy. Studies found associations between folate metabolism genes' polymorphisms and preeclampsia. However, investigations in this field are limited among Asian populations. Thus, the study's aim was to evaluate the prevalence of methionine synthase (MTR), methionine synthase reductase (MTRR), and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) genes' polymorphisms among ethnic Kazakh women with preeclampsia. This was a retrospective study involving 4246 patients' data for the period of 2018-2022. Identification of MTR, MTRR, and MTHFR genes' polymorphism was performed via PR-PCR. Peripheral blood samples were obtained for the analyses. In total, 4246 patients' data of Kazakh ethnicity with preeclampsia at >20 weeks gestational age who had undergone an investigation to identify polymorphisms of the folate metabolism pathway genes for the period of 5 years were included in this study. The most common and prevalent mutation was the MTRR A66G polymorphism: 24.5% of all tested patients with preeclampsia had the MTRR A66G polymorphism. It was highest among the 35-39 age group participants. The second most prevalent was the MTHFR C677T polymorphism: 9% of women with preeclampsia had the MTHFR C677T mutation. It was highest among women aged 30-34. There was a rare association of the MTR A2756G mutation with preeclampsia among the study participants. The identified levels of MTRR A66G and MTHFR C677T polymorphisms among the study participants suggest the importance of evaluating MTRR and MTHFR polymorphisms in women with preeclampsia. The role of the MTR A2756G polymorphism in the development of preeclampsia needs to be further investigated.

Epidemiology of glomerular diseases in Kazakhstan during the period of 2014-2019: data from the Unified national electronic healthcare system

&lt;b&gt;Brief Description: &lt;/b&gt;The investigation of glomerular disease prevalence is vital for comprehending chronic kidney disease development, particularly in regions like Kazakhstan and Central Asia, where confirming data is lacking. This study focuses on the epidemiology of glomerular diseases, utilizing registered cases of glomerular diseases in the national electronic health system.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;b&gt;Research Methods: &lt;/b&gt;The research involves data from 31,421 patients recorded in the Unified National Electronic Healthcare System database, covering glomerular diseases with ICD-10 codes N01-N08 between 2014 and 2019. Descriptive statistics encompass demographic characteristics, all-cause mortality, prevalence and incidence rates, and comorbidities.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;b&gt;Results: &lt;/b&gt;Results reveal a substantial rise in diagnosed cases from 7,756 (2014) to 30,686 (2019), with corresponding all-cause mortality increasing from 254 to 1,025. Also, new cases went up from 4,875 (2014) to 6,320 (2019). Over the period, 51% were women, 49% were men, and 67% were of Kazakh ethnicity. Russian nationality constituted 16%, and other ethnic groups comprised 17%. Diabetes mellitus emerged as the primary comorbidity, associated with 20% of cases.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;b&gt;Conclusion: &lt;/b&gt;This is the first descriptive study in Central Asia scrutinizing the epidemiology of patients with glomerular diseases (ICD-10 code N01-N08) using administrative healthcare data in Kazakhstan. The findings indicate an escalation in prevalence and mortality, coupled with a gradual increase in incidence among glomerular disease patients from 2014 to 2019. The study underscores the pivotal role of diabetes mellitus as a predominant comorbidity in this context.

Mutation Characteristics of inhA and katG Genes in Isoniazid-Resistant Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Patients in Xinjiang

