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Biomedical subjects

S C Wu

Publications and source records attributed to S C Wu.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

Antibodies to hepatitis C virus in uremic patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

The prevalence of antibody to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) among 101 uremic patients receiving continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) was evaluated using a synthetic peptide-based HCV antibodies enzyme immunoassay. Thirty (29.7%) were found anti-HCV positive. This is significantly higher than 500 unselected paid blood donors (4.2%, P less than 0.0001). Among CAPD patients, anti-HCV positivity was found more frequently in patients who had received frequent and longer duration of hemodialysis previously (40.4% vs. 20.4%, P less than 0.05). These findings suggest that hemodialysis patients have a higher risk of HCV infection. At present, CAPD may be a suitable way to reduce the incidence of HCV infection in uremic patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Polychotomous multivariate models for coronary heart disease simulation. I. Tests of a logistic model.

Stochastic compartmental modeling techniques have been employed to simulate coronary heart disease morbidity and mortality. In the current paper, polychotomous logistic models are used to describe the relationship between risk of disease and multiple risk factors, effect modification and confounding variables. The process of estimating the parameters for two risk factors and three types of outcomes is described for a population followed for five years. A Statistical Analysis System (SAS) procedure was used to estimate risk factor coefficients based on two partial periods and on the entire five year epoch. Most of the estimated coefficients were found to be statistically significant. The model performance was evaluated by comparing the observational data with simulated outcomes using a micropopulation and Monte Carlo techniques. Two different tests of goodness of fit were used. Satisfactory fits were obtained both for the risk coefficients based on two partial periods and those based on the entire epoch. This indicates that the model is suitable for simulation of the effects of intervention strategies. The use of the entire epoch involved estimates of one half as many parameters as did the use of two partial periods. Accordingly, it is concluded that only the entire epoch need be considered for future studies of this population.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Fabrication and biocompatibility of a porous bioglass ceramic in a Na2O-CaO-SiO2-P2O5 system.

A porous bioglass ceramic was prepared from a finely pulverized bioglass powder mixed with particles of two sizes (5 and 500 microns) of 30% by weight with the foaming agent polyethylene glycol 4000 (HO (C2H4O) nH). The batch composition of the bioglass was Na2O 12%, CaO 28%, SiO2 50% and P2O5 10% by weight. The specimens, formed by pressing, were sintered in a high temperature furnace. In this study we are concerned with the preparation and microstructure of the material and its performance in biological tests. The microstructure and crystalline phases of the material were investigated by differential thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction analysis, transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. In a biomedical examination, it was shown that the porous material was compatible with animal tissues. The microstructure of the implant indicated that newly grown bone interlocked well with the glass ceramic and that macropores and micropores were distributed uniformly in the material, which provided channels for bone ingrowth and improved the microscopic bioresorption.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

[An assessment of patients hospitalized for burn injuries].

To study the causes of burn injuries and the nature of their medical treatment, we investigated the medical histories of hospitalized patients admitted to the burn center of Taipei City Ho-Ping Hospital from June 6, 1983 to June 6, 1987. Additionally, a phone interview follow-up on recovery conditions was made. Among the 300 patients admitted, the majority (53.7%) were burned by scalding water, while fire was the second most common cause of burns. The rate of incidence was highest for those aged 0-4 years, and 90% of this age group were victims of scalding. For all age groups, 78.9% of the burns resulted from negligence, with most accidents occurring in a kitchen, factory or workplace, or a bathroom. Men's burns were more severe than women's burns on average. Severe fire burns constituted half of the cases. The majority of the burns affected the front of the limbs, torso, head and neck. The degree of the burns was mixed, but second degree burns were most prominent (36%). Sixty percent of the patients were burned over less than 10% of their body surface. Seasonality was not evident, but most cases occurred between noon and eight o'clock in the evening. Patients with electric burns had the longest hospital stays, averaging 30.5 days, while those burned by scalding had the shortest (16 days). Those with severe burns average 26.5 days. Half (50.7%) of the patients recovered by the time they left the hospital. Examining the death rate by type of burn, we found that the death rate for chemical burns was the highest (10.34%), while the rate was lowest for scalding.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Inconsistent effectiveness of myocardial preservation among cardiac chambers during hypothermic cardioplegia.

The purpose of this study was to examine the selective and differential natures of ischemic injuries among three cardiac chambers (right atrium, right ventricle, and left ventricle) from the viewpoint of ultrastructural morphometric study. Twenty consecutive adult patients undergoing cardiac operations were studied. The duration of aortic crossclamp time varied from 36 to 142 minutes (mean 83.4 +/- 36.4 minutes). Two serial specimens (preischemic and ischemic) were obtained from the right atrium, the right ventricle, and the left ventricle, respectively. A total of 120 biopsy specimens was obtained from these 20 patients. The average mitochondrial surface area of the left ventricle was 0.308 +/- 0.062 micron 2 in the preischemic stage and 0.352 +/- 0.083 microns 2 in the ischemic stage. This represented a 14.3% increase in mitochondrial surface area after ischemic injury (p less than 0.01). The mitochondrial surface area of the right ventricle showed an average increase of 43.7%, from 0.252 +/- 0.036 micron 2 in the preischemic stage to 0.362 +/- 0.087 micron 2 in the ischemic stage (p less than 0.0005). With respect to the mitochondrial surface area of the right atrium, there was an increase of 88.0%, from 0.217 +/- 0.044 micron 2 in the preischemic stage to 0.408 +/- 0.084 micron 2 (p less than 0.0005). The difference of mitochondrial swelling among three chambers was statistically significant (right atrium versus right ventricle versus left ventricle, p less than 0.0005). Moreover, the differences of mitochondrial swelling between any two chambers were also highly significant (right atrium versus right ventricle, p less than 0.0005; right ventricle versus left ventricle, p less than 0.01; right atrium versus left ventricle, p less than 0.0005). In conclusion, our findings suggest that from the viewpoint of ultrastructural morphometric study myocardial injury after an average of 83 minutes of ischemic arrest is poorer in the right chambers of the heart than in the left ventricle, with the right atrium having the poorest preservation.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Comparison of the clinical performance, contraceptive efficacy and acceptability of levonorgestrel-releasing IUD and Norplant-2 implants in China.

The levonorgestrel-releasing IUD (LNG-IUD, 20 micrograms/d) and the Norplant-2 implants were studied in a randomized comparative clinical trial with 200 women for one year. No pregnancy or expulsion occurred with the Norplant-2. In the LNG-IUD group, there was one pregnancy at the 12th month of use after an unnoticed expulsion. The net cumulative pregnancy and expulsion rates of LNG-IUD were 1.0 and 3.0. The removal rate due to menstrual disturbances in both LNG-IUD and Norplant-2 groups was 3.0. The use-related discontinuation rates were 9.0 and 3.0, and the continuation rates were 90.0 and 96.0, respectively. The differences were not statistically significant. Menstrual disturbance was the main side effect. It was improved after long time use, especially in the LNG-IUD group. After one year, the percentages of women with amenorrhea were 18.9 for the LNG-IUD and 8.3 for the Norplant-2. The menstrual blood loss was statistically significantly reduced in the LNG-IUD group, and blood haemoglobin concentration increased in both groups. The LNG-IUD and Norplant-2 are highly effective, safe, long-acting, and well accepted by the Chinese women.

Administration, Intravaginal↗
PubMed1990

Reduction of serum calcium by sodium sulfonated polystyrene resin.

Sodium resin has been clinically administered against hyperkalemia widely, but its effects of lowering the serum calcium has never been documented. In our study, 7 patients with chronic renal failure were chosen at random to take sodium resin 30 g per day for 3 days. The sodium resin not only lowered the serum potassium level (p less than 0.05) but also brought down the level of serum calcium (p less than 0.05). The reduced ability of patients with chronic renal failure to absorb calcium from the gastrointestinal tract is well recognized, so its effects of lowering calcium will be more likely to aggravate the serum calcium imbalance further. If sodium resin has to be used for the maintainance of serum potassium in patients with chronic renal failure the serum calcium should be monitored closely in order to lighten the osteodystrophy and secondary hyperparathyroidism.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Secondary prevention of ischemic stroke with low dose acetylsalicylic acid.

