Biomedical subjects

C-C Lin

Publications and source records attributed to C-C Lin.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed2005

Angiotensin-converting enzyme gene insertion/deletion polymorphism is associated with risk of oral precancerous lesion in betel quid chewers.

To investigate whether angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism is related to the risk of oral precancerous lesions (OPL) in Taiwanese subjects who chew betel quid, a total of 61 betel quid chewers having OPL were compared with 61 asymptomatic betel quid chewers matched for betel quid chewing duration and dosage. The frequency of homozygote for ACE D variant is significantly higher in the case subjects than that of the controls (44.3 vs 24.6%; P = 0.0108). The adjusted odds ratio of the D homozygous for the risk of OPL is 8.10 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.04-32.19, P = 0.003). In the allelic base analysis, the D allele is also significantly associated with higher risk of OPL. When grouping the study subjects by smoking status, the association between ACE I/D polymorphism and risk of OPL was only observed in nonsmokers. Our results support the theory that genetic factors may contribute to the susceptibility of OPL and suggest that smoking and genetic factors may be differently involved in the development of OPL.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Polymorphism of the adrenergic receptor alpha 2a -1291C>G genetic variation and clozapine-induced weight gain.

Weight gain, leading to further morbidity and poor treatment compliance, is a common consequence of treatment with clozapine. The substantial interindividual and interracial differences in drug-induced weight gain suggest that genetic factors may be important. Several studies showed that alpha-2, adrenoceptor may related to feeding behavior with rat or lipolytic activity of human adipocyte tissue, they are related to body weight change. In the study, we try to test the possible relation of clozapine-induced weight gain and adrenergic receptor alpha 2a -1291C>G genetic polymorphism in a long term follow up (14.0 +/- 6.2 months). Our results show the genotype GG (8.45 +/- 7.2 Kg) with higher mean body weight gain than genotype CC (2.79 +/- 6.1 Kg) (p = 0.023). The finding identify a genetic factor associated with clozapine-induced weight gain in schizophrenic patients.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Early experience with enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium in de novo kidney transplant recipients.

INTRODUCTION: We sought to evaluate the efficacy of enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium (EC-MPS) and the gastrointestinal (GI) adverse events in de novo kidney transplant recipients. METHODS: This noncontrolled, retrospective review includes 22 de novo kidney transplant recipients. All patients received a standard course of basiliximab and were maintained on triple-drug therapy with EC-MPS, cyclosporine microemulsion (CsA), and prednisolone. The follow-up lasted 7.9 +/- 1.2 months. The incidence of GI adverse effects were compared with those of historical mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) studies. RESULTS: The serum creatinine was maintained within 1.4 +/- 0.7 mg/dL. The 2-hour CsA postdose level was 1080 +/- 327 ng/mL initially and gradually tapered to 851 +/- 435 ng/mL. The daily EC-MPS dose was 1404 +/- 180 mg initially and gradually tapered to 1098 +/- 288 mg. The GI adverse effects at the daily dose of EC-MPS 1422 +/- 126 mg included dyspepsia 27%, acid regurgitation 18.2%, epigastralgia 9%, nausea 9%, vomiting 4.5%, and poor appetite 4.5%. In comparison those from historical MMF 2 g/d studies included dyspepsia 3.1% to 40%, epigastralgia 10%, nausea 3.7% to 34%, and vomiting 0.6% to 10.7%. CONCLUSION: Immunosuppression with CsA, EC-MPS, and steroids maintains stable graft functions. Minimal dose reduction of EC-MPS decreases GI adverse events but without significance. EC-MPC and MMF have respective GI side effects; they can be used alternatively in patients with individual GI intolerance.

Cyclosporine↗

PubMed2005

Liver transplantation from an uncontrolled non-heart-beating donor maintained on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Liver transplantation, a definitive treatment for end-stage liver disease, has achieved excellent results. However, potential recipients on the waiting list outnumber donors. To expand the donor pool, marginal grafts from older donors, steatotic livers, and non-heart-beating liver donors (NHBD) have been used for transplantation. Reducing the warm ischemia time of NHBD is the critical factor in organs preservation. Liver transplantation using grafts from NHBD have been reported to display a high incidence of primary graft nonfunction and biliary complications. The authors report a liver graft donor who was maintained on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) after successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Core body temperature was 5 degrees C. Procurement of the liver using a rapid flush technique was performed 4 hours after instituting ECMO. Graft function recovered fully after transplantation. In conclusion, ECMO may be used to reduce warm ischemia time in liver grafts obtained from uncontrolled NHBD, thereby increasing graft salvage rates.