Objective: To analyze the mutation characteristics of inhA and katG genes in isoniazid-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Xinjiang. Methods: The katG and inhA in 148 strains of isoniazid-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis were amplified through fluorescence quantitative PCR, and the amplified products were sequenced and compared. Results:The inhA gene mutation rate of 148 strains of isoniazid-resistant mycobacterium tuberculosis was 13.51% (20/148), among which the inhA gene mutation rate among patients of Han, Uygur, and Kazakh ethnicity were 15.87%, 13.21%, and 17.65%, respectively. There was no significant difference in the inhA mutation rate among nationalities (c2 = 2.897, P &gt; 0.05). The mutation rate of the katG gene was 84.46% (125/148), among which the mutation rates of patients of Han, Uyghur, and Kazak ethnicities were 82.54%, 84.91%, and 76.47%, respectively. The Hui and other ethnic groups were all affected by the katG gene mutation. There was no significant difference in the mutation rate of the katG gene among different ethnicities (c2 = 3.772, P &gt; 0.05). The mutation rates of the inhA gene in southern Xinjiang, northern Xinjiang, and other provinces were 18.60%, 9.28%, and 37.50%, respectively. The mutation rates of the inhA gene in different regions were statistically different (c2 = 6.381, P &lt; 0.05). There was no significant difference in the inhA mutation rate between patients from southern and northern Xinjiang (c2 = 2.214, P &gt; 0.05) and between southern Xinjiang and other provinces (c2 =1.424, P &gt; 0.05). However, the mutation rate of the inhA gene in patients from other provinces was higher than that in northern Xinjiang (c2 = 5.539, P &lt; 0.05). The mutation rates of the katG gene in southern Xinjiang, northern Xinjiang, and other provinces were 81.40%, 87.63%, and 62.50%, respectively. There was no significant difference in the mutation rates of the katG gene among different regions (c2 = 3.989, P &gt; 0.05). Conclusion: katG gene mutation was predominant in isoniazid-resistant tuberculosis patients in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and inhA and katG gene mutation were no different among different ethnic groups.

Frequencies of Diagnostically Significant Polymorphisms of Hereditary Breast Cancer Forms in BRCA1 and BRCA2 Genes in the Kazakh Population.

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women in the world with more than 400,000 deaths each year worldwide. The aim of this study is to compare population frequencies of alleles and genotypes of polymorphic variants of BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes associated with breast cancer risk in an ethnically homogenous Kazakh population with previously studied world populations. The material of the study was DNA isolated from peripheral blood of the enrolled population control group, represented by 1800 conditionally healthy individuals of Kazakh ethnicity. The DNA extraction was possible with the use of M-PVA magnetic particle separation method on the Prepito (PerkinElmer) automatic analyser for extraction of Chemagic Prepito (Wallac, Finland) nucleic acids using the PrepitoDNACytoPure reagent kit. Statistical calculations of allele and genotype frequencies, significance tests, and non-parametric χ2 analysis were carried out using PLINK software. The results favour for the high genetic heterogeneity of the studied polymorphisms, which reflects the specifics of the Kazakh population structure resulted from complex evolutionary and migration processes, as well as the median geographic location between the populations of Asia and Europe. Knowledge of the spectrum and frequency of mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes predisposing to breast cancer, which are present in varying frequencies in the Kazakh population, will provide a more effective approach to the screening protocol and allow for a faster, less expensive and more accessible genetic testing strategy for the Kazakhstan citizens.

Burden of heart failure in Kazakhstan: data from the unified national healthcare system 2014-2021

Abstract Background Heart failure (HF) affected 64.3 million people worldwide and contributed to 9.9 million years lived with disability globally in 2017. Despite its global relevance, there is a lack of comprehensive statistics on the prevalence, incidence, and burden of HF in developing Central Asian countries. This study aims to fill the gap and present the data for Kazakhstan, the largest Central Asian country. Methods HF cases were identified through the Unified National Electronic Healthcare System records for 2014-2021 using the appropriate ICD-10 codes. Descriptive and survival analyses were used to present demographics, incidence, prevalence, and mortality rates. The calculation of DALYs is done according to the WHO methods. The information on comorbid conditions based on respective ICD-10 codes was collected by merging the databases using unique deidentifying patient numbers. Results During the observation period between 2014-2021 years, 501,663 patients with HF were identified, of them 52% were females, 86% were older than 50 years of age, and 58% were of Kazakh ethnicity. Hypertension, history of cerebrovascular diseases, and myocardial infarction were present in 40%, 34%, and 22% of the cohort, respectively. The age and sex-specific incidence show that women have higher incidence before 30 years of age compared to men. In addition, incidence rates for both sexes and all age categories decreased in 2021 compared to 2014. The prevalence dramatically increased from 4393 people per million population (PMP) to 22,088 PMP, while mortality rates changed from 367 to 721 PMP during the observation period. In 2021, 2,964,062 age and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) were lost due to HF in Kazakhstan. More than 2 million DALYs belong to years of life lost (YLLs). Conclusions The DALYs show high economic and social loss due to high mortality among patients. Healthcare policymakers should prioritize the enhancement of cardiac services and the mitigation of its risk factors. Key messages • This study highlights the high burden of heart failure in Kazakhstan, with over 2 million DALYs lost in 2021 alone. Healthcare policymakers must prioritize cardiac services and risk factor reduction. • Lack of comprehensive data on HF in Central Asia made it difficult to tackle the burden. This study fills this gap, presenting valuable information for policymakers to reduce social and economic loss.

