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Biomedical subjects

Y C Ko

Publications and source records attributed to Y C Ko.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Status and trend of HIV-1 infection and AIDS in Taiwan, December, 1991.

From May 1, 1985 to December 31, 1991, a total of 4,962,707 serum samples from 8 population groups in Taiwan were tested for anti-human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (anti-HIV-1). In total, 256 samples were seropositive; of these individuals, 43 developed acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS): 29 were homosexuals; 5 were hemophiliacs; 8 were heterosexuals and 1 was of unknown risk. Although the prevalence of HIV-1 infection and AIDS remains low compared with other countries, since 1988 the increase has been rapid. Before 1977 the majority were homosexuals and hemophiliacs; thereafter the risk groups diversified, with a trend away from homosexuals and hemophiliacs towards heterosexuals and intravenous drug abusers (IVDAs). A few patients have caused serious social problems for the public, health care workers and families. Active community efforts are needed to achieve future success in the control of HIV-1 infection and AIDS in Taiwan.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1992

[Risk factors related to the use of amphetamines in adolescent students].

The prevalence of amphetamine abuse among school children was studied by asking 3548 adolescent students (aged 12-15, response rate 98.6%) to complete a questionnaire anonymously, which was developed and evaluated by the authors. A complete set of data was collected for 3200 (90.2%) students. Eighty-five (2.7%) of them who admitted that they had used amphetamines constituted the case group. Non-users with negative urine tests formed the control group. Six independent factors were found to be related to amphetamine use when the answers were analyzed by stepwise logistic regression. The prevalence odds ratio estimation was elevated in: males compared females, students who did not live with both parents compared to those who lived with both parents, students with amphetamine-user friends compared to those with no-user friends, smokers compared to non-smoker, betel nut chewers compared non-chewers, and in students with positive attitudes compared to those with negative attitudes. The average starting age for smoking was 12.5 +/- 0.1 years; later this was followed by alcohol abuse, chewing of betel-nuts, and use of amphetamines. The average age of starting to use amphetamines was 13.5 +/- 0.2 years; a common reason given for using amphetamines was curiosity (65.4%). Many students (54.2%) obtained the amphetamine from their friends and most of them (85.2%) used it six months before responding to the questionnaire.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Horizontal transmission of hepatitis B virus from siblings and intramuscular injection among preschool children in a familial cohort.

The authors followed 147 children from 113 families who were susceptible to hepatitis B virus infection for a total of 275 person-years. Among these children, 19 became infected with the hepatitis B virus and thus became new subclinical cases. In this cohort study, parents played a minor role in hepatitis B virus horizontal transmission. On the other hand, the estimated incidence rate ratio of hepatitis B virus infection for siblings of a hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) carrier was 2.8 (95% confidence interval 1.1-7.4) when compared with those children without a HBeAg sibling carrier as analyzed by multiple logistic regression. The adjusted incidence rate ratio among siblings increased with increased number of HBeAg carriers. In addition, intramuscular injections played an important role in hepatitis B virus transmission in children. It was found that 61.8% (170/275 person-years) of the children had received intramuscular injections. Most of the injections were administered at private clinics over a 2-year period. Hepatitis B virus infection showed a correlation with injection (adjusted incidence rate ratio = 3.3, 95% confidence interval 1.1-9.5) and with frequency of injections. The authors concluded that HBeAg was a valuable marker for infectivity in hepatitis B virus horizontal transmission. Furthermore, the authors found that hepatitis B virus infection is independently transmitted from sibling to sibling, and by iatrogenic injections because improperly sterilized syringes were shared in areas where hepatitis B is prevalent and intramuscular injection is common.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Isolation of dengue virus with a human promonocyte cell line.

In October-November, 1988 there was an outbreak of dengue fever in the Kaoshiung area of southern Taiwan. We collected 100 serum samples from 96 patients at the onset of their fever for virus cultures and identification. A human promonocyte cell line (HL-CZ) established in our laboratory was used and proved to be susceptible for dengue virus propagation. Type 1 dengue virus in the HL-CZ cell culture was identified by immunofluorescence tests using monoclonal antibodies, and also by hemagglutination tests with goose red blood cells. The density of the virus particles, as measured by sucrose gradient ultracentrifugation, ranged from 1.186 to 1.224 g/ml. The virus yield from this cell culture is comparable with that from the C6/36 mosquito cell line. There was a significant correlation between the antibody responses tested with Western dot blots and hemagglutination inhibition techniques.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

[The prevalence of amphetamine use in adolescent students: self-reported and urine analysis].

