Population Of Tibet Research Articles

Prevalence and Influencing Factors of Isolated Diastolic Hypertension in Tibetan Population in Tibet

To investigate the prevalence and influencing factors of isolated diastolic hypertension (IDH) in the Tibetan population in Tibet and to provide some evidence for the prevention and control of hypertension and other related diseases in high-altitude areas. A multistage stratified whole-group random sampling method was used to enroll participants from Ngari Prefecture, Nagqu City, Shannan City, and Lhasa City, Tibet. A total of 3918 native Tibetans with complete data were enrolled in the survey between June 2020 and August 2023. The participants were aged from 18 to 80. The demographic data, life habits, and chronic disease prevalence of the participants were collected. Fasting venous blood samples were collected to perform the routine blood tests and blood biochemistry tests. The prevalence of IDH in subgroups with different characteristics was analyzed and the influencing factors were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression, accordingly. The predictive value of influencing factors on the prevalence of IDH was analyzed by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the findings were compared with those of the previous prediction models for IDH. The prevalence of hypertension in the participants was 33.7% (n=1321), among which, 395 had IDH, accounting for 29.9% of the hypertensive patients. The results of multivariate regression showed that age, heart rate, body mass index, waist circumference, hemoglobin, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were associated with risks of developing IDH (P<0.05). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.71, which indicated improved accuracy for predicting the risks for IDH in comparison with previous predictive models for IDH. Among the influencing factors, BMI showed the best predictive value for IDH risks. The prevalence of IDH is high among Tibetans in Tibet, suggesting the necessity for rational allocation of health resources in accordance. Compared with the previous IDH prediction models, the model proposed in this study is more suited for the Tibetan population. Targeted interventions should be carried out for the high-risk populations, such as young and middle-aged adults and populations suffering from overweight/obesity, central obesity, high-altitude polycythemia, and dyslipidemia, so as to effectively control the occurrence and development of IDH.

«Сказание о хождении в Тибет пандита-хамбо-ламы Заяева из цонгольского рода» как источник по истории буддизма

The history of Buddhism and the initial period of its spread in Transbaikalia in the XVII-XVIII centuries are insufficiently studied due to the lack of archival materials and sources, while the surviving historical records provide different information about some events, such as the year of construction of the first Buddhist temple and the first sermon, the years of D.-D. Zayaev's life. The earliest extant sources are "Autobiography" and "Travel Notes" written by D.-D. Zayaev in 1768. They contain valuable information not only about the history of Buryat Buddhism, but also about the life and activities of D.-D. Zayaev (1711-1776), the first Buryat pandita Khambo-Lama, whose name is associated with the beginning of the spread of Buddhism among the Buryats and its institutionalization in the Russian Empire, but also with the description of his pilgrimage to Tibet. In this regard, in order to clarify some dates on the early history of Buryat Buddhism, texts related to him have been searched for and analyzed in the funds of the Center of Oriental Manuscripts and Xylographs (CVRK) of the Institute for Mongolian, Buddhist and Tibetan Studies of the Siberian Branch of the RAS. It was established that of the six sources found, the most informative work is "The Legend of the Tsongol Kin Pandita Khambo-Lama Zayaev's Journey to Tibet" in the Old Mongolian script, stored in the Mongolian collection of the CVRK. As a result of the study, it was revealed that this work is a late manuscript consisting of the "Travel Notes", the Biography of D.-D. Zayaev and of an anonymous manuscript containing a brief description of Buddhist sacred places and shrines in India, Nepal, Tibet and Mongolia, what has determined its structure consisting of 3 parts. It was found out that this manuscript contains information about the socio-economic situation of the population of Tibet and neighboring countries, as well as information about the history of Buddhism in Transbaikal region in the middle of the XVIII century. It testifies to Russia's geopolitical interests in this region of Inner Asia and the peoples living there, as the author reports, saying that it was written at the behest of Catherine II, who outlined a range of issues: "to describe what I’ve seen on my way to Tibet, the length of the road and distance, as well as about the customs and habits of people". The unique historical information preserved by the Buryat pilgrim and the Russian citizen D.-D. Zayaev is also relevant for conducting comparative studies of the phenomenon of modern pilgrimage that is becoming popular not only for believers but among ordinary lay population.

