ORCID Profile
0000-0002-9867-7655
Current Organisations
Cardinal Tien Hospital
,
Taipei Medical University
,
National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences
,
Flinders University School of Medicine
,
McGill University
,
Edge Hill University
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Publications
Seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus in Taiwan 30 years after the commencement of the national vaccination program
Publisher: PeerJ
Date: 16-02-2018
DOI: 10.7717/PEERJ.4297
Abstract: In this study, the long-term efficacy of hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination was assessed using seroprevalence and an age–period–cohort (APC) model of HBV seromarkers among university entrants 30 years after the introduction of the national neonatal HBV vaccination program in Taiwan. In total, data of 17,611 university entrants who underwent university entrance health examinations between 2005 and 2016 were included. The seroprevalence of the HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) and the levels of the antibody against the HBV surface antigen (anti-HBs) in each year group and sex were calculated. The levels of the antibody against the HBV core antigen were examined only for 2012 and 2016. The APC model was used to analyze the HBV carrier rates. The chronic HBV infection (HBsAg positivity) rate decreased from 9.7% in university students born before June 1974 to .0% in students born after 1992. The prevalence of anti-HBs positivity declined, particularly between the 1984–1988 cohort (78.2%–53.2%) and the 1990–1994 cohort (60.6%–44.4%). Our APC model revealed that the chronic HBV carrier rate among the student population was affected significantly by age, period, and cohort ( P 0.001). HBV vaccination is one of the most effective strategies for preventing HBV infection. However, for complete eradication of HBV infection, the development of strategies that detect vaccination failure more effectively than current strategies do and early implementation of appropriate treatments are both necessary.
Association of chronic hepatitis B virus infection with age‐related macular degeneration
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 28-01-2019
DOI: 10.1111/AOS.14032
Abstract: To study the association between chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Data used in this retrospective, frequency-matched cohort study were acquired from the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000, which includes medical claims and registration files for 1 000 000 enrolees in the Taiwan National Health Insurance programme. The HBV cohort contained 17 796 patients who received a diagnosis of chronic HBV infection between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2012. The non-HBV cohort contained 71 184 participants who were frequency-matched by age, sex and year of index date for comparison. Participants were followed until the end of 2013, and those who developed AMD during the study period were identified. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to compare the risk of AMD between cohorts. The incidence of any type of AMD in all participants was 3.88 per 1000 person-years (PY 2.27 per 1000 PY in the HBV cohort 1.61 per 1000 PY in the non-HBV cohort). Compared with the non-HBV cohort, the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for any type of AMD in the HBV cohort was 1.41 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.23-1.63 p < 0.001]. This significant positive association was stronger among patients who exhibited disease progression from nonexudative to exudative AMD (adjusted HR = 1.74, 95% CI: 1.01-2.99). Our results suggest that patients with chronic HBV infection in Taiwan have a significantly elevated risk of developing any type of AMD and that HBV infection may accelerate the progression of AMD.
Porcelain gallbladder
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-2008
Kidney Cancer Linked to Chronic Hepatitis in the Asia-Pacific: A Population-Based Analysis
Publisher: S. Karger AG
Date: 19-11-2016
DOI: 10.1159/000453045
Abstract: b i Background: /i /b The association of renal cancer with viral hepatitis infection remains unclear. Using an insurance data set, this population-based case-control study evaluated the association of renal cancer with chronic hepatitis virus infection in an endemic area of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. b i Methods: /i /b We enrolled 17,747 patients with renal cancer during the period from 2000 to 2011 from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan. The control group comprised 35,494 randomly selected people without renal cancer matched by age and gender to the patients in the study group. ORs were calculated to assess the association of chronic hepatitis virus infection with renal cancer by using logistic regression analysis. b i Results: /i /b Renal cancer was associated with HBV and HCV infection (OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.24-1.54 OR 1.24, 95% CI 1.07-1.44, respectively). An analysis stratified by gender and age revealed that young male HBV carriers had a higher risk of renal cancer compared with men without viral hepatitis (age years: OR 1.94, 95% CI 1.57-2.39 55≤ age years: OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.05-1.86). Male HCV-infected patients aged years (OR 1.90, 95% CI 1.11-3.26) and female HCV carriers aged between 55 and 64 years (OR 1.59, 95% CI 1.00-2.53) had a significantly higher risk of renal cancer compared with their counterparts. b i Conclusions: /i /b Renal cancer is significantly associated with chronic hepatitis infection, particularly in younger HBV-infected men.
