Association between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and incidence of inflammatory bowel disease: a nationwide population‑based cohort study

Background/Aims

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common disease with severe inflammatory processes associated with numerous gastrointestinal diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Therefore, we investigated the relationship between NAFLD and IBD and the possible risk factors associated with the diagnosis of IBD.

Methods

This longitudinal nationwide cohort study investigated the risk of IBD in patients with NAFLD alone. General characteristics, comorbidities, and incidence of IBD were also compared.

Results

Patients diagnosed with NAFLD had a significant risk of developing IBD compared to control individuals, who were associated with a 2.245-fold risk of the diagnosis of IBD and a 2.260- and 2.231-fold of increased diagnosis of ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, respectively (P< 0.001). The cumulative risk of IBD increased annually during the follow-up of patients with NAFLD (P< 0.001).

Conclusions

Our results emphasize that NAFLD significantly impacts its incidence in patients with NAFLD. If patients with NAFLD present with risk factors, such as diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia, these conditions should be properly treated with regular follow-ups. Furthermore, we believe that these causes may be associated with the second peak of IBD.

Real-World Evidence of Effectiveness and Safety of Vedolizumab for Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Taiwan: A Prospective Nationwide Registry (VIOLET) Study

BACKGROUND

This nationwide prospective registry study investigated the real-world effectiveness, safety, and persistence of vedolizumab (VDZ) in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients in Taiwan. Disease relapse rates after VDZ discontinuation due to reimbursement restriction were assessed.

METHODS

Data were collected prospectively (January 2018 to May 2020) from the Taiwan Society of IBD registry.

RESULTS

Overall, 274 patients (147 ulcerative colitis [UC] patients, 127 Crohn's disease [CD] patients) were included. Among them, 70.7% with UC and 50.4% with CD were biologic-naïve. At 1 year, 76.0%, 58.0%, 35.0%, and 62.2% of UC patients and 57.1%, 71.4%, 33.3%, and 30.0% of CD patients achieved clinical response, clinical remission, steroid-free remission, and mucosal healing, respectively. All patients underwent hepatitis B and tuberculosis screening before initiating biologics, and prophylaxis was recommended when necessary. One hepatitis B carrier, without antiviral prophylaxis due to economic barriers, had hepatitis B reactivation during steroid tapering and increasing azathioprine dosage, which was controlled with an antiviral agent. No tuberculosis reactivation was noted. At 12 months, non-reimbursement-related treatment persistence rates were 94.0% and 82.5% in UC and CD patients, respectively. Moreover, 75.3% of IBD patients discontinued VDZ due to mandatory drug holiday. Relapse rates after VDZ discontinuation at 6 and 12 months were 36.7% and 64.3% in CD patients and 42.9% and 52.4% in UC patients, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings demonstrated VDZ effectiveness in IBD patients in Taiwan, with high treatment persistence rates and favorable safety profiles. A substantial IBD relapse rate was observed in patients who had mandatory drug holiday.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on inflammatory bowel disease care in Taiwan: A multicenter study

BACKGROUND

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had a great impact on healthcare system and patients. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the perceptions of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

METHODS

This prospective multicenter study was conducted between July 2021 and December 2021. Patients with IBD answered a structured questionnaire, and their degree of anxiety was assessed using a visual analogue scale (VAS) before and after reading educational materials.

RESULTS

A total of 225 (47.67%) patients with Crohn's disease, 244 (51.69%) with ulcerative colitis and 3 (0.64%) with indeterminate colitis were enrolled. Common concerns were adverse events from vaccination (20.34%), and higher risks of developing severe COVID-19 (19.28%) and COVID-19 infection (16.31%) than the general population. Medications deemed by the patients to increase the risk of COVID-19 were immunomodulators (16.10%), anti-tumor necrosis factor-α antagonists (9.96%), and corticosteroids (9.32%). Thirty-five (7.42%) patients self-discontinued IBD medication, of whom 12 (34.28%) had worse symptoms. Older age (>50 years) (OR 1.10, 95% CI 1.01-1.19, p = 0.03), IBD-related complications (OR 1.16, 95% CI 1.04-1.28, p = 0.01), education status below senior high school (OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.08-1.37, p = 0.001), and residing in north-central Taiwan (OR 1.21, 95% CI 1.10-1.34, p < 0.001) were associated with more anxiety. None of the enrolled patients contracted COVID-19. The anxiety VAS score (mean ± SD) improved after reading the educational materials (3.84 ± 2.33 vs. 2.81 ± 1.96, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The medical behavior of IBD patients was influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, and their anxiety could be mitigated after education.

[Scoping review of progress in cohort studies of autism spectrum disorder]

Objective: To understand the status of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) cohort studies and explore the feasibility of constructing ASD disease-specific cohorts based on real-world data (RWD). Methods: ASD cohort studies published by December 2022 were collected by literature retrieval from major Chinese and English databases. And the characteristics of the cohort were summarized. Results: A total of 1 702 ASD cohort studies were included, and only 60 (3.53%) were from China. A total of 163 ASD-related cohorts were screened, of which 55.83% were birth cohorts, 28.22% were ASD-specific cohorts, and 4.91% were ASD high-risk cohorts. Most cohorts used RWD such as hospital registries or conducted community-based field surveys to obtain participant information and identified patients with ASD by scales or clinical diagnoses. The contents of the studies included ASD incidence and prognostic risk factors, ASD comorbidity patterns and the impact of ASD on self-health and their offspring's health. Conclusions: ASD cohort studies in developed countries have been in the advanced stage, while the Chinese studies are still in their infancy. RWD provides the data basis for ASD-specific cohort construction and offers new opportunities for research, but work such as case validation is still needed to ensure the scientific nature of cohort construction.

Cold Versus Hot Snare Polypectomy for Small Colorectal Polyps : A Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

Although cold snare polypectomy (CSP) is considered effective in reducing delayed postpolypectomy bleeding risk, direct evidence supporting its safety in the general population remains lacking.

OBJECTIVE

To clarify whether CSP would reduce delayed bleeding risk after polypectomy compared with hot snare polypectomy (HSP) in the general population.

DESIGN

Multicenter randomized controlled study. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03373136).

SETTING

6 sites in Taiwan, July 2018 through July 2020.

PARTICIPANTS

Participants aged 40 years or older with polyps of 4 to 10 mm.

INTERVENTION

CSP or HSP to remove polyps of 4 to 10 mm.

MEASUREMENTS

The primary outcome was the delayed bleeding rate within 14 days after polypectomy. Severe bleeding was defined as a decrease in hemoglobin concentration of 20 g/L or more, requiring transfusion or hemostasis. Secondary outcomes included mean polypectomy time, successful tissue retrieval, en bloc resection, complete histologic resection, and emergency service visits.

RESULTS

A total of 4270 participants were randomly assigned (2137 to CSP and 2133 to HSP). Eight patients (0.4%) in the CSP group and 31 (1.5%) in the HSP group had delayed bleeding (risk difference, -1.1% [95% CI, -1.7% to -0.5%]). Severe delayed bleeding was also lower in the CSP group (1 [0.05%] vs. 8 [0.4%] events; risk difference, -0.3% [CI, -0.6% to -0.05%]). Mean polypectomy time (119.0 vs. 162.9 seconds; difference in mean, -44.0 seconds [CI, -53.1 to -34.9 seconds]) was shorter in the CSP group, although successful tissue retrieval, en bloc resection, and complete histologic resection did not differ. The CSP group had fewer emergency service visits than the HSP group (4 [0.2%] vs. 13 [0.6%] visits; risk difference, -0.4% [CI, -0.8% to -0.04%]).

LIMITATION

An open-label, single-blind trial.

CONCLUSION

Compared with HSP, CSP for small colorectal polyps significantly reduces the risk for delayed postpolypectomy bleeding, including severe events.

PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE

Boston Scientific Corporation.

Clinical characteristics and risk factors for rebleeding in uremic patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding undergoing deep enteroscopy: A multi-center retrospective study in Taiwan

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

Recurrent obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB) in patients with chronic kidney disease is a challenge often faced by physicians, given the need for repeated hospitalizations, multiple extensive examinations, limited treatment options, and high medical costs. The purpose of this study was to identify the clinical characteristics of uremic patients undergoing deep enteroscopy for OGIB and analyze the risk factors for rebleeding in these patients after undergoing single-balloon enteroscopy (SBE).

METHODS

Out of 765 patients with OGIB who underwent 1004 procedures of SBE in four teaching hospitals, 78 uremic patients with OGIB were enrolled. Clinical characteristics and endoscopic findings were collected, and multiple variables were analyzed to determine the risk of rebleeding after SBE.

RESULTS

The diagnostic yield was 75.6%, and the rebleeding rate was 29.5% in the enrolled uremic patients. The most common etiology was angiodysplasia (74.6%) and the most common site was the jejunum (50.8%). The endoscopic intervention rate was 62.8% and most patients were treated with argon plasma coagulation (75.6%). Among the eight patients with valvular heart disease (VHD), four (50%) had severe aortic stenosis, and the remaining had non-aortic stenosis-VHD. VHD (p < 0.05) and angiodysplasia (p < 0.05) were both associated with a higher rebleeding rate.

CONCLUSION

VHD may be an independent risk factor associated with rebleeding after SBE in uremic patients with OGIB. Moreover, uremic patients with angiodysplasia-related bleeding appear to have a higher rebleeding rate than those with alternative causes of bleeding.

A novel galactose electrochemical biosensor intended for point-of-care measurement of quantitative liver function using galactose single-point test

Liver disease has emerged as a healthcare burden because of high hospitalization rates attributed both to steatohepatitis and to severe hepatic toxicity associated with changes of drug exposure. Early detection of hepatic insufficiency is critical to preventing long-term liver damage. The galactose single-point test is recommended by the US FDA as a sensitive means to quantify liver function, yet the conventional method used for quantitation of circulating galactose still relies on the standard colorimetric method, requiring time-consuming and labor-intensive processes, and is confined to the medical laboratory, thus limiting prevalence. To facilitate time- and cost-effective disease management particularly during a pandemic, a pocket-sized rapid quantitative device consisting of a biosensor and electrochemical detection has been developed. An in vitro validation study demonstrated that the coefficient of variation was less than 15% and deviations were between -4 and 14% in the range of 100-1500 μg/mL. The device presented good linear fit (correlation coefficient, r = 0.9750) over the range of 150-1150 µg/mL. Moreover, the device was found to be free from interference of common endogenous and exogenous substances, and deviated hematocrit, enabling a direct measurement of galactose in the whole blood without sample pre-treatment steps. The clinical validation comprising 118 subjects showed high concordance (r = 0.953) between the device and the conventional colorimetric assay. Thus, this novel miniaturized device is reliable and robust for routine assessment of quantitative liver function intended for follow-up of hepatectomy, drug dose adjustment, and screening for galactosemia, allowing timely and cost-effective clinical management of patients.

Evaluation of the Preventive Effects of Fish Oil and Sunflower Seed Oil on the Pathophysiology of Sepsis in Endotoxemic Rats

Sepsis causes platelet activation, systemic inflammation, organ dysfunction, and mortality. Endotoxins play an important role in the manifestation of the symptoms of septic shock. As fish oil exert well known anti-inflammatory effects and sunflower seed oil exert less anti-inflammatory properties than fish oil, both oils are widely used. We aimed to test the hypothesis that dietary supplementation of these two oils before endotoxemia modulates the consequences of illness. Nine- to ten-week-old male Wistar rats (N = 55) were divided into four groups: group A (N = 6), control; group B (N = 17), saline + lipopolysaccharide (endotoxin); group C (N = 17), fish oil + lipopolysaccharide; and group D (N = 15), sunflower seed oil + lipopolysaccharide. After 28 days of feeding the designated diet, the rats in all groups were intraperitoneally injected with lipopolysaccharide. After 24 h, survival rate, endotoxemia severity, levels of platelet activation markers, organ function and biochemical variables were evaluated. Platelet-leukocyte aggregation was significantly high in group C (p = 0.005), and platelet-monocyte aggregation was significantly high in groups C (p = 0.003) and D (p = 0.016) than in group B. The survival rate, endotoxemia severity, expression of platelet P-selectin, CD40L, and TLR4, pulmonary function, renal function, liver function, or biochemical variables did not significantly differ among groups B, C, and D. Instead of an anti-inflammatory effect, the dietary supplementation of fish and sunflower seed oils exerted a pro-inflammatory effect, especially via platelet-monocyte aggregation, suggesting a rebound effect of the dietary supplementation of the oils. The oils did not affect other inflammatory platelet markers or improve the outcome of endotoxemic rats. However, further studies are required to understand the underlying mechanisms of such effects and to elaborate the clinical significance of these findings.

SPAK Deficiency Attenuates Chemotherapy-Induced Intestinal Mucositis

Introduction

Ste20-related protein proline/alanine-rich kinase (SPAK) affects cell proliferation, differentiation, and transformation, and sodium and chloride transport in the gut. However, its role in gut injury pathogenesis is unclear.

Objective

We determined the role of SPAK in chemotherapy-induced intestinal mucositis using in vivo and in vitro models.

Methods

Using SPAK-knockout (KO) mice, we evaluated the severity of intestinal mucositis induced by 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) by assessing body weight loss, histological changes in the intestinal mucosa, length of villi in the small intestine, pro-inflammatory cytokine levels, proliferative indices, and apoptotic indices. We also evaluated changes in gut permeability and tight junction-associated protein expression. Changes in cell permeability, proliferation, and apoptosis were assessed in SPAK siRNA-transfected 5FU-treated IEC-6 cells.

Results

5-FU-treated SPAK-KO mice exhibited milder intestinal mucositis, reduced pro-inflammatory cytokine expression, increased villus length, good maintenance of proliferative indices of villus cells, decreased apoptotic index of enterocytes, reduced gut permeability, and restoration of tight junction protein expression (vs. 5-FU-treated wild-type mice). Under in vitro conditions, siRNA-mediated SPAK-knockdown in IEC-6 cells decreased cell permeability and maintained homeostasis following 5-FU treatment.

Conclusion

SPAK deficiency attenuated chemotherapy-induced intestinal mucositis by modulating gut permeability and tight junction-associated protein expression and maintaining gut homeostasis in murine small intestinal tissues following gut injury. The expression of SPAK may influence the pathogenesis of chemotherapy-induced intestinal mucositis.

Accurate diagnosis of endoscopic mucosal healing in ulcerative colitis using deep learning and machine learning

BACKGROUND

In clinical applications, mucosal healing is a therapeutic goal in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). Endoscopic remission is associated with lower rates of colectomy, relapse, hospitalization, and colorectal cancer. Differentiation of mucosal inflammatory status depends on the experience and subjective judgments of clinical physicians. We developed a computer-aided diagnostic system using deep learning and machine learning (DLML-CAD) to accurately diagnose mucosal healing in UC patients.

METHODS

We selected 856 endoscopic colon images from 54 UC patients (643 images with endoscopic score 0-1 and 213 with score 2-3) from the endoscopic image database at Tri-Service General Hospital, Taiwan. Endoscopic grading using the Mayo endoscopic subscore (MES 0-3) was performed by two reviewers. A pretrained neural network extracted image features, which were used to train three different classifiers-deep neural network (DNN), support vector machine (SVM), and k-nearest neighbor (k-NN) network.