Tyrosine phosphorylation of band 3 impairs the storage quality of suspended red blood cells in the Tibetan high-altitude polycythemia population

Due to environmental hypoxia on the Tibetan Plateau, local residents often exhibit a compensative increase in hemoglobin concentration to maintain the body’s oxygen supply. However, increases in hemoglobin and hematocrit (Hct) pose a serious challenge to the quality of stored suspended red blood cells (SRBCs) prepared from the blood of high-hemoglobin populations, especially populations at high altitude with polycythemia in Tibet. To explore the difference in storage quality of SRBCs prepared from plateau residents with a high hemoglobin concentration, blood donors were recruited from Tibet (> 3600 m) and Chengdu (≈ 500 m) and divided into a high-altitude control (HAC) group, high-altitude polycythemia (HAPC) group and lowland control (LLC) group according to their hemoglobin concentration and altitude of residence. The extracellular acidification rate (ECAR), pyruvate kinase (PK) activity and band 3 tyrosine phosphorylation were analyzed on the day of blood collection. Then, whole-blood samples were processed into SRBCs, and storage quality parameters were analyzed aseptically on days 1, 14, 21 and 35 of storage. Overall, we found that tyrosine 21 phosphorylation activated glycolysis by releasing glycolytic enzymes from the cytosolic domain of band 3, thus increasing glucose consumption and lactate accumulation during storage, in the HAPC group. In addition, band 3 tyrosine phosphorylation impaired erythrocyte deformability, accompanied by the highest hemolysis rate in the HAPC group, during storage. We believe that these results will stimulate new ideas to further optimize current additive solutions for the high-hemoglobin population in Tibet and reveal new therapeutic targets for the treatment of HAPC populations.

Establishment of a reference interval for total carbon dioxide using indirect methods in Chinese populations living in high-altitude areas: A retrospective real-world analysis

BackgroundHypoxia leads to different concentrations of the bicarbonate buffer system in Tibetan people. Indirect methods were used to establish the reference interval (RI) for total carbon dioxide (tCO2) based on big data from the adult population of Tibet, a high-altitude area in Western China. MethodsAnonymous tCO2 test data (n = 442,714) were collected from the People's Hospital of the Tibet Autonomous Region from January 2018, to December 2021. Multiple linear regression and variance component analyses were performed to assess the effects of sex, age, and race on tCO2 levels. Indirect methods, including Hoffmann, Bhattacharya, expectation maximization (EM), kosmic and refineR, were used to calculate the total RI and ethnicity-partitioned RI. ResultsA total of 230,821 real-world tCO2 test results were eligible. Sex, age, and race were significantly associated with the tCO2 levels. The total and ethnically-partitioned RIs estimated using the five indirect methods were comparable. The total RI of tCO2 was 14–24 mmol/L (calculated using Hoffmann and refineR) and 15–24 mmol/L (Bhattacharya, EM and kosmic). For Han nationality, the RIs were 14–25 mmol/L (calculated using Hoffmann and Bhattacharya), 16–23 mmol/L (EM), 15–24 mmol/L (kosmic), and 14.2–24.5 mmol/L (refineR). For the Tibetan population, the RIs were 14–24 mmol/L (calculated using Hoffmann and refineR), 15–24 mmol/L (Bhattacharya and kosmic), and 15–23 mmol/L (EM). The established RIs were significantly lower than those living at lower altitudes area (22–29 mmol/L) that was provided by the manufacturer. ConclusionThe tCO2 RI of the populations living on the Tibetan Plateau was significantly lower than those at the lower altitudes. The RIs established using indirect methods are suitable for clinical applications in Tibet.

Virulence and Genetic Types of Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei in Tibet and Surrounding Areas.

