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Biomedical subjects

T K Chung

Publications and source records attributed to T K Chung.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Effect of the duration of labor on postpartum postvoid residual bladder volume.

In order to investigate the possibility of protracted labor as a risk factor for postpartum urinary retention and to study the relation between duration of labor and postpartum day 1 postvoid residual bladder volume, the postpartum postvoid residual bladder volume (PVRBV) of a group of patients was studied using ultrasonography. Out of 707 patients investigated during a 2-month study period, a homogeneous group of 164 patients, with possible risk factors for postpartum urinary retention being controlled, was studied. The homogeneous group's postpartum day 1 postvoid residual bladder volumes were assessed by ultrasonography and analyzed with respect to the duration of labor. The incidence of postpartum urinary retention ( > or = 150 ml) was 11% in this homogeneous group. Labor duration longer than or equal to 800 min was associated with a higher incidence of postpartum urinary retention (chi2 test; p < 0.05). Moreover, there is a direct relationship between the duration of labor and PVRBV which is described by a quadratic regression curve. Protracted labor longer than or equal to 800 min is a risk factor for postpartum urinary retention. The PVRBV is directly related to the duration of labor.

Female↗

Evaluation of the accuracy of transvaginal sonography for the assessment of retained products of conception after spontaneous abortion.

Transvaginal sonography (TVS) was used to assess uterine contents in 100 consecutive subjects presenting with a diagnosis of spontaneous abortion. TVS assessments were correlated with findings at subsequent evacuation of retained products of conception (ERPC). There was a strong correlation between the weight of the surgical specimen at ERPC with both the sagittal (r = 0.76; p < 0.05) and transverse (r = 0.73; p < 0.05) plane area measurements of the uterine cavity. Combining the 2 sonographic measurements increased the correlation to r = 0.81 (p < 0.05). Fifteen of 25 subjects who had been categorised to have an 'empty' uterus had less than 5 g of tissue removed and the other 10 subjects less than 10 g of tissue. In 20 of these 25 cases, the surgeon described the amount of curettings as 'small or non-significant'. TVS can accurately identify those women who do not have a significant amount of residual uterine tissue following spontaneous abortion.

Abortion, Incomplete↗

MTAP gene deletion in endometrial cancer.

A gene (MTAP) that encodes the enzyme 5'-deoxy-5'-methylthioadenosine (MTA) phosphorylase has been identified on chromosome 9p21 and cloned. The substrate of this enzyme, MTA, inhibits aminopropyltransferases that synthesize polyamines from putrescine and decarboxylated S-adenosylmethionine. This enzyme normally cleaves MTA to adenine and 5'-methylthioribose-1-phosphate, which are recycled to adenine nucleotides and methionine, respectively. Cancers with deletions of the MTAP gene may be especially susceptible to chemotherapeutic regimes which interfere with purine or methionine utilization. The purpose of this study was to determine deletion of the MTAP gene in endometrial cancer using a polymerase chain reaction-based method. Therefore, 50 endometrial adenocarcinomas were studied. Partial or total deletions of the MTAP gene were detected in 7 (14%) of these cancers. There were no significant relationships between gene deletion and patient age, pathological grade or clinical stage (p > 0.05). The findings indicate that deletion of the MTAP gene does occur in a subgroup of endometrial cancer. The present work may be extended to the development of molecular diagnosis of MTAP gene deletion in other cancers and assist in selecting appropriate chemotherapy.

Adult↗

Pain in Chinese cancer patients under palliative care.

Over a 4-month period, 218 Chinese patients with advanced cancer were admitted to a palliative care unit in Hong Kong. Ninety-five (44%) of them had pain. Of these 95, 70 (mean age 61.7 years) were evaluated with the visual analogue scale (VAS) and the numerical rating scale (NRS). Forty-two per cent of the 70 patients were illiterate. Eighty-three per cent had metastases. Eighty-seven per cent had pain due to the disease process. Forty-nine per cent had more than one pain, 54% had moderate pain and 20% had severe pain. The most common primary tumour was lung cancer. NRS scores strongly correlated with corresponding VAS scores, suggesting that NRS can routinely be used for pain intensity assessment in the Chinese. The study also showed that 64% of these patients with pain had moderate to severe disabilities to the basic activity of daily living, although there was no correlation between the severity of pain and the severity of disability.

Adult↗

Detecting postnatal depression in Chinese women. Validation of the Chinese version of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale.

