Distribution of HCV genotype and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of IL-28B gene in HIV/HCV-coinfected Thai populations

Introduction: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains a major silent killer, worldwide, particularly in resource poor settings where treatment of hepatitis C is mainly impossible. Pegylated interferon-α (PEG-IFN) plus ribavirin (RBV) are the recommended treatment for patients with chronic hepatitis C genotype 2/3. Recent study revealed that treatment responses against HCV infection by PEG-IFN and RBV are significantly associated with the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of interleukin-28B (IL-28B) gene. There is limited data about the HCV genotype and SNPs of IL-28B in HIV-infected Thai population. Therefore, we aimed to investigate HCV genotype and the SNP patterns of the IL-28B gene in our HIV/HCV coinfection. Methods: Quantification of HCV RNA was done by a real-time polymerase chain reaction assay (Abbott with lower limit of detection of <12 copies/ml). HCV RNA-positive samples based on reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of the 5'UTR were amplified with primer specific for the core and NS5B regions. Nucleotide sequences of both regions were analyzed for the genotype by phylogenetic analysis. DNA sample was extracted from PBMCs or sera. Then SNPs within IL-28B gene were detected by TaqMan real-time PCR (rs8099917 and rs12979860). The data were analyzed by allelic discrimination (AD) software on the ABI-7900HT. Results: Totally 60 HIV/HCV-coinfected patients were studied. Median HCV RNA were 5.8 log10 copies/mL, 70% of them had HCV RNA >100,000 copies/mL. After sequencing, the phylogenetic analyses in this study showed that genotype 3 was the most prevalent in this population (56%); following by genotype 1 (30%) and 6 (13%). Approximately 4% of them had infected for both genotypes 1 and 3. For IL-28B at rs8099917 and rs12979860 position, 95% of them were major allele (T/T or C/C) and 5% were heterozygous (T/G or C/T). Conclusions: HCV genotype 3 is the most prevalent in our HIV/HCV coinfection. 95% of our patients have favorable IL-28B gene. This data is useful for further chronic hepatitis C treatment in Thailand

Trans-Pacific Rebalancing: Thailand Case Study

Since the Asian financial crisis in 1997, Thailand has become highly dependent on export as the engine of economic recovery and growth. In 2008, the ratio of export to gross domestic product (GDP) was 76.5%. The global economic crisis triggered by the sub-prime loans debacle in the United States has prompted Thailand to rethink her export-led growth strategy. Year-on-year export growth plunged from a positive 22.7% in the third quarter of 2008 to a negative 7.75% in the fourth quarter and remained negative for another four quarters, leading to a negative growth of GDP for five consecutive quarters. This paper examines the options for external and internal economic rebalancing strategies for Thailand. External rebalancing will require Thailand to rely less on the US market for her exports. The paper thus examines the possibility of promoting greater regional trade by means of trade agreements and exchange rate coordination. As for internal rebalancing, the paper emphasizes the need to boost domestic public and private investment in terms of both quantity and quality in order to narrow the current savings' investment gap, bearing in mind the need to ensure fiscal sustainability. Finally, the paper examines broader rebalancing strategies that will help Thailand to become less dependent on exports. These include the need to (1) improve productivity by means of technological acquisition, innovation, and skills development; (2) increase economic efficiency by exposing the non-traded sectors, in particular the service sector, to greater competitive pressures; (3) deepen the production structure and create new dynamic industries; and (4) generate new growth poles

Student Loans in a Tiebout Model of Higher Education

A model is presented where universities competitively supply education to mobile students. Students are subject to a liquidity constraint so that tuition must be paid out of pre-university income. It is shown that student loans provided by home jurisdictions will ensure an efficient quality of higher education if loans do not contain any subsidy. If there is income-related debt relief, however, the equilibrium quality of education is inefficiently low. This is because students reduce their expected future income by attending a university offering low quality, and thereby reduce the amount of debt to be repaid