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is the most important cereal crop in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and the yield has been seriously threatened by Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei (Bgh) in recent years. To understand the virulence and genetic traits of different Bgh populations, 229 isolates of Bgh were collected from Tibet, Sichuan, Gansu and Yunnan provinces of China during 2020 and 2021, and their pathogenicity to 21 barley lines of different genotypes was assessed. A total of 132 virulent types were identified. The Bgh isolates from Yunnan showed the highest diversity in terms of virulence complexity (Rci) and genetic diversity (KWm), followed by those from Sichuan, Gansu, and Tibet, in that order. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in genes coding for alternative oxidase (AOX), protein kinase A (PKA), and protein phosphatase type 2A (PPA) were detected at seven polymorphic sites. Nine haplotypes (H1-H9) with an average haplotype diversity (Hd) and nucleotide diversity π of 0.564 and 0.00034, respectively, were observed. Of these, haplotypes H1 and H4 accounted for 88.8% of the isolates, and H4 was predominant in Tibet. Genetic diversity analysis using the STRUCTURE (K = 2) and AMOVE indicated that the inter-group variation accounted for 54.68%, and inter- and intra-population genotypic heterogeneity accounted for 23.90% and 21.42%, respectively. The results revealed the recent expansion of the Bgh population in Tibet, accompanied by an increase in virulence and a loss of genetic diversity.

The Evolution and Transmission Dynamics of Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis in an Isolated High-Plateau Population of Tibet, China.

On the Tibetan Plateau, most tuberculosis is caused by indigenous Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains with a monophyletic structure and high-level drug resistance. This study investigated the emergence, evolution, and transmission dynamics of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in Tibet. The whole-genome sequences of 576 clinical strains from Tibet were analyzed with the TB-profiler tool to identify drug-resistance mutations. The evolution of the drug resistance was then inferred based on maximum-likelihood phylogeny and dated trees that traced the serial acquisition of mutations conferring resistance to different drugs. Among the 576 clinical M. tuberculosis strains, 346 (60.1%) carried at least 1 resistance-conferring mutation and 231 (40.1%) were MDR-TB. Using a pairwise distance of 50 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), most strains (89.9%, 518/576) were phylogenetically separated into 50 long-term transmission clusters. Eleven large drug-resistant clusters contained 76.1% (176/231) of the local multidrug-resistant strains. A total of 85.2% of the isoniazid-resistant strains were highly transmitted with an average of 6.6 cases per cluster, of which most shared the mutation KatG Ser315Thr. A lower proportion (71.6%) of multidrug-resistant strains were transmitted, with an average cluster size of 2.9 cases. The isoniazid-resistant clusters appear to have undergone substantial bacterial population growth in the 1970s to 1990s and then subsequently accumulated multiple rifampicin-resistance mutations and caused the current local MDR-TB burden. These findings highlight the importance of detecting and curing isoniazid-resistant strains to prevent the emergence of endemic MDR-TB. IMPORTANCE Emerging isoniazid resistance in the 1970s allowed M. tuberculosis strains to spread and form into large multidrug-resistant tuberculosis clusters in the isolated plateau of Tibet, China. The epidemic was driven by the high risk of transmission as well as the potential of acquiring further drug resistance from isoniazid-resistant strains. Eleven large drug-resistant clusters consisted of the majority of local multidrug-resistant cases. Among the clusters, isoniazid resistance overwhelmingly evolved before all the other resistance types. A large bacterial population growth of isoniazid-resistant clusters occurred between 1970s and 1990s, which subsequently accumulated rifampicin-resistance-conferring mutations in parallel and accounted for the local multidrug-resistant tuberculosis burden. The results of our study indicate that it may be possible to restrict MDR-TB evolution and dissemination by prioritizing screening for isoniazid (INH)-resistant TB strains before they become MDR-TB and by adopting measures that can limit their transmission.