Effect of central glucagon infusion on macronutrient selection in rats
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-1996
DOI: 10.1016/0031-9384(95)02108-6
Abstract: Compared were the light-dark pattern of absolute energy intake and macronutrient selection of male Wistar rats intracerebroventricularly infused with glucagon (5 ng/h) or saline for 7 days in a three-way selection of macronutrients. Glucagon infusion induced a decrease in 24 h and nocturnal energy intake, whereas no significant change in kcal intake accompanied vehicle infusion. The decrease in kcal intake was due to a suppression of nocturnal ingestion of carbohydrate. This parameter was left unaffected with central vehicle infusion. Glucagon-infused rats had a significantly lower body weight gain than those infused with vehicle. Our study supports the hypothesis of central glucagon's suppressive effect on food intake, but reveals that the latter reflects a lower disposition to eat carbohydrate during the dark phase. The present work emphasizes the role of glucagon in the circadian regulation of carbohydrate intake.
Association Between Hepatitis B Virus Infection and Chronic Kidney Disease in University Students Receiving Physical Check-ups: A Cross-sectional Study
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2013
Positive Association Between Hepatitis C Infection and Oral Cavity Cancer: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study in Taiwan
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 25-10-2012
Hepatitis B surface antigen confirmatory testing for diagnosis of hepatitis b virus infection in Taiwan
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 07-07-2011
DOI: 10.1002/JMV.22127
Abstract: This study aimed to examine the application of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) confirmatory testing when diagnosing hepatitis B infection among young persons in Taiwan with a low prevalence rate of hepatitis B infection. HBsAg status, the presence of antibodies against HBsAg (anti-HBs), and the presence of antibodies against hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) were compared among 403 graduate students (mean age 22.8 ± 0.7 years) and 1,745 undergraduate students (18.6 ± 1.0 years) from one university, and 367 adult subjects (41.1 ± 15.8 years) in 2008. Any HBsAg-positive subjects were tested with an HBsAg confirmatory test. Chi-square tests for trend and predictive values of positivity (PVP) when using HBsAg-positive only for determining confirmed cases of hepatitis B infection were compared across the three cohorts. The prevalence of HBsAg positivity among subjects decreased from 16.3% in the adults to 5.2% in the graduate students and then to 2.8% for the undergraduate students (P = 0.0007). The PVP of HBsAg testing when determining cases of hepatitis B decreased from 0.97 for the adults to 0.81 for the graduate students and then to 0.56 for the undergraduate students (P < 0.0001). Thus, a significant decrease in the true-positive rate of HBsAg among the students born after the introduction of hepatitis B vaccination was observed only when HBsAg testing was applied. Additional neutralization tests may therefore become mandatory for persons with a positive HBsAg test result who were born after the commencement of the universal neonatal hepatitis B vaccination program in Taiwan.
Salmonella retropharyngeal abscess in a child: Case report and literature review
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 09-2003
DOI: 10.1097/01.INF.0000083828.70413.FD
Abstract: Retropharyngeal abscess is a rare but serious disease in children. Salmonella species are uncommon causative agents of deep neck infections. We present the clinical course of a 10-year-old boy with a retropharyngeal abscess caused by Salmonella lomita and review 18 previously published cases.
Chronic hepatitis infection is associated with extrahepatic cancer development: a nationwide population-based study in Taiwan
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 08-11-2016
Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection Associated with Increased Colorectal Cancer Risk in Taiwanese Population
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 14-01-2020
DOI: 10.3390/V12010097
Abstract: Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections and colorectal cancer (CRC) are prevalent in Taiwan. We carried out a population-based case-control study to assess the association between HBV infection and CRC risk. Using the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan, we identified 69,478 newly diagnosed patients with CRC from 2005 to 2011. We further randomly selected 69,478 age- and gender-matched controls without CRC from the same database. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated to evaluate the association between chronic HBV infection and CRC using a logistic regression analysis. HBV infection was found to be associated with the risk of CRC (OR = 1.27, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.20–1.33). This relationship was similar in men and women. Age-specific analysis revealed that the CRC risk associated with HBV decreased with age. The adjusted ORs for patients aged , 55–64, and 65–74 years were 1.63 (95% CI = 1.48–1.79), 1.24 (95% CI = 1.13–1.37), and 1.02 (95% = 0.92–1.13), respectively. In conclusion, this study suggests that chronic HBV infection is significantly associated with an increased risk of CRC. Monitoring the risk of CRC development in young patients with HBV infection is crucial.