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the utility of the Chinese version of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and measured the prevalence of major depression six weeks after confinement among Chinese women in Hong Kong. METHOD: A prospective cohort of 145 women completed the EPDS, the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) six weeks after giving birth. They were then assessed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R, non-patient version (SCID-NP) to establish psychiatric diagnosis. The criterion validity of EPDS was tested against this clinical diagnosis, and the concurrent validity against the GHQ and BDI scores was also evaluated. The internal consistency of the scales was measured by Cronbach's alpha coefficient. RESULTS: The Chinese EPDS had satisfactory psychometric properties and a cut-off score of 9/10 is recommended for screening depressive illness in a general postnatal population. At six weeks postpartum, 5.5% of the study population suffered from major depression. CONCLUSIONS: The Chinese EPDS will be useful for screening for postnatal depression.

Adolescent↗

Acute effects of a surgical menopause on serum concentrations of lipoprotein(a).

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate acute changes in serum concentrations of lipoprotein(a) and other atherogenic lipids and lipoproteins after a surgical menopause. METHODS: A total of 100 premenopausal Chinese women who were booked for hysterectomy for benign gynecological disorders were recruited. They study group comprised 40 subjects undergoing hysterectomy as well as bilateral oophorectomy. The control group consisted of 60 subjects undergoing hysterectomy with conservation of the ovaries. Complete data were available from 30 of the 40 subjects in the study group and from 44 of the 60 controls. Serum concentrations of lipoprotein(a) and other atherogenic lipids and lipoproteins were measured before surgery and these measurements were repeated 3 days, 8 weeks and 6 months postoperatively. Those study patients who received hormone replacement therapy and control patients who became menopausal, according to biochemical criteria, during the study period were excluded from analysis. RESULTS: Three days after surgery, there was a significant increase in the mean lipoprotein(a) concentration in the control group from 19.1 to 23.0 mg/dl (p < 0.01), but there was no significant change in the study group. There were no significant changes from baseline in the mean lipoprotein(a) concentration in either group 8 weeks or 6 months after surgery. There was a significant increase in the mean concentration of total cholesterol in the study group 8 weeks after surgery from 5.08 to 5.45 mmol/l (p < 0.01), in low density lipoprotein cholesterol from 3.22 to 3.49 mmol/l (p < 0.01), and in apolipoprotein B from 95.6 to 103.0 mg/dl (p < 0.05). However, the mean concentrations 6 months after surgery were not significantly different from baseline levels. The mean concentrations of high density lipoprotein cholesterol, apolipoprotein A-1 and triglycerides also did not differ significantly from baseline in the study group, either 8 weeks or 6 months after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that any increase in concentrations of lipoprotein(a), and other atherogenic lipids and lipoproteins which occur after the menopause, develops relatively slowly. The changes in concentrations which occurred within 8 weeks of surgery were probably an acute-phase reaction after surgery rather than a response to a decreasing estradiol concentration.

Adult↗

Phytoestrogens: dietary intake and excretion in postmenopausal Chinese women.

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to estimate the dietary intake of phytoestrogens and to measure urinary phytoestrogen excretion in postmenopausal Chinese women. METHODS: Postmenopausal Chinese women were recruited from the hormone replacement clinic of the Prince of Wales Hospital. Dietary intake of phytoestrogen-rich foods was estimated using a food frequency questionnaire. Urinary output of the isoflavonoids daidzein and genistein and the metabolite of daidzein, equol, was measured using high-performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS: The mean daily excretion of daidzein, genistein and equol was 3.24 (+/- 3.63), 1.47 (+/- 1.75) and 0.64 (+/- 1.53) mumol, respectively. The total mean daily isoflavonoid excretion was 5.36 (+/- 5.27) mumol. CONCLUSIONS: Urinary excretion of isoflavonoid phytoestrogens in this Chinese population was lower than that reported in Japanese subjects. This may be due to the higher consumption of legumes, especially soy products, in the Japanese compared to the Chinese diet. The intake of green vegetables was higher in the Chinese subjects, and this food group may be the main contributor to their total phytoestrogen intake.

Adult↗

Frequent loss of heterozygosity of chromosome 3 short arm detected by PCR-based microsatellite polymorphisms in cervical squamous cell carcinoma.

Karyotypic studies have shown that genetic aberrations of the short arm of chromosome 3 (3p) may be involved in the pathogenesis of cervical carcinoma. In this study we analyzed nine polymorphic microsatellite repeats on 3p using a PCR-based assay for loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in 64 invasive squamous cell carcinomas of the cervix. These markers encompass chromosome region 3p13-25. LOH at one or more loci was detected in 46 (79%) out of the 58 informative cases. The incidence of LOH at locus D3S643 (3p13) was the highest among nine markers examined. The difference between the frequency of LOH at D3S643 in early stage (I-II) disease (43%) and those with advanced stage (stage III-IV) (79%) was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The results indicate that tumor suppressor gene(s) that play a role in cervical cancer may be located on the short arm of chromosome 3, likely near or at 3p13. The LOH at 3p13 appears to be a late event in tumor progression and may serve as an indicator for a less favorable clinical outcome.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗

p16INK4 and p15INK4B alterations in primary gynecologic malignancy.

