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Biomedical subjects

C T Peng

Publications and source records attributed to C T Peng.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Amino acid concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia undergoing chemotherapy.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) amino acid concentrations were measured in 45 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Central nervous system (CNS) disease was absent in 34 and present in 11 (Groups L and M, respectively) at diagnosis. Thirty-two otherwise healthy children with febrile convulsions were studied for comparison. Results from this study show that glutamine levels at Day 0 were significantly higher in patients than in controls. Patients in Group M had elevated glutamine levels compared to Group L. In comparison, at Day 14, concentrations of glutamine and asparagine decreased, while glutamic acid amounts increased significantly in Group L. Glutamine levels fell at Day 42 in Group M, which may have resulted from more intensive treatment. From this study we hypothesise that higher baseline glutamine levels are indicative of a greater risk for CNS leukemia. Large-scale prospective trials are required to confirm increased baseline CSF glutamine levels in ALL patients, to identify glutamine as a marker for CNS disease and to clarify underlying mechanisms regulating glutamine in ALL.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Tricuspid regurgitation in patients with beta-thalassemia major.

Although cardiac complications remain the main causes of death in thalassemic patients, right heart dysfunction has been little studied and the mechanism is still unclear. Echocardiography was performed in 39 patients with beta-thalassemia major and 35 aged-matched controls. The gender, age, heart rate, blood pressure, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), acceleration time (AcT) of right ventricular outflow and right ventricular ejection time (RVET), AcT/RVET, and the presence of tricuspid regurgitation (TR) were compared between the two groups. We also compared the gender, age, age at first blood transfusion, serum ferritin level, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), the presence of antibodies to hepatitis C virus, liver fibrosis, splenectomy, platelet counts, diabetes mellitus, arrhythmia, cardiomegaly, LVEF, AcT, RVET, AcT/RVET, and signal intensity ratio (SIR) of myocardial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) between thalassemic patients with and without TR. The incidence of TR in thalassemic patients was significantly higher than that in the control group (30.8 vs 11.4%, p=0.03). The incidences of splenectomy (p=0.03), platelet counts (p=0.01), and SIR of myocardial MRI (p=0.03) in thalassemic patients with TR were significantly higher than in those without TR. The AcT was shorter and the AcT/RVET ratio was smaller, suggesting higher pulmonary pressure in the thalassemic patients with TR. Occurrence of TR in patients with beta-thalassemia major may be a consequence of cardiac iron deposit, thrombocytosis, splenectomy, or pulmonary hypertension.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Combined therapy with deferiprone and desferrioxamine successfully regresses severe heart failure in patients with beta-thalassemia major.

Cardiac complications caused by iron deposition are major causes of death in patients with beta-thalassemia major. Deferiprone (L1) was found to have greater efficacy at depleting myocardial iron than desferrioxamine (DFX). Furthermore, combined therapy with L1 and DFX produced an additive or synergistic iron chelating effect. We report the successful treatment of severe heart failure in two patients with beta-thalassemia major with the combined therapy. Magnetic resonance images showed a marked recovery of signal intensity in the heart, indicating a significant reduction of iron load in the heart. No significant adverse effects were noted. Therefore, combined therapy with L1 and DFX should be considered in patients with beta-thalassemia major and cardiac complications.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Growth hormone (GH) deficiency in patients with beta-thalassemia major and the efficacy of recombinant GH treatment.

Patients with beta-thalassemia major still suffer growth retardation. After excluding patients with cortisol deficiency, hypothyroidism, hypogonadism, delayed puberty, malnutrition, severe congestive heart failure, and severely impaired liver function, 29 patients were enrolled in this study. Fifteen (52%) patients exhibited growth retardation and underwent two growth hormone (GH) provocation tests. Eight (53%) of the 15 patients had GH deficiency and were subsequently treated with subcutaneous recombinant human GH (Genotropin, Pharmacia Corporation, Sweden). Growth velocity increased from the pretreatment rate of 3.1+/-0.4 cm/year to 7.1+/-1.6 cm/yr (p<0.001) after 1 year and to 6.8+/-1.3 cm/year (p<0.001) after 2 years. Patients with growth retardation had lower insulin like growth factor-1 (p=0.001) and insulin like growth factor binding protein-3 (p=0.003) levels than those without growth retardation. In patients with beta-thalassemia major, growth retardation is a common complication and GH deficiency plays an important role. Thalassemic patients with GH deficiency can safely increase their growth velocity with recombinant human GH for 2 years; however, the effect on final height still needs to be determined.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Haemolytic disease of the newborn due to maternal irregular antibodies in the Chinese population in Taiwan.

