Intimate partner sexual aggression against Chinese women: a mixed methods study

Background: Although intimate partner sexual aggression has been shown to be associated with adverse mental health outcomes, there is scant information about sexual aggression in Chinese intimate relationships in general and about its mental health impact in particular. This article aimed to investigate sexual aggression in Chinese intimate relationships, including the use of force or threat of force and non-physical coercive tactics in unwanted sex.Methods: The quantitative and qualitative data used in this paper were drawn from a prospective cohort study conducted in Hong Kong between September 2010 and September 2012. A total of 745 Chinese women aged 18 or older who had been in an intimate relationship in the preceding 12 months were recruited from sites in all districts of Hong Kong. Multiple logistic regression analysis, ordinary linear regression, and t-tests were used in quantitative analysis. Directed content analysis was used to analyze the transcripts of 59 women who revealed experiences of intimate partner sexual aggression in individual in-depth interviews.Results: Of the 745 Chinese women in the study, 348 (46.7%) had experienced intimate partner physical violence in the past year, and 179 (24%) had experienced intimate partner physical violence and sexual aggression in the past year. Intimate partner sexual aggression significantly predicted PTSD and depressive symptoms after controlling for intimate partner physical violence. Among the 179 women reporting intimate partner physical violence and sexual coercion in the past year, 75 indicated that their partners used force or threat of force to make them have sex, and 104 of them reported that they gave in to sex because of non-physical coercive tactics used by their partners. Qualitative data revealed a variety of non-physical coercive tactics with different degrees of subtlety used to coerce women into unwanted sex with their partners. Chinese women experiencing physically forced sex had significantly more depressive symptoms and PTSD symptoms.Conclusions: Our findings indicate that sexual aggression in Chinese intimate relationships has specific mental health consequences over and above those associated with physical violence. Assessment of partner violence in Chinese relationships should include screening for sexual aggression in order to provide appropriate interventions

The differential effects of intimate terrorism and situational couple violence on mental health outcomes among abused Chinese women: a mixed-method study

Background: Distinctions have been made between the two main forms of intimate partner violence: intimate terrorism (IT) and situational couple violence (SCV), depending on whether the violence is part of a general pattern of control. Differential effects also exist between IT and SCV. However, the IT/SCV distinction and their differential effects have yet to be demonstrated in violent intimate relationships in China. We aimed to identify IT and SCV among Chinese women who reported partner violence in Hong Kong and to differentiate the effects of IT and SCV on their mental health outcomes.Methods: A mixed-method design was used in a cross-sectional study to collect quantitative and qualitative data from women 18 years of age or older who had been victims of intimate partner violence in the past year. Six hundred and thirteen women were recruited from 18 districts in Hong Kong. Quantitative instruments were administered to assess intimate partner violence, control by an intimate partner, and mental health outcomes. Individual face-to-face interviews were conducted with 200 of the women to capture their experiences of intimate partner violence and the context in which it occurred.Results: Of the 613 women, 215 (35.1%) were identified as victims of IT and 324 (52.9%) as victims of SCV. Compared to SCV victims, IT victims reported significantly more violence-related physical injury (p < 0.001), higher use of medical services (p < 0.001), and more symptoms of depression (p < 0.001) and posttraumatic stress disorder (p < 0.001). The interviews revealed two broadly different pictures with IT victims describing their relationship problems as serious and life-threatening, and physical violence was part of the controlling behaviors used by their partners. Such details were not reported by those in the SCV group.Conclusion: Our findings indicate that violence in intimate relationships in China is not a unitary phenomenon, and it has at least two forms, IT and SCV, which were shown to have differential effects on Chinese women. The findings regarding the IT/SCV distinction and their differential effects on mental health outcomes have implications for policy, research and practice

Stathmin1 plays oncogenic role and is a target of microRNA-223 in gastric cancer.

Stathmin1 (STMN1) is a candidate oncoprotein and prognosis marker in several kinds of cancers. This study was aimed to analyze its expression and biological functions in gastric cancer. The expression of STMN1 was evaluated by qRT-PCR, western blot and immunohistochemistry. The biological function of STMN1 was determined by MTT proliferation assays, monolayer colony formation and cell invasion assays using small interference RNA technique in gastric cancer cell lines. We also explored the regulation of STMN1 expression by microRNA-223. STMN1 was upregulated in gastric cancer cell lines and primary gastric adenocarcinomas. STMN1-positive tumors were more likely to be found in old age group and associated with p53 nuclear expression. In diffuse type gastric adenocarcinomas, STMN1 expression was correlated with age (p = 0.043), T stage (p = 0.004) and lymph node metastasis (p = 0.046). Expression of STMN1 in diffuse type gastric adenocarcinoma was associated with poor disease specific survival by univariate analysis (p = 0.01). STMN1 knockdown in AGS and MKN7 cell lines suppressed proliferation (p<0.001), reduced monolayer colony formation (p<0.001), inhibited cell invasion and migration ability (p<0.001) and induced G1 phase arrest. siSTMN1 could also suppress cell growth in vivo (p<0. 01). We finally confirmed that STMN1 is a putative downstream target of miR-223 in gastric cancer. Our findings supported an oncogenic role of STMN1 in gastric cancer. STMN1 might serve as a prognostic marker and a potential therapeutic target for gastric cancer