Blastocystis hominis infection in long-term care facilities in Taiwan: prevalence and associated clinical factors
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 02-06-2009
DOI: 10.1007/S00436-009-1509-7
Abstract: Blastocystis hominis is probably the most common protozoan found in the human gut worldwide. In Taiwan, the prevalence of B. hominis infection is yet to be determined but is expected to be relatively higher among foreign workers. No data is available on the prevalence of B. hominis infection in long-term care facilities in Taiwan. This study included 713 subjects (552 residents and 161 care workers) from ten long-term care facilities in Taiwan who completed stool microscopic examinations with Merthiolate-iodine-formalin stain technique. The prevalence rate of blastocystosis was the highest among foreign and domestic care workers followed by residents (12.2%, 4.6%, and 2.7%, respectively). Older age (p = 0.04) and lower educational level (p = 0.008) were significantly associated with blastocystosis among care workers. Among residents, B. hominis infection was negatively associated with prolonged use of antibiotics within 3 months prior to examination (p = 0.05) and positively associated with tracheostomy in-place (p = 0.028). In conclusion, B. hominis infection was the most prevalent intestinal parasitic infection among both care workers and residents of long-term care facilities in Taiwan. Use of antibiotics was negatively associated with B. hominis infection among residents. Additionally, appropriate preventive measures should be implemented to older care workers with lesser educational attainment in order to reduce the risk of blastocystosis infection.
Hepatitis B seroprevalence and anamnestic response amongst Taiwanese young adults with full vaccination in infancy, 20 years subsequent to national hepatitis B vaccination
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2007
DOI: 10.1016/J.VACCINE.2007.09.013
Abstract: The long-term protective effect of hepatitis B virus (HB) vaccination against HB infection and the necessity for routine booster vaccination in young-adult age subsequent to full HB immunization at birth remain issues of some debate currently. This study is aimed at evaluating the seroprevalence of HB infection and the response to HB booster vaccination amongst young-adult university students who had previously undergone full vaccination during their infancy. Eight hundred and forty-three subjects (mean age 18.7+/-0.4 years), 492 males and 351 females, with a complete HB vaccination during infancy were enrolled into this study. The prevalence of natural HB infection, chronic HB-carrier status, and HB-naïve group was, respectively, 4.1%, 1.4%, and 62.3%. Amongst 316 study subjects who were naïve to HB infection and had received one HB booster at time of university entrance health examination, 49.6%, 91.4%, and 97.5% of the participants with a serum anti-HBs level <0.1, 0.1 to <1.0 and 1.0 to /=10mIU/mL) to a booster dose of HB vaccine. Full implementation of national-wide HB vaccination program in 1986 has significantly reduced the incidence of HB infection and associated carrier rate in Taiwan. Approximately three-quarter of the subjects who were naïve to HB infection and had received one HB booster demonstrated an anamnestic response to a booster HB vaccine. The higher the anti-HBs titers remained for an in idual subsequent to primary vaccination, the greater the anamnestic response observed. Additional long-term follow-up studies are needed for young adults initially vaccinated for HB in their infancy.
Association of Sjögrens syndrome in patients with chronic hepatitis virus infection: A population-based analysis
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 25-08-2016
Women with adenomyosis are at higher risks of endometrial and thyroid cancers: A population-based historical cohort study
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 09-03-2018
Efficacy of hepatitis B vaccine boosters among neonatally vaccinated university freshmen in Taiwan
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2013
DOI: 10.1016/J.JHEP.2012.11.036
Abstract: Long-term protection against hepatitis B virus (HBV) after vaccination remains widely debated. We evaluated the efficacy of a modified 3-dose booster protocol in neonatally vaccinated university students in Taiwan. Changes in the levels of antibodies to the hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) were examined in 250 university students over a 3-year period. Group A (n=39) lacked seroprotective levels of anti-HBs, and declined to receive a booster dose of the HBV vaccine. Group B (n=128) lacked seroprotective levels of anti-HBs, and received booster doses of the HBV vaccine according to a modified 3-dose booster protocol. Group C (n=83) possessed seroprotective levels of anti-HBs, and did not receive a booster dose. The levels of seroprotective anti-HBs increased in 12.8% of Group A and 14.5% of Group C, suggesting that our entire cohort had experienced booster effects from natural HBV exposure. However, no new HBV infections were observed, and 53.9% of Group B maintained protective levels of anti-HBs during the follow-up period. The use of the modified 3-dose booster protocol induced significant long-term increases in the titer of anti-HBs in over 50% of the neonatally vaccinated participants with previously non-protective titers. However, in the absence of a vaccine booster, some neonatally vaccinated people with low anti-HBs titers may nonetheless produce anamnestic responses to HBV upon exposure, suggesting that protection from neonatal vaccination may persist, despite low titers of anti-HBs.