Determination of genetic predisposition to early breast cancer in women of Kazakh ethnicity.

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common type of cancer among women in Kazakhstan. To date, little data are available on the spectrum of genetic variation in Kazakh women with BC. We aimed to identify population-specific genetic markers associated with the risk of developing early-onset BC and test their association with clinical and prognostic factors. The study included 224 Kazakh women diagnosed with BC (≤40 age). Entire coding regions (>1700 exons) and the flanking noncoding regions of 94 cancer-associated genes were sequenced from blood DNA using MiSeq platform. We identified 38 unique pathogenic variants (PVs) in 13 different cancer-predisposing genes among 57 patients (25.4%), of which 6 variants were novel. In total, 12 of the 38 distinct PVs were detected recurrently, including BRCA1 c.5266dup, c.5278-2del, and c.2T>C, and BRCA2 c.9409dup and c.9253del that may be founder in this population. BRCA1 carriers were significantly more likely to develop triple-negative BC (OR = 6.61, 95% CI 2.44-17.91, p = 0.0002) and have family history of BC (OR = 3.17, 95% CI 1.14-8.76, p = 0.03) compared to non-carriers. This study allowed the identification of PVs specific to early-onset BC, which may be used as a foundation to develop regional expertise and diagnostic tools for early detection of BC in young Kazakh women.

Exploring the Characteristic Aroma Components of Traditional Fermented Koumiss of Kazakh Ethnicity in Different Regions of Xinjiang by Combining Modern Instrumental Detection Technology with Multivariate Statistical Analysis Methods for Odor Activity Value and Sensory Analysis.

To investigate the characteristic aromatic compounds, present in the traditional fermented koumiss of the Kazakh ethnic group in different regions of Xinjiang, GC-IMS, and GC-MS were used to analyze the volatile compounds in koumiss from four regions. A total of 87 volatile substances were detected, and esters, acids, and alcohols were found to be the main aroma compounds in koumiss. While the types of aroma compounds in koumiss were similar across different regions, the differences in their concentrations were significant and displayed clear regional characteristics. The fingerprint spectrum of GC-IMS, combined with PLS-DA analysis, indicates that eight distinctive volatile compounds, including ethyl butyrate, can be utilized to distinguish between different origins. Additionally, we analyzed the OVA value and sensory quantification of koumiss in different regions. We found that aroma components such as ethyl caprylate and ethyl caprate, which exhibit buttery and milky characteristics, were prominent in the YL and TC regions. In contrast, aroma components such as phenylethanol, which feature a floral fragrance, were more prominent in the ALTe region. The aroma profiles of koumiss from the four regions were defined. These studies provide theoretical guidance for the industrial production of Kazakh koumiss products.