RESULTS

DNN classified MES 0 to 1, representing mucosal healing, vs MES 2 to 3 images with 93.8% accuracy (sensitivity 84.6%, specificity 96.9%); SVM had 94.1% accuracy (sensitivity 89.2%, specificity 95.8%); and k-NN had 93.4% accuracy (sensitivity 86.2%, specificity 95.8%). Combined, ensemble learning achieved 94.5% accuracy (sensitivity 89.2%, specificity 96.3%). The system further differentiated between MES 0, representing complete mucosal healing, and MES 1 images with 89.1% accuracy (sensitivity 82.3%, specificity 92.2%).

CONCLUSION

Our DLML-CAD diagnosis achieved 94.5% accuracy for endoscopic mucosal healing and 89.0% accuracy for complete mucosal healing. This system can provide clinical physicians with an accurate auxiliary diagnosis in treating UC.

CRNDE-h transcript/miR-136-5p axis regulates interleukin enhancer binding factor 2 expression to promote hepatocellular carcinoma cell proliferation

AIMS

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a primary malignancy of the hepatocyte. Interleukin enhancer binding factor 2 (ILF2) plays a role in the development of HCC. However, the regulatory mechanisms of ILF2 expression in HCC remain unclear. In this study, we aimed to identify ILF2-targeting microRNAs (miRNAs) and to explore how they affect ILF2 expression in HCC.

MAIN METHODS

The tissue specimens were collected from 25 HCC patients. The underlying regulatory mechanism of ILF2 expression in HCC progression was determined using luciferase reporter assay, quantitative real-time PCR, Western blotting, and BrdU incorporation assay.

KEY FINDINGS

Of predicted miRNA candidates (miR-122-5p, miR-425-5p, miR-136-5p, miR-7-5p, miR-421 and miR-543), a statistically significant inverse correlation by linear correlation analysis was observed between miR-136-5p and ILF2 mRNA expressions in patients with HCC (r = -0.627, P < 0.001). Further analysis demonstrated that ILF2 was directly regulated by miR-136-5p. In addition, we showed that long noncoding RNA colorectal neoplasia differentially expressed-h (lncRNA CRNDE-h) transcript expression was significantly up-regulated in HCC, and a miR-136-5p binding site was newly found in the lncRNA CRNDE-h transcript sequence using IntaRNA tool. In terms of mechanism, highly-expressed lncRNA CRNDE-h transcript can sponge miR-136-5p, thereby preventing it from interacting with target ILF2 mRNA while promoting the proliferation of HCC cells.

SIGNIFICANCE

The lncRNA CRNDE-h/miR-136-5p/ILF2 axis plays a significant regulatory role in HCC progression, which may partly explain the pathogenic mechanisms of HCC and may provide promising potential targets for the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of HCC.

Relationships Between Vitamin D Status and Cytokine: Results from Interferon-Based Therapy in Non-Cirrhotic, Treatment-Naïve Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C Infection

Background

Vitamin D contributes to bone health and extra-skeletal effects. The mechanisms underlying vitamin D metabolism have not been extensively evaluated. The relationships between vitamin D and inflammatory cytokines are debated. Our objective was to investigate whether supplemental interferons are associated with longitudinal change of vitamin D status in humans.

Methods

A total of 48 patients with 24 or 48 weeks of pegylated interferon-α plus ribavirin therapy were examined for serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) level before treatment, at the end of treatment, and 24 weeks after treatment. In addition, we analyzed publicly available RNA sequencing data from accession GSE42697 and GSE7123 in the Gene Expression Omnibus.

Findings

The overall sustained virologic response (SVR) rate was 62.5%. There was no statistically significant association between baseline 25(OH)D concentrations and liver fibrosis. In patients with SVR, serum 25(OH)D increased markedly at end-of-treatment and decreased markedly by the end of the 24-week follow-up period. In the non-SVR group, this treatment-dependent change was lost. In gene expression analysis, the vitamin D biosynthesis process was activated in subjects with SVR, but not in patients without SVR. Furthermore, vitamin D receptor (VDR) signaling in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was triggered in marked responders but not in poor responders.

Conclusion

In the aggregate, these data suggest that interferons have a regulatory influence on vitamin D status that can contribute to VDR signaling in PBMCs.

[Combined effect of noise and hand-transmitted vibration on noise-induced hearing loss in the automobile manufacturing industry]

Objective: To investigate the combined effect of noise and hand-transmitted vibration on noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) in the automobile manufacturing industry. Methods: From September 2018 to January 2019, cluster sampling was used to select 998 workers in an automobile factory as study subjects, among whom 352 workers exposed to noise alone were enrolled as noise group, 342 workers exposed to noise and hand-transmitted vibration were enrolled as combined effect group, and 304 workers without exposure to occupational hazardous factors were enrolled as control group. A questionnaire survey and pure tone audiometry were performed for all study subjects. An analysis of variance was used for comparison of continuous data between groups, and the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups; a ordinal polytomous logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the influencing factors for NIHL (with 0.05 as the inclusion criteria and 0.10 as the exclusion criteria for independent variables) . Results: There was a significant difference in L(Aeq, 8 h) between groups (P<0.05) ; the noise group and the combined effect group had a significantly higher L(Aeq, 8 h) than the control group (P<0.05) , while there was no significant difference in L(Aeq, 8 h) between the noise group and the combined effect group (P>0.05) . The control group had a significantly lower detection rate of hearing loss than the noise group and the combined effect group (P<0.0125) , and the combined effect group had a significantly higher detection rate of hearing loss than the noise group (P<0.0125) . The ordinal polytomous logistic regression analysis showed that after adjustment for confounding factors such as age, working years, sex, smoking, and drinking, both noise exposure and exposure to both noise and hand-transmitted vibration had an influence on workers' hearing (P<0.05) , and the workers exposed to both noise and hand-transmitted vibration had a higher risk of hearing loss than those exposed to noise alone. Conclusion: There may be a combined effect of noise and hand-transmitted vibration in the automobile manufacturing industry, which can increase the risk of NIHL in workers.

Impact of endoscopic sedation on gastric polyp detection: A one-center retrospective observational study

Sedation esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) has become more prevalent in many countries. However, owing to the limitation of health insurance payment for sedation EGD in Taiwan, non-sedation EGD still accounts for the majority of cases. This study was aimed to explore the differences between the sedation and non-sedation groups in terms of endoscopic findings, such as detection rate of gastric polyp of any size, number of detected gastric polyps, and location of the gastric polyps detected.We enrolled 10,940 patients who underwent EGD between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2016 at the Tri-Service General Hospital; among the patients, 1900 received intravenous sedation (IVS) and 9040 did not. The data reviewed included demographics, parameters of the polyp (number, size, and location), and pathology.Compared with the non-sedation group, the sedation group had a higher overall polyp detection rate (P < .001); a greater number of detected polyps (Odds ratio 1.50, P = .007); and a higher detection rate of smaller polyps, such as fundic gland polyp, and hyperplastic polyp (P < .001). Among the pathological findings, gastric neuroendocrine tumor (NET) was detected using EGD in 2 cases and manifested as small polyps (<0.05 cm), and it showed significantly better detection rates in the sedation EGD group than in the non-sedation EGD group (P = .002).Sedation EGD could enhance a patients willingness and cooperation during EGD. Furthermore, sedation EGD increased the detection rates of small gastric polyps and was more likely to enable identification of unusual findings, such as gastric NET.

Endoscopic management of strictures in patients with Crohn's disease - A multi-center experience in Taiwan

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic gastrointestinal (GI) disorder that causes relapsing inflammation and severe mucosal damage in the intestine. Crohn's disease (CD)-related stricturing complications are a major cause of surgery, disability, and reduced quality of life. Endoscopic balloon dilation (EBD) has been shown to reliably delay or prevent surgery in patients with stricturing CD. However, cases of EBD performed for stricture in CD in Taiwan are rare. In this study, we want to evaluate the experiences regarding EBD for stricturing CD in Taiwan.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective analysis of 9 medical centers in Taiwan. Patients with CD-related strictures who were treated with EBD were included and analyzed.