Correction: Chronic hepatitis C virus infection is associated with the development of rheumatoid arthritis: A nationwide population-based study in Taiwan (PLoS ONE (2014) 9:11 (e113579) DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0113579)
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 09-11-2016
Prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus and its association with hepatitis B, C, and D virus infections among incarcerated male substance abusers in Taiwan
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 20-04-2009
DOI: 10.1002/JMV.21481
Abstract: Taiwan has been facing a rising epidemic of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection since 2004. Injection drug users comprised 38.5% of accumulated HIV cases by 2007. This cross-sectional study investigated the seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis D virus (HDV), and HIV infection in 753 male substance users who were detained in a detoxification center in Taoyuan, Taiwan. The subjects were enrolled into the study consecutively between February and October, 2005. The seroprevalence rates of HIV antibodies, HCV antibodies, and HBV surface antigens among all subjects, and HDV antibodies among HBV carriers were 6.9% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.19-8.95), 30.5% (95% CI: 27.23-33.93), 16.9% (95% CI: 14.24-19.71) and 13.7% (95% CI: 8.19-21.04), respectively. Subjects in the heroin injection group had significantly higher rates of HIV infection, HCV infection and HDV superinfection (25.5%, 89.6%, and 38.7%) than those in the heroin non-injection group (0.9%, 24.5%, and 6.25%), the meth hetamine group (0.3%, 8.1%, and 6.7%), and the club drug group (1%, 3%, and 0% P < 0.001). The odds of HCV, HIV, or HDV infection were 74.7, 63.8, and 11.1 higher, respectively, for heroin injection drug users than for non-injection drug users (P < 0.0001). Compared to HIV-negative in iduals, the odds of being a heroin injector and the odds of HCV co-infections were 64-fold and 149-fold higher, respectively, in HIV-positive in iduals. The impact of HBV, HCV, and HDV infection on the HIV epidemic in Taiwan should be monitored closely.
Significance and anamnestic response in isolated hepatitis B core antibody-positive individuals 18 years after neonatal hepatitis B virus vaccination in Taiwan
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2012
DOI: 10.1016/J.VACCINE.2012.04.031
Abstract: To investigate the significance of isolated hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc) and to analyze the response to hepatitis B virus (HBV) booster vaccination in young adults with isolated anti-HBc who had been fully vaccinated with HBV vaccine as infants. We screened 1734 new university entrants who had been fully vaccinated against HBV in infancy for the presence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs), and anti-HBc upon university entry. Results positive for isolated anti-HBc were reconfirmed by testing for the presence of HBsAg and anti-HBc once more, and further evaluated for anti-HCV, anti-HIV, and HBV DNA status 6 months later. Students were also offered HBV booster vaccinations at that time. Geometric mean titers (GMT) of anti-HBs after one booster dose of HBV were compared between students with isolated anti-HBc and students with HBV naïve status. The overall prevalence of isolated anti-HBc in our student cohort was 1.2% (21 of 1734). No evidence of occult HBV infection was observed. A "booster" anamnestic response (anti-HBs titer ≥ 10 mIU/mL) was noted in 95% (20 of 21) of subjects with isolated anti-HBc. After re-measurement of anti-HBc, 13 (62%) of the 21 subjects with isolated anti-HBc were reclassified as having resolved HBV infection with a loss of anti-HBs. In the remaining 8 subjects (38%), isolated anti-HBc was determined to be false positive. The HBV status of these 8 subjects was HBV naïve due to the waning-off effect of anti-HBs of the neonatal HBV vaccination. There was no significant difference in anamnestic response to a single HBV booster dose of vaccine between students with isolated anti-HBc (n=13) and those with HBV naïve (n=323) status (GMT 50.6 vs 47.7 mIU/mL, P=0.90). The presence of isolated anti-HBc 18 years after HBV vaccination can be attributed to post-HBV infection with a loss of anti-HBs and to a decline in anti-HBs elicited by vaccine. A single HBV booster dose of vaccine is recommended for subjects with isolated anti-HBc who were fully vaccinated with HBV vaccine as infants. This finding needs to be replicated in further studies with larger cohorts.