Chromosome 9 abnormalities have been found in primary tumors and cell lines from human gynecologic malignancy. Alterations of p16INK4 and p15INK4B genes mapped on the band p21 of chromosome 9 have been detected in various human tumors, but the role of these genes as tumor suppressors in vivo appear to be dependent on tumor type. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based analysis was performed to search for lesions of these genes in 202 primary gynecologic malignancies. Homozygous deletions of p16INK4 were detected in 7 of 128 (5%) cervical, 1 of 41 (2%) endometrial, 2 of 27 (7%) ovarian, and 3 of 6 (50%) vulvar carcinomas, while homozygous deletions of p15INK4B were detected in 19 of 128 (15%) cervical, 1 of 41 (2%) endometrial, 9 of 27 (33%) ovarian, and 3 of 6 (50%) vulvar carcinomas, respectively. No mutations were found in exon 2 of p16INK4 from 161 cases of gynecologic malignancy without deletion of p16INK4. All 3 cases of vulvar carcinoma showing homozygous deletions of p16INK4 and p15INK4B were at advanced clinical stage (stage III-IV), while all 7 cases of cervical carcinoma and 2 cases of ovarian carcinoma showing homozygous deletion of p16INK4 were at early stage (stage I-II). The results indicate that homozygous deletions of p16INK4 and/or p15INK4B genes may play a role in a subset of primary gynecologic malignancy.

Carrier Proteins↗

The epidemiology of urinary dysfunction in Chinese women.

The epidemiology of urinary dysfunction in a Chinese population living in Hong Kong was investigated. Fifteen hundred ethnic Chinese women answered a telephone questionnaire including symptoms of urinary dysfunction, anthropometric measurements, obstetric history and place of birth. The relative predictive value of these factors was analyzed using logistic regression. The prevalence of urinary dysfunction was 13%. Ten percent reported stress incontinence, and 4% had urgency or urge incontinence. The strongest predictor was place of birth, with women born in mainland China having the highest prevalence of pure stress incontinence (OR 1.33, CI 1.1-1.6). For the symptoms of detrusor instability age was the strongest predictor, with women over 50 years being at greater risk (OR 2.8, CI 1.6-5.0). Contrary to earlier beliefs, urinary dysfunction in Chinese women is as common as in Caucasian women. Place of birth is the strongest predictor for pure stress incontinence, with women born in mainland China being at greater risk. This suggests that environmental factors in early life have a differential effect on the development of urinary incontinence.

Adult↗

Psychosexual adjustment following sterilization: a prospective study on Chinese women.

The present study aimed to identify significant predictors of Chinese women's psychosexual adjustment after sterilization. One hundred fifteen multiparous Chinese women, aged 25-51 years, were interviewed before and after elective laparoscopic or postpartum sterilization. Eight-seven women were also interviewed about their pshychosexual adjustment at 1 year after sterilization. Results showed that the fear of negative evaluation by others, family cohesion and adaptability, and preoperative psychological distress were robust predictors of adverse psychosexual outcome immediately and 1 year after sterilization. There was significant improvement in women's mental health following sterilization, and their sexual adjustment such as coital frequency and sexual satisfaction were not adversely affected at 1 year follow-up. Women with either elective or postpartum sterilization had similar adjustment throughout, except the latter group tended to experience more physical discomfort at 1 year follow-up. About 3.4% of the women experienced regret at 12 months after sterilization.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

The effect of different sampling intervals on the measurement of intrapartum fetal heart rate variability.

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that increasing the sampling interval affects the intrapartum fetal heart rate (FHR) variability measurement. METHODS: Fetal electrocardiograms were obtained from women in labor. Using the peak of the fetal R wave, the R-R interval and FHR were calculated on a beat-to-beat basis. Retrospectively, the original data were repartitioned using different intervals (2-900 seconds) to generate a window of measurement (epoch). The mean value for each epoch and the last FHR in that epoch (epochal value) were compared with published animal and human data. Errors were quantified by comparing the epochal and mean values for each epoch. Fetal heart rate variability between epochs and within each epoch was compared. RESULTS: Fetal heart rate and R-R interval were measured in 146 cases. The FHR had a normal distribution (mean 140.1 beats per minute, +/- standard deviation [SD] 15.6, skew -0.07), but its inverse, the R-R interval, was not normally distributed (mean 432 milliseconds, +/- SD 52.4, skew 1.78). Using a single value for an epoch duration of 2 seconds resulted in an error that was similar to the within-epoch variability (+/- SD of 2.2 beats per minute difference between mean and epochal value compared to +/- SD of 2 beats per minute within epoch) but which increased with epoch duration. CONCLUSION: An epoch duration of 2 seconds and a single sampled value within this period may be appropriate for measurement of both medium and long-term variability in any computerized intrapartum FHR interpretation system. Fetal heart rate (not R-R interval, because of its normal distribution) should be used to design such a computerized system.