Accidents, Traffic↗

PubMed2005

Incidence rates of oral cancer and oral pre-cancerous lesions in a 6-year follow-up study of a Taiwanese aboriginal community.

BACKGROUND: In a previous article, we reported the prevalence rates of oral mucosal lesions in an aboriginal community from an epidemiological survey of oral pre-cancerous lesions. METHODS: Since 1997, the authors have started regular follow-up of the study population originally investigated. Thus, it has been possible to obtain incidence rates for the various oral pre-cancerous lesions and conditions. RESULTS: There were 194 persons without any oral lesion in the 1997 screening. During the clinical follow-up investigation and during the analysis of biopsies from pre-cancerous lesions, we discovered six new lesions (including cancer and pre-cancerous lesions) from five participants. All of the five persons were areca/betel quid chewers, and only one mixed areca/betel quid chewing with cigarette smoking habit. The age-standardized incidence rates for quid lesion, oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) were 267.0, 374.1 and 146.2 per 100,000 person-years, respectively, for areca/betel quid chewers. CONCLUSIONS: As compared with the rates from India and the general Taiwanese population, the study community encountered a serious problem of oral lesions.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Randomised controlled trial comparing percutaneous radiofrequency thermal ablation, percutaneous ethanol injection, and percutaneous acetic acid injection to treat hepatocellular carcinoma of 3 cm or less.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of radiofrequency thermal ablation (RFTA), percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI), and percutaneous acetic acid injection (PAI) in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 187 patients with HCCs of 3 cm or less were randomly assigned to RFTA (n = 62), PEI (n = 62), or PAI (n = 63). Tumour recurrence and survival rates were assessed. RESULTS: One, two, and three year local recurrence rates were 10%, 14%, and 14% in the RFTA group, 16%, 34%, and 34% in the PEI group, and 14%, 31%, and 31% in the PAI group (RFTA v PEI, p = 0.012; RFTA v PAI, p = 0.017). One, two, and three year survival rates were 93%, 81%, and 74% in the RFTA group, 88%, 66%, and 51% in the PEI group, and 90%, 67%, and 53% in the PAI group (RFTA v PEI, p = 0.031; RFTA v PAI, p = 0.038). One, two, and three year cancer free survival rates were 74%, 60%, and 43% in the RFTA group, 70%, 41%, and 21% in the PEI group, and 71%, 43%, and 23% in the PAI group (RFTA v PEI, p = 0.038; RFTA v PAI, p = 0.041). Tumour size, tumour differentiation, and treatment methods (RFTA v PEI and PAI) were significant factors for local recurrence, overall survival, and cancer free survival. Major complications occurred in 4.8% of patients (two with haemothorax, one gastric perforation) in the RFTA group and in none in two other groups (RFTA v PEI and PAI, p = 0.035). CONCLUSIONS: RFTA was superior to PEI and PAI with respect to local recurrence, overall survival, and cancer free survival rates, but RFTA also caused more major complications.

Acetic Acid↗

PubMed2005

An oral delivery system for recombinant subunit vaccine to fish.

Oral vaccination is considered as the most desirable method for immunizing fish because it is non-stressful, user-friendly and is capable of easy administration to large numbers of fish. However, many publications have indicated that the current oral vaccines still lack the desired efficacy. Here we reported on an oral vaccine method to deliver recombinant subunit vaccine based on the food chain of fish, in that live Artemia nauplii are encapsulated with recombinant bacteria containing the antigen. The feasibility and efficacy of this method for delivering protein antigen was tested in a zebrafish model, where immunisation took place through feeding Artemia encapsulated with recombinant E. coli. By this oral vaccine method the antigen could be delivered to the hindgut as confirmed by immuno-histochemistry, and its efficacy was demonstrated by the ability to protect vaccinated fish significantly from a direct injection of a native Pseudomonas exotoxin and bacterial pathogen. Combined with the recombinant technology for producing desired protein antigens, this oral vaccine delivery method provides the capacity to deliver a variety of different antigens, including the option for delivery of multivalent vaccines by the oral route.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMed2004

Negative association between catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene Val158Met polymorphism and persistent tardive dyskinesia in schizophrenia.

