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Biomedical subjects

H C Chu

Publications and source records attributed to H C Chu.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Prediction of the risk of hepatic failure in patients with portal vein invasion hepatoma after hepatic resection.

AIM: Hepatic failure can develop after curative hepatectomy in patients with a hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) invading the portal vein, because of cirrhosis and excessive tissue loss. This study aimed to identify the risk factors for hepatic failure in such patients. METHOD: Forty patients with an HCC invading the portal vein underwent curative hepatectomy from January 1995 to June 2003. Eight patients developed hepatic failure and died within 3 months. Possible risk factors for this were analysed using univariate and multivariate regression. These included the liver function index, surgical blood loss, tumour pattern, portal hypertension, estimated residual liver volume measured by computed tomography (ERLV(CT)) and estimated residual liver volume using the indocyanine green (ICG) retention rate at 15 min (ERLV(ICG15)). RESULTS: The ERLV(CT) smaller than the ERLV(ICG15) and presence of portal hypertension were independent risk factors for post-hepatectomy hepatic failure. CONCLUSION: Having portal vein invasion HCC with portal hypertension or an ERLV(CT) less than an ERLV(ICG15) are significant predictors of post-hepatectomy hepatic failure. These factors are important considerations for patients with portal vein invasion HCC who could undergo curative hepatic resection.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular↗
PubMed2001

Spectrum of luminescence from laser-created bubbles in water.

The spectrum of the luminescence emitted at the collapse of single laser-induced bubbles in water is measured for different maximum bubble radii. Bubbles as large as 2 mm show a molecular OH(*) band at 310 nm in the spectrum, which otherwise can be fitted approximately with a blackbody curve at a temperature of 7800 K. This finding provides a connection between the light emission of single bubbles and multibubble sonoluminescence, since in the latter case the same molecular band is observed. Surface instabilities are observed in the larger bubbles, and may be connected with the OH(*) emission.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2001

Quenched Kosterlitz-Thouless superfluid transitions.

Rapidly quenched Kosterlitz-Thouless (KT) superfluid transitions are studied by solving the Fokker-Planck equation for the vortex-pair dynamics in conjunction with the KT recursion relations. Power-law decays of the vortex density at long times are found, and the results are in agreement with a scaling proposal made by Minnhagen and co-workers for the dynamical critical exponent. The superfluid density is strongly depressed after a quench, with the subsequent recovery being logarithmically slow for starting temperatures near T(KT). No evidence is found of vortices being "created" in a rapid quench; there is only decay of the existing thermal vortex pairs.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2000

Chinese alcoholic patients with esophageal cancer are genetically different from alcoholics with acute pancreatitis and liver cirrhosis.

OBJECTIVE: It is a mystery why some alcoholic patients acquire certain organ-specific complications of alcoholism, whereas other alcoholic patients acquire different ones. The aim of this study was to investigate the differences among Chinese alcoholic patients with esophageal cancer, acute pancreatitis, and liver cirrhosis by studying the genetic polymorphisms of ADH2, ADH3, ALDH2, and P4502E1. METHODS: Liver alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), and cytochrome P4502E1 (P4502E1) are polymorphic at the ADH2, ADH3, and ALDH2 loci and the 5'-flanking region of the P4502E1. Using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method, we determined the polymorphism of the above-mentioned alcohol metabolizing genes in 59 alcoholics with carcinoma of the esophagus (alcoholic esophageal Ca), 87 acute alcoholic pancreatitis patients, 116 alcoholics with liver cirrhosis (alcoholic cirrhosis), 19 alcoholics with both liver cirrhosis and acute pancreatitis (alcoholic P plus C), and 241 nonalcoholic patients. RESULTS: The results showed that the allele frequency of ALDH2*2 was significantly higher in the alcoholic esophageal Ca group than in the alcoholic pancreatitis and alcoholic cirrhosis groups. The allele frequency of ADH2*1 was significantly higher in the alcoholic esophageal Ca patients than in nonalcoholic control groups. The ALDH2*2 was significantly lower in alcoholic groups (except the alcoholic esophageal Ca group) than in nonalcoholic control groups. The allele frequencies of ADH2*1 and ALDH2*2 are higher in alcoholic patients with esophageal Ca than alcoholic patients without it. The genotype distribution of P4502E1, detected by RsaI and PstI, was not different among alcoholic patients with different organ diseases. CONCLUSIONS: The allele frequency of ADH2*1 and ALDH2*1 are different among subpopulations of alcoholics, suggesting that alcoholic patients with different specific types of organ damage are genetically different. The Chinese alcoholic patients with the ADH2*1 and ALDH2*2 allele are more susceptible to esophageal Ca.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Cross sectional study of use of alternative medicines in Chinese cancer patients.

The aim of this study was to ascertain the prevalence of alternative medicine consumption in Chinese cancer patients on active conventional treatment. A cross sectional survey of 100 consecutive advanced cancer patients admitted to a cancer clinical trial referral unit were personally interviewed by their assigned oncology research nurse using a specially designed questionnaire. The results showed that 64% of our patients used indigenous Chinese medication. In all age groups except the over-70s (P = 0.043), > 50% took such medication, more female (76%) than male (57.6%) patients (P = 0.323). Patients of all educational levels (P = 0.062) and religious backgrounds (P = 0.08) consumed alternative medicines. Duration of alternative medication consumption was less than three months in 50% of patients, with costs between US$40 and 2000/month for 70% of patients. Reasons cited for alternative medication consumption was hope that it might be of some benefit to their well being or disease control, and maybe even result in a miracle cure. Sources of advice on medication were mostly from strangers (by word of mouth), family, friends, the media, and infrequently from qