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PubMed2000

Traditional Tongan cures for morning sickness and their mutagenic/toxicological evaluations.

Every year millions of women become pregnant, and more than 60% of them will develop some form of morning sickness. Yet drugs like Thalidomide, Bendectin and other possibly potent teratogens administered for pre-partum nausea have severely limited any medicinal intervention. In Tonga, women have been treated for morning sickness for hundreds of years. Two types of traditional treatments exist, the first one consists of an infusion of fresh leaves, commonly called vai momoko. The second type of treatment is called vai haka, which is made from the boiled bark of several trees. In this paper we describe the results of 6 months of intensive interviews in Tonga regarding the second type of treatment called vai haka. In addition, we tested vai haka for mutagenic and teratogenic effects. Data from the Ames TA-98 mutagenic bioassay clearly indicate that vai haka is not mutagenic with or without S-9 activation. Twenty-six experimental CD-1 white mice were gavaged with 0.1 ml of vai haka (at 540xthe human dose) while the control group of 17 mice were gavaged with 0.1 ml of water to determine teratogenic and developmental effects of the vai haka. No significant teratogenic or developmental anomalies occurred in the mice dosed with vai haka compared to the controls.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

A 45-bp insertion/deletion polymorphism of uncoupling protein 2 in relation to obesity in Tongans.

We compared the current prevalence of increased BMI and type 2 diabetes in a representative group of Tongan subjects with measurements made in 1973, and we determined the distribution and possible interrelations with the UCP2 insertion/deletion (ins/del) polymorphism of these variables. We documented the BMI, glucose tolerance, and standard lipid variables in 1012 Tongan subjects (429 men and 583 women, ages 15 to 85 years) during 1998 and 2000 and compared the BMI findings with those of the 1973 survey. We also genotyped for the UCP2 ins/del polymorphism, assessed its association with obesity and type 2 diabetes, and compared its prevalence with those reported for other ethnic populations. The mean BMI +/- SD was greatly increased in both men (30.2 +/- 5.4 kg/m(2)) and women (33.8 +/- 6.2 kg/m(2)), representing increases since 1973 of 11.9% and 19.4%, respectively. The genotype frequencies were 97% for the del/del genotype and 3% for the ins/del genotype; we found no ins/ins homozygotes. This distribution is strikingly different from those reported for white, South Indian, Pima Native-American, and Asian populations (49 to 77% for del/del genotype). We conclude that there is a marked prevalence of obesity in Tonga, a prevalence that has increased since 1973. We also conclude that there is a unique, near-uniform distribution of the UCP2 45-bp ins/del polymorphism in Tongans. This may be the result of a founder effect and may be relevant to the prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes in Tonga.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Perception of body size in the Tongan community: differences from and similarities to an Australian sample.

OBJECTIVE: The prevalence of obesity in Tonga is high and increasing. Attempts to address this major health issue would be assisted by a realistic concept of current and preferred body sizes. In this study, body size perception in Tongans was compared with that of Australians. DESIGN: Cross-sectional comparative study. SUBJECTS: 542 Tongans, 89 of whom were enrolled in a weight-loss programme (WLP); 481 Australians. MEASUREMENTS: Subjects were weighed and measured. Two series of photographs (one female, one male), representing specific body mass indexes (BMIs) were used to assess body perception. RESULTS: The BMIs of the Tongans were higher than those of the Australians (Tongans: female 32.6+/-0.35 (mean +/- s.e.m); male, 30.4+/-0.33; Australians: female, 25.6+/-0.33; male 26.3+/-0.26 kg/m2). Tongan women underestimated their body size; Tongan men and Australians overestimated. WLP and younger Tongan women preferred smaller body sizes for themselves and for men and women in general. There were gender differences in preferred healthy and attractive female sizes (men: 27 kg/m2; non-WLP women: 25 kg/m2; WLP women: 23 kg/m2) and male sizes (men: 29-30 kg/m2; women: 26-27 kg/m2 chosen by Tongans. Preferred, attractive and healthy body sizes chosen by Australian men and women were similar; about 24 kg/m2 for males and 21-22 kg/m2 for females. CONCLUSION: Tongans preferred larger body sizes than did Australians, particularly the men, but WLP women's preferences were similar to those of Australians. There is evidence that preferences are changing in Tonga with time, and probably with increasing Western influence.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Obesity, Type II diabetes and the beta 2 adrenoceptor gene Gln27Glu polymorphism in the Tongan population.