Chronic administration of typical antipsychotic agents, which mainly act on the dopamine receptors, implicates a role of dopamine system on the susceptibility of tardive dyskinesia (TD). In the present study, the association between a functional Val158Met polymorphism of Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene and TD occurrence and TD severity was investigated in 299 Chinese schizophrenic patients with long-term antipsychotic treatment (TD: 166, non-TD: 133). After adjusting the effects of confounding factors, there was no significant association between COMT genotype and TD occurrence (p=0.367). Among TD patients, we found no significant correlation between COMT genotypes and the total scores of abnormal involuntary movement scale (AIMS) (p=0.629). We concluded that this COMT polymorphism might not play a major role in the susceptibility of TD nor on the severity of TD.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Association analysis of a neural nitric oxide synthase gene polymorphism and antipsychotics-induced tardive dyskinesia in Chinese schizophrenic patients.

Recent findings from rodent studies with chronic administration of antipsychotic drugs have indicated the role of neural nitric oxide synthase (NOS1) on the susceptibility of tardive dyskinesia (TD). In the present study, the association between a 3'-untranslated region C267T (3'-UTR C267T) polymorphism of the NOS1 gene and TD as well as TD severity was investigated in 251 Chinese schizophrenic patients with long-term antipsychotic treatment (TD: 128, non-TD: 123). After adjusting the effects of confounding factors, there was no significant association between NOS1 3'-UTR C276T genotypes and TD occurrence (p=0.758). With in the TD group, we could not discover a significant correlation between NOS1 3'-UTR C276T genotypes and the scores of abnormal involuntary movement scale (AIMS) (p=0.219 and 0.774). We concluded that the NOS1 3'-UTR C276T polymorphism might not play a major role in the susceptibility of TD development, or on the severity of TD.

Antipsychotic Agents↗

PubMed2004

Acute renal failure after cadaveric related liver transplantation.

Acute renal failure (ARF) is a frequent medical complication after liver transplantation (LT). We analyzed cadaveric related liver transplant recipients who had developed ARF early in the postoperative course. Between January 1982 and August 2003, a total of 67 patients underwent cadaveric related LT. Their mean age was 28.64 years at LT. The 67 recipients had the following indications: biliary atresia (n = 17), Wilson's disease (n = 15), hepatitis B-related liver cirrhosis (n = 14), hepatitis C-related liver cirrhosis (n = 4), primary biliary cirrhosis (n = 4), hepatitis B-related liver cirrhosis with hepatoma (n = 3), hepatitis C-related liver cirrhosis with hepatoma (n = 2), Budd-Chiari syndrome (n = 2), neonatal hepatitis (n = 1), choledochus cyst (n = 1), autoimmune cirrhosis (n = 1), neuroendocrine tumor (n = 1), and hemangioendothelioma (n = 1). Forty-nine patients received cyclosporine (CsA), azathioprine, and steroids and 18, a combination with tacrolimus (FK506). Eight (11.94%) patients developed ARF at a mean time of 17.25 days after LT. The mean peak serum creatinine was 2.24 mg%. Four of these patients had a diagnosis of hepatitis B-related liver cirrhosis; two, hepatitis C-related liver cirrhosis; one, primary biliary cirrhosis; and one, hepatitis B-related liver cirrhosis with hepatoma. The ARF etiology was multifactorial for the majority of patients. Eight ARF patients had a history of liver cirrhosis, which may be a risk factor for intraoperative ARF. ARF treatment included fluid replacement, decreased or altered immunosuppressive agents, avoiding exposure to nephrotoxic drugs, and adjusting antibiotic dosages. The majority of patients returned to normal renal function at 1 to 3 weeks after the diagnosis of ARF. No patient required dialysis and/or experienced a mortality. We conclude that the incidence of ARF is relatively low and with good outcomes. ARF etiology was multifactorial for the majority of patients, but eight patients had a history of liver cirrhosis, which may be a risk factor for intraoperative ARF. We suggest that in the early postoperative period of LT cases diagnosis and treatment of ARF are important.

Acute Kidney Injury↗

PubMed2004

Early postoperative complications in recipients of living donor liver transplantation.