Osteoporosis Screening Values of Osteoporosis Self-Assessment Tool for Asians Index and Body Mass Index in Middle-Aged and Elderly Tibetan Population in Tibet

To analyze the screening value of osteoporosis self-screening tool for Asia (OSTA) and body mass index (BMI) for osteoporosis (OP) in middle-aged and elderly Tibetan population in the Tibetan region. Data on demographic information, bone mineral density (BMD), and other information of 627 middle-aged and elderly people were collected. Analysis of the correlation between OSTA index, BMI and BMD, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was performed to evaluate the OP screening effects. OSTA index and BMI were correlated with BMD in both female and male populations ( P<0.05). In both male and female populations, OSTA index screening results for OP yielded higher area under the curve ( AUC) than BMI did, with the AUC for female OSTA index being 0.886 and that for female BMI being 0.785, while that for male OSTA index being 0.957 and that for male BMI being 0.834. When comparing the different age groups, the AUC of OSTA index and BMI of the middle-age group was higher than those of the quasi-elderly group and the elderly group, with the AUC of OSTA index and BMI of the middle-age being 0.939 and 0.858, those of the quasi-elderly group being 0.860 and 0.813, and those of the elderly group being 0.750 and 0.650, respectively. When the optimal cut-off value of diagnosis with OSTA index was －2.20, the sensitivity and specificity were both 100%. When the optimal cut-off value for diagnosis with BMI was 17.512 kg/m2, the sensitivity and specificity were both 100%. OSTA index and BMI have different OP screening effects in different middle-aged and elderly Tibetan populations, and OSTA index shows better effects for OP screening than BMI does.

Clinicopathological Features of Meningiomas in Tibet

Objective To analyze the clinicopathological features and immunohistochemical expression of meningiomas in the Tibetan population in Tibet,and improve the understanding of meningiomas. Methods The clinical and pathological data of all the meningiomas diagnosed by pathology in Tibet Autonomous Region People's Hospital from April 2013 to March 2021 were analyzed retrospectively.All the cases underwent immunohistochemical staining of trimethylation of lysine 27 on histone H3 (H3K27me3),mucin 4 (MUC4),somatostatin receptor 2 (SSTR2),progesterone receptor,epithelial membrane antigen,glial fibrillary acidic protein,vimentin,S-100,P53,and Ki-67.The histopathological features and the staining results were observed under a light microscope. Results A total of 116 cases of meningiomas were included in this study,with the male-to-female ratio of 1.0∶2.6 and the age of 4-73 years.The main clinical symptom was headache.The imaging examination showed that 114 cases had single lesions and 2 cases had multiple lesions.The tumors were located in the cranium (108 cases) and spinal canal (8 cases).The maximum diameter of the tumors ranged from 0.3 cm to 10.0 cm,with a mean of (5.7±2.2) cm.In terms of microscopic grading and histological types,the 116 cases included 111 cases of WHO grade Ⅰ (including 53 cases of fibrous type,20 cases of meningothelial type,24 cases of transitional type,10 cases of psammomatous type,etc.),4 cases of WHO grade Ⅱ (3 cases of atypical type and 1 case of clear cell type),and 1 case of WHO grade Ⅲ (papillary type).The immunohistochemical staining showed H3K27me3 expression absent in 9 cases (9/116,7.8%),MUC4 positive in 64 cases (64/116,55.2%),SSTR2 positive in 101 cases (101/116,87.1%).Eighty cases had follow-up results,among which 71 cases had no recurrence,while 9 cases recurred. Conclusions Meningioma is the most common tumor in the central nervous system in the pathological file of Tibet.It mainly attacks the middle-aged female patients,occupying the parasagittal sinus,falx,and convex surface of the brain.Fibrous meningioma of WHO grade Ⅰ is common,while the meningiomas of WHO grades Ⅱ and Ⅲ are rare.The expression degree of MUC4 is higher in meningothelial and transitional meningiomas but lower in fibrous meningiomas.There may be no correlation between the absence of H3K27me3 expression and prognosis.

T145 Assessment of urine and serum iodine status in the population of Tibet, China: No longer an iodine-deficient region

T145 Assessment of urine and serum iodine status in the population of Tibet, China: No longer an iodine-deficient region

Differentiation of the Chestnut Tiger Butterfly Parantica sita (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Danainae) in China