As there is a high prevalence of obesity in Tonga, we aimed to determine the distribution of the beta2 adrenoceptor gene Gln(27)Glu polymorphism and to assess its relevance to obesity and to Type II diabetes, known to be prevalent in that population. A random sample of 1022 individuals from Tonga were genotyped for the Gln(27)Glu polymorphism in the beta 2 adrenoceptor gene. To assess the prevalence of obesity we measured body-mass index (BMI), fat-free mass, percentage fat and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). To assess glucose metabolism we measured HbA(1c), fasting blood glucose, fasting serum insulin, and 1- and 2-h glucose; we also measured serum lipid and creatinine levels. We found that 84% of the Tongan men and 93% of the women were overweight or obese (BMI > or = 25 kg/m(2)) and 15.1% had Type II diabetes. Genotype frequencies among the 1022 Tongans were: Gln/Gln 90.3% and Gln/Glu 9.6%; we found one Glu/Glu homozygote. The mean BMI (+/-S.D.) for men was not significantly different for those who were homozygous (30.2+/-5.4 kg/m(2)) or heterozygous (30.1+/-5.5 kg/m(2)) for the Gln allele; this was also true for women (33.7+/-6.2 kg/m(2) for homozygous and 34.0+/-5.6 kg/m(2) for heterozygous). The Glu allele was not associated with other measures of obesity or abnormal glucose metabolism in this generally overweight population. There is a unique frequency of the Gln/Glu beta 2 adrenoceptor polymorphism among Tongans. We found no association of the polymorphism with obesity measures or Type II diabetes-related variables in the Tongan population among whom we documented a high prevalence of obesity and Type II diabetes and a low frequency of the Glu allele.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Pattern of mtDNA variation in three populations from São Tomé e Príncipe.

We have analysed the matrilineal genetic composition of three self-reported ethnic groups from São Tomé e Príncipe (Gulf of Guinea), an African archipelago whose settlement begun in the late fifteenth century. Sequence data from the hypervariable segments I (HVS-I) and II (HVS-II) were obtained for 30 Angolares, 35 Forros and 38 Tongas. The repertory of mtDNA lineages in São Tomé e Príncipe denoted a fully African maternal pool, primarily arisen from a Central/Southwestern substratum. The absence of any lineages of putative European descent means that the European impact at the mitochondrial pool was virtually nil. Angolares showed a clear reduction of mtDNA diversity and a slight genetic differentiation relative to Tongas or Forros, whereas the latter two groups did not present any signs of genetic boundaries between each other. The data obtained here reinforce the depiction of genetic substructuring in São Tomé e Príncipe previously derived from Y-chromosome STRs. In addition, the crossing of mtDNA and Y-STR information led to the inference that the female mediated gene flow within the archipelago was less restricted than the male, a pattern that could be framed in the cultural traditions and socio-historical interactions among the groups.

Africa↗
PubMed1993

Biogeography of Tongan birds before and after human impact.

Bones deposited in caves show that, before the arrival of humans, at least 27 species of land birds lived on the Tongan island of 'Eua, where 13 indigenous species live today. Six of these 13 species were recorded from pre-human strata; three others probably occurred on 'Eua in pre-human times but were not in the fossil sample; and four others probably colonized 'Eua since the arrival of humans approximately 3000 years ago. Of the 23 species of extinct or extirpated land birds recorded from 'Eua, the nearest geographic occurrences of conspecifics or most closely related congeners are from the Solomon Islands (1 species), New Caledonia (2 species), Fiji and/or Samoa (9 species), elsewhere in Tonga (8 species), or unknown (3 species). The avifauna of West Polynesia (Fiji-Tonga-Samoa) is more closely related to that of Melanesia than that of East Polynesia. There was little pre-human turnover in Tongan land birds. The arrival of humans has influenced the Tongan avifauna more than any climatic, tectonic, or biological event of the past approximately 100,000 years.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1993

Genetic polymorphisms in prehistoric Pacific islanders determined by analysis of ancient bone DNA.