Annual influenza vaccination reduces total hospitalization in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection: A population-based analysis
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.VACCINE.2015.10.129
Abstract: This study evaluated hospitalization and mortality in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection (HBV (+)) and matched comparison patients after stratifying the patients according to annual influenza vaccination (Vaccine (+)). Data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance program from 2000 to 2009 were used to identify HBV(+)/vaccine(+) (n=4434), HBV(+)/Vaccine(-) (n=3646), HBV(-)/Vaccine(+) (n=8868), and HBV(-)/Vaccine(-) (n=8868) cohorts. The risk of pneumonia/influenza, respiratory failure, intensive care, hospitalization, and mortality in the four cohorts was evaluated. The total hospitalization rate was significantly lower in patients with chronic HBV infection who received an annual influenza vaccination than in chronic HBV-infected patients who did not receive an influenza vaccination (16.29 vs. 24.02 per 100 person-years), contributing to an adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of 0.56 (95% confidence interval (CI)=0.50-0.62). The HBV(+)/Vaccine(+) cohort also had lower risks than the HBV(+)/Vaccine(-) cohort for pneumonia and influenza (adjusted HR=0.79, 95% CI=0.67-0.92), intensive care unit admission (adjusted HR=0.33, 95% CI=0.25-0.43), and mortality (adjusted HR=0.19, 95% CI=0.15-0.24). Our results suggest that annual influenza vaccination can reduce the risk of hospitalization and mortality in patients with chronic HBV infection.
Waning-off effect of serum hepatitis B surface antibody amongst Taiwanese university students: 18 years post-implementation of Taiwan's national hepatitis B vaccination programme
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 28-08-2008
DOI: 10.1111/J.1365-2893.2007.00890.X
Abstract: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and its sequelae remain a major health problem for Taiwan. The national hepatitis B (HB) vaccination programme was first launched in 1984 to combat the spread of this infection. This study examined the status of HBV infection amongst students at a Taiwanese university in 2005, 18 years after the implementation of a nation-wide mass HB vaccination programme. In 2005, 5875 new university entrants, who were born during the period 1 July 1976 to 30 June 1988, were sub ided into one of 12 one-year-interval birth-year cohorts. Each student was in idually tested for serum hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), Antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) and antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) status. We observed a declining trend of past exposure to HB infection from 48.7% (1976 birth-year cohort) to 5.2% (1987 birth-year cohort). The prevalence of chronic HB infection also declined from 14.5% (1976 birth-year cohort) to 1.9% (1987 birth-year cohort). The prevalence of persistent HB immunity through (earlier) active vaccination declined from 72% (1984 birth-year cohort) to 41.6% (1987 birth-year cohort). The prevalence of HB infection-naïve in iduals increased from 18.2% (1984 birth-year cohort) to 53.1% (1987 birth-year cohort). This study demonstrates that as the implementation of the mass HB vaccination programme in 1984, the incidence of HB infection in Taiwan has declined, although a 'waning-off' effect of serum anti-HBs to low or undetectable levels, which may not provide protection, amongst this student population has arisen, 18 years following the implementation of the nation-wide HB vaccination programme. Such a situation may mean that these in iduals may not be effectively protected against future HB infection. A booster dose of HB vaccine, given 18 years following HB vaccination, perhaps even earlier, should be considered.