Ethnicity as a factor in the subjective experience of loneliness in students

Introduction. The phenomenon of loneliness is multidimensional and ambigu­ous. Attitudes to loneliness are heterogeneous and mediated, among many factors, by cultural and ethnic features. Territorial proximity and historically conditioned relations and migrations of Ural-Siberian territories and Kazakhstan allow conducting intercultural and interethnic re­search. This research is devoted to the study of specifics of loneliness experience by first-year students – representatives of these nations. The problem of loneliness becomes especially ur­gent as a result of growth of anxious and depressive states, and sometimes suicidal and victim behaviour among first-year students.Aim. The aim of the current research is to identify ethnic aspects of the subjective ex­perience of loneliness of first-year students studying in Russia and Kazakhstan. The research examines the specifics of experiencing loneliness by students of different ethnic backgrounds (Russians, Kazakhs), 197 students (119 males and 78 females).Research design. The research design involved the determination of loneliness factors for the entire empirical sample (factor analysis) with subsequent calculation of the values of the received factors for each respondent. Then students were compared separately for boys and girls of Kazakh and Russian ethnicity.Measurements. To conduct the research, the authors used a set of methods to study loneliness, Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale and a questionnaire to identify the level and na­ture of loneliness by G. R. Shagivaleeva.Results. The authors found that the component composition of loneliness can be repre­sented by three factors: depressive experience of loneliness, positive experience of loneliness, experience of loneliness in interpersonal relationships. It was revealed that students of Kazakh ethnicity expressed a negative perception of loneliness (p = 0.007), actualising depressive ten­dencies. A positive experience of loneliness is more characteristic of girls than boys (p = 0.02). For girls of Kazakh ethnicity, separation from the parental family enhances the feeling of lone­liness (p &lt; 0.05).Scientific novelty. The presented research results confirm the multidimensional nature of the phenomenon of loneliness, which determines the ambiguity of attitudes towards it and gives special weight to the value attitude towards loneliness in culture. Differences in the expe­rience of loneliness by students, due to the specifics of ethnic attitudes, are revealed. Theoretical significance of the study is determined by the identified regularities in the component composition of the experience of loneliness by students of two ethnic groups (Rus­sians and Kazakhs), its content and gender-role specificity.Practical significance. Empirical data contribute to the understanding of the ethnic characteristics of students’ experiences of loneliness and can serve as the basis for the devel­opment of university programmes that enhance psychological well-being.

The Regional Burden and Disability-Adjusted Life Years of Knee Osteoarthritis in Kazakhstan 2014-2020.

A Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study reported that 9.6 million years lived with disability (YLDs) were lost due to hip and knee osteoarthritis (KOA) in 2017. Although the GBD study presents the disease burden at the global level, there is no information on any Central Asian country. This study aims to investigate the epidemiology of knee osteoarthritis in Kazakhstan. The data of 56,895 people with KOA between 2014-2020 was derived from the Unified National Electronic Health System of Kazakhstan and retrospectively analyzed. The majority of the cohort (76%) were women, of Kazakh ethnicity (66%), and older than 50 years of age (87%). The risk of gonarthrosis escalated for women after 50 years and peaked at 75 years with a rate of 3062 females admitted to hospital per 100,000 women in the population. This observation is approximately three times higher than for men of the same age group. A geographical analysis showed that the Jambyl oblast, West Kazakhstan, North Kazakhstan, and the Akmola oblast have the highest burden of disease. During the observation period, 127,077 age-adjusted YLDs were lost due to knee osteoarthritis. This is the first study in Kazakhstan to investigate the burden of knee osteoarthritis. This research recognizes age and sex-based differences, and regional disparities in the incidence of knee osteoarthritis. This knowledge can lead to the development of more specific diagnostic approaches and gender-personalized therapy protocols for patients.