A previously characterized Asian-specific mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) length mutation has been detected in DNA isolated from prehistoric human bones from Polynesia, including Hawaii, Chatham Islands and Society Islands. In contrast, the Asian mutation was absent in skeletal samples from the Melanesian archipelagos of New Britain and Vanuatu and in the oldest samples from Fiji, Tonga and Samoa in the central Pacific (2700-1600 years BP) although it was present in a more recent prehistoric sample from Tonga. These results, augmented by informative DNA sequence data from the hypervariable region of mtDNA, fail to support current views that the central Pacific was settled directly by voyagers from island Southeast Asia, the putative ancestors of modern Polynesians. An earlier occupation by peoples from the neighbouring Melanesian archipelagos seems more likely.

Animals↗
PubMed2007

Dissecting the genetic history of São Tomé e Príncipe: a new window from Y-chromosome biallelic markers.

Twenty biallelic Y chromosome markers were analyzed in Angolares, Forros and Tongas, three population groups from the African archipelago of São Tomé e Príncipe. While most male lineages belonged to sub-Saharan haplogroups, the component of European origin added up 23.9% in the archipelago. This contrasts with the reported absence of European mtDNA lineages, and the combined findings testify to a strong sex-biased admixture process during the long-lasting colonial period in São Tomé e Príncipe. Furthermore, the male mediated European component was clearly found to be out of proportion to the small demographic impact of the Portuguese on the islands, reflecting high variance in the reproductive success of the individuals that contributed to its peopling. The male portion of European ancestry was 33.3% in Forros, 27.3% in Tongas and approximately two-fold less, 14.5%, in Angolares. The Angolares also showed the lowest haplogroup diversity and the most reduced number of different haplogroups. The current results reinforce our previous evidence pointing to remarkable restrictions in gene flow between Angolares and other São Tomean inhabitants, in agreement with their considerable isolation and confinement to the south-eastern tip of São Tomé until recently.

Africa↗
PubMed2001

A complex pattern of mantle flow in the Lau backarc.

Shear-wave splitting analysis of local events recorded on land and on the ocean floor in the Tonga arc and Lau backarc indicate a complex pattern of azimuthal anisotropy that cannot be explained by mantle flow coupled to the downgoing plate. These observations suggest that the direction of mantle flow rotates from convergence-parallel in the Fiji plateau to north-south beneath the Lau basin and arc-parallel beneath the Tonga arc. These results correlate with helium isotopes that map mantle flow of the Samoan plume into the Lau basin through an opening tear in the Pacific plate.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2001

Non-multiresistant and multiresistant methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in community-acquired infections.

OBJECTIVE: To survey Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from patients presenting from the community, comparing clinical features and antibiotic sensitivity profiles between multiresistant and non-multiresistant methicillin-resistant and methicillin-sensitive isolates. DESIGN: Retrospective case series. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Patients who presented to emergency or dermatology departments in hospitals served by the South Western Sydney Area Health Service between 1 May 1998 and 30 April 1999. All patients with methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and the first 100 with methicillin-sensitive S. aureus were eligible. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Patient demographic characteristics; risk factors; clinical presentation; treatment; outcome; and isolate antibiotic susceptibility. RESULTS: 139 patients were eligible, and 122 had clinical records available. Ten of these 122 (8%) had multiresistant MRSA, 26 (21%) non-multiresistant MRSA and 86 (70%) methicillin-sensitive S. aureus. Among patients with non-multiresistant MRSA, 29% (7/24) were born in New Zealand, Samoa or Tonga, a higher proportion than among those with multiresistant MRSA or methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (P= 0.03). Nearly half (44%) of non-multiresistant MRSA strains were community-acquired in patients with no risk factors. Two-thirds of patients with non-multiresistant MRSA (17/26) presented with cellulitis or abscess, and 58% (11/19 evaluable patients) required surgical treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Non-multiresistant MRSA strains are common, especially among people born in New Zealand, Samoa or Tonga, and are usually community acquired. Medical practitioners should routinely swab all staphylococcal lesions for culture and sensitivity.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Additional rep-encoding DNAs associated with banana bunchy top virus.