Modulation of LMP2A Expression by a Newly Identified Epstein-Barr Virus-Encoded MicroRNA miR-BART2212

Infection with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a strong predisposing factor in the development of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Many viral gene products including EBNA1, LMP1, and LMP2 have been implicated in NPC tumorigenesis, although the de novo control of these viral oncoproteins remains largely unclear. The recent discovery of EBV-encoded viral microRNA (miRNA) in lymphoid malignancies has prompted us to examine the NPC-associated EBV miRNA. Using large-scale cloning analysis on EBV-positive NPC cells, two novel EBV miRNA, now named miR-BART21 and miR-BART22, were identified. These two EBV-encoded miRNA are abundantly expressed in most NPC samples. We found two nucleotide variations in the primary transcript of miR-BART22, which we experimentally confirmed to augment its biogenesis in vitro and thus may underline the high and consistent expression of miR-BART22 in NPC tumors. More importantly, we determined that the EBV latent membrane protein 2A (LMP2A) is the putative target of miR-BART22. LMP2A is a potent immunogenic viral antigen that is recognized by the cytotoxic T cells; down-modulation of LMP2A expression by miR-BART22 may permit escape of EBV-infected cells from host immune surveillance. Taken together, we demonstrated that two newly identified EBV-encoded miRNA are highly expressed in NPC. Specific sequence variations on the prevalent EBV strain in our locality might contribute to the higher miR-BART22 expression level in our NPC samples. Our findings emphasize the role of miR-BART22 in modulating LMP2A expression, which may facilitate NPC carcinogenesis by evading the host immune response

Clinical significance of STMN1 overexpression in gastric adenocarcinoma.

<p>(A) Representative photos of STMN1 immunohistochemistry in gastric cancer, case 37, intestinal type and case 112, diffuse type (original magnification ×100, insertion ×400). (B) Kaplan-Meier plot of disease-specific survival according to STMN1 expression status in diffuse type gastric adenocarcinoma.</p

<i>P</i>-value of univariate and multivariate analysis of the association between clinicopathologic features and disease specific survival in patients with gastric adenocarcinoma.

<p>(NS, not significant; NA, not available).</p

STMN1 is a putative downstream target of miR-223 in gastric cancer.

<p>(A) MiR-223 expression level in 9 gastric cancer cell lines as determined by qRT-PCR. A borderline correlation was observed between STMN1 protein level and reduced miR-223 expression (<i>p</i> = 0.05). (B) MiR-223 expression in 31 primary gastric adenocarcinomas stratified by STMN1 protein level. (C) MiR-223 down-regulated endogenous STMN1 mRNA and protein expression (**, <i>p</i><0.001) in AGS and MKN7 cells. (D) Down-regulation of STMN1 protein expression by miR-223 was alleviated by miR-223 blocker in MKN7. (E) Luciferase reporter assays suggested STMN1 was a putative target of miR-223 (**, <i>p</i><0.001). Wildtype: Luciferase construct containing wild type STMN1 3′UTR seed sequence; Mutant 1: the seed sequence was deleted; Mutant 2: 4-nucleotide mutations were introduced to the seed sequence.</p

STMN1 upregulation in gastric cancer cell lines and primary gastric tumors.

<p>(A) STMN1 mRNA expression in gastric cancer cell lines compared with normal gastric mRNA commercially available from Ambion (AM7996). (B) STMN1 protein expression was assessed by Western blot in gastric cancer cell lines and normal gastric mucosa from patients underwent weight reduction gastric surgery. (C) Western blot of STMN1 in paired gastric cancer (T) and adjacent non-tumorous mucosal tissues (N). (D) STMN1 mRNA expression in 50 pairs of gastric adenocarcinoma and adjacent non-tumorous mucosa (<i>p</i> = 0.040).</p

Knockdown of STMN1 by siRNA in gastric cancer cell lines AGS and MKN7.

<p>(A) Transfection of STMN1 siRNA successfully reduced STMN1 mRNA and protein expression in AGS and MKN7 cells (**, <i>p</i><0.001). (B) MTT assays suggested knockdown STMN1 significantly suppressed proliferation in AGS and MKN7 (**, <i>p</i><0.001). (C) Monolayer colony formation assays suggested transfection with siSTMN1 could reduce anchorage-dependent colony formation in AGS and MKN7 cell (**, <i>p</i><0.001). All the experiments were performed in triplicate and the error bars represent standard deviations. (D) Representative images of cells invaded through the Matrigel-coated membrane to the underside of the micropores are shown. Significant reduction in the invasive ability was shown on STMN1 knockdown (**, <i>p</i><0.001). The cell number was counted in 5 random view fields and the error bars represented standard deviations.</p

Correlation of STMN1 expression with other clinicopathologic features.

<p>(NS, not significant; NA, not available).</p