RESULTS

In nine medical centers, a total of 26 CD patients (19 male, 7 female, mean disease duration 75.4 ± 65.2 months) underwent 42 EBD procedures during the study period. Among the subjects, an 83.3% (35/42) EBD success rate was seen, but 26.9% (7/26) patients underwent surgery after ineffective EBD. In the surgery group, the the small bowel strictures was high compared with the non-surgery group (p = 0.01). There were no significant differences in disease phenotype, disease duration or history of fistulizing disease. In the surgery group, immunosuppressant use was high, and 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) use was low compared with the non-surgery group. After EBD, the physicians tended to change the drugs, especially increasing the use of biologic agents.

CONCLUSION

EBD is a safe and effective procedure for CD-related stricture, with a 83.3% success rate in Taiwan.

Transplant Recipients Using Tacrolimus Had Higher Utilization of Healthcare Services Than Those Receiving Cyclosporine in Taiwan

To date, population-based studies on the healthcare service utilization among stable heart, kidney, and liver transplant recipients with different calcineurin inhibitors are still scarce. Therefore, we used the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database to conduct a nationwide cross-sectional study to estimate the healthcare utilization of stable transplant recipients with tacrolimus or cyclosporine (n = 3,482). The sampled patients in this study comprised 377 heart, 1,693 kidney, and 1,412 liver transplant recipients between 1 January 2011 and 31 December 2011. Each subject was followed for a 1-year period to evaluate his/her healthcare service utilization. Outcome variables of the healthcare service utilization were stated as below: numbers of outpatient visits, outpatient costs, numbers of inpatient days, inpatients costs, and total costs of all healthcare services. As for all healthcare service utilization, stable transplant recipients on tacrolimus had significantly more outpatient visits (40.7 vs. 38.6), outpatient costs (US$10,383 vs. US$8,155), and total costs (US$12,516 vs. US$10,372) of all healthcare services than those on cyclosporine during the 1-year follow-up period. Additionally, further analysis showed that heart transplant recipients receiving tacrolimus incurred 1.7-fold higher inpatient costs compared to patients receiving cyclosporine. We concluded that transplant recipients using tacrolimus had significantly higher utilization of all healthcare services than those receiving cyclosporine as immunosuppressive therapy.

[Epidemiological survey of mental disorders in the rural left behind elderly aged 60 years and older in Gansu]

Objective: To investigate the prevalence, demographic characteristics and social life function of mental disorders in the rural left behind elderly aged 60 years and older in Gansu. Methods: Between November 2017 and June 2018, a multi-stage stratified cluster sampling method was used to randomly select the rural left behind elderly aged 60 years and older in Gansu, and totally 6 000 elderly were enrolled. By using the extended general health questionnaire (GHQ-12) and the American Handbook for Diagnosis and Statistics of Mental Disorders (DSM-Ⅳ) Axis Ⅰ Disorders Formal Clinical Examination Patient Edition, all the included subjects were screened and diagnosed. Functional status was assessed by the Global Assessment Function scale (GAF). Statistical analysis of the prevalence of various mental illnesses, as well as the differences in the prevalence of different gender, marital status and age groups was performed. Results: Totally, 6 000 subjects completed the survey. The adjusted current prevalence of any mental disorder was 20.11% (95%CI 17.70%-22.85%). The six most prevalent specific disorders were major depressive disorder (9.20%), pain disorder (2.71%), mood disorder due to the body condition (2.08%), generalized anxiety disorder (1.99%), anxiety disorder not otherwise specified (1.15%) and dysthymic disorder (0.84%). The lifetime prevalence of mental disorders was 20.54% (95%CI 18.40%-23.39%). The overall current prevalence of mental disorders was higher in women (242.89‰) than in men (119.55‰), and the unmarried (248.37‰) was higher than those married (187.53‰). There was no significant difference in the prevalence of mental disorders among different age groups (P>0.05). The GAF score of mental disorders was 56±11, and 71.82% was moderate to severe functional impairment. Conclusions: The prevalence of mental disorders is high in rural left-behind population aged 60 years and over in Gansu Province. Major depression is a condition that deserves special attention.

Diurnal regulation of SDG2 and JMJ14 by circadian clock oscillators orchestrates histone modification rhythms in Arabidopsis

Background

Circadian rhythms modulate growth and development in all organisms through interlocking transcriptional-translational feedback loops. The transcriptional loop involves chromatin modifications of central circadian oscillators in mammals and plants. However, the molecular basis for rhythmic epigenetic modifications and circadian regulation is poorly understood.

Results

Here we report a feedback relationship between diurnal regulation of circadian clock genes and histone modifications in Arabidopsis. On one hand, the circadian oscillators CCA1 and LHY regulate diurnal expression of genes coding for the eraser (JMJ14) directly and writer (SDG2) indirectly for H3K4me3 modification, leading to rhythmic H3K4me3 changes in target genes. On the other hand, expression of circadian oscillator genes including CCA1 and LHY is associated with H3K4me3 levels and decreased in the sdg2 mutant but increased in the jmj14 mutant. At the genome-wide level, diurnal rhythms of H3K4me3 and another histone mark H3K9ac are associated with diurnal regulation of 20–30% of the expressed genes. While the majority (86%) of H3K4me3 and H3K9ac target genes overlap, only 13% of morning-phased and 22% of evening-phased genes had both H3K4me3 and H3K9ac peaks, suggesting specific roles of different histone modifications in diurnal gene expression.

Conclusions

Circadian clock genes promote diurnal regulation of SDG2 and JMJ14 expression, which in turn regulate rhythmic histone modification dynamics for the clock and its output genes. This reciprocal regulatory module between chromatin modifiers and circadian clock oscillators orchestrates diurnal gene expression that governs plant growth and development.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s13059-019-1777-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Ligustilide, a major bioactive component of Angelica sinensis, promotes bone formation via the GPR30/EGFR pathway

Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels is a widely-used traditional Chinese herbal medicine in treating osteoporosis. Ligustilide (LIG) is the main component of A. sinensis and is considered to be the most effective biologically active ingredient in this plant. LIG has been found to have multiple pharmacological activities, such as anti-atherosclerosis, neuroprotection, anticancer, anti-inflammatory and analgesic. However, little is known regarding its anti-osteoporotic effects. The aims of this study were to investigate any protective effect of LIG on bone formation. The results showed that LIG significantly ameliorated inhibition of bone formation in zebrafish caused by prednisolone. LIG promoted osteoblast differentiation, including that of the pre-osteoblastic cell line MC3T3-E1 and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. LIG greatly improved the viability of MC3T3-E1 cells exposed to H₂O₂, attenuated H₂O₂-induced apoptosis and increased the expression of Bcl-2. Furthermore, LIG treatment lead to marked activation of phosphorylated EGFR and ERK1/2. These effects could be obviously inhibited by blocking GPR30 signaling with the specific inhibitor G15. Collectively, the results reveal that GPR30 is a positive switch for LIG to increase bone formation via regulation of EGFR, and these results provide evidence for the potential of LIG to treat osteoporosis.