Banana bunchy top nanovirus (BBTV) has a multicomponent circular single-stranded DNA (cssDNA) genome consisting of at least six components. We have cloned, sequenced and analysed two additional cssDNA components, designated BBTV-S1 and S2, associated with a Taiwanese BBTV isolate. The sequences of BBTV-S1 and S2 comprised 1109 and 1095 nucleotides (nt), respectively, and like BBTV DNA-1, potentially encoded replication initiation proteins (Reps). However, the genome organisation of BBTV-S1 and S2 differed from that of BBTV DNA-1 in that (i) the stem sequence of the CR-SL was not conserved, (ii) the internal gene was absent and (iii) the probable TATA boxes were located 5' of the stem-loop. Further, sequence and phylogenetic analysis of the Rep genes indicated that BBTV DNA-S1 and S2 were distinct from BBTV DNA-1. When different geographical isolates of BBTV were tested for the presence of BBTV-S1/S2, these components were detected in various isolates from Vietnam, Taiwan, the Philippines, Tonga and Samoa but were not detected in isolates from Australia, Egypt, Fiji, and India. Based on these results, BBTV-S1 and S2 do not appear to be integral components of the BBTV genome and represent additional Rep-encoding DNAs associated with BBTV.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

Kava-induced dermopathy: a niacin deficiency?

Heavy chronic consumption of kava (Piper methysticum) is associated with a pellagroid dermopathy that has been attributed to niacin deficiency. Over 200 male kava drinkers in the Tonga Islands were interviewed and examined regarding the characteristic skin changes. A scaly rash suggestive of ichthyosis and eye irritation were present in some heavy kava drinkers. 29 kava drinkers with prominent skin changes were randomised to receive either 100 mg oral nicotinamide or placebo daily for three weeks. Skin examinations and photographs showed clinical improvement in 5/15 of the nicotinamide group and 5/14 of the placebo group. These data, along with history and physical examination findings, suggest that niacin deficiency is not responsible for the rash, which is more characteristic of an acquired ichthyosis.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1983

Marketing and primary health care: an approach to planning in a Tongan village.

Expensive health facilities have failed to meet most health needs. This perceived failure has been interpreted as failure of scientific medicine with subsequent alienation of health facilities. It is therefore necessary to develop primary health care (PHC) programmes shaped around the life patterns of the population it serves. This paper discusses the similarity between marketing concept and providing PHC, and as it was applied to development planning in a village of the Kingdom of Tonga. The issues, circumstances, and approaches discussed, reflect what is desirable from the villagers' viewpoint. In the absence of epidemiological data, there was greater reliance on the villagers' observations to rank priorities. The process of arriving at the final objectives used the marketing approach to provide direction and guideline for discussions for the problems. Marketing can be of assistance in the search for more acceptable and accessible health service and will help to focus on the communities' perspective of their total needs.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

The migration of doctors and nurses from South Pacific Island Nations.

Little is known of the structure of the international migration of skilled health professionals. Accelerated migration of doctors and nurses from the Pacific island states of Fiji, Samoa and Tonga to the Pacific periphery is part of the globalization of health care. The findings from a recent survey of 251 doctors and nurses from the three island countries are reported here. Key determinants of both present migration status and future migration intentions were analyzed using econometric methods. Nurses' and doctors' propensities to migrate are influenced by both income and non-income factors, including ownership of businesses and houses. Migrants also tend to have more close relatives overseas, to have trained there, and so experienced superior working conditions. Migration propensities vary between countries, and between nurses and doctors within countries. Tongan nurses have a higher propensity to migrate, mainly because of greater relative earnings differentials, but are also more likely to return home. The role of kinship ties, relative income differentials and working conditions is evident in other developing country contexts. Remittances and return migration, alongside business investment, bring some benefits to compensate for the skill drain. National development policies should focus on encouraging return migration, alongside retention and recruitment, but are unlikely to prevent out migration.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Obesity, Type II diabetes and the Ala54Thr polymorphism of fatty acid binding protein 2 in the Tongan population.