In order to evaluate the efficacy of low dose acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) for the secondary prevention of ischemic stroke, this cooperative multicenter clinical trial was conducted on a non-blind basis. Patients having a first transient ischemic attack (TIA), reversible ischemic neurological deficit (RIND) or completed ischemic stroke were eligible for this trial. A total of 590 patients including 47 cases of TIA, 23 cases of RIND and 520 cases of completed stroke entered this study. These patients were allocated by the time of admission to one of the following 5 trial regimens: (1) vasodilators having no known inhibitory effect on platelet function (control group), (2) dipyridamole (DP) 50 mg 3 times a day (DP group), (3) ASA 300 mg once a day (ASA 300 mg group), (4) ASA 300 mg once in combination with DP 50 mg 3 times a day (ASADP group), and (5) ASA 100 mg once a day (ASA1 group). No difference in effect between the control and DP groups was observed, nor between the ASA 300 mg and ASADP groups. Therefore, we combined the control and DP groups to make a non-ASA group, and joined the ASA 300 mg and ASADP groups to make an ASA3 group. The differences in the cumulative event-free rate appeared to be significant between the non-ASA group and the ASA3 group and also between the non-ASA group and the ASA1 group. But the frequency distribution of age, territory of stroke, diabetes mellitus, cardiac disease, hematological disease and hyperuricemia were significantly different among these 3 study groups. We thus included these covariates in the Cox's proportional hazard model to control their possible confounding effects.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Histological evaluation of biocompatible orthopaedic polymer.

The biocompatibility of biocompatible orthopaedic polymer implant materials was studied in subcutaneous and bony tissue of rats and rabbits. The tissue response was evaluated by histological techniques. No bone induction capacity of biocompatible orthopaedic polymer could be observed. In rabbits, the presence of plasma cells was significantly higher than in rats. The biomaterial showed some signs of biodegradation and was not very biocompatible.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Neuro-Behçet's disease: report of three cases with a review of the literature.

We report three cases of neuro-Behçet's disease, including one woman and two men (age range 52-56 years), who displayed symptoms of high fever, headache and confusion. The EEG showed generalized slowing in two cases, and periodic lateralized epileptiform discharges in one. Brain CT scans from two patients revealed cortical atrophy with multiple low density areas in one case, and focal contrast enhancement in the other. The CSF study revealed pleocytosis in all cases, but only one showed lymphophagocytosis. All of the patients responded dramatically to steroid therapy, although administration of the drug was somewhat delayed in two cases, during which initial management was aimed at the CNS infection of bacterial origin. Recurrent attacks of confusion or mental dullness were found in two patients, and high cortical dysfunction persisted on follow-up for some time. The clinical manifestations, laboratory findings, and neuroradiological features of neuro-Behçet's disease in the reported cases are reviewed.

Behcet Syndrome↗
PubMed1989

Polyadenylated H3 histone transcripts and H3 histone variants in alfalfa.

Histone H3 mRNAs were found in polyA(+) fractions of total RNA prepared from alfalfa plants, calli and somatic embryos. The sequence analysis of cDNAs revealed the presence of a polyA tail on independent alfalfa H3 mRNAs. A highly conserved sequence motif AAUGAAA identified about 20bp upstream from the 3' ends of the alfalfa H3 cDNAs was suggested to be one of the possible regulatory elements in the 3' end formation and polyadenylation. Three out of the four analysed H3 cDNAs have more than 97% homology with a genomic clone and encode the same protein. While the fourth represents a minor species with only 78.8% homology to the coding region of the genomic clone and encodes a H3 histone with four amino acid replacements. On the basis of compilation analysis we suggest a consensus sequence for plant H3 histones which differs from that of animal's by four amino acid changes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1989

The effect of intrauterine devices, the stainless steel ring, the copper T220, and releasing levonorgestrel, on the bleeding profile and the morphological structure of the human endometrium--a comparative study of three IUDs. A morphometric study of 96 cases.