Conceptualization of religion in Linguistic Consciousness of Kazakh Ethnicity

Religion is the only area where rational-analytical activity, which is obligatory for science, provokes a tense attitude towards itself. In this respect, the identification of religion as a concept, describing its content, structure, and development, as well as its impact on the nation causes a high interest.&#x0D; The article presents the results of a psycholinguistic study, the purpose of which was to describe the ways of conceptualizing religion by the representatives of the Kazakh language and culture, modeling the associative field “religion” in the Kazakh language, identifying the features of conceptualizing religion in the Kazakh linguistic culture. The material of the research was the data of psycholinguistic study conducted with the native speakers of the Kazakh language. The method of obtaining data was a free associative experiment with the registration of answers given for a certain period of time to the stimulus word дін / religion.&#x0D; The obtained associative data were distributed according to the frequency criterion, followed by modeling the associative field and its cognitive structure. The associative field “religion” in the Kazakh linguistic consciousness includes agents and artifacts of religion, rituals, beliefs, immaterial aspects, figures, and types of religion. The most frequent associations with religion in the Kazakh linguistic consciousness are мешіт / mosque (13%), Құдай / God (11%), сенім / faith (10%), Ислам / Islam (10%), шіркеу / church (9.5%), Құран / Quran (7.5%), жан / soul (7%), жарық / light (6%), атеизм / atheism (5.5%), дұға ету / pray (5%).&#x0D; The associative field “religion / дін” modelled as a result of the psycholinguistic study consists of the features ‘Islam’, ‘mosque’, ‘God’, and ‘faith’ in the centre of the field, and the features ‘bata’, ‘pray, ‘zeket’, and ‘oraza’ in the near periphery of the field model “religion / дін”, which demonstrates the relevance of these Islamic religious artifacts and acts to the Kazakh linguistic consciousness.

Genetic predisposition to gestational diabetes mellitus in the Kazakh population

Background and aimsThe purpose of the study was to conduct a comparative analysis of population frequencies of alleles and genotypes of polymorphic variants of genes for impaired insulin synthesis and associated with insulin signal transduction. MethodsThis investigation uses a genomic database of 1800 conditionally healthy individuals of Kazakh ethnicity, who underwent full genome genotyping using OmniChip 2.5–8 Illumina chips of ∼2.5 million Single Nucleotide Polymorphism at deCODE Iceland Genomic Centre. ResultsThe highest frequency of carriage of minor A allele – 17.6% rs4607517 polymorphism of Glucokinase gene, unfavorable genotypes A/G – 29.5% and A/A – 3.0% in comparison with European and Asian populations, indicates a contribution of hereditary family forms of Maturity-onset diabetes of the young type 2 to gestational diabetes mellitus in Kazakh population. ConclusionsThe study of the associations of genetic markers of gestational diabetes mellitus will allow timely identification of high-risk groups before and at an early stage of pregnancy, carrying out the necessary effective preventive measures and, in the case of gestational diabetes mellitus development, optimizing the correction of carbohydrate metabolism disorders and predicting outcomes for the mother and the fetus.

Epidemiology of type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus in Kazakhstan: data from unified National Electronic Health System 2014–2019

BackgroundWe aimed to explore descriptive epidemiology of T1 and T2 Diabetes Mellitus (DM) and to investigate demographic factors and comorbidities associated with all-cause mortality by aggregating and utilizing large-scale administrative healthcare data from the Unified National Electronic Health System (UNEHS) of Kazakhstan for 2014–2019 years period.MethodsA total of 475,539 individuals were included in the analyses. The median years of follow-up for Type 1 DM patients accounted for 4.7 years and 4.5 years in Type 2 DM patients. We used Kaplan-Meier and log-rank test to calculate failure function and differences in survival by age, sex, ethnicity, and comorbidities with all-cause mortality for Type 1 and Type 2 DM. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to obtain crude and adjusted hazard ratios.ResultsPrevalence of Type 1 and Type 2 DM increased 1.7 times from 2014 to 2019. Mortality of Type 1 and Type 2 DM also increased 4 times and 6 times from 2014 to 2019, respectively. Male sex, older age and Kazakh ethnicity were associated with a higher risk of all-cause death compared to females, younger age and other nationalities than Kazakh in patients with Type 1 and Type 2 DM. Coronary artery disease, diabetic nephropathy, stroke, amputations and neoplasms were associated with a higher risk of all-cause death.ConclusionThe prevalence and mortality rate of Type 1 and Type 2 DM increased during the years 2014–2019 in Kazakhstan. Male sex, older age and Kazakh ethnicity were associated with a higher risk of all-cause death compared to females, younger age and other nationalities than Kazakh. Coronary artery disease, diabetic nephropathy, stroke, amputations and neoplasms were associated with a higher risk of all-cause death.

