The role of the Basic Public Health Service program in the control of hypertension in China: results from a cross-sectional health service interview survey

Objectives Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have become the main cause of mortality in China. In 2009, the Chinese government introduced the Basic Public Health Service (BPHS) program to relieve the rising burden of NCDs through public health measures and delivery of essential medical care. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the BPHS program on hypertension control. Methods The China National Health Development Research Center (CNHDRC) undertook a Cross-sectional Health Service Interview Survey (CHSIS) of 62,097 people from primary healthcare reform pilot areas across 17 provinces from eastern, central, and western parts of China in 2014. The current study is based on responses to the CHSIS survey from 7,867 participants, who had been diagnosed with hypertension. Multi-variable mixed logit regression analysis was used to estimate the association between BPHS management and uncontrolled hypertension. In a follow-up analysis, generalized structural equation modelling (GSEM) was used to test for mediation of the BPHS program effect through patient compliance with medication. Findings The estimated proportion of patients with uncontrolled hypertension was 30% lower (23.2% vs 31.5%) in those participants who were adequately managed under the BPHS program. Other predictors of hypertension control included compliance with medication, self-reported wellbeing, income, educational attainment and exercise; smoking was associated with reduced hypertension control. The significant inverse association between uncontrolled hypertension and age indicates poor outcomes for younger patients. Additional testing suggested that nearly 40% of the effect of BPHS management (95% CI: 28.2 to 51.7) could be mediated by improved compliance with medication; there was also an indication that the effect of management was 30% stronger in districts/counties with established digital information management systems (IMS). Conclusion Hypertension control improved markedly following active management through the BPHS program. Some of that improvement could be explained by greater compliance with medication among program participants. This study also identified the need to tailor the BPHS program to the needs of younger patients to achieve higher levels of control in this population. Future investigations should explore ways in which existing healthcare management influences the success of the BPHS program

Correction: The role of the Basic Public Health Service program in the control of hypertension in China: Results from a cross-sectional health service interview survey.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217185.]

Epidermal growth factor-induced epithelio-mesenchymal transition in human breast carcinoma cells

PMC42-LA cells display an epithelial phenotype: the cells congregate into pavement epithelial sheets in which E-cadherin and beta-catenin are localized at cell-cell borders. They abundantly express cytokeratins, although 5% to 10% of the cells also express the mesenchymal marker vimentin. Stimulation of PMC42-LA cells with epidermal growth factor (EGF) leads to epithelio-mesenchymal transition-like changes including up-regulation of vimentin and down-regulation of E-cadherin. Vimentin expression is seen in virtually all cells, and this increase is abrogated by treatment of cells with an EGF receptor antagonist. The expression of the mesenchyme-associated extracellular matrix molecules fibronectin and chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan also increase in the presence of EGF. PMC42-LA cells adhere rapidly to collagen I, collagen IV, and laminin-1 substrates and markedly more slowly to fibronectin and vitronectin. EGF increases the speed of cell adhesion to most of these extracellular matrix molecules without altering the order of adhesive preference. EGF also caused a time-dependent increase in the motility of PMC42-LA cells, commensurate with the degree of vimentin staining. The increase in motility was at least partly chemokinetic, because it was evident both with and without chemoattractive stimuli. Although E-cadherin staining at cell-cell junctions disappeared in response to EGF, beta-catenin persisted at the cell periphery. Further analysis revealed that N-cadherin was present at the cell-cell junctions of untreated cells and that expression was increased after EGF treatment. N- and E-cadherin are not usually coexpressed in human carcinoma cell lines but can be coexpressed in embryonic tissues, and this may signify an epithelial cell population prone to epithelio-mesenchymal-like responses.<br /