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A T Cheng

Publications and source records attributed to A T Cheng.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Functional relevance of human adh polymorphism.

This article represents the proceedings of a symposium at the 2000 ISBRA Meeting in Yokohama, Japan. The chairs were C. J. Peter Eriksson and Tatsushige Fukunaga. The presentations were (1) 4-Methylpyrazole as a tool in the investigation of the role of ADH in the actions of alcohol in humans, by Taisto Sarkola and C. J. Peter Eriksson; (2) ADH2 polymorphism and flushing in Asian populations, by Wei J. Chen, C. C. Chen, J. M. Ju, and Andrew T. A. Cheng; (3) Role of ADH3 genotypes in the acute effects of alcohol in a Finnish population, by Hidetaka Yamamoto, Kathrin Kohlenberg-Müller, and C. J. Peter Eriksson; (4) Clinical characteristics and disease course of alcoholics with different ADH2 genotypes, by Mitsuru Kimura, Masanobu Murayama, Sachio Matsushita, Haruo Kashima, and Susumu Higuchi; (5) ADH2 polymorphism, alcohol drinking, and birth defects, by Lucinda Carr, D. Viljoen, L. Brooke, T. Stewart, T. Foroud, J. Su, and Ting-Kai Li; and (6) ADH genotypes and alcohol use in Europeans, by John B. Whitfield.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Genetic polymorphisms of the promoter region of dopamine D2 receptor and dopamine transporter genes and alcoholism among four aboriginal groups and Han Chinese in Taiwan.

This study aims to examine the relationship between the functional polymorphism at the promoter region of the dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) gene (i.e. -141C Ins/Del) and variable number of tandem repeat polymorphism at the 3' untranslated region of the dopamine transporter (DAT) gene (SLC6A3) with alcoholism in a case-control study. The cases (n = 203) were alcohol dependents with withdrawal symptoms, and the controls (n = 213) were sex- and ethnicity-matched individuals who were screened to exclude those with alcohol problems among four aboriginal groups (Atayal, Ami, Bunun, and Paiwan) and Han Chinese in Taiwan. To control for potential confounding factors, we excluded tobacco abusers from control subjects in part of the analysis and compared the distribution of the genetic polymorphisms in alcoholics with severe medical complications versus those with less severe medical complications. There were no differences in allele and genotype frequencies of these two distinct genetic markers between alcoholics and control subjects in these five different ethnic groups. There was no significant linkage disequilibrium between the -141C polymorphism and two other DRD2 polymorphisms (TaqI A and NcoI). The results remained unchanged when cases were limited to alcoholics with more severe medical complications or when tobacco abusers were excluded from control subjects. The results suggest that both the DRD2 promoter region and the DAT gene do not play a significant role in conferring vulnerability to alcoholism.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Introduction.

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Journal Article↗
PubMed2001

Cross-cultural implementation of a Chinese version of the Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN) in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: There are no published reports of cross-cultural equivalence and interrater reliability at the level of individual symptom items assessed by a semi-structured clinical interview employing operationalised clinician ratings. AIMS: To assess the cross-cultural clinical equivalence and reliability of a Chinese version of the World Health Organization Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN). METHOD: UK-US and Taiwanese groups of psychiatrists used Chinese and English transcripts of videotape interviews of Taiwanese patients to discuss cross-cultural issues and ratings of SCAN items. Item ratings were compared quantitatively individually and pooled by SCAN section. RESULTS: Chinese equivalents were found for all SCAN items. No between-group differences were found for most individual items, but there were differences for some scaled items. Average agreement between the two groups was 69-100%. CONCLUSIONS: Cross-cultural implementation based on SCAN in Taiwan appears valid.

China↗
PubMed2000

Simultaneous HPLC of twelve monoamines and metabolites shows neuroblastoma cell line releases HVA and HIAA.