Diets and cholesterol metabolism

<p indent="0mm">Cholesterol is an essential component of most biological membranes and is the precursor for synthesis of steroid hormones and bile acids. In addition, numerous proteins can be modified by cholesterol, which are essential for embryonic development and cell proliferation. However, high level of blood cholesterol is a major risk factor of atherosclerosis. Therefore, cholesterol metabolism is tightly regulated by mammalian cells. Humans acquire cholesterol through de novo biosynthesis and intestinal absorption from foods. Bao-Liang Song’s research team at Wuhan University has long been devoted to the research of cholesterol metabolism, and has made a series of important original discoveries. The team systematically elucidated the negative feedback regulatory pathway of cholesterol synthesis -- HMGCR degradation pathway, revealed the molecular pathway of dietary induction of cholesterol synthesis, and proposed a new lipid-lowering strategy. They also identified a series of important proteins in the intestinal cholesterol absorption pathway. They found a rare frameshift variant in the LIMA1 gene from a Chinese family of Kazakh ethnicity with inherited low LDL-C and reduced cholesterol absorption. They demonstrated LIMA1 as a key protein regulating intestinal cholesterol absorption. This article focuses on diets and cholesterol metabolism, and reviews the relevant mechanisms of cholesterol synthesis regulation and intestinal cholesterol absorption, as well as the important achievements made by the cholesterol research team of Wuhan University.

High SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in Karaganda, Kazakhstan before the launch of COVID-19 vaccination.

COVID-19 exposure in Central Asia appears underestimated and SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence data are urgently needed to inform ongoing vaccination efforts and other strategies to mitigate the regional pandemic. Here, in a pilot serologic study we assessed the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibody-mediated immunity in a multi-ethnic cohort of public university employees in Karaganda, Kazakhstan. Asymptomatic subjects (n = 100) were recruited prior to their first COVID-19 vaccination. Questionnaires were administered to capture a range of demographic and clinical characteristics. Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected for SARS-CoV-2 RT-qPCR testing. Serological assays were performed to detect spike (S)-reactive IgG and IgA and to assess virus neutralization. Pre-pandemic samples were used to validate the assay positivity thresholds. S-IgG and -IgA seropositivity rates among SARS-CoV-2 PCR-negative participants (n = 100) were 42% (95% CI [32.2-52.3]) and 59% (95% CI [48.8-69.0]), respectively, and 64% (95% CI [53.4-73.1]) of the cohort tested positive for at least one of the antibodies. S-IgG titres correlated with virus neutralization activity, detectable in 49% of the tested subset with prior COVID-19 history. Serologically confirmed history of COVID-19 was associated with Kazakh ethnicity, but not with other ethnic minorities present in the cohort, and self-reported history of respiratory illness since March 2020. Overall, SARS-CoV-2 exposure in this cohort was ~15-fold higher compared to the reported all-time national and regional COVID-19 prevalence, consistent with recent studies of excess infection and death in Kazakhstan. Continuous serological surveillance provides important insights into COVID-19 transmission dynamics and may be used to better inform the regional public health response.