The chestnut tiger butterfly, Parantica sita (Kollar) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Danainae), occurs in Asia, along the Himalayas, and into the Malayan region. Previous studies found three types of mitogenomes with substantial genetic divergence in samples from China. To clarify the level of differentiation within P. sita, we investigated both molecular data and morphological features in 429 individuals from China. Upon examination, mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences showed three substantially diverged haplotype groups. Based on microsatellite genotypes, the samples divided into three clusters that were consistent with the COI haplotype groups. With that genetic data, we named three distinguishable P. sita lineages: PS-A, PS-B, and PS-C. We also found obvious morphological differences in wing color, male sex brand, and genitalia structures among the three lineages. According to the published structure of male genitalia, that of PS-A is identical to that of P. s. sita, and that of PS-B is identical to that of P. pedonga. Based on all the results, we tentatively propose dividing P. sita into three species: PS-A (the former P. s. sita) is the typical Parantica sita [Kollar, (1844)], mainly distributed in southwestern China; PS-C (the former P. s. niphonica) is elevated to full species as Parantica niphonica (Moore, 1883), distributed in Taiwan Island and Japan; and PS-B will be Parantica pedongaFujioka, 1970, mainly distributed in Tibet and western Sichuan. Divergence time estimates showed that PS-A separated from the PS-B + PS-C clade about 8.79 million years ago (Ma), when the Hengduan Mountains underwent an appreciable elevation increase, isolating the Tibet population from the others. PS-B and PS-C diverged about 4.87 Ma, in accord with the formation of Taiwan Island mountains. The founder effect may explain why PS-C’s genetic diversity is lower than that of the other clades.

An evaluation of urine and serum iodine status in the population of Tibet, China: No longer an iodine-deficient region.

Iodine is a critical trace element for the synthesis of thyroid-related hormones, and either low or high iodine status can lead to thyroid dysfunction. This study aimed to evaluate the iodine status of the Tibetan population. From September 2016 to August 2018, we enrolled 1499 healthy adults from three areas of varying altitudes in Tibet. Urine iodine concentrations (UICs), adjusted UICs, and serum iodine concentrations (SICs) were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The median UIC, adjusted UIC, and SIC was 137.9 μg/L, 118.4 µg/gCr, and 58.3 μg/L, respectively. Of the participants, 30.4% had UICs <100 µg/L, 63.0% had UICs ranging from 100 to 300 µg/L, and 9.6% had UICs >300 µg/L. The correlation between UIC, adjusted UIC, and SIC was good (r > 0.65, P < 0.01). The SICs were more stable than the UICs, and were not associated with age or sex. The prevalence of clinical hyperthyroidism, clinical hypothyroidism, subclinical hyperthyroidism, subclinical hypothyroidism, positive thyroid peroxide antibody, positive thyroglobulin antibody, either positive and both positive was 0.5%, 1.3%, 1.7% and 17.9%, 9.3%, 6.5%, 12.5%, and 2.5%, respectively. The prevalence of almost all thyroid disorders was higher in women than in men. This multicenter cross-sectional study found that the human iodine status of adults in Tibet was considered adequate, based on the World Health Organization's criteria.

Population structure and genetic history of Tibetan Terriers

BackgroundTibetan Terrier is a popular medium-sized companion dog breed. According to the history of the breed, the western population of Tibetan Terriers includes two lineages, Lamleh and Luneville. These two lineages derive from a small number of founder animals from the native Tibetan Terrier population, which were brought to Europe in the 1920s. For almost a century, the western population of Tibetan Terriers and the native population in Tibet were reproductively isolated. In this study, we analysed the structure of the western population of Tibetan Terriers, the original native population from Tibet and of different crosses between these two populations. We also examined the genetic relationships of Tibetan Terriers with other dog breeds, especially terriers and some Asian breeds, and the within-breed structure of both Tibetan Terrier populations.ResultsOur analyses were based on high-density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array (Illumina HD Canine 170 K) and microsatellite (18 loci) genotypes of 64 Tibetan Terriers belonging to different populations and lineages. For the comparative analysis, we used 348 publicly available SNP array genotypes of dogs from other breeds. We found that the western population of Tibetan Terriers and the native Tibetan Terriers clustered together with other Asian dog breeds, whereas all other terrier breeds were grouped into a separate group. We were also able to differentiate the western Tibetan Terrier lineages (Lamleh and Luneville) from the native Tibetan Terrier population.ConclusionsOur results reveal the relationships between the western and native populations of Tibetan Terriers and support the hypothesis that Tibetan Terrier belongs to the group of ancient dog breeds of Asian origin, which are close to the ancestors of the modern dog that were involved in the early domestication process. Thus, we were able to reject the initial hypothesis that Tibetan Terriers belong to the group of terrier breeds. The existence of this native population of Tibetan Terriers at its original location represents an exceptional and valuable genetic resource.