Thirty-four women using the stainless steel ring (SS), 43 women using the Copper T220 (TCu), and 19 women using levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine devices (LNG) were admitted to the study. The light microscopic biopsy material was subjected to morphometric studies including 8 indices of endometrial activity before (Control) and after 24 months of exposure to the SS and TCu device and 3-10 months of exposure to the LNG device. The women were grouped into subjects with and without intermenstrual and prolonged bleeding. The results revealed that there were highly significant differences between the IUDs at the endometrial level as displayed by morphometry. However, the difference between bleeders and non-bleeders was not significant in any of the three types of IUDs. Although the mode of action of these IUDs at the endometrial level is different, the mechanism responsible for the irregular endometrial bleeding needs to be further investigated.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

[Solid phase clean up and determination of theophylline in plasma by reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography].

Theophylline is the drug of choice in the prevention and treatment of asthmatic symptoms. A plasma sample clean up procedure using alumina solid phase to eliminate the interference of plasma impurities and some other drugs and a RP-HPLC method to determine plasma theophylline concentration were developed. The system used a Zorbax-C18 (5 microns) column. The mobile phase consists of a mixture of methanol and sodium acetate (50:50) buffer (pH 3.0). Detection at a wavelength of 254 nm showed no interfering peaks. Caffeine was used as an internal standard. The clean up procedure is simple, rapid and satisfactory. The detection limit of theophylline is 0.2 ng (R/N, 3:1), the minimal detectable concentration of theophylline in plasma is 20 ng/ml. Calibration curve is linear (r = 0.9995) in the concentration range of 4 micrograms/ml to 30/micrograms/ml. Within-day precision and day-to-day precision (CV) were 1.89% and 2.41% respectively. The average recovery of the method is 98.44 +/- 0.89%.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗
PubMed1989

[Preparative separation of borneol and isoborneol in bingpian by dry-column chromatography].

Borneol (I) and isoborneol (II) in synthetic Bingpian are separated by means of dry-column chromatography (DCC). The sample mixed with a small amount of adsorbent is transferred to the top of the column (50 x 4 cm i.d.) packed with silica gel (200 mesh) and developed with petroleum ether-ethyl acetate-chloroform (20:2: 6) until the solvent has spread from the top to the bottom of column. The zones of I and II can be located by the corresponding Rf of TLC. They are then eluted separately with absolute alcohol. After the concentration of the eluent by vacuum distillation, the crystals of I and II are isolated from the residual solution on standing. The purities of I and II are tested with known specimens by TLC.

Camphanes↗
PubMed1989

Enterotoxin effect on hepatocytes in experimental intestinal obstruction in the rat.

Thirty-two Wistar rats were studied for liver injury caused by enterotoxemia due to experimental intestinal obstruction. In the experimental group, enterotoxin titers were measured 1.83 +/- 0.38, 2.40 +/- 0.39, 10.80 +/- 2.97 (M +/- SE) in the group of the duration of intestional obstruction for 2-, 4-, and 7-day respectively. The distribution of E. coli endotoxin in the liver cell was started from Zone 3 and then extended into Zone 1 with prolonged obstruction. The experimental group which experienced the longest period of obstruction also exhibited elevated serum GPT and GOT levels. The severity of damage increased with time of obstruction. The disturbance of liver cells in enterotoxemia induced by intestional obstruction was clear and needed our attention in the management of intestional obstruction from this animal model.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

[Severe hypopotassemia and rhabdomyolysis in a normotensive subject after use of a nasal spray containing 9-alpha-fluoroprednisolone].

We report the case of a 16-year-old boy who was admitted to our hospital for acute urinary retention, flaccid paralysis of the legs and arms and rhabdomyolysis due to a nasal spray containing 9-alpha-fluoroprednisolone. In our normotensive subject, rhabdomyolysis occurred after vigorous physical activity performed before the administration. The case emphasizes the need to avoid the use of 9-alpha-fluoroprednisolone considering its intense mineralocorticoid activity.

Administration, Intranasal↗