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Biomedical subjects

Chiao-Hsiung Chuang

Publications and source records attributed to Chiao-Hsiung Chuang.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

Fatal Klebsiella pneumoniae meningitis and emphysematous brain abscess after endoscopic variceal ligation in a patient with liver cirrhosis and diabetes mellitus.

Procedure-related bacterial infections may complicate esophageal variceal ligation in cirrhosis patients. Here, we report a 58-year-old man with underlying diabetes and liver cirrhosis who developed Klebsiella pneumoniae meningitis and brain abscess with gas formation in brain parenchyma and ventricles after this procedure. Despite administration of appropriate antimicrobial therapy, he became comatose on the 3rd day of acute illness and died on the 4th day of hospitalization. This case highlights the indication for antimicrobial prophylaxis in cirrhotic patients with gastrointestinal bleeding, and the need for early and heightened awareness of central nervous system infections in cirrhotic patients with hepatic encephalopathy.

Brain Abscess↗

Portal venous flow pattern as a useful tool for predicting esophageal varix bleeding in cirrhotic patients.

This study aimed to evaluate whether (1) the portal venous flow pattern determined by color Doppler sonography could be related to the clinical severity of liver cirrhosis and (2) whether the flow patterns differ between patients with bleeding and nonbleeding esophageal varices. One hundred twenty-nine cirrhotic patients and 60 noncirrhotic healthy controls were enrolled after endoscopic survey for the presence of esophageal varices. Each patient received color Doppler echography to define the pattern of blood flow direction as hepatopetal or nonhepatopetal (hepatofugal, turbulence, and bidirection) in type. The patients with esophageal varices were further categorized into two groups: with recent bleeding (BEV; n = 99) and without recent bleeding (NBEV; n = 30). More patients in the BEV group (72.7%) had a nonhepatopetal Doppler flow pattern than in the control group (1.7%) and NBEV group (13.3%) (P < 0.001). Among the 129 cirrhotic patients, the nonhepatopetal flow pattern of the portal vein was higher in 96% of Child-Pugh grade C patients than in 41.8% of grade A patients and 57.6% of grade B patients (P < 0.05). Moreover, for those cirrhotic patients with Child-Pugh grades A and B, the nonhepatopetal Doppler flow pattern was more commonly found in the BEV group than in the NBEV group (63.0 vs. 13.8%; odds ratio, 10.64; 95% CI, 0.03-0.299; P < 0.001). Portal venous blood flow pattern is related to severity of cirrhosis. The presence of a nonhepatopetal flow pattern implicates an increased risk of esophageal varices bleeding, especially for those cirrhotic patients with Child-Pugh grades A and B.

Adult↗

The efficacy of high- and low-dose intravenous omeprazole in preventing rebleeding for patients with bleeding peptic ulcers and comorbid illnesses.

This study sought to determine if high-dose omeprazole infusion could improve the control of rebleeding in patients with comorbid illnesses and bleeding peptic ulcers. After achieving hemostasis by endoscopy, 105 patients were randomized into high-dose (n = 52) and low-dose (n = 53) groups, receiving 200 and 80 mg/day omeprazole, respectively, as a continuous infusion for 3 days. Thereafter, oral omeprazole, 20 mg/day, was given. The cumulative rebleeding rates comparatively rose in both groups (high-dose vs. low-dose group), beginning on day 3 (15.4% vs. 11.3%), day 7 (19.6% vs. 20%), and day 14 (32.7% vs. 28.9%), until day 28 (35.4% vs. 33.3%), and were not significantly different between the two groups (P > 0.50). Multiple logistic regression confirmed that a serum albumin level <3 g/dL was an independent factor associated with rebleeding (P = 0.002). For patients with comorbidities, 3-day omeprazole infusion, despite increasing the daily dose from 80 to 200 mg, was not adequate to control peptic ulcer rebleeding.

Aged↗

Host TNF-alpha-1031 and -863 promoter single nucleotide polymorphisms determine the risk of benign ulceration after H. pylori infection.