The prevalence of amphetamine use was studied using an anonymous questionnaire given to 3548 adolescent students aged 12--15, with a response rate of 98.6%. This questionnaire was developed and evaluated by the authors. A complete set of data was collected on 3200 subjects, making up 90.2% of all students surveyed. Eighty-five (2.7%) students admitted that they had used amphetamines; that is, 64 of the 1,584 male (4.0%), and 21 of the 1,616 female (1.3%) respondents. The life-time prevalence odds ratio estimation was elevated in male (POR = 3.2, 95% CI 1.9--5.3), as compared to female students. The life-time prevalence rates increased with age only among male students (P trend = 0.01). Seven hundred and twenty four male students were randomly tested for the presence of amphetamines in their urine using thin layer chromatography and fluorescence polarization immunoassay. Of six students who tested positive, five asserted that they had not used amphetamines. The point prevalence rate of amphetamine use based on the urine tests was 0.9% among the 652 students who had completed questionnaires. This rate was higher than on self-reported use of amphetamines (rate difference 0.9%, 95% CI 0.2--1.6%). In this group, 27 (4.1%) admitted that they had used amphetamines. The estimated overall life-time prevalence rate was at least 4.9% (32/652), with 95% CI between 3.2% and 6.6%.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Transmission of hepatitis B virus infection by iatrogenic intramuscular injections in an endemic area.

The authors followed 95 people from the general and aboriginal population of Taiwan, aged 5 to 69 years for two years. All of subjects studied were susceptible to hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. In all, 56 of the 95 persons received iatrogenic intramuscular (IM) injections, and 28 of the 95 became newly infected with HBV during the study period. The relative risk of being infected with HBV was higher in people who received an IM injection (IRR = 5.8, 95% CI 1.9-17.9) than in those who did not. New HBV infections were found to correlate significantly with the frequency of injections (Ptrend less than 0.000) and therefore, we concluded that (A) intramuscular injections played an important role in horizontal transmission of HBV, particularly among Aborigines and that (B) the infection was transmitted via inadequately sterilized syringes used for iatrogenic IM injections in a community in which the hepatitis B virus was prevalent and IM injections were common.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Polymerase chain reaction technique for detection of human immunodeficiency virus type I.

A total of 7 cases were assayed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with an HIV-1 primer set matched the polymerase region. One homosexual man who was HIV-1 antibody negative was used as a negative control, the other cases included HIV-1 antibody positive asymptomatic, ARC and AIDS cases. The length of the amplified DNA segment was 115 base pairs (bp) and the appearance of this segment showed positive reaction with the HIV-1 antigen. These six HIV-1 antibody positive cases, including an asymptomatic infant showed a segment size of about 115 bp and were recognized as HIV-1 positive infections, and whereas the HIV-1 antibody negative case did not.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Intramuscular-injection-associated gluteal fibrotic contracture and hepatitis B virus infection among school children.

A case control study was carried out to determine the exposure factors of gluteal fibrotic contracture (GFC). Sixty two school children were taken as the case group and were matched for sex, age and village of residence with 62 of their classmates constituting the control group. It was found that all 62 members of the case group had received intramuscular (IM) injections at some time prior to the onset of GFC, while only 57 of the control group had received IM injections. This difference is a statistically significant (p = 0.029). Injection sites on both buttocks were higher in the case group than among the controls. The odds ratio for the prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection (HBV) in the case group as compared to the control group was 3.0 (95% CI 1.1-7.8). A trend correlation was found between the annual frequency of IM injection, GFC and HBV infection. We concluded that IM injections played an important role in GFC and added to the risk of HBV infection, because they had been administered by improperly sterilized reusable syringes in an area where both GFC and HBV infections were prevalent and IM injection was common.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Efficiency gains from the use of sample pooling technique: a theoretical example of dengue virus detection in vector.

Testing large numbers of specimens for viral antigens, antibodies, requires a great deal of manpower, time and money. Therefore it would be useful if testing could be performed with the specimens pooled. However, how to establish the optimal number of specimens to be pooled to achieve the maximum efficiency while maintaining both sensitivity and specificity is a question that needs to be answered. In this study, we developed a mathematical model and procedure to resolve this problem. We estimated a saving rate of over 98% for an assumed infection rate of 1/10000 by testing the sample in pools of 100-101 specimens. The saving rate decreases with increasing infection rates, until there is probably no efficiency gain achieved for infection rates greater than 30%. Tests of infection in pooled mosquitoes were assumed to be free of viruses other than the dengue virus to interfere with detection. Heads of Aedes mosquitoes were first pooled and squashed, and the extract obtained was injected by intrathoracic inoculation into Toxorhynchites amboinensis, a biological amplifier of dengue antigen. Sensitivity was not reduced. Therefore, this pooling technique is useful for determining the optimal number of specimens in a pool, calculating an exact infection rate, and for identifying specific infected specimens in tests of a large number of samples showing low rates of infection in our theoretical example.