Neuroblastoma is a solid tumor occurring usually in children less than 5 years old. It has been difficult to distinguish neuroblastoma from other childhood tumors through morphological diagnosis. Urine homovanillic acid (HVA), which is a metabolite of dopamine, has been proposed as a diagnostic index. Although increased levels of a serotonin metabolite, 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid (HIAA), have also been observed in urine samples of the patients, they were largely attributed to dietary amines. By using an HPLC system with electrochemical detection, which can simultaneously assay 12 monoamines and metabolites, we showed that HVA and HIAA are two of the most prominent monoamine metabolites in the medium after a neuroblastoma cell line (IMR-32) was cultured for 3 days. Moreover, we found that the levels of HVA and HIAA in the media are proportional to the cell densities. These results suggest that the levels of HVA and HIAA in tissue culture media, or in urine from patients whose dietary amines are well controlled, may provide a valuable diagnostic index for neuroblastoma.

Biogenic Monoamines↗
PubMed2000

Psychosocial and psychiatric risk factors for suicide. Case-control psychological autopsy study.

BACKGROUND: Few studies of suicide have simultaneously examined the individual and combined effects of psychosocial and psychiatric risk factors. AIMS: To do so in a representative sample of suicides. METHOD: A case-control psychological autopsy was conducted among 113 consecutive suicides and 226 living controls matched for age, gender, ethnicity and area of residence in Taiwan. RESULTS: Five major risk factors (loss event, suicidal behaviour in first-degree relatives, ICD-10 major depressive episode, emotionally unstable personality disorder and substance dependence) were found to have independent effects on suicide from multivariate conditional logistic regression analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Effective intervention and management for loss event and major depressive episode among emotionally unstable subjects with a family tendency of suicidal behaviour, frequently also comorbid with alcohol or other substance dependence, may prove to be most effective for suicide prevention in different populations.

Case-Control Studies↗
PubMed1999

Community-based molecular epidemiology of HTLV type I in Taiwan and Kinmen: implication of the origin of the cosmopolitan subtype in northeast Asia.

To understand the possible origin and dissemination of HTLV-I infection in northeast Asia, community-based molecular epidemiological studies were conducted on the Kinmen Islands (off the coast of Fukien Province, China) and in Taiwan. A total of 3831 Taiwanese from 3 townships (Pu-Li, Chu-Dung, and Pu-Tze) and 993 aborigines from 4 tribes in Taiwan participated in this study. The prevalence rates of HTLV-I infection in adult residents from Pu-Li, Chu-Dung, and Pu-Tze were 0.82, 1.72, and 1.63%, respectively. None of the aborigines had HTLV-I infection. Previously, 0.73% of the adult population of Kin-Hu, Kinmen were found to have HTLV-I infection. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were collected from HTLV-I carriers identified both in Taiwan and Kinmen and the HTLV-I LTR sequences were PCR amplified, subcloned, and sequenced for phylogenetic tree analysis. The results showed that all 6 HTLV-I isolates from Kinmen and 13 of 18 (72.2%) isolates from Taiwan were group a (transcontinental) of Cosmopolitan subtype, while 5 of 18 (27.8%) isolates from Taiwan were group b (Japanese) of Cosmopolitan subtype. Since all of the HTLV-I-infected persons were descendants of immigrants from mainland China, the origin of the Cosmopolitan subtype in Taiwan and Kinmen may not have been Japan, as previously theorized, but China, possibly the result of the migration of an infected population in the past several centuries.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Substance use disorders among adolescents in Taiwan: prevalence, sociodemographic correlates and psychiatric co-morbidity.