PURPOSE: Complications are common in the early postoperative period after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). The aims of this analysis were to describe and identify risk factors for early postoperative complications. METHODS: Between June 1994 and June 2003, 140 consecutive LDLT patients were divided into 3 groups: group I was small infants <9 kg (n = 30); group II, pediatric patients (n = 63); and group III, adult patients (n = 47). The complications within 3 months after operation were analyzed. RESULTS: The mortality rate was 1.4%. Surgical complications requiring relaparotomy occurred in 7.9% of patients. Intraoperative portal vein thrombosis requiring immediate thrombectomy, which occurred in 10 patients, was significantly more frequent in the small infant group (23.1% vs 3.2% vs 2.1%; P < .01). Acute hepatic artery thrombosis that occurred in 2 patients was remedied successfully using operative rearterilization. Hepatic outflow obstruction requiring radiological interventions developed in 5 subjects. Medical complications included the following: pulmonary (14.3%), renal (19.3%), bacteremia (10.7%), cytomegalovirus infection (9.3%), and drain-related infections (20.7%). The incidence of hospital-acquired renal insufficiency was significantly higher in adult patients (3.3% vs 14.3% vs 36.2%; P < .01). There was no significant difference in the incidence of acute cellular rejection between members of the 3 groups (10.0% vs 17.5% vs 17%; P = .63). CONCLUSIONS: Sophisticated postoperative care with multiple disciplinary involvements may achieve a low early mortality rate in LDLT. Small infants weighing <9 kg may carry a greater risk of intraoperative portal vein thrombosis. Pulmonary complications and renal function impairments were the most troublesome in pediatric and adult recipients, respectively.

Child, Preschool↗

PubMed2004

Evaluation of the protective effectiveness of gloves from occupational exposure to 2-methoxyethanol using the biomarkers of 2-methoxyacetic acid levels in the urine and plasma.

AIMS: To evaluate the protective effectiveness of gloves from occupational exposure to 2-methoxyethanol (2-ME); and to examine the association of 2-methoxyacetic acid (MAA) in urine and plasma collected simultaneously from low 2-ME exposure and high 2-ME exposure workers in a semiconductor copper laminate circuit board manufacturing plant. METHODS: Eight hour time weighted breathing zone monitoring was performed to verify the 2-ME exposure classification between workers in regular and special operations. Urine and plasma samples were simultaneously collected from 74 exposed and 80 non-exposed workers. MAA concentrations in the urine (UMAA) and plasma (PMAA) were measured using previously published methods. Three types of gloves worn by workers (cotton, rubber, and no gloves) were recorded by direct observations in the workplace and validated by person-to-person interview. Protective effectiveness indices (PEI) were used to evaluate the glove effectiveness. RESULTS: There was no detectable 2-ME/MAA in the air, or in urine and plasma samples in non-exposed workers. The average UMAA and PMAA in special operations were 72.63 mg/g Cr. and 29.72 mg/l, significantly higher than values in regular operations (5.44 mg/g Cr. and 2.58 mg/l, respectively). PMAA showed satisfactory correlation to UMAA in all participants from both regular and special operations. The rubber gloves provided significant reduction in 2-ME uptake, whereas cotton gloves provided little protection with fluctuating effectiveness, based on PEI estimates. CONCLUSIONS: PMAA, similar to UMAA, could serve as a specific biomarker for 2-ME exposure. Wearing impermeable rubber gloves during high risk tasks can reduce major 2-ME exposure. Other improvements, including engineering control, should be provided to diminish worker exposure to 2-ME in occupational environments.

Acetates↗

PubMed2003

A method for inflorescence proliferation.

Most perennial plants must pass through a long juvenile phase of vegetative development before they are capable of flowering. We have developed a method specifying inflorescence proliferation to bypass juvenility and maintain the adult phase. Bamboo ( Bambusa edulis) inflorescences were amplified by incubation in Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with 0.1 mg/l thidiazuron. Mutant albino inflorescences also proliferated in this medium. This method is equally effective with dicotyledonous plants. Ginseng ( Panax ginseng) buds were incubated in B5 medium supplemented with 1 mg/l benzyladenine and 1 mg/l gibberellic acid; new inflorescences developed from the base of the explants. Ginseng flowers were parthenocarpic and some of the fruit proliferated in vitro. Using the inflorescences as the material of somatic embryogenesis, we demonstrated that these were not mutations. The regenerated plants still had a juvenile phase and grew normally.

Bambusa↗

PubMed2003

Assessing transient pulmonary injury induced by volatile anesthetics by increased lung uptake of technetium-99m hexamethylpropylene amine oxime.

Volatile anesthetics such as halothane and isoflurane have long been thought to affect pulmonary function. The purpose of this study was to examine whether volatile anesthetics (halothane and isoflurane) can induce pulmonary vascular endothelium damage. Before surgery, 1 h after surgery, and 1 week after surgery, the degree of pulmonary vascular endothelium damage was represented as increased lung/liver uptake ratios (L/L ratio) and measured on technetium-99m hexamethylpropylene amine oxime (Tc-99m HMPAO) lung scan in 3 groups of the patients. Group 1 included 20 patients undergoing surgery and receiving volatile anesthesia with 1% halothane. Group 2 included 20 patients undergoing surgery and receiving volatile anesthesia with 1.5% isoflurane. Group 3 included 20 patients undergoing surgery with intravenous anesthesia drugs. No significant change of L/L ratio was found from before surgery, 1 h after surgery, to 1 week after surgery in group 3 patients. In groups 1 and 2 patients, significantly transient increased L/L ratio was found 1 h after surgery. We conclude that volatile anesthesia (halothane and isoflurane) can induce transient pulmonary vascular endothelium damage, represented as transiently increased L/L ratios on Tc-99m HMPAO lung scan.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Usefulness of technetium-99m hexamethylpropylene amine oxime lung scan to detect subclinical lung injury in patients with chronic renal failure.