Aedes↗
PubMed1991

The experience of and reaction to stress by nursing faculty members of baccalaureate program.

The relations of nursing faculty demographic characteristics, optimism, achievement (job success), job satisfaction, job expectation, talent development, and faculty members stress, stress reaction, and satisfaction with job and work environment were examined in eighty two of ninety six faculty members teaching in baccalaureate nursing (BSN) programs. Nursing faculty characteristics could not predict stress and stress reactions. Nursing faculty optimism, and job expectation could predict stress. Job satisfaction and optimism could predict nursing faculty members' stress reaction. Stress reaction was low among nursing faculty who had both positive satisfaction with job and work environment and less stress. Job satisfaction, job expectation and academic rank could predict nursing faculty satisfaction with her job and work environment. The degree of satisfaction with office facilities and leadership of the dean had a significant effect on nursing faculty stress. The primary sources of stress in their lives stemmed from work/job concerns. Factors most frequently correlated with stress were those related to general fatigue, irritability, the desire for a vacation, moodiness, and depression.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

The stability of iodine in human sweat.

The relation between the sweat iodine loss and the urinary iodine excretion was studied on 13 physically active male athletes. There were no statistical differences between the sweat iodine concentrations before and after high iodine food intake, no difference between those before and after 1-h strenuous exercise, or no difference between those of the goitrous and the non-goitrous. These results indicate that the sweat iodine concentration is quite steady and the total iodine loss per day seems to be directly related to the volume of the sweat lost in each subject. The concentration variation of sweat iodine among individuals is small. The mean concentration of 13 athletes during 8 consecutive days was about 37 +/- 6.6 micrograms/l. By comparing the iodine concentration of urine and sweat, the iodine concentration of sweat seems to be more stable than that of urine. The results indicated that the urinary iodine excretion plays a regulatory role for iodine balance in the body and that iodine appeared to be an essential constituent of sweat.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

[A study on transovarial transmission of dengue type 1 virus in Aedes aegypti].

The main purpose of this study is to determine the possibility of transovarial transmission of dengue type 1 virus, which was isolated from the serum of a patient with dengue fever during the 1987 dengue epidemic in southern Taiwan, in Aedes aegypti of Kaohsiung strain (KH). Parent female mosquitoes were inoculated with dengue 1 virus by intrathoracic inoculation technique. The F1 offspring adults collected from three sequential ovarian cycles were pooled to become 51, 13 and 14 pools, respectively. All pools were individually inoculated into C6/36 cells and then were detected by direct immunofluorescence antibody technique. Ten, five and three pools, respectively, among these three ovarian cycles turned out to be positive. It revealed that the minimum infection rates (MIR), were 1:254.6 (2,546 mosquitoes), 1:133.6 (668 mosquitoes) and 1:238 (714 mosquitoes), respectively. Meanwhile, the estimated filial infection rates were calculated to be 0.44%, 0.97% and 0.48%, respectively. Since viral antigen has been detected in the tissue of maturing eggs within ovarioles, the results exhibited the possibility that dengue type 1 virus can be transovarially transmitted to the next generation.

Aedes↗
PubMed1990

Factors related to the willingness of nurses to care for AIDS patients in Taiwan.

Nurses' willingness to provide care for AIDS patients was studied using a self-developed and evaluated anonymous questionnaire given to 258 nurses (a response rate 91.9%). The subjects were randomly sampled from three general hospitals in Taiwan and consisted of both nurses who have experienced providing care for AIDS patients and nurses who have not had the experience of caring for AIDS patients. As a result, 46.1% (119/258) of the nurses responded that they would accept caring for AIDS patient but 93.3% of them asked for extra pay as a condition. Among the 139 nurses who would refuse to care for AIDS patients, 48.2% of them would quit their jobs if giving such care was compulsory. The scores on knowledge of workplace risk and protection was higher among positive attitude nurses (p = 0.0031). The odds ratio (OR) estimation was elevated in those whose attitudes were positive (OR = 4.4; 95% CI 3.2-6.1) as compared to those whose attitudes were negative about willingness to care for AIDS patients. But no relationships were found in age, educational levels, years of practice, marital status, religious beliefs, position status, and experience in providing care for AIDS patients with a willingness to care for AIDS patient. We suggest that if nurses have a better knowledge of workplace risk and protection regarding AIDS, then they have a more positive attitude and a greater willingness to care for AIDS patients.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1990

Taiwan's first case of perinatal transmission of HIV confirmed by a modified western blot test.