THE LINGUISTIC PICTURE OF THE WORLD IN THE LANGUAGE OF THE GOLDEN HORDE MONUMENTS

In the article, written monuments of the Golden Horde period are considered as an integral linguistic heritage, on the basis of a comprehensive study of the language of written monuments, their consonance with the spiritual culture of the Kazakhs is shown. An attempt is made to reveal the linguistic picture of the world through linguistic phenomena based on the ideological community of the ancient culture of the Kipchaks and modern Kazakh culture, identifying language and ethnicity as a single whole. To achieve this goal, an ethnocultural analysis of phraseological units as keepers and carriers of the linguistic picture of the world is made.Concrete data substantiates the ability of stable phrases in the language of written monuments to convey cultural information about the national mentality, which testifies to its unity, community and integrity with the worldview and understanding of the world, the cultural tradition of the Kazakhs, which originates from the origins of time.

KAZAKH CULTURA AS THE BASIC FOR THE NATION-BUILDING OF THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN

The article is devoted to the study of the role of the factor of Kazakh ethnicity in the process of nation-building in Kazakhstan. In the opinion of the authors of the article, the Kazakh cultural beginning is the system-forming and founding nation, the beginning. The birth of statehood itself on the territory of modern Kazakhstan is associated with the ethnic and cultural genesis of the Kazakhs. At the same time, in the period of modern times, Kazakhstan was also formed as a multicultural community of peoples. The acquisition of modern independence by the republic in 1991 is associated with national, and, above all, Kazakh, revival, restoration of the Kazakh cultural origin as a system-forming nation. The authors focus on these processes not only of the cultural revival of the Kazakh people, but also of its dominance in all other spheres of life, for example, such as political-ideological and socio-economic. This objective process is reflected in the institutional and structuralfunctional aspects of nation-building, strengthening the role and significance of the Kazakh language as the state language in the country, modern demographic trends, the formation of Kazakh civil political culture and, in fact, the model of the formation of national identity. Scientists pay attention to the peculiarities of the Kazakh model of multiculturalism, the basic values of modern Kazakh society, in which such principles as common interests, social stability, tolerance, loyalty of society to the institutions of power, the culture of cooperation and social comunitarism have taken root. The authors come to the conclusion that the Kazakh model of social project, which is based on the Kazakh social partnership, is the guarantor of sustainable and progressive social development. Attempts to disavow or belittle the value of Kazakh identity or replace it with any other artificial formats under the influence of external factors can have the most negative impact on social stability and constructive, progressive social development. According to scientists, further social transformation is associated, first of all, with the strengthening, modern content, expansion and rooting of the Kazakh cultural origin in the process of nation-building in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