Adult↗

Psychiatric morbidity following miscarriage: a prevalence study of Chinese women in Hong Kong.

OBJECTIVE: Previous studies reported that 48-51% of women in Western countries developed depressive disorder following a miscarriage. There is, however, little data among non-Western populations. The aim of this study was to measure the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity following miscarriage among Chinese women in Hong Kong. METHODS: Subjects were interviewed immediately after a miscarriage to collect medical, psychiatric, and sociodemographic data. Six weeks following the miscarriage, 150 subjects were assessed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R (SCID) to establish psychiatric diagnoses. RESULTS: 18 subjects (12%) met the DSM-III-R criteria for major depression and 2 subjects (1.3%) were diagnosed anxiety disorder NOS six weeks after the miscarriage. CONCLUSIONS: Chinese women in Hong Kong have a lower rate of psychiatric morbidity after a miscarriage.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗

A preliminary study on the effect of hormone replacement therapy on peripheral flow velocity in postmenopausal women.

Apart from predisposing to the formation of atherosclerosis in the coronary and cerebrovascular circulation, the menopause is also associated with an increased risk of developing peripheral vascular disease. The aim of this observational study was to determine whether the administration of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) had any effect on peripheral flow velocity in postmenopausal women. Changes in peripheral resistance were recorded in 11 healthy postmenopausal women using Doppler ultrasound. The pulsatility index (PI) of the brachial, radial, dorsalis pedis and popliteal arteries was measured before treatment and every 2 months after the commencement of HRT for 6 months. There was a significant decrease in the PI of the radial and dorsalis pedis arteries after HRT, and there were also reductions in the PI of the brachial and popliteal arteries which were not statistically significant. These changes persisted over the complete study period. Our findings suggest that the administration of HRT will have a beneficial effect on peripheral flow velocity in postmenopausal woman. These changes require confirmation in a larger controlled trial.

Adult↗

Assessment of sexual functioning for Chinese college students.

Participating in this study were 305 Chinese college students in Hong Kong. Objectives included (i) examination of the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Derogatis Sexual Functioning Inventory (DSFI), (ii) exploration of the associations among various domains of sexual functioning, and (iii) description of Chinese students' sexual behavior. The Chinese DSFI shows satisfactory internal consistency, except the Information, Drive, and Satisfaction subscales. In general, sex-related domains such as sexual information, experience, drive, attitudes, fantasy, and satisfaction were related to each other and to body image. Compared to their counterparts in the U.S., Chinese college students were relatively sexually inexperienced and conservative. Mean ages of students having their first sexual intercourse experience were 17.14 for males and 18.13 for females; 11% of the students had premarital sexual intercourse experience, and the mean frequencies were once weekly for males and once or twice per month for females. Compared to female students, twice as many males acknowledged masturbation (21.4 vs. 43.8%), 4.2-8.2% students had experienced oral-genital sexual stimulation and 0-1.2% anal sexual activities.

Adolescent↗

Sonographic measurement of endometrial thickness as a predictor of vaginal bleeding in women using continuous combined hormone replacement therapy.

The development of unpredictable vaginal bleeding is one of the main reasons for the discontinuation of treatment in users of continuous combined hormone replacement therapy (HRT). There is no accurate method of predicting which women will develop bleeding on this regimen. The aim of this study was to determine whether sonographic assessment of the endometrium could be used as a predictor of bleeding after the commencement of this treatment. Sonographic measurements of the endometrium were performed before treatment and then every 3 months for 1 year. Measurements of the endometrium were taken in both the transverse and sagittal planes and a record of the frequency of bleeding was maintained. Pretreatment measurements tended to be greater in those who developed bleeding within 1 month of the commencement of treatment, but the difference in measurements between those who developed bleeding and those who did not was not statistically significant. Endometrial thickness tended to be greater at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of treatment in those who had bleeding compared with those who did not, but again the difference was not statistically significant. It is concluded that whilst bleeding on continuous combined HRT is more common in women with a thicker endometrium, sonographic assessment of the endometrium is not an accurate enough predictor of bleeding to be used in this clinical setting.

Drug Therapy, Combination↗