54P - Mutation profile of Tibetan lung cancer revealed by whole exome sequencing

BackgroundLung cancer incidence and mortality could be influenced by altitude. In Tibet population Lung cancer was reported to be the sixth deadly malignant cancer, compared with the first deadly tumor in mainland of China. This study is conducted to investigate the mutation profile of Tibet non-small cell lung cancer by whole-exome sequencing. MethodsWe enrolled 17 Tibetan lung cancer patients. Composing of seven adenocarcinomas (Tibetan-LUAD) and 10 squamous carcinomas (Tibetan-LUSC). Paired tissues from malignant tumors and normal lymph nodes were subjected to whole exome sequencing by Illumina X TEN platform using paired-end 150X strategy. ResultsTibetan LUAD harbored less somatic mutations comparing to median number of somatic mutations detected in TCGA. EGFR mutated most frequently in Tibetan LUAD, but TP53 only mutated in two patients, one of which harbored EGFR mutation as well suggesting reduced responsiveness to first line EGFR-TKIs. Mutation burden of Tibetan-LUSC was similar with TCGA LUSC cohort. In Tibetan LUSC, eight patients carried TP53 mutations. Besides, C>A transversion ratio was lower in Tibetan population than in TCGA for both adenocarcinomas and squamous carcinomas. Mutational signature 1 and 4, which were defined in COSMIC to be related with aging and smoking, contributed largely in Tibetan NSCLC. Other mutational signatures related with failure of DNA double-strand break-repair by homologous recombination and AID/APOBEC cytidine deaminases activation were also noticed. In Tibetan LUAD, amplification in 18 cytobands with q value< 0.25 were remarked. Deletions in two cytoband regions (17p13.1 and 19q13.41) were detected and the q value were 0.025 and 0.056 respectively. For Tibetan-LUSC, amplifications in 22 cytoband regions were remarked with q value <0.25 and deletions were detected in eight cytoband regions with q value between 0.001 and 0.25. ConclusionsWe revealed different mutational landscape, including base substitution status, mutational signature, frequently mutated genes, between Tibetan NSCLC, Chinese Han NSCLC and TCGA NSCLC and provide some insights about the possible role of high-altitude environment on NSCLC and uncovered potential candidate genes for further investigation. Legal entity responsible for the studyGuowei Che. FundingGenetron Health (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Beijing, China. DisclosureAll authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

Analysis of HFE and Non-HFE Mutations in a Tibet Cohort with Iron Overload

The explore the molecular basis of iron-overload in Tibet nationality population of Tibet. The inpatients with iron-overload in our department from Dec. 1st 2014 to Jul.31st 2016 were enrolled in this study. Abdominal MRI and the mutation sites C282Y and H63D in HFE exon were examined. For HFE mutation-negative patients, the non-HFE mutation was detected, including 5 HJV mutations of G320V, p.Q312X, p.D249H, p.I281T, p.C321X and 2 TFR2 mutations: (Y250X, I238M), and 2 SLC40A1 mutations: (V162del, N144H). Among 113 iron overload patients, only one showed homozygous p.H63D mutation, and one showed heterozygosis p.H63D mutation. In 73 patients accepted non-HFE gene detection, only one was heterozygosis p.D249N mutation in HJV, and one was heterozygosis p.I238M mutation in TFR2. Currently, the pathogenic gene for Tibetan iron-overload has not yet been found.