Genetic variation of fatty acid binding protein 2 (FABP2) may contribute to the high prevalence of obesity and Type II diabetes in Tonga. To explore this we assessed the frequency of the FABP2 Ala54Thr polymorphism, obesity, and Type II diabetes in Tongans and possible inter-relationships. We investigated 1022 Tongan subjects, 433 men and 589 women aged 15-85 years, to identify possible associations between the FABP2 Ala54Thr polymorphism, obesity, Type II diabetes, BMI, glucose tolerance and standard lipid variables. The prevalence of the polymorphism was compared with that reported for other ethnic populations (studies from: Japanese, Finnish, African American, Native Canadian and Inuit, Swedish, Guadeloupe Indians, European males, and Caucasian populations). We found that 84% of the Tongan men and 93% of the Tongan women were overweight or obese (BMI> or =25kg/m2). The mean BMI+/-SD was not significantly different among those who were and were not carrying the Thr allele (males: Ala/Ala 30.4+/-5.4 and Thr carriers 29.8+/-5.1; females: Ala/Ala 33.8+/-6.4 and Thr carriers 33.6+/-5.1). The genotype frequencies were 76.2% Ala/Ala, 22.8% Ala/Thr, and 1.0% Thr/Thr. The Alal/Ala frequency is higher than the prevalences reported for all populations studied. The Thr allele was significantly associated with lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol in both sexes and in women also with lower HDL cholesterol. We conclude that there is a high prevalence of the FABP2 Ala54Thr polymorphism in Tongans. The polymorphism may be involved in lipid metabolism as the Thr allele is associated with low total and LDL cholesterol levels in this population.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

The pain of childbirth: perceptions of culturally diverse women.

The pain experiences of culturally diverse childbearing women are described based on a secondary analysis of narrative data from phenomenologic studies of the meaning of childbirth. Study participants were interviewed in the hospital after giving birth or in their homes within the first weeks after having a baby. Transcripts of interviews with childbearing women who lived in North and Central America, Scandinavia, the Middle East, the People's Republic of China, and Tonga were analyzed. Participants described their attitudes toward, perceptions of, and the meaning of childbirth pain. Culturally bound behavior in response to childbirth pain was also articulated. A variety of coping mechanisms were used by women to deal with the pain. Understanding the meaning of pain, women's perceptions of pain, and culturally bound pain behaviors is fundamental in order for nurses to facilitate satisfying birth experiences for culturally diverse women.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2001

HLA-DPA1 and DPB1 polymorphism in four Pacific Islands populations determined by sequencing based typing.

Class II HLA-DP antigens are heterodimers comprised of alpha and beta chains coded by HLA-DPA1 and HLA-DPB1 genes. Both genes are polymorphic with substantial variation between different populations world wide. This work describes DPA1 and DPB1 polymorphism in four Pacific Island populations of Cook Islands, Samoa, Tokelau and Tonga, living in New Zealand. Using sequencing based typing four DPA1 alleles and twelve DPB1 alleles were observed in total among the four populations. There are two predominant DPA1 alleles DPA1*01031 and DPA1*02022 and three predominant DPB1 alleles DPB1*02012, DPB1*0401 and DPB1*0501. Fourteen DPA1-DPB1 haplotypes in total are present in these four populations with three predominant haplotypes: DPA1*02022-DPB1*0501, DPA1*01031-DPB1*02012, and DPA1*01031-DPB1*0401. Strong positive and negative disequilibrium was observed for individual DPA1-DPB1 haplotypes. Significant differences in DPA1 and DPB1 allele and haplotype frequencies were observed between Tokelauan and other three populations. Phylogenetic analysis of genetic distances between the four Pacific Island populations and other Asian Oceanian populations have shown that Cook Islanders, Samoans and Tongans are more closely related to Asian populations whereas Tokelauans cluster towards non-Austronesian populations of Papua New Guinea Highlanders and Australian Aborigines.

Algorithms↗