A 25-year-old Chinese woman, was found HIV antibody positive on December 14, 1988. During our follow-up, we tested her American husband and found him to be seronegative. Unfortunately, her six-month-old infant was seropositive. The standard Western blot test was used in the first stage of analysis. The bands which appeared on the infant's strip were p15, p24, p31, p55 and gp120/gp160, but using the modified Western blot test the bands which appeared were p15, p24, p31, gp41, p53, p55, p64 and gp120/gp160. All the bands appearing on the infant's strips which used a modified Western blot test had higher intensities than those of a standard procedure. The mother was apparently infected with HIV through intercourse with her ex-boyfriend, who was a European. AZT was given to the mother because her T4 cell count was 338 per microliter and because of persistent cervical lymphadenopathy. The infant, which was bottle-fed and had been delivered by caesarean section, may have become HIV infected during the uterine stage.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

[Frequency distribution of birth weight and gestational age in Taiwan].

Perinatal mortality rate is closely related to birth weight. We collected data on 35919 single liveborn babies at a teaching hospital in central Taiwan between 1977 and 1987, excluding 1980. The average birth weights of the two sexes combined, and of male and female live births separately, were 3163 +/- 486 gm, 3211 +/- 499 gm (N = 18865) and 3110 +/- 466 gm (N = 17054), respectively. The average gestational age of these live births was 39.7 +/- 2.1 weeks. The skewness and kurtosis of birth weight and gestational age distribution were -0.86 and 3.13, and -2.11 and 10.29, respectively. The two distributions indicated high kurtosis and left skewness, and were approximately normally distributed. Because birth weight and gestational age are highly associated, the skew-to-left residual distribution of birth weight might have been induced by low gestational age. Babies of low gestational age might not be able to develop mature organs and tissues, which, thus, results in high perinatal mortality. The distribution of birth weight intersects the normal curve within the region between 1500 gm and 2000 gm, which means that we may divide it into a predominant part and a residual part. Many articles have shown that the residual part is highly correlated to perinatal mortality rate and deserves further analysis. The average birth weight with gestational age at 40 weeks was 3239 +/- 385 gm, skewness and kurtosis were 0.16 and 0.75, respectively. The birth-weight distribution for a given number of gestational weeks is closer to the normal distribution. This paper provides standard figures and tables of birth weight with specific gestational age as a norm for related medical research.

Birth Weight↗
PubMed1990

The occurrence of carpal tunnel syndrome in frozen food factory employees.

Two hundred and seven (207) active workers from two frozen food plants were classified according to their daily tasks and placed into three groups. Each classification was evaluated for risk factors which could lead to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS). The workers were thoroughly studied by structured interviews, neurological screening, and electrophysiological studies. Those workers who experienced little hands' local exposure to cold and low repetitive movements of the wrist (group I) served as the internal standard. In groups II (no local exposure to cold, but a high degree of repetitiveness) and III (a combination of local exposure to cold and a high degree of repetitiveness) 40.54% and 37.19%, of the workers respectively were diagnosed to have CTS by neurological studies. The risk of CTS for group II + III was 14.39 times higher than that of group I, when group I was compared with group II + III (high repetitiveness). After adjusted for sex, age, and/or the length of employment, group III still had a higher risk of CTS than group II. Repetitiveness as well as hands' local exposure to cold were found to be contributing factors in leading to CTS. Recognition, evaluation, and management of CTS in the related industries in Taiwan should be initiated to assure early diagnosis and prevention of this occupationally related syndrome.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

An increased risk of hepatitis B virus infection from tattooing in Taiwan.

From among 2,375 young men, examined by doctors, 111 tattooed subjects were found. Twenty one subjects reported engaging in promiscuous sexual behavior or being intravenous drug abusers, and so were excluded. The other 90 were evaluated. To make up the control group, 180 non-tattooed subjects from the remaining 2,264, who neither engaged in promiscuous sexual activity nor were intravenous drug abusers, were matched from household registry reports by age, sex, education, occupation, and geographic origin from Mainland China, where their parents were born. IgG antibody of hepatitis A (anti-HAV) and markers of hepatitis B were tested in serum with radioimmunoassay. In the prevalence rate of hepatitis A and carrier rate of HBsAg there were no differences between the tattooed and the non-tattooed groups. However, the prevalence odds ratio of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection for the tattooed group was 8.1 (95% CI 1.9-34.8) as compared to the non-tattooed groups. Moreover, there was a trend correlation when the prevalence rates of hepatitis B were compared for the group with multiple sites of tattoos, for the group with one site of tattoos, and for the non-tattooed group (p = 0.002). These findings suggested an association between HBV infection and tattooing. Tattoo exposure, with improper or no sterilization of the needle, seems to appear to increase the risk of HBV infection in the already high risk endemic area in question.

Adolescent↗