OBJECTIVES: This study tested whether host genotypes of the tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) promoter single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) could determine clinical and histological outcomes after Helicobacter pylori infection. METHODS: A total of 524 dyspeptic patients, 424 with and 100 without H. pylori infection, were checked for TNF-alpha promoter SNP over the locus on -1031(T/C), -863(C/A), -857(C/T), -806(C/T), and -308(G/A) by sequence-specific oligonucleotide probe. Each patient received panendoscopy to take gastric biopsy to detect H. pylori infection and its related histology using the updated Sydney's system. Gastric TNF-alpha expressions were stained by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: In H. pylori-infected patients, -1031C or -863A carriers of TNF-alpha promoter had more severe gastric neutrophil infiltration and TNF-alpha gastric staining than individuals with -1031TT or -863CC genotype, respectively (p<0.05). The multivariate logistic regression verified both -1031C and -863A carriers were independent risk factors to have duodenal ulcers and gastric ulcer without IM in the H. pylori-infected hosts (p<0.05). As compared to -863CC and -1031TT genotype combinations, the ulcer risk after H. pylori infection was 2.46 (95% CI: 1.32-4.59, p<or=0.00001) for the carriers with either -1031C or -863A allele, and even elevated to 6.06 (95% CI: 3.57-10.21, p<or=0.00001) for the individuals harboring both -863A and -1031C alleles. For patients with gastric ulcer, the 863CC genotype had a higher rate to have intestinal metaplasia than -863A carrier (p<or=0.005). CONCLUSIONS: TNF-alpha-1031 and -863 promoter SNP should be novel host factors to determine the gastric inflammation and risk of peptic ulceration upon H. pylori infection.

Biopsy↗

Hypergastrinemia after Helicobacter pylori infection is associated with bacterial load and related inflammation of the oxyntic corpus mucosa.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Helicobacter pylori infection causes hypergastrinemia. This study aimed to determine the association between serum gastrin and the severity of H. pylori-related gastric histology. METHODS: A total of 458 dyspeptic patients were included in this study after the absence of gastric malignancy was confirmed using endoscopy. The gastric specimens of each patient were collected from the antrum and corpus for the analysis of H. pylori-related histology changes by updated Sydney's system. Before endoscopy, the fasting blood samples were collected for gastrin analysis. RESULTS: The H. pylori-infected patients had higher gastrin levels than those without infection (P = 0.01). Gastrin levels were related to H. pylori density and acute and chronic inflammation scores in the corpus mucosa (P < 0.05), but not in the antral mucosa (P = NS). Gastrin levels were also not related to the presence of gastric atrophy. Multivariate regression showed that the gastrin level was only related to acute corpus inflammation. However, in the patients without infection, the gastrin level was also associated with acute corpus inflammation. Nevertheless, the patients with denser H. pylori infection were more likely to have acute corpus gastritis than those with lighter H. pylori infection, and thus presented with higher gastrin levels (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The increased level of gastrin of serum after H. pylori infection was associated with acute inflammation in the gastric corpus mucosa, but not in the antral mucosa. Denser H. pylori infection causes more severe corpus gastritis and thus may lead to a higher fasting level of gastrin of serum.

Adult↗

On-demand therapy for Los Angeles grade A and B reflux esophagitis: esomeprazole versus omeprazole.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Reflux esophagitis of Los Angeles grade A or B is more common than grades C and D disease among Taiwanese. This study compared the efficacy of esomeprazole 40 mg and omeprazole 20 mg for starting on-demand therapy for grade A and B reflux esophagitis. METHODS: 100 patients with grade A and B reflux esophagitis were randomized to receive either esomeprazole 40 mg once daily (n = 50) or omeprazole 20 mg once daily (n = 50) for the first 4 weeks. Sustained symptomatic response (SSR) was defined as freedom from symptoms for the last 7 days of the 4-week treatment duration. On-demand therapy was used for the next 4 weeks in patients with SSR; patients without SSR continued with the same proton pump inhibitor regimen. Patients were asked to record their daily severity of acid regurgitation (AR) and heartburn (HB). Medication usage during on-demand therapy was recorded. RESULTS: Forty six patients in the esomeprazole group and 45 patients in the omeprazole group completed the study protocol. The rate of SSR was higher in the esomeprazole group than in the omeprazole group (per-protocol: 73.9% vs 51.1%, p < 0.05; intent-to-treat: 68% vs 46%, p < 0.05). The symptomatic scores for AR and HB were similar between patients taking medication continuously and those taking medication on-demand with both esomeprazole and omeprazole. For patients starting on-demand therapy, the total number of tablets used during 4 weeks was lower in the esomeprazole group than in the omeprazole group (13.5 vs 18.5, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with grade A and B reflux esophagitis, esomeprazole 40 mg was more effective than omeprazole 20 mg for the initiation of on-demand therapy.

Anti-Ulcer Agents↗

Stool antigen assay to screen H. pylori infection and to assess the success of 3-Day and 7-Day eradication therapy in the patients with partial gastrectomy.