From 1991 to 2000, amongst 23,886 full-term healthy Chinese babies delivered at our hospital, 2615 babies developed neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia. After excluding other causes of hyperbilirubinaemia and identifying the irregular antibodies, 15 cases of haemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN) due to maternal irregular antibodies were diagnosed; three cases were born in our hospital and 12 cases were referred. Amongst these 15 babies, six cases had HDN due to anti-E, three cases due to anti-E + c, three cases due to anti-D, one case due to anti-c and two cases due to 'Mi' antibodies reacting with MiIII phenotype cells (anti-Hil and anti-Mur). Although there were four cases of hydrops fetalis, only one of the patients expired. The prevalence of HDN caused by maternal irregular antibodies has been estimated to be 0.01%. Therefore, routine prenatal screening for irregular antibodies was not rational in the Chinese population in Taiwan. Anti-E and anti-E + c were the important irregular antibodies resulting in HDN. Although few cases of HDN due to anti-'Mi' have been reported, Anti-'Mi' is significant in regions with a high prevalence of the MiIII phenotype.

Asian People↗
PubMed2002

Hydrops foetalis caused by anti-Mur in first pregnancy--a case report.

Anti-'Mia' is the most common alloantibody of potential clinical significance in the Taiwanese population. The Mi.III phenotype is rare among Caucasians but has a high incidence in various Oriental populations. We describe a nulliparous woman with no history of transfusions, who had hydrops foetalis at 28 weeks gestation. Foetal haemoglobin was 4.4 g dL-1, and a positive direct antiglobulin test was positive in the foetal blood. Intrauterine intravascular transfusion was given, and the baby was discharged healthy. Anti-'Mia' was identified in the maternal serum, the cord blood serum and the eluate from red cells of the cord blood. Anti-'Mia' in the maternal serum was confirmed to be anti-Mur. The polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method confirmed that both the baby and her father had the Mi.III gene. Therefore, our report documents that anti-Mur has the potential to cause hydrops foetalis.

ABO Blood-Group System↗
PubMed2002

Approaching healthy body mass index norms for children and adolescents from health-related physical fitness.

Current body mass index (BMI) norms for children and adolescents are developed from a reference population that includes obese and slim subjects. The validity of these norms is influenced by the observed secular increase in body weight and BMI. We hypothesized that the performance of children in health-related physical fitness tests would be negatively related to increased BMIs, and therefore fitness tests might be used as criteria for developing a more appropriate set of BMI norms. We evaluated the existing data from a nation-wide fitness survey for students in Taiwan (444 652 boys and 433 555 girls) to examine the relationship between BMI and fitness tests. The fitness tests used included: an 800/1600-m run/walk; a standing long jump; bent-leg curl-ups; and a sit-and-reach test. The BMI percentiles developed from the subgroup whose test scores were better than the 'poor' quartile in all four tests were compared with those of the whole population and linked to the adult criteria for overweight and obesity. The BMIs were significantly related to the results of fitness testing. A total of 43% of students had scores better than the poorest quartile in all of their tests. The upper BMI percentile curves of this fitter subgroup were lower than those of the total population. The 85th and 95th BMI percentile values of the fitter 18-year-old-students (23.7 and 25.5 kg m(-2) for boys; 22.6 and 24.6 kg m(-2) for girls) linked well with the adult cut-off points of 23 and 25 kg m(-2), which have been recommended as the Asian criteria for adult overweight and obesity. Hence, the BMI norms for children and adolescents could be created from selected subgroups that have better physical fitness. We expect that the new norms based on this approach will be used not only to assess the current status of obesity or overweight, but also to encourage activity and exercise.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Characteristics of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in infants and children without known risk factors.