Early Initiation of Post-Pyloric Feeding in Patients with Major Burns: Experience in Taiwan Formosa Water Park Dust Explosion Disaster

Early initiation of enteral nutrition improves clinical outcomes in critical patients with serious burns. Post-pyloric tube feeding is a valuable therapeutic option for severely burned patients with poor gastric emptying. How early post-pyloric feeding can be initiated to provide more benefits to patients has not yet been examined. A fire erupted at a recreational water park in New Taipei City, Taiwan, on June 27, 2015. The results of early initiation versus delayed post-pyloric feeding in severely burned patients in this mass-casualty incident were compared. Door-to-post-pyloric feeding time ≤ 24 h was considered as early post-pyloric feeding (EPF) and that > 24 h was considered as delayed post-pyloric feeding (DPF). Thirteen patients with severe burn injuries (> 40% of the total body surface area) were assigned to undergo either EPF (five patients) or DPF (eight patients). This study is a "fortuitously controlled" study, and the authors were able to formulate and test whether EPF is better than DPF by comparing the two groups. In patients in the EPF, the intake of calories increased rapidly and was maintained throughout the study period. In addition, rapid restoration of plasma magnesium concentrations as well as pronounced recovery of platelet count in the EPF group was observed. In conclusion, our findings indicate that the time from injury to the onset of post-pyloric feeding is crucial, and EPF allows for the administration of calculated caloric needs. Therefore, EPF can be successfully initiated with beneficial outcomes of nutritional reconstruction in severely burned patients.

Is a bleeding scan prior to single-balloon enteroscopy necessary in patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding?

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

To evaluate the efficacy and accuracy of bleeder localization in a pre-enteroscopic bleeding scan in patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB).

METHODS

From January 2009 to December 2014, 98 patients with OGIB undergoing single-balloon enteroscopy (SBE) were enrolled. These patients were classified based on their history of a previous bleeding scan; 56 patients had undergone a previous bleeding scan, whereas 42 had not. The clinical characteristics, endoscopic findings, and rebleeding rate were compared between these two groups. The ability of the bleeding scan to localize the bleeding site was analyzed.

RESULTS

The mean age of patients was 56 ± 22 years; final diagnostic yield, 65.3%; and the most common etiology of OGIB, angiodysplasia (29.6%). There was no significant difference in demographic characteristics, OGIB etiologies, and final diagnostic yields (67.9% vs. 61.2%, bleeding scan vs. control group) between groups. In the bleeding scan group, the rate of positive detection was approximately 80.4%. However, only 26.7% patients with a positive bleeding scan showed correct localization of bleeding. Moreover, the bleeding scan delayed SBE (8.9 days vs. 3.0 days, p < 0.001). During the 24 months of follow-up, 15 patients (15.3%) exhibited rebleeding and needed to be hospitalized, but there was no significant difference between the groups.

CONCLUSION

In our study, bleeding scans in patients with OGIB revealed poor localization of the bleeder and delay in performing SBE. Thus, a bleeding scan prior to SBE showed a limited role for patients with OGIB.

Clinical characteristics and risk factors of active bleeding in colonic angiodysplasia among the Taiwanese

BACKGROUND

Colonic angiodysplasia (AGD) is a common cause of gastrointestinal bleeding. However, information on the characteristics and prevalence of colonic AGD is limited. We determined the clinical features of and risk factors for active bleeding in colonic AGD in a Taiwanese population.

METHODS

From February 2007 to December 2016, 13,047 patients undergoing 16,760 colonoscopies at the Tri-Service General Hospital were included in this study. Eighty-four patients were diagnosed with AGD. We conducted a retrospective study by analyzing the medical records of these patients. The clinical features and endoscopic findings were evaluated. Furthermore, we distinguished colonic AGD into bleeding and non-bleeding types and identified the risk factors for bleeding in colonic AGD.

RESULTS

In our study, the prevalence of colonic AGD was 0.6% among all patients who received colonoscopy. Among patients with colonic AGD, we found that many were aged; in all, 58.3% of patients with colonic AGD were older than 65 years. More than half of the patients had hypertensive cardiovascular disease (53.6%) and the AGD lesions were predominantly located in the left-sided colon (41.7%). We analyzed several factors to identify those associated with bleeding colonic AGD. Our results indicated that age (p < 0.001), hypertension (p = 0.020), atrial fibrillation (p = 0.027), and in-patient status (p = 0.006) were significant factors associated with active bleeding lesions. On multivariate analysis, old age was the only significant risk factor.

CONCLUSION

Angiodysplastic lesions in Taiwanese patients were predominantly identified in the left-sided colon. Old age was an independent risk factor associated with active bleeding in colonic angiodysplasia.

Identification of risk factors for neoplastic colonic polyps in young adults with bloody stool in comparison with those without symptom

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The incidence and disease burden of colorectal cancer (CRC) in young adults were increasing. However, there was a dearth of advice on how to identify young population at risk for neoplastic colonic polyps (NCPs) and CRC. We aimed to identify risk factors for NCPs and CRC in young adults presenting with bloody stool.

METHODS

A total of 1496 subjects younger than 40 years old who underwent colonoscopy due to bloody stool from 2005 to 2014 were enrolled in this retrospective study as the study group, and 1481 age-matched and gender-matched asymptomatic subjects who underwent colonoscopy for health checkup from 2011 to 2016 were enrolled as the control group at a tertiary center hospital.

RESULTS

Multivariate analysis results showed that increasing age (odds ratio [OR] = 1.11, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.07-1.15, P < 0.001), higher body mass index (BMI) (OR = 1.07, 95%CI: 1.03-1.12, P = 0.001), diabetes mellitus (OR = 2.80, 95%CI: 1.06-7.42, P = 0.038), and positive family history of CRC (OR = 13.28, 95%CI: 5.70-30.97, P < 0.001) were identified as independent risk factors for NCPs in study group. The best cut-off values by receiver operating characteristic curve for age and BMI were 32 years old and 24.8 kg/m² , respectively. More risk factors were associated with the higher risk for NCPs (OR = 2.17 every increasing one risk factor, P < 0.001). In the control group, no independent risk factors were identified.

CONCLUSIONS

Adults aged ≤ 40 years with bloody stool who had increasing age (> 32 years old), higher BMI (> 24.8 kg/m² ), diabetes mellitus, and positive family history of CRC had a higher detection rate of NCPs and CRC.

Outcomes of limited period of adalimumab treatment in moderate to severe Crohn's disease patients: Taiwan Society of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Study

Background/Aims

In Taiwan, due to budget limitations, the National Health Insurance only allows for a limited period of biologics use in treating moderate to severe Crohn's disease (CD). We aimed to access the outcomes of CD patients following a limited period use of biologics, specifically focusing on the relapse rate and remission duration; also the response rate to second use when applicable.

Methods

This was a multicenter, retrospective, observational study and we enrolled CD patients who had been treated with adalimumab (ADA) according to the insurance guidelines from 2009 to 2015.

Results

A total of 54 CD patients, with follow-up of more than 6 months after the withdrawal of ADA, were enrolled. The average period of treatment with ADA was 16.7±9.7 months. After discontinuing ADA, 59.3% patients suffered a clinical relapse. In the univariate analysis, the reason for withdrawal was a risk factor for relapse (P=0.042). In the multivariate analysis, current smoker became an important risk factor for relapse (OR, 3.9; 95% CI, 1.2−14.8; P=0.044) and male sex was another risk factor (OR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.1−8.6; P=0.049). For those 48 patients who received a second round of biologics, the clinical response was seen in 60.4%, and 1 anaphylaxis occurred.

Conclusions

Fifty-nine percent of patients experienced a relapse after discontinuing the limited period of ADA treatment, and most of them occurred within 1 year following cessation. Male sex and current smoker were risk factors for relapse. Though 60.4% of the relapse patients responded to ADA again.

Small bowel tumors: A digestive endoscopy society of Taiwan (DEST) multicenter enteroscopy-based epidemiologic study

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

Small bowel (SB) accounts for the majority of gastrointestinal tract but its tumors are rare and always overlooked. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the epidemiology of SB tumors.

METHODS

This multicenter retrospective study utilized endoscopy database from 2006/11 to 2016/07. Baseline demographic characteristics, clinical, radiologic and endoscopic findings were collected.

