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Biomedical subjects

E Lau

Publications and source records attributed to E Lau.

78 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

The prediction of height by armspan in older Chinese people.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the accuracy of the predictive equations derived from older Chinese people without vertebral deformity with those derived from unselected older people, in estimating height from armspan. METHODOLOGY: Height and armspan were measured in 789 older Chinese and 885 young Chinese in Hong Kong. All the older subjects had spinal X-ray (T4 to L4). Vertebral deformity was determined by a trained technician using a translucent digital analyser. Definite deformity was defined by a greater than 3 standard deviation increase in one of the three vertebral height ratios (anterior/posterior, middle/posterior and posterior/posterior). Eighty of the older subjects without vertebral deformity were randomly selected from the studied population for internal validation of predictive equations. The remaining subjects were used to derive sex-specific predictive equations for height by linear regression against armspan. The accuracy of these equations was analysed by the Bland and Altman method. RESULTS: Vertebral deformity was present in 30.7% and 15.6% of older female and male subjects, respectively. Older women without vertebral deformity had significantly greater armspan: height ratio when compared with the young (1.04 versus 1.02), but the corresponding ratios were the same in older and young men (both 1.04). The predictive equation derived from older females without vertebral deformity had lower standard error of estimation and gave estimates closer to measured height than those derived from unselected older women. But this was not the case in older men. CONCLUSION: In deriving predictive equation to estimate height by armspan in older Chinese women, selecting out older women without vertebral deformity increased accuracy of the equation. This was, however, not the case in older men.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Hospital readmission among older medical patients in Hong Kong.

OBJECTIVE: To study the risk factors for hospital readmission among older medical patients in Hong Kong. DESIGN: Cohort study. SUBJECTS: 1,204 consecutive hospital medical patients aged 70 years and over in Hong Kong. PROCEDURES: Subjects were interviewed by a research nurse on discharge, and were followed up for six months. OUTCOME: Unplanned hospital readmissions were identified and classified as avoidable or unavoidable. The risk factors for early (within 28 days), recurrent (three or more) and avoidable readmissions were studied by multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: Four hundred and fifty-five patients (37.7%) had at least one readmission in six months; 18%, 6.4%, and 2.9% of subjects had early, recurrent and avoidable readmissions respectively. Recent hospital stay predicted all types of readmissions. Early readmission was predicted by length of stay, Barthel index (assessment of physical and mental function) and unresolved medical problems. Recurrence readmission was predicted by poor family support, residence in a home for the elderly and unresolved medical problems. CONCLUSIONS: Hospital readmission may be prevented by ensuring adequate length of stay, so that medical problems are resolved before discharge.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Monoclonal antibodies against partially deglycosylated colon cancer mucin that recognize Tn antigen.

In order to develop reagents that can detect the exposed core carbohydrate antigens of mucins, we have prepared monoclonal antibodies against partially deglycosylated LS174T human colon cancer mucin. The three monoclonal antibodies, 10F4, 15D3a, and 91S8, stained cancers of the colon, pancreas, stomach, breast, prostate, and lung to a greater extent than corresponding normal tissues. There was no staining of normal pancreas or breast, suggesting that these antibodies may be particularly useful for detecting cancers in these two organs. In homogenates of cultured cancer cells, antigen was detectable in three colon cancer cell lines, but not in a variety of other epithelial cancers. The epitope specificity of all three monoclonal antibodies appears to be for Tn antigen, i.e. GalNAc-alpha-Ser/Thr, based on their recognition of alpha-linked GalNAc, but not T antigen, sialyl Tn, or a range of other structures. However, the three anti-Tn antibodies differed in tissue staining specificity and in relative binding to different mucins. These monoclonal antibodies, prepared against deglycosylated colon cancer mucin, appear to be useful reagents for the immunohistochemical detection of epithelial cancers, especially pancreatic cancer and breast cancer.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