Peroxisome Proliferator-activated Receptor Gamma: Genetic Polymorphisms Are Not Associated With Metabolic Syndrome in Taiwan
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2014
Fever and a progressively limping gait in a 9-year-old boy
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-2003
Seroprevalence of hepatitis-B infection amongst Taiwanese university students 18 years following the commencement of a national hepatitis-B vaccination program
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 2007
DOI: 10.1002/JMV.20771
Association between chronic viral hepatitis infection and breast cancer risk: A nationwide population-based case-control study
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 24-11-2011
Abstract: In Taiwan, there is a high incidence of breast cancer and a high prevalence of viral hepatitis. In this case-control study, we used a population-based insurance dataset to evaluate whether breast cancer in women is associated with chronic viral hepatitis infection. From the claims data, we identified 1,958 patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer during the period 2000-2008. A randomly selected, age-matched cohort of 7,832 subjects without cancer was selected for comparison. Multivariable logistic regression models were constructed to calculate odds ratios of breast cancer associated with viral hepatitis after adjustment for age, residential area, occupation, urbanization, and income. The age-specific ( years and ≥50 years) risk of breast cancer was also evaluated. There were no significant differences in the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, hepatitis B virus (HBV), or the prevalence of combined HBC/HBV infection between breast cancer patients and control subjects ( p = 0.48). Multivariable logistic regression analysis, however, revealed that age years was associated with a 2-fold greater risk of developing breast cancer (OR = 2.03, 95% CI = 1.23-3.34). HCV infection, but not HBV infection, appears to be associated with early onset risk of breast cancer in areas endemic for HCV and HBV. This finding needs to be replicated in further studies.
Increased Risk of Age-Related Macular Degeneration with Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection: A Nationwide Population-Based Propensity Score-Matched Cohort Study in Taiwan
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 28-04-2021
DOI: 10.3390/V13050790
Abstract: Studies evaluating the association between age-related macular degeneration (AMD) risk and HCV infection are scant. In this population-based cohort study, 13,300 patients newly diagnosed as having HCV (HCV cohort) and 26,600 propensity score-matched patients without HCV (non-HCV cohort) were identified from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database between 2000 and 2013. Furthermore, 1,983 patients with HCV who received pegylated interferon and ribavirin treatment (HCV-treated cohort) and propensity score-matched patients with HCV (matched at a ratio of 1:2) who did not receive this treatment (HCV-untreated cohort) were selected from the HCV cohort. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) associated with the risk of AMD in the HCV and non-HCV cohorts. The adjusted HR (aHR) for AMD in the HCV cohort was 1.22 (95% CI = 1.09–1.35). This significant association was observed only for nonexudative AMD (aHR = 1.22, 95% CI = 1.09–1.37). Compared with the HCV-untreated cohort, the HCV-treated cohort showed no significant association with any type of AMD (aHR = 1.07, 95% CI = 0.81–1.43). Age and sex did not modify AMD development after the exposure and treatment of chronic HCV infection. Our findings revealed that patients with chronic HCV infection had an increased risk of AMD.
Hepatitis B virus infection and the risk of male infertility: a population-based analysis
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2014
DOI: 10.1016/J.FERTNSTERT.2014.09.017
Abstract: To evaluate the risk of male infertility among patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. A nationwide, population-based cohort study. Not applicable. Men infected with HBV (n = 5,138) and men without HBV infection (n = 25,690). None. Male infertility, as defined by the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification. The incidence of infertility was 1.59 times higher in patients with HBV infection than in those without HBV infection (2.21 vs. 1.39 per 1,000 person-years). The risk of developing infertility remained significant among patients with HBV infection (hazard ratio 1.52, 95% confidence interval 1.20-1.92) after adjusting for covariates in a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model. The data show an increased incidence and risk of infertility among men with HBV infection compared with men without HBV.