This retrospective study sought to determine the characteristics of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) infections in patients younger than 18 years without known risk factors who were treated at a teaching hospital in central Taiwan. Epidemiological and clinical data were collected from medical charts. Possible risk factors included hospitalization within the past 6 months, transfer from other hospitals or nursing homes, and having underlying illness. A total of 173 isolates of community-acquired S. aureus were analyzed. Seventeen (9.8%) of these 173 isolates were methicillin-resistant S. aureus collected from patients without risk factors, 31 (17.9%) were methicillin-resistant S. aureus from patients with risk factors, and the other 125 (72.3%) were methicillin-susceptible S. aureus. Most isolates of community-acquired methicillin-resistant S. aureus collected from patients without risk factors (14/17, 82.4%) were obtained from the infected wounds of skin or soft tissues. Only 4 (23.5%) in 17 patients with isolates resistant to methicillin were prescribed antimicrobial therapy with glycopeptides. Nevertheless, all patients recovered without any long-term sequelae. These results highlight the fact that community-acquired methicillin-resistant S. aureus infections occur frequently in Taiwan among patients who have no established risk factors for this infection.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Congenital enterovirus 71 infection: a case study with virology and immunohistochemistry.

Previously reported enterovirus 71 (EV71) infections associated with hand-foot-mouth disease, aseptic meningitis, encephalitis, polio-like myelitis, and paralysis all have involved young children. We report a 28-year-old woman who possibly contracted EV71 infection during pregnancy. Obstetric ultrasonograms at 25 weeks of gestation revealed an abnormal placenta, as well as hepatosplenomegaly, liver calcification, excessive ascites, and mild hydrocephalus of the fetus. Presence of EV71 was determined by immunodot blotting, virus culture, and partial sequencing of the amplified product of nested reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Postmortem immunohistochemistry further identified EV71 in the fetal midbrain and liver. The findings indicate that intrauterine EV71 infection is possible during pregnancy.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Prediction of retention indices. V. Influence of electronic effects and column polarity on retention index.

The retention index increment for addition of a methylene group to an analyte molecule is shown for 1-halo-n-alkanes to be different from 100 i.u., a value that is customarily assigned according to the current convention in retention index prediction. In temperature-programmed gas chromatography using linearly interpolated retention index I, a linear regression equation, I=AZ+(GRF), with the number of atoms (Z) in the molecule as variable can describe the retention of 16 homologous series of organic compounds on non-polar and polar columns with characteristic A (linear regression coefficient) and (GRF) (group retention factor) values. A molecular model of retention on the basis of electron density and electron density distribution relative to that of n-alkane is proposed. This model brings out the inter- and intramolecular electronic effects in the analyte molecule and its dipole-dipole interaction with the stationary liquid phases, as variations in the A value. The (GRF) value varies with the connectivity ability of a functional group for extended conjugation, substitution, etc., but is most influenced by hydrogen bonding (H-bonding) with the stationary liquid phase. One can estimate the sequence of elution of a mixture of organic compounds from any two of the three parameters on the right-hand side of the above equation or retrieve the retention indexes of an entire homologous series from its A and (GRF) values. The fact that each analyte molecule has its own A value on different columns makes column difference (deltaI) compound-specific rather than column-specific, a departure from previous assumptions.

Chromatography, Gas↗
PubMed2000

Outbreak investigation of nosocomial enterobacter cloacae bacteraemia in a neonatal intensive care unit.

Over a period of 7 months, 23 patients hospitalized in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) developed nosocomial Enterobacter cloacae bacteraemia. Contaminated saline for preparing heparin solution was initially identified as the common source of E. cloacae bacteraemia. Although environmental sanitation was enforced, the outbreak continued. E. cloacae has always been isolated from various cultures of the environmental specimens, from the hands of personnel and from the faeces of patients. All of the 23 bacteraemic isolates and 8 stool isolates from infected infants, as well as the 17 isolates from environmental specimens were found to be of the same genotype using the polymerase chain reaction-based DNA fingerprinting method. After various infection control methods were instituted, the outbreak eventually came under control. For epidemiological investigation, 23 neonates without E. cloacae bacteraemia were matched for case-control study. Nineteen (83%) of the case-patients were premature. The significant risk factors leading to E. cloacae bacteraemia in the NICU included small gestation age, low birthweight, exposure to personnel with contaminated hands and the presence of E. cloacae in the stool carriage (p=0.003, 0.007, 0.018 and 0.040, respectively). The gastrointestinal tracts of the patients and environmental surfaces appeared to be the principal sites of bacterial reservoir. In conclusion, the outbreak of E. cloacae bacteraemia was caused by a particular strain and possibly via multiple modes of transmission, including a bottle of contaminated saline as an initial common source, endogenous spread from the gastrointestinal tract and successive cross-infections between patients, hands of personnel and the environment. Effective infection control requires a multidisciplinary approach and reinforcement of infection control procedures, including aseptic technique, hand washing, proper isolation and disinfection of environmental surfaces.