Spatiotemporal Changes of Hazard Intensity-Adjusted Population Exposure to Multiple Hazards in Tibet During 1982\u20132015

The dynamic changes of population exposure to hazards in high-altitude areas are an important factor in the scientific evaluation of environmental risks. In this study, the hazards of hypoxia, earthquakes, and snowstorms in Tibet were respectively described by the percentage of oxygen at sea level, earthquake intensity, and mean annual maximum snow depth. The rates of population affected by hypoxia, earthquakes, and snowstorms were calculated by chronic mountain sickness and historical disaster data. Based on these, the study examined the change in population exposure to the three hazards and their combinations by hazard intensity level at the 1 km × 1 km grid scale in 1982–2015. The results show that population exposures to hypoxia, earthquakes, and snowstorms were about 745 thousand, 97 thousand, and 168 thousand in 2015, respectively, among a total population in Tibet of 3.24 million. These exposures were mainly concentrated in the 3400–5000 m above sea level zone. The population exposed to hypoxia and earthquakes showed a rising trend from 1982 to 2015, while the population exposed to snowstorms decreased after 2000 due to reduced snowstorm intensity. Hypoxia-earthquake and hypoxia-snowstorm are the main multiple hazard combinations that people in Tibet suffered from and their person·time exposures were estimated at around 842 thousand and 913 thousand in 2015, respectively, with an average annual increase of 1.7% and 1.3%. Hypoxia is the most important health risk in Tibet. The areas of high person·time exposure to multiple hazards of hypoxia-earthquake-snowstorm are the key areas for strengthening integrated risk governance.

Prevalence of H. pylori infection in healthy population in Tibet

Prevalence of <i>H. pylori</i> infection in healthy population in Tibet

Characterization of the Gut Microbiota in Six Geographical Populations of Chinese Rhesus Macaques (Macaca mulatta), Implying an Adaptation to High-Altitude Environment.

Knowledge about the impact of different geographical environments on rhesus macaque gut microbiota is limited. In this study, we compared the characteristics of gut microbiota in six different Chinese rhesus macaque populations, including Hainan, Nanning, Guizhou, Xichang, Jianchuan and Tibet. Through the composition analysis of operational taxonomic units (OTUs), we found that there were significant differences in the abundance of core overlapping OTUs in the six Chinese groups. Specifically, the Tibet population exhibited the highest gut microbial diversity and the most unique OTUs. Statistically significant differences in the composition of gut microbiota among the six groups at phylum and family level were evident. Specifically, Tibet had higher abundances of Firmicutes and lower abundances of Bacteroidetes than the other geographical groups, and the higher abundance of Firmicutes in the Tibetan group was mainly caused by a significant increase in the family Ruminococcaceae and Christensenellaceae. Phylogenetic investigation of communities by reconstruction of unobserved state analysis showed that the enrichment ratio for environmental information processing and organismal systems was the highest in the Tibet population. Additionally, our results suggested that in the adaptation process of rhesus macaques to different geographical environments, the abundance of the core common flora of the intestinal microbes had undergone varying degree of change and produced new and unique flora, both of which helped to reshape the gut microbiota of rhesus macaques. In particular, this change was more obvious for animals in the high-altitude environments.

Association between body fat percentage, visceral fat index and cardiometabolic risk factor clustering among population aged 35 year old or over, in Tibet Autonomous Region and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

Objective: To investigate the association between body fat percentage (BFP), visceral fat index (VFI) and Cardiometabolic Risk Factor Clustering (CRFC), among population aged 35 or older in Tibet and Xinjiang areas. Methods: Using the stratified multi-stage random sampling method, 7 571 residents aged 35 or above were examined with international standardized examination between 2015 and 2016. Of the eligible 5 643 participants, association of BFP and VFI with CRFC was defined as having two or more of the four risk factors: hypertension, diabetes mellitus, high TG and low HDL-C, at the same time. Logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were employed to further explore the relationships. Results: The overall prevalence of CRFC among aged 35 and older population in Tibet and Xinjiang areas was 9.78%. BFP and VFI were divided into four groups by quartile. After adjustment for age, gender, race, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, education attainments, and altitude of residence, ORs of CRFC seemed to have increased with BFP and VFI. Compared with people having BFP of 5.0%-27.0%, the OR(95% CI) were 1.15(0.86-1.54), 1.48(1.05-2.07) and 1.72(1.10-2.68) for the ones who presented 27.1%-31.7%, 31.8%-36.6% and 36.7%-50.0% of BFP. Compared to people of having 1-6 of VFI, with OR (95%CI) as 1.20(0.81-1.79), 1.91(1.30-2.80) and 3.91(2.64-5.77) for the ones having 7-9, 10-13 and 14-30 of VFI. Areas under the curve (AUC) of CRFC appeared as 0.55 for BFP and 0.70 for VFI, respectively, with statistically significant difference (P<0.01). Conclusion: Both BFP and VFI levels were closely associated with CRFC while VFI seemed to have a better predictive value than the BFP.