RESULTS

Totally 103 (34 benign, 69 malignant lesions) patients with SB tumors in 1070 enteroscopic examinations were enrolled. There were male preponderance (56.3% males, 43.7% females), both in benign (52.9%, 49.1%) and malignant (58.0%, 42.0%) lesions, except for subtype gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) (31.6%, 68.4%). The age (mean ± SD) at diagnosis in malignant SB tumors (62.2 ± 15.6) was older than those with benign tumors (50.7 ± 21.4) (p < 0.01). Bleeding (43.7%), abdominal pain (40.8%) and ileus (10.7%) were the most common clinical presentations. Hamartoma (32.4%) and adenoma (14.7%) were the most common benign histology. Four major malignant histological subtypes were lymphomas (29.0%), GISTs (27.5%), adenocarcinomas (26.1%) and metastatic cancers (14.5%). SB adenocarcinoma patients (>60-year-old, 77.8%) were older than lymphomas (60%) and GISTs (50%). Proximally location rates of lymphomas, GISTs, adenocarcinomas were 25.0% (5/20), 84.2% (16/19), and 88.9% (16/18), respectively.

CONCLUSION

This endoscopy-based study revealed the most common histology of benign SB tumors were hamartoma and adenoma, and malignant ones were lymphomas, GISTs, adenocarcinomas and metastatic cancers. Most of them were male gender, except for GISTs, and with proximal location, except for lymphomas. Further large-scale investigation efforts are warranted to elucidate the epidemiology of SB tumors.

Management of ulcerative colitis in Taiwan: consensus guideline of the Taiwan Society of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease characterized by chronic mucosal inflammation of the colon, and the prevalence and incidence of UC have been steadily increasing in Taiwan. A steering committee was established by the Taiwan Society of Inflammatory Bowel Disease to formulate statements on the diagnosis and management of UC taking into account currently available evidence and the expert opinion of the committee. Accurate diagnosis of UC requires thorough clinical, endoscopic, and histological assessment and careful exclusion of differential diagnoses, particularly infectious colitis. The goals of UC therapy are to induce and maintain remission, reduce the risk of complications, and improve quality of life. As outlined in the recommended treatment algorithm, choice of treatment is dictated by severity, extent, and course of disease. Patients should be evaluated for hepatitis B virus and tuberculosis infection prior to immunosuppressive treatment, especially with steroids and biologic agents, and should be regularly monitored for reactivation of latent infection. These consensus statements are also based on current local evidence with consideration of factors, and could be serve as concise and practical guidelines for supporting clinicians in the management of UC in Taiwan.

Management of Crohn's disease in Taiwan: consensus guideline of the Taiwan Society of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic relapsing and remitting inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract. CD is rare in Taiwan and other Asian countries, but its prevalence and incidence have been steadily increasing. A steering committee was established by the Taiwan Society of Inflammatory Bowel Disease to formulate statements on the diagnosis and management of CD taking into account currently available evidence and the expert opinion of the committee. Thorough clinical, endoscopic, and histological assessments are required for accurate diagnosis of CD. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are complementary to endoscopic evaluation for disease staging and detecting complications. The goals of CD management are to induce and maintain remission, reduce the risk of complications, and improve quality of life. Corticosteroids are the mainstay for inducing re-mission. Immunomodulating and biologic therapies should be used to maintain remission. Patients should be evaluated for hepatitis B virus and tuberculosis infection prior to treatment and receive regular surveillance for cancer. These consensus statements are based on current local evidence with consideration of factors, and could be serve as concise and practical guidelines for supporting clinicians in the management of patients with CD in Taiwan.

HCV core inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma cell replicative senescence through downregulating microRNA-138 expression

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major cause of chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HCV core protein is considered as a positive regulator of telomerase activity. In this study, we focused on the deregulated microRNA-138 (miR-138) in HCV-associated HCC. Differential expression of miR-138 was determined by TaqMan quantitative real-time PCR. The target gene of miR-138 was verified by luciferase reporter assay, quantitative real-time PCR, and Western blotting. Moreover, three assays based on telomerase activity, cell proliferation, and senescence-associated β-galactosidase activity were performed. The correlation analysis revealed a significantly negative correlation between miR-138 and telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) mRNA expression in HCC. Further, we showed that mature HCV core protein of 173 amino acids, but not full-length form of 191 amino acids, suppressed miR-138 expression. TERT was verified as a direct target of miR-138 in HCC cells. Furthermore, TERT-targeting miR-138 supplementation can prevent HCV core protein from repressing HCC cell replicative senescence. Collectively, HCV core protein can enhance TERT protein expression through downregulating TERT-targeting miR-138 expression, which in turn inhibits HCC cell replicative senescence. This study may further help our understanding on the pathogenic mechanisms of HCV core protein in HCV-associated HCC development. KEY MESSAGE: miR-138 is downregulated in HCV-associated HCC. Mature HCV core protein plays a pathogenic role in suppressing miR-138 expression. Telomerase reverse transcriptase represents a direct target of miR-138 in HCC cells. miR-138 promotes HCC cell senescence, suggesting potential for HCC treatment.

[The value of urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin for early diagnosis of contrast-induced nephropathy]

Objective: To explore the value of urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) for early diagnosis of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) in patients who underwent percutaneous coronary angiography (CAG) or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: From May 2015 to January 2016, 506 consecutive patients who underwent CAG or PCI in our hospital were enrolled in this prospective study. Patients were divided into CIN group (n=47) and non-CIN group (n=459). Clinical and interventional data were compared between the two groups. Spearman ranking correlation coefficient was used to define the relation between NGAL and CIN, and multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identif independent predictors of CIN. Receiver-operator characteristic (ROC) curve was generated, and area under the curve (AUC) was calculated and sensitivity and specificity for CIN diagnosis were analyzed. Results: (1) Basic clinical and interventional data including age, incidence of diabetes, hypertension and chronic heart failure, level of systolic blood pressure, serum creatine before procedure, use of isotonic contrast agent, contrast volume, Mehran score, operation time, treatment number of coronary artery, hydration and medication were all similar between two groups (all P>0.05). (2) Urinary NAGL level at 24 and 48 h after procedure, serum creatinine (Scr) level at 48 h after procedure, and ΔNGAL_{24-0 h} were significantly higher in CIN group than in non-CIN group (all P<0.01), but the differences of urinary NGAL level before procedure, Scr level 24 h after procedure, and ΔNGAL_{48-24 h} were similar between two groups (all P>0.05). (3)The positive correlation was found by Spearman ranking correlation between ΔNGAL_{24-0 h} and CIN (r=0.478, P<0.001). (4) Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that estimated glomerular filtration rate(OR=1.020, 95%CI 1.005-1.035, P=0.007) and ΔNGAL_{24-0 h} (OR=1.020, 95%CI 1.014-1.027, P<0.001) were the independent predictors of CIN.(5) ROC curve showed that the AUC of NGAL with the cutoff value 4.65 was 0.899(0.854, 0.944)for diagnosis of CIN (sensitivity 93.6%, and specificity 0.944). Conclusion: The rise of urinary NGAL level at 24 and 48 hours after CAG or PCI is suggestive of CIN and could be used as a reliable parameter for the early diagnose of CIN.

Nanofibers promote HepG2 aggregate formation and cellular function

Formation of hepatocyte spheroids is a necessary strategy for increasing liver-specific function in vitro. In this study, HepG2 cells showed good viability when grown on a polylactic acid-chitosan (PLA-CS) nanofiber and aggregated to form multicellular spheroids on the PLA-CS nanofibers with a diameter of approximately 100-200 mm in 5 days of culture, whereas no such aggregation was observed in cells cultured on 24-well plates. Hepatocyte spheroids formed on the PLA-CS nanofibers displayed excellent hepatic-related protein expression, such as albumin and urea, compared to HepG2 cells cultured on the 24-well plates. These results indicated that formation of the hepatocyte spheroids in nanofibers can increase and maintain hepatocyte functions for a longer time, supporting a new strategy for bioartificial liver development.