BACKGROUND: Even after partial gastrectomy, Helicobacter pylori may persist in the residual stomach but be less abundant in the bacterial load. H. pylori stool antigen is a reliable noninvasive tool to detect H. pylori infection in patients without gastrectomy. We thus test whether [1] the course of H. pylori eradication therapy could be diminished [2]; stool antigen can effectively detect H. pylori infection for the patients with gastrectomy. METHODS: One hundred and eight patients who had undergone partial gastrectomy were enrolled to receive panendoscopy and provided stool samples for H. pylori stool antigen within 3 days after endoscopy. The H. pylori-infected patients were then randomized to receive either a 3- or 7-day triple therapy for H. pylori eradication. Six weeks later, to evaluate the success of H. pylori eradication, patients received a follow-up endoscopy and again provided stool samples for H. pylori stool antigen. RESULTS: Seventy out of 108 patients, proven to have H. pylori infection, were evenly randomized into 3-day and 7-day therapy groups. The H. pylori eradication rates were similar between the 3-day and 7-day triple therapy (90.9 vs. 93.8%, p >.05). Before therapy, the H. pylori stool antigen was 93% sensitive and 100% specific to detect H. pylori. After therapy, H. pylori stool antigen remain 100% sensitive and 88.3% specific to detect the failure of eradication therapy. CONCLUSION: H. pylori stool antigen is a highly reliable tool to screen H. pylori infection before therapy and to assess the success of eradication therapy in partial gastrectomy patients. To eradicate H. pylori infection for patients with partial gastrectomy, the duration of triple therapy can be shortened.

Adult↗

Vitamin C and E supplements to lansoprazole-amoxicillin-metronidazole triple therapy may reduce the eradication rate of metronidazole-susceptible Helicobacter pylori infection.

AIM: To test whether vitamin C and E supplements to triple therapy can improve the Helicobacter pylori eradication rate and gastric inflammation. METHODS: A total of 104 H. pylori-infected patients were randomized to receive: either lansoprazole, amoxicillin, and metronidazole twice daily for 1 week (triple-only group) or lansoprazole, amoxicillin, metronidazole plus vitamin C (250 mg) and vitamin E (200 mg) twice daily for 1 week, followed immediately by vitamin C and E once daily for 6 consecutive weeks (triple-plus-vitamin group). Eight weeks after the completion of triple therapy, patients were assessed for the effectiveness of H. pylori eradication. The severity of gastric inflammation in histology was assessed for the acute and chronic inflammation scores. RESULTS: Intention-to-treat and per-protocol eradication rates were 59.1% and 64.4% in the triple-only group, and 40% and 44% in the triple-plus-vitamin group. In the patients infected with metronidazole susceptible isolates, the triple-only group had a higher intention-to-treat eradication rate than those in the triple-plus-vitamin group (80% vs. 53.1%, p <.01). However, for the metronidazole resistance isolates, the intention-to-treat eradication rates between the two groups were not different (26.3% vs. 21.7%, p = NS). The improvements of both acute and chronic inflammation scores in histology were not different between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Adding vitamin C and E to triple therapy cannot improve the H. pylori eradication rate and gastric inflammation. For patients with metronidazole susceptible strain infection, adding these vitamins may even reduce the eradication rate of triple therapy.

2-Pyridinylmethylsulfinylbenzimidazoles↗

Increased risk of rebleeding of peptic ulcer bleeding in patients with comorbid illness receiving omeprazole infusion.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The study aimed to evaluate whether administration of intravenous omeprazole has different rebleeding rates for peptic ulcer bleeding of patients with and without comorbid illness. METHODOLOGY: A total of 80 patients with peptic ulcer bleeding were enrolled after therapeutic endoscopy to achieve hemostasis. Each patient had received omeprazole 80 mg bolus loading and 40 mg twice daily for three days (total dosage of 320 mg within 3 days). Two subgroups were divided, based on the absence (Group A) or presence (Group B) of one or more comorbid illnesses, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, uremia, cirrhosis, diabetes mellitus, and old stroke. The 7-day and 28-day rebleeding rates were recorded. RESULTS: The presence of comorbid illness had a higher rebleeding rate than those without comorbid illness (7-day: 32.5 vs. 2.5%, p < 0.05; 28-day: 37.5 vs. 5.0%, p < 0.05). Patients with two or more comorbid diseases had an even higher risk of rebleeding than those with a single comorbid illness (66.7% vs. 26.5%, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Low-dose infusion of omeprazole can achieve favorable control of rebleeding in the patients with peptic ulcer bleeding but without comorbid diseases. As patients with comorbid illness had a higher risk of rebleeding, a higher dosage or prolonged duration of omeprazole infusion would be rationally indicated to prevent risk of rebleeding.

Adult↗