Chronic hepatitis c virus infection is associated with the development of rheumatoid arthritis: A nationwide population-based study in taiwan
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 21-11-2014
Association of HLA-DPA1, HLA-DPB1, and HLA-DQB1 Alleles With the Long-Term and Booster Immune Responses of Young Adults Vaccinated Against the Hepatitis B Virus as Neonates
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 18-08-2021
DOI: 10.3389/FIMMU.2021.710414
Abstract: The neonatal hepatitis B vaccination (HBVac) was implemented 35 years ago in Taiwan, but many vaccinees exhibit inadequate long-term vaccine-induced seroprotective hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs) levels. We investigated the association of the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles (DPA1, DPB1, DQA1, and DQB1) with the long-term immunological response to the neonatal HBVac and adolescent booster HBVac in a Taiwanese cohort. We ided 281 Han students (median age 22, age range 17–29 years) into the following groups: (1) Group A ( n = 61): anti-HBs titer ≥ 10 mIU/mL at the beginning of the study (2) Group B ( n = 75): anti-HBs level & 1000 mIU/mL after the first booster (3) Group C ( n = 37): anti-HBs level & 10 mIU/mL after the first booster and (4) Group D ( n = 5): anti-HBs level & 10 mIU/mL after three boosters. DQA1, DQB1, DPA1, and DPB1 typing of the participants was performed using sequence-specific oligonucleotides. Associations of HLA alleles and haplotypes with effects on neonatal HBVac and booster HBVac were examined through logistic regression analysis and Fisher’s exact test. A false discovery rate-based measure of significance, the q-value, was used for multiple comparisons, and an association was considered significant if the corresponding q-value was & 0.1. DPA1 alleles were associated with the long-term immunological response to the neonatal HBVac. The estimated odds ratio (OR) of the lack of HBV protective immunity when carrying an additional DPA1*01 and DPA1*02 was 0.36 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.17–0.76, p = 0.0076] and 2.39 (95% CI = 1.17–4.87, p = 0.016), respectively. DPB1 and DQB1 alleles were associated with a response to the adolescent booster vaccination. The estimated ORs of being nonresponsive to the first booster when carrying an additional DPB1*05 and DQB1*02 were 2.11 (95% CI = 1.13–3.93, p = 0.019) and 3.73 (95% CI = 1.43–9.71, p = 0.0070), respectively. All DPB1*03 carriers responded to the first booster (p of Fisher’s exact test = 0.0045). In our study, we discovered that HLA-DPA1 was primarily associated with the long-term response of primary infantile HBVac, and HLA-DPB1 and HLA-DQB1 exhibited associations with the HBV booster vaccination.
Analysis of Different Types of Interferon-Associated Retinopathy in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection Treated with Pegylated Interferon Plus Ribavirin
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 14-03-2021
DOI: 10.3390/V13030475
Abstract: This retrospective cohort study aims to investigate interferon (IFN)-associated retinopathy incidence in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection treated with pegylated interferon (PegIFN) plus ribavirin (RBV). We selected 1688 patients undergoing PegIFN/RBV therapy for HCV (HCV-treated cohort), 3376 patients not receiving HCV treatment (HCV-untreated cohort) and 16,880 controls without HCV (non-HCV cohort) from the Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Database. The patients were frequency-matched by age, sex, and index date at a 1:2:10 ratio, and followed up until the end of 2013. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to compare the incidences of any retinal vascular events, including subtypes, among the three cohorts. Compared with the non-HCV cohort, the HCV-treated cohort had a significantly increased risk of retinopathy (hazard ratio (HR) = 4.98, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.02–12.3). The risk was particularly prominent for retinal hemorrhage (HR = 12.7, 95% CI: 3.78–42.9). When the HCV-untreated cohort was used as the reference, the aforementioned HRs increased to 9.02 (95% CI: 3.04–26.8) and 32.3 (95% CI: 3.94–265), respectively. This study suggested that PegIFN/RBV therapy significantly increased the risk of retinal hemorrhage but not retinal vascular occlusions in the HCV-treated cohort.
Aspirin associated with risk reduction of secondary primary cancer for patients with head and neck cancer: A population-based analysis
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 22-08-2018
Association of Hepatitis C Virus Infection With Risk of ESRD: A Population-Based Study
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2012
DOI: 10.1053/J.AJKD.2012.04.003
Abstract: The association between chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) has been widely debated. National population-based cohort study. Insurance claims data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database in 2000-2005. Chronic HCV infection as defined by the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification. ESRD as defined by the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification. We identified 6,291 adults with chronic HCV infection. The control group included 31,455 sex- and age-matched in iduals without evidence of chronic hepatitis. The incidence of ESRD was 2.14-fold higher in patients with chronic HCV infection (HR, 1.53 95% CI, 1.17-2.01 P = 0.002) than in patients without HCV infection. Age stratification analysis showed that patients aged 50-59 years with chronic HCV infection (HR, 7.77 95% CI, 4.23-14.3 P < 0.001) had the highest risk of developing ESRD relative to patients aged 20-49 years without chronic HCV infection (interaction P < 0.001). Lack of clinical data. Patients with chronic HCV infection are at greater risk of developing ESRD than in iduals without chronic HCV infection. In addition, the risk of developing ESRD is highest in younger patients with HCV infection. Early renal screening programs should be initiated for this high-risk group of young in iduals with chronic HCV infection.
Related Organisations
National Taipei University Of Nursing And Health Sciences
Location: Taiwan, Province of China
Edge Hill University
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Related Funding Activities
No related grants have been discovered for Fu-Hsiung Su.