Bacteremia↗
PubMed2000

Aberrant transcripts of FHIT, TSG101 and PTEN/MMAC1 genes in normal peripheral mononuclear cells.

Aberrant transcripts of FHIT and TSG101 using nested RT-PCR were reported in many human tumours. The role of these aberrant transcripts in tumourigenesis is not clear. We, therefore, analyzed the aberrant transcripts of FHIT, TSG101 and PTEN/MMAC1 in peripheral mononuclear cells of normal individuals using nested RT-PCR to explore the role of these genes in cancer development. The results showed that there are at least five types of aberrant transcripts: type I is the deletion at junction located in-between normal exon and intron; type II has deletion of some bases and subsequent insertion of several bases in the deletion area; type III accommodates splicing donor or acceptor site-like sequence; type IV has homologous sequences near the deleted junction; and type V comprises the homologous sequences at the deletion junction. A normal healthy person can have more than one aberrant transcripts of FHIT, TSG101 and PTEN/MMAC1 genes. The size and the number of the transcripts vary and the diversity is unconstrained. It is not depended on the time, condition of the reaction, or the isolation method. From these results, we suggested that the aberrant transcripts of FHIT, TSG101 and PTEN/MMAC1 genes may be the imperfect products of splicesome which occur one in every thousands, ten thousands or more. As a result, these data implied no direct association between the aberrant transcripts and tumourigenesis.

Acid Anhydride Hydrolases↗
PubMed2000

Molecular analysis of Duffy, Yt and Colton blood groups in Taiwanese, Filipinos and Thais.

We used a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method for DNA-based typing of Duffy, Yt and Colton blood groups in Taiwanese, Filipinos and Thais. A total of 200 Taiwanese, 115 Filipinos and 105 Thais were studied. In the Duffy blood group in Taiwanese, 180 cases (90%) were homozygote of Fya, 18 cases (9%) were double heterozygote of Fya and Fyb, and 2 cases (1%) were homozygote of Fyb. In Filipinos, 98 cases (85.2%) were homozygote of Fya, 16 cases (14.0%) were double heterozygote of Fya and Fyb and 1 case (0.8%) was homozygote of Fyb. In Thais, 87 cases (82.9%) were homozygote of Fya, 18 cases (17.1%) were double heterozygote of Fya and Fyb, and no case of Fyb was found. These results correlate well with serological phenotype. For the Yt blood group, only YT1 was found in Taiwanese. Among Filipinos, 114/115 (99.1%) was YT1/1 and 1/115 (0.9%) was YT1/2. In Thais, 103/105 (98.1%) was YT1/1 and 2/105 (1.9%) was YT1/2. For the Colton blood group, the results showed that there was only Coa allele in these three populations. Our results provide the first data of the Yt and Colton blood groups in these three populations.

Blood Group Antigens↗
PubMed1999

Expression of Fas ligand in Langerhans' cell histiocytosis: A case report of a boy with multisystem involvement.

Previous reports of patients with Langerhans' cell histiocytosis have shown characteristics of osteolytic lesion, visceral involvement and organ dysfunction. We report a 2-year-old boy who was diagnosed as Langerhans' cell histiocytosis with a prominent hepatomegaly. X-Radiogram, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed the osteolysis of the right iliac bone, the absence of the left eighth rib as well as the right mandible, and an enhancing mass in the left cerebellum. The data of radiography were highly suggestive of Langerhans' cell lineage. The presence of large CD1a-positive mononuclear cells associated with inflammatory cells in peripheral blood smear and bone marrow aspirate further confirmed the diagnosis. In addition, expressions of S100, CD25, CD68, CD80, CD86, and Fas ligand were identified on these cells by immunocytochemical staining. The results indicate that although these cells are activated Langerhans' cells, progression of the disease and the bone destruction could be mediated by the overt FasL expression of the cells.

Antigens, CD↗