We used technetium-99m hexamethylpropylene amine oxime (Tc-99m HMPAO) lung scan to detect subclinical lung injury in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF), on regular hemodialysis (HD), who had normal chest X-ray findings (CXR) and pulmonary function test (PFT). The degree of pulmonary vascular endothelium damage was represented as lung/liver uptake ratios (L/L ratios) calculated by Tc-99m HMPAO lung scan. The L/L ratios of the 20 male CRF patients on HD with normal CXR and PFT were compared with those of the 20 male normal controls. The results show that the L/L ratios on Tc-99m HMPAO lung scans were significantly higher in CRF patients on HD (1.06 +/- 0.55) than those in normal controls (0.34 +/- 0.09). Using a cut-off value of 0.50, 18/20 [90%] CRF patients had abnormally increased L/L ratios. Our findings concluded that the pulmonary vascular endothelium damage represented as significantly increased L/L ratios on Tc-99m HMPAO lung scan in CRF patients on HD with normal CXR and PFT. In addition, Tc-99m HMPAO lung scan has the potential to be a sensitive, objective and noninvasive method to detect subclinical lung injury of CRF patients on HD, which is different from the traditional studies such as CXR or PFT.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

The technique of endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy: resection, clipping and cautery.

Three authors describe their individual technique for performing ETS. These are 1) a two-port approach under singlelung ventilation using a double-lumen tube and cutting the chain, 2) a two-port approach under endotracheal or mask anesthesia and clipping of the chain, and 3) a single-port approach under endotracheal or mask anesthesia and cautery of the chain. The sections are purely didactic and no attempt is made to compare or contrast the methods.

Cautery↗

PubMed2003

Tracking of secretory vesicles of PC12 cells by total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy.

Total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy is used to detect cellular events near the plasma membrane. Behaviours of secretory vesicles near the cell surface of living PC12 cells, a neuroendocrine cell line, are studied. The secretory vesicles are labelled by over-expression of enhanced green fluorescent protein-tagged Rab3A, one of the small G proteins involved in the fusion of secretory vesicles to plasma membrane in PC12 cells. Images acquired by a fast cooled charge-coupled device camera using conventional fluorescence microscopy and total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy are compared and analysed. Within the small evanescent range (< 200 nm), the movements of the secretory vesicles of PC12 cells before and after stimulation by high K+ are examined. The movements of one vesicle relative to another already docked on the membrane are detected. Total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy provides a novel optical method to trace and analyse the exocytotic events and vesicle specifically near a cell membrane without interference of signals from other parts of the cell.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Relationship between chemotherapy response of small cell lung cancer and P-glycoprotein or multidrug resistance-related protein expression.

The resistance of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) to anticancer drugs is a serious clinical problem often encountered during chemotherapy. Therefore, how to prevent this drug resistance need to be investigated. Multidrug resistance 1 (MDR1) gene and multidrug resistance-related protein (MRP) gene, two genes known to be associated with the development of drug resistance, are very common in SCLC. The purpose of this study was to evaluate retrospectively the relationship between chemotherapy responses to MDR1 gene encodes 170 kDa P-glycoprotein (Pgp) expression or MRP gene encodes 190 kDa MRP expression in SCLC. Before chemotherapy, multiple nonconsecutive sections of the bronchoscopy biopsy specimens of SCLC from 50 patients were analyzed immunohistochemically to detect Pgp and MRP expressions. Chemotherapy responses of the 50 patients were evaluated in the third month after completion of treatment by clinical and radiological methods. Of the 23 SCLC patients with poor response to chemotherapy, 11 had positive Pgp and MRP expressions, 2 had positive Pgp but negative MRP expressions, 6 had positive MRP but negative Pgp expressions, and 4 patients had negative Pgp and MRP expressions. All 27 SCLC patients with good response had negative Pgp and MRP expression. Immunohistochemical analyses of Pgp or MRP expression are potential tools for predicting patients' chemotherapy response in SCLC.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