POS-520 EPIDEMIOLOGY OF KIDNEY TRANSPLANTS IN KAZAKHSTAN: DATA FROM UNIFIED NATIONAL ELECTRONIC HEALTH SYSTEM 2014-2018

The epidemiology of kidney transplant recipients (KTR) in Kazakhstan, nationally haven not previously been evaluated. We examined the prevalence, incidence, patient and renal graft survival rates of KTR using a large-scale administrative healthcare data from the Unified National Electronic Health System (UNEHS) for 2014-2018. Data of 1,142 KTR registered between 2014-2018 years were extracted from the UNEHS encompassing available retrospective records starting from 2009. Data included date of birth, sex, ethnicity, address by region, date of kidney transplantation (KT), donor source (deceased or living) and date of first dialysis after KT (considered as a graft lost). Descriptive statistics of demographic, epidemiology and transplant related outcome characteristics were provided. There was a predominance of male recipients (63.3%), of Kazakh ethnicity (79.5%), of urban residents (79.5%) and of living donors KT (92.5%). The crude all-cause mortality rate was 11.5 per 1000 patient-years (PY) (95%CI: 8.8-15.0) (Table 1). Tabled 1VariableN=1142 (%)Mortality rate per 1000 PY [95% CI]Gender: FemaleMale419 (36.7%)723 (63.3%)6.25 [3.46-11.27]14.55 [10.83-19.55]Age groups:<1818-3435-50>5185 (7.4%)508 (44.5%)381 (33.4%)168 (14.7%)8.3 [2.7 -25.6]6.3 [3.8 -10.7]15.6 [10.5 -23.3]20.7 [12.3 -35.0]Ethnicity:KazakhRussianOthers908 (79.5%) 91 (8.0%)143 (12.5%)11.2 [8.2 - 15.1]15.9 [7.1 - 35.4]10.9 [5.2 - 22.9]Residency:RuralUrban250 (21.8%)892 (78.2%)16.0 [9.5 - 27.0]10.8 [7.9 - 14.6]Donor source:DeceasedLiving86 (7.5%)1,056 (92.5%)28.4 [15.3-52.8]10.2 [7.6-13.6] Open table in a new tab The median follow-up time was 3.59 (Interquartile range (IQR) 2.27- 5.22) years. The prevalent and incident cases, and the rate of graft loss for the period 2014-2018 are present in Figure 1. Males had 2.3-fold higher risk of death (Hazard ratio (HR): 2.30 [95%CI: 1.19-4.4], p=0.008) compared with females (Figure 2a), while KTR of living donors had 65% lower risk of death (HR: 0.35 [95%CI: 0.18-0.71], p=0.009) compared with KTR from cadaveric donations (Figure 2b).View Large Image Figure ViewerDownload Hi-res image Download (PPT) The median graft survival time during the follow-up period was 2.12 (IQR 0.96-3.47) years. In life-table analysis (Figure 3) the 1-, 5-, and 10-year cumulative survival probability of KTR were 98.5% (95%CI: 97.5-99.0), 94.3% (95%CI: 92.4-95.7) and 92% (95%CI: 88.1-94.6) respectively. At the end of 1-, 5- and 10-years the cumulative death-censored graft survival were 80.8% (95%CI: 78.3-83.0), 27.9% (95%CI: 24.6-31.3) and 10% (95%CI: 7.4-13.1) respectively (Figure 3). For the first time in Kazakhstan, we analyzed and described data of kidney transplant patients utilizing a large-scale records from UNEHS. We observed decrease in the annual number of kidney transplantations starting from 2017 with overall extremely low rate of transplantations from deceased donors. The male recipients and cadaveric graft had statistically significant higher mortality rates. Although the patient survival rate was comparable with other countries, the rate of graft loss remained high. This information is of great consequence to the national public health authorities involved in planning of renal replacement therapies, considering the increasing number of patients who need dialysis or returned to dialysis after the graft failure. Further healthcare and organizational efforts are needed to improve the graft survival and to increase the number of deceases donor transplants.

Analysis of the association of BRAFV600E mutation and Ki-67 overexpression with clinical and pathological characteristics in papillary thyroid cancer.

In recent years, many studies were dedicated to the search for genetic markers in thyroid malignancies, including papillary thyroid cancer. This study was designed to investigate the prevalence of BRAFV600E mutation in the PTC in the Kazakh population, to evaluate the relationship between BRAF V600E mutation status and the clinicopathological features of PTC. Besides, we aimed at assessing of the relationship between the high proliferation index and the clinicopathological features of PTC and also between the concomitant coexistence of BRAFV600E and the high proliferative index with clinicopathological features of PTC. We carried out a cross-sectional study on 123 patients with PTC of Kazakh ethnicity and analyzed their clinical, laboratory, and genetic findings. The study groups were pooled based on the presence of mutated or wild-type BRAFV600E and quantitative assessment of Ki-67 marker expression. In the course of our study, we found that the age of patients from the group of BRAF gene mutation was significantly higher than that of patients from the wild-type group (48.63 ± 14.07years versus 40.23 ± 14.34years) (t = - 3.257; p = 0.001). Correlation analysis between BRAF mutation, Ki-67 expression, their combination and various clinical and pathological parameters in PTC patients showed that older age was positively correlated with higher frequency of mutant BRAF gene (r = 0.284; p < 0.001), while more advanced stage of tumor was positively correlated with higher expression of Ki-67 (r = 0.307; p < 0.001). To understand the significance of detecting the BRAFV600E mutation and an increased level of Ki-67 expression in the choice of patient therapy tactics, larger studies are required with patient survival as one of the primary outcomes.