BACKGROUND: This paper reports prevalences, sociodemographic correlates and psychiatric co-morbidity of substance use disorders (SUDs) among adolescents in Taiwan. METHODS: A random sample of ninth grade students (N = 774) was selected from an urban, a suburban and a rural community. Two-stage case identification was employed with a brief screening tool and a modified Chinese version of the Kiddie-SADS conducted by child psychiatrists. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of any SUD was 11.0%, with nicotine (96.0%) as the most prevalent substance. The prevalences of SUDs were significantly higher in boys, rural community and classes with poor academic performance. Sixty-two per cent of all SUD cases suffered from other concurrent psychiatric disorders. The most common co-morbid conditions were conduct disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and mood disorders. CONCLUSIONS: High prevalences of SUDs were found among adolescent school children in Taiwan. Effects of urbanization, selective migration and the availability of substances are possible explanations for the urban-rural difference on the risk for SUDs. Psychiatric co-morbid conditions for SUD among adolescents in Taiwan were similar to those in Western societies.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Prolonged overexpansion of extracellular water in elderly patients with sepsis.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the sequential changes in extracellular water (ECW) expansion in elderly patients receiving intensive care for severe sepsis with those in a similar group of younger patients. DESIGN: Inception cohort study. SETTING: Critical Care Unit and University Department of Surgery in a single tertiary care center. PATIENTS: A consecutive series of 14 patients older than 60 years (n=8) or younger than 40 years (n=6) with severe sepsis who completed sequential measurements of body composition during a 21-day period. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Sequential measurements of body composition including ECW by bromide dilution, total body water by tritium dilution, and fat-free body mass by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry were performed during 21 days after resuscitation. Excess ECW was estimated from the difference between measured ECW and ECW predicted from fat-free body mass corrected to normal hydration. RESULTS: On the first study day, ECW was overexpanded by 9.05+/-1.87 L (mean+/-SEM) and 10.33+/-1.79 L in the young and elderly groups, respectively (P=.66). Whereas the young group excreted most of this excess ECW by day 5 (P=.008), the elderly group remained overexpanded until day 10 before mobilization of ECW occurred (P=.003). The changes over time of ECW excess were significantly different (P=.02 for group x time interaction). The elderly group required more prolonged inotropic (P=.009) and ventilatory (P=.004) support and remained in intensive care longer (P=.008) than the young group. CONCLUSIONS: The period of ECW expansion is more prolonged in elderly patients with sepsis and contributes to a poorer outcome from critical illness. This new finding is of fundamental importance to the treatment of elderly patients recovering from severe sepsis.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Search for mutations near the alternatively spliced 8-amino-acid exon in the GABAA receptor gamma 2 subunit gene and lack of allelic association with alcoholism among four aboriginal groups and Han Chinese in Taiwan.

The alternatively spliced 8-amino-acid exon for the GABAA receptor gamma2 subunit gene (GABRC2) has been postulated to mediate behavioral actions of alcohol. A rapid search for splice-junction mutations near the 8-amino-acid exon using restriction enzymes which normally recognize sequences near or in the exon gave negative results among 217 alcoholics in four aboriginal groups (Ami, Atayal, Bunun and Paiwan) and Han Chinese in Taiwan. The role of the GABRC2 gene in alcoholism was further assessed by a comparison of allelic frequencies revealed by a NciI RFLP between case and control groups. No significant association of alcohol dependence with GABRC2 alleles was observed. These results suggest that the GABRC2 gene probably does not play an essential role in predisposition to alcoholism in the sample population.

Alcoholism↗
PubMed1998

Alcohol use disorders among the Yami aborigines in Taiwan. An inter-ethnic comparison.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) among the Yami aborigines in Taiwan were investigated and compared with four other taiwanese aboriginal groups. METHOD: A sample survey was conducted using a semi-structured clinical interview for AUDs among 252 subjects, aged 15 and above, from two Yami villages on Orchid Island. RESULTS: The prevalences of DSM-III-R and DSM-IV alcohol use disorders were 13.1% and 10.3% by one year, and 17.5% and 15.2% by lifetime, respectively, with a male excess. The risk for AUDs in Yami men was significantly associated with a lower educational level, a non-married status, and the length of stay in mainland Taiwan. A protective effect of Christian belief was evident for lifetime risk for AUDs. CONCLUSIONS: The lower prevalences of AUDs in Yami than in other aboriginal groups in Taiwan might be explained by social isolation of the former, and differences in drinking tradition, availability of alcohol, biological vulnerability, and the extent of acculturation between these groups.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Self-reported flushing and genotypes of ALDH2, ADH2, and ADH3 among Taiwanese Han.