Outcome and Safety of Anterograde and Retrograde Single-Balloon Enteroscopy: Clinical Experience at a Tertiary Medical Center in Taiwan

Single-balloon enteroscopy (SBE) is designed for identifying possible small bowel lesions with balloon-assisted enteroscopy that allows deep intubation of the intestine. However, data regarding the outcome and safety of SBE remain limited. We conducted this study to evaluate the outcome and safety of anterograde and retrograde SBE approaches. This retrospective review from a tertiary medical center in Taiwan included endoscopic reports and chart data from 128 patients with 200 anterograde and retrograde procedures from September 2009 to November 2014. In this study, the most common indication for both anterograde and retrograde SBE was obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (64.4% vs. 60.6%). There were no significant differences between anterograde and retrograde approaches in terms of the diagnostic yield (69.3% vs. 52.5%) and intervention rate (23.8% vs. 17.2%). The procedure time was shorter for anterograde SBE than for retrograde SBE (68.1 ± 23.9 vs. 76.8 ± 27.7 min, P = 0.018). In addition, among the subgroup of patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding, the most common etiologies for those in different age-groups were angiodysplasia (≥ 65 years), non-specific ulcers (30–64 years), and Meckel’s diverticulum (< 30 years). The major complication rate during the study was 1.5%; the rate of asymptomatic hyperamylasemia was higher for patients who underwent anterograde SBE than for those who underwent retrograde SBE (13.9% vs. 2%, P = 0.005). The outcome and safety of anterograde and retrograde SBE are similar. However, anterograde SBE has a shorter procedural time and a higher rate of asymptomatic hyperamylasemia.

Antibody detection tests for early diagnosis in tuberculous meningitis

BACKGROUND

Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is the most severe form of tuberculosis. Microbiological confirmation is rare and treatment is often delayed. Early diagnosis and immediate initiation of treatment are essential for effective TBM control. A systematic review was performed in this study to assess the diagnostic accuracy of detecting antibodies against Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), according to standard methods. Test performance was summarized using a bivariate random-effects meta-analysis.

METHODS

Studies were identified by a search of the literature, up to July 25, 2015, in the EMBASE and MEDLINE databases via Ovid SP and PubMed. The Cochrane Library was also searched for original, peer-reviewed molecular epidemiology studies that reported the diagnosis of TBM based on antibody detection in the CSF.

RESULTS

Thirty-six articles (58 studies) were identified. The sensitivity of antibody detection was 0.75 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.66-0.82), specificity was 0.98 (95% CI 0.96-0.99), and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was 0.97 (95% CI 0.95-0.98). By subgroup analysis, the detection of anti-M37Ra was the highest (AUROC 0.99, 95% CI 0.98-1.00), followed by anti-antigen 5 (AUROC 0.99, 95% CI 0.97-0.99) and anti-M37Rv (AUROC 0.97, 95% CI 0.95-0.98).

CONCLUSIONS

For the early diagnosis of TBM based on antibodies in the CSF, the detection of anti-M37Ra, anti-antigen 5, or anti-M37Rv provides the greatest sensitivity and specificity.

A retrospective analysis of 20-year data of the surgical management of ulcerative colitis patients in Taiwan: a study of Taiwan Society of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Background/Aims

With the recent progress in medical treatment, surgery still plays a necessary and important role in treating ulcerative colitis (UC) patients. In this study, we analyzed the surgical results and outcomes of UC in Taiwan in the recent 20 years, via a multi-center study through the collaboration of Taiwan Society of IBD.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of surgery data of UC patients from January 1, 1995, through December 31, 2014, in 6 Taiwan major medical centers was conducted. The patients' demographic data, indications for surgery, and outcome details were recorded and analyzed.

Results

The data of 87 UC patients who received surgical treatment were recorded. The median post-operative follow-up duration was 51.1 months and ranged from 0.4 to 300 months. The mean age at UC diagnosis was 45.3±16.0 years and that at operation was 48.5±15.2 years. The 3 leading indications for surgical intervention were uncontrolled bleeding (16.1%), perforation (13.8%), and intractability (12.6%). In total, 27.6% of surgeries were performed in an emergency setting. Total or subtotal colectomy with rectal preservation (41.4%) was the most common operation. There were 6 mortalities, all due to sepsis. Emergency operation and low pre-operative albumin level were significantly associated with poor survival (P=0.013 and 0.034, respectively).

Conclusions

In the past 20 years, there was no significant change in the indications for surgery in UC patients. Emergency surgeries and low pre-operative albumin level were associated with poor survival. Therefore, an optimal timing of elective surgery for people with poorly controlled UC is paramount.

Outcome of nonsurgical intervention in patients with perforated peptic ulcers

BACKGROUND

Although surgical intervention is the favorable treatment modality for perforated peptic ulcer, nonsurgical treatment is another option. The aim of this study is to analyze the results of conservative treatment for perforated peptic ulcer.

METHODS

Between 2003 and 2014, 403 patients were admitted to our hospital for perforated peptic ulcer, and 383 patients underwent surgery, whereas 20 were allocated to conservative treatment. The results of nonsurgical intervention in these patients were analyzed retrospectively.

RESULTS

The overall mortality rate of conservative treatment was 40%. Eleven patients remained hospitalized less than 2 weeks; among them, patients with a high (≥IV) American Society of Anesthesiologists class at admission had higher mortality than those with a low (<IV) American Society of Anesthesiologists class (83.3% vs 0%, P=.015). However, when patients remained hospitalized longer than 2 weeks, the mortality rates did not differ between patients with the low and high American Society of Anesthesiologists classes. Eight patients presented with a high American Society of Anesthesiologists class, of which 3 received early enteral feeding, and all of them survived. In contrast, the survival of patients without early enteral feeding was 0%, suggesting that early enteral feeding improved survival of patients with the high American Society of Anesthesiologists class (P=.018).

CONCLUSIONS

A higher American Society of Anesthesiologists class correlated with mortality in patients undergoing conservative treatment during the first 2 weeks of hospitalization. Early enteral feeding might improve the outcome of conservative treatment in patients with high American Society of Anesthesiologists class.

Comparison of Ischemic and Nonischemic Bowel Segments in Patients With Mesenteric Ischemia: Multidetector Row Computed Tomography Findings and Measurement of Bowel Wall Attenuation Changes

OBJECTIVE

To describe multidetector row computed tomography (MDCT) findings and to compare the enhancing ratio of ischemic and nonischemic bowel wall segments in patients with mesenteric ischemia.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We performed a retrospective review of 69 patients with pathologically proven mesenteric ischemia who underwent a preoperative MDCT evaluation from January 1, 2010, through December 31, 2014. Two reviewers performed quantitative MDCT measurements of the bowel wall attenuation of the ischemic and nonischemic bowel segments on the unenhanced phase, arterial phase, and portal venous phase. Receiver operating characteristic curves for the enhancing ratios on the arterial phase and portal venous phase (ERv) were calculated to discriminate the 2 segments. A concordance correlation coefficient was used to assess interobserver variability.

RESULTS

The most common origin of ischemia was the mesenteric artery (45 of the 69 patients [65.2%]), but only 5 patients (7.2%) had evidence of arterial thrombus on MDCT. The quantitative MDCT measurements indicated that the ischemic bowel segments had significantly less bowel wall attenuation than the nonischemic bowel segments on the arterial phase (28.58±9.28 vs 58.97±12.50; P<.001) and the portal venous phase (33.93±11.16 vs 76.25±13.56; P<.001). The enhancing ratio on the arterial phase (cutoff, 0.32 or less; sensitivity, 89.9%; specificity, 98.6%) and the ERv (cutoff, 0.81 or less; sensitivity, 95.7%; specificity, 98.6%) predicted bowel ischemia. The most common MDCT findings in ischemic bowel were thickened bowel wall in 59 patients (85.5%), mesenteric fatty stranding in 57 (82.6%), and decreased bowel wall enhancement in 56 (81.2%). All quantitative measurements reached moderate to substantial agreement (0.399-0.601).