唐朝 중국과 吐藩의 茶馬交易

This paper aims at investigating the aspects of the tea-horse trade between the ancient Tibet Kingdom and the Tang China in the 7th-8th century. Chinese tea and Tibetan horses were traded on the head-spinning but romantic Tea Horse Road, a harsh 2,250km trail stretching from China s tea-cultivating regions of Sichuan Province and Yunnan Province to Lhasa, Tibet s capital city. The tea-horse trade was long conducted and maintained by marriage alliance, so-called Hwachin(和親), which literally means peace marriage, originally referring to the historical practice of Chinese emperors marrying princesses, usually members of minor branches of the royal family, to rulers of neighbouring states, and vice versa.&#x0D; Tang dynasty enacted tea laws, imposing tea taxes, establishing the tea-horse bureau in order to control and supervise the tea trading. The central government held the monopoly in private commerce as well as government initiated trading. Tea-horse trade was conducted under protective trade policies.&#x0D; A forced marriage of a Tang dynasty princess named W&amp;eacute;nch&amp;eacute;ng to Songts&amp;auml;n Gampo, founder of the powerful Tibetan empire contributed to the promotion of the amity between the two nations and the cultural progress of a yet up-rising mountain kingdom. The diplomatic negotiation of Hwachin resulted in a slow but drastic change of Tibetan culture including the drinking habit. The arrival of tea, divine beverage, brought an end to the Tibetan compulsion of drinking Yak butter dissolved in hot water and instead brought forth the unexpected blessing of consuming dissolved Yak butter flavored tea.&#x0D; Furthermore, the marriage between the two royal families deepened commercial activities between the two nations in terms of opening the tea-horse markets on economically important places. The 7th century witnessed a considerable increase of trade between China and Tibet, when in accord with the common pattern, China supplied its neighbor with textiles, luxury items and ever increasing amounts of tea, which became a staple among the local population of Tibet. In return Tibet had presented the Tang court with horses. Around the middle of the ninth century, however, when Tibet was on the verge of collapse, the trading situation took a new turn, and it had to meet with a hostile phase.

Infectious disease-specific health literacy in Tibet, China.

This study was aimed to develop an instrument to assess infectious disease-specific health literacy (IDSHL) in the general population of Tibet, China and identify the association between IDSHL and reported infectious disease-related symptoms. A survey using a standardized questionnaire, which included 25 questions on knowledge, behaviors and skills regarding infectious diseases, was conducted in the general population of Tibet, China between September 2011 and November 2011. The 25 questions formed the index system of the instrument assessing IDSHL (total scores: 25 scores). Factors associated with index scores of IDSHL were identified by general linear model. The association between the index score of IDSHL and the occurrence of the five selected infectious disease symptoms (fever, diarrhea, rash, jaundice or conjunctivitis) were investigated using multivariate unconditional logistic regression. Among 5717 eligible participants in the survey, 4631 participants completed all of the 25 questions in the instrument. The instrument was reliable and valid as measured by the Cronbach's alpha coefficient and split-half coefficient, and the confirmatory factor analysis. Only 1.0% (48/4631) answered ≥80% of the 25 questions correctly (score ≥ 20). Significant factors associated with lower health literacy score included female gender, older age, Tibetan group, lower education level, underlying diseases and more undeveloped area. For each increasing score of IDSHL, reports of fever, diarrhea or jaundice in the prior year were significantly decreased by 3% (p = 0.015), 4% (p = 0.004) and 16% (p < 0.001), respectively. Accurately measuring IDSHL could help identify those individuals with poor IDSHL, who could be targeted with specific interventions to improve health.