The aims of this study are to investigate whether self-reported facial flushing postalcohol consumption (PAC) among subjects with ALDH2*1/*1 can be attributed to ADH2 or ADH3 and whether the prediction of ALDH2 genotype can be improved by examining the combination of flushing and other accompanying reactions of PAC sensitivity. Fifty-eight subjects of Han ancestry in Taiwan were interviewed for alcohol-sensitivity reactions and their blood samples were genotyped for ALDH2, ADH2, and ADH3. For subjects with ALDH2*1/*1 (n = 46), 70% reported to have no flushing PAC and 30% reported flushing PAC. When subjects with ALDH2*1/*1 had ADH2*1/*1 (n = 11), all reported to have no flushing; otherwise, 35% (for ADH2*1/*2, n = 17) and 44% (for ADH2*2/*2, n = 18) reported flushing. For subjects with ALDH2*1/*1 and at least one ADH2*2 allele, the genotype of ADH3 was not associated with self-reported flushing. PAC flushers with ALDH2*1/*1 (50%) were more likely to report nausea than those with ALDH2*1/*2 (8%). The probability of ALDH2*1/*1 given flushing reported was 0.29, while the probability of ALDH2*1/*1 given both flushing and nausea reported was 0.71. The results indicate that self-reported flushing is determined by both ALDH2 and ADH2 and that prediction of ALDH2 genotype on the basis of self-reported flushing and nausea can help identify subjects at increased risk for alcoholism.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Schizophrenia: conceptual change in modern psychiatry.

Schizophrenia is perhaps the most devastating mental illness that psychiatrists must treat. Its chronic course with deteriorating consequences has been the focus of study throughout this century. This paper reviews the concept of schizophrenia, from fundamental Kraepelinian theory of 'dementia praecox' to biological correlates and explanation. Its causes, however, remain obscure and there were no appreciable changes in its treatment modality. A 'bio-psycho-social' model of care is emphasized, aiming at the prevention of deterioration of symptoms, functional impairment, disability and social handicap.

Humans↗
PubMed1997

Polymorphisms and intron sequences flanking the alternatively spliced 8-amino-acid exon of gamma2 subunit gene for GABAA receptors.

Gamma-amminobutyric acid (GABA) is a major inhibitory neurotransmitter. Two alternatively spliced forms of the gamma2 subunit of GABAA receptor (gamma2L and gamma2S), which differ by an exon of eight amino acids, show different sensitivities to modulatory effects of ethanol on receptor activities. A 2.7 kb DNA fragment and an 1.7 kb DNA fragment covering respectively the introns upstream and downstream from the 8-amino-acid exon were obtained through PCR-amplification of human genomic DNA using primers derived from cDNA sequences. Total sequencing of these fragments showed a composite 4.2 kb segment containing the 8-amino-acid exon and consensus sequences for RNA splice junctions. Restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) based on NciI restriction digestion were found among Chinese in Taiwan. This RFLP provides a useful DNA marker for allelic association or linkage analyses of the role of GABAA receptors in predisposition to alcoholism or other neuropsychiatric disorders.

Alternative Splicing↗
PubMed1997

Dopamine D2 receptor gene and alcoholism among four aboriginal groups and Han in Taiwan.

Previous studies examining the putative association between DRD2 TaqI A1 and alcoholism have produced conflicting results. Major critiques of such studies include potential confounding arising from population admixture by inappropriate selection of controls, failure to screen out substance abusers from controls, and the failure to assess the severity of alcoholics. To address these issues, we compared the allelic frequency of two polymorphisms of DRD2, TaqI A and NcoI, among severe alcoholics and their ethnically matched nonalcoholic controls within four major aboriginal groups and Han (Chinese) in Taiwan. The sample of alcoholics and controls examined for the five groups included 36 and 31 (Atayal), 24 and 23 (Ami), 58 and 58 (Bunun), 35 and 35 (Paiwan), and 50 and 66 (Han). A borderline association between TaqI A1 and alcoholism among the Ami (P = 0.08) and an association between NcoI N1 and alcoholism among Han (P = 0.01) were found. Results of haplotype analysis further confirm that the frequency of haplotype A1N1 was higher in alcoholics than in controls for the Ami (P = 0.01) and Han (P = 0.03). If controls with tobacco abuse were excluded from the analysis, the results remained unchanged. Severity in medical complications of alcohol dependence with withdrawal symptoms was not associated with higher prevalence of DRD2 TaqI A1 or NcoI N1 alleles. The absence of an association between DRD2 and alcoholism among the three aboriginal groups suggests either a higher rate of phenocopies among aboriginal alcoholics or genetic heterogeneity in the susceptibility to alcoholism.

Alcoholism↗