CONCLUSION

Without oral contrast administration and at a constant 120-peak kilovolt setting, MDCT findings of decreased enhancement of the thickened bowel wall together with a low ERv value predicted the presence of an ischemic bowel segment.

Increased Risks of Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis and Interstitial Lung Disease in Primary Biliary Cirrhosis Patients With Concomitant Sjögren Syndrome

The incidence of Sjögren syndrome (SS) in primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) patients is high. The influence of SS on the clinical outcomes of PBC patients, however, remains unclear. Our study retrospectively collected data on PBC-only patients and PBC patients with concomitant SS (PBC-SS) to compare the clinical differences of long-term outcomes between them.A total of 183 patients were diagnosed with PBC from January 1999 to December 2014 at our hospital. Of these, the authors excluded patients with diabetes, hypertension, advanced liver cirrhosis at initial diagnosis of PBC (Child-Turcotte-Pugh classification score of ≥7) and other liver diseases (ie, alcoholic liver disease, alpha-antitrypsin deficiency, viral hepatitis, and primary sclerosing cholangitis), and autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis. Of the remaining 125 patients, 77 (61.6%) were PBC-only and 48 (38.4%) were PBC-SS patients.The mean follow-up duration was 8.76 years. During the observation period, the incidence of interstitial lung disease was higher in the PBC-SS group than in the PBC-only group (P = 0.005). The occurrence of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis was significantly different in PBC-SS patients than in PBC-only patients (P = 0.002). The overall survival was lower in PBC-SS patients than in PBC-only patients (P = 0.033). Although the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma, end-stage renal disease, variceal bleeding, and hypothyroidism were all higher in the PBC-SS group than in the PBC-only group, the differences were not significant.Our study suggests that PBC-SS patients have a higher risk of developing interstitial lung disease and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis and have a poor prognosis. Aggressive surveillance of thyroid and pulmonary functions should therefore be performed in these patients.

Antithyroid drug-related hepatotoxicity in hyperthyroidism patients: a population-based cohort study

AIMS

The evidence of hepatotoxicity of antithyroid drugs (ATDs) is limited to case reports or spontaneous reporting. This study aimed to quantify the incidence and comparative risks of hepatotoxicity for methimazole (MMI)/carbimazole (CBM) vs. propylthiouracil (PTU) in a population-based manner.

METHODS

We conducted a cohort study of hyperthyroidism patients initially receiving MMI/CBM or PTU between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2008 using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. The examined hepatotoxicity consisted of cholestasis, non-infectious hepatitis, acute liver failure and liver transplant, with the incidences and relative risks being quantified by Poisson exact methods and Cox proportional hazard models, respectively.

RESULTS

The study cohort comprised 71 379 ATD initiators, with a median follow-up of 196 days. MMI/CBM vs. PTU users had a higher hepatitis incidence rate (3.17/1000 vs. 1.19/1000 person-years) but a lower incidence of acute liver failure (0.32/1000 vs. 0.68/1000 person-years). The relative risk analysis indicated that any use of MMI/CBM was associated with a 2.89-fold (95% CI 1.81, 4.60) increased hepatitis risk compared with PTU, with the risk increasing to 5.08-fold for high dose MMI/CBM (95% CI 3.15, 8.18). However, any MMI/CBM use vs. PTU was not related to an increased risk of cholestasis (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.14, 95% CI 0.40, 3.72) or acute liver failure (adjusted HR 0.54, 95% CI 0.24, 1.22).

CONCLUSIONS

MMI/CBM and PTU exert dissimilar incidence rates of hepatotoxicity. Compared to PTU, MMI/CBM are associated in a dose-dependent manner with an increased risk for hepatitis while the risks are similar for acute liver failure and cholestasis.

Use of Monoclonal Antibodies in an ELISA for Detecting an Invasive Pest Insect, Liriomyza trifolii (Diptera: Agromyzidae)

A monoclonal antibody was prepared by the hybridoma technology. It reacted only with the protein of Liriomyza trifolii (Burgess) and not with that of Chromatomyia horticola Goureau or Liriomyza sativae Blanchard in indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. It was effective even after being diluted more than 8.192×10(6)-fold. The detection sensitivity of the antibody was 31.3 µg/ml under controlled conditions. Positive reaction was achieved with all laboratory-reared L. trifolii samples, including larvae, pupae, and adults. An indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay system was successfully established to detect L. trifolii in the field. This antibody was successfully used to determine the L. trifolii collected in different locations, from different host plants, and in different seasons. More than 50% of leafminers collected on Brassica chinensis var chinensis, Apium graveolens (Miller) Persoon, Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walpers, Phaseolus vulgaris L., Lactuca sativa L., and Chrysanthemum coronarium (L.) Cassini ex Spach were L. trifolii, indicating that those six plant species might be the preference host plants of L. trifolii. Population of L. trifolii peaked in September, October, or November in Hangzhou, Zhejiang. These results suggest a great potential of using this McAb for precisely identifying L. trifolii and monitoring the population dynamics of L. trifolii in the field.

Autism spectrum disorders: perceptions of genetic etiology and recurrence risk among Taiwanese parents of affected children

In Taiwan, autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are an emerging public health concern. The ongoing scientific progress for understanding the genetic etiology of ASD makes it increasingly important to examine how parents of children with ASD perceive the causes and recurrence risk of having another child with ASD. These perceptions may influence their family planning, attitudes toward genetic services, and willingness to take their children for ASD genetic testing. However, previous studies addressing this issue were conducted primarily in Western countries. As culture might shape an individual's views of genetic/genomic disorders, this first-of-its-kind study examined the perceptions of the genetic etiology for ASD and the recurrence risk among Taiwanese parents of children affected with ASD. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted among 39 parents having at least one child with ASD. Although the majority of participants believed that ASD has a genetic link, less than half perceived genetic factors as the cause of their own child's ASD. Moreover, most participants articulated their recurrence risk incorrectly. Some parents were concerned about their doctors' limited genomic competencies. To provide parents with better education, counseling, and support for making reproductive decisions, ASD-related genomic education among Taiwanese physicians is needed.

A Role for CHH Methylation in the Parent-of-Origin Effect on Altered Circadian Rhythms and Biomass Heterosis in Arabidopsis Intraspecific Hybrids

Hybrid plants and animals often show increased levels of growth and fitness, a phenomenon known as hybrid vigor or heterosis. Circadian rhythms optimize physiology and metabolism in plants and animals. In plant hybrids and polyploids, expression changes of the genes within the circadian regulatory network, such as CIRCADIAN CLOCK ASSOCIATED1 (CCA1), lead to heterosis. However, the relationship between allelic CCA1 expression and heterosis has remained elusive. Here, we show a parent-of-origin effect on altered circadian rhythms and heterosis in Arabidopsis thaliana F1 hybrids. This parent-of-origin effect on biomass heterosis correlates with altered CCA1 expression amplitudes, which are associated with methylation levels of CHH (where H = A, T, or C) sites in the promoter region. The direction of rhythmic expression and hybrid vigor is reversed in reciprocal F1 crosses involving mutants that are defective in the RNA-directed DNA methylation pathway (argonaute4 and nuclear RNA polymerase D1a) but not in the maintenance methylation pathway (methyltransferase1 and decrease in DNA methylation1). This parent-of-origin effect on circadian regulation and heterosis is established during early embryogenesis and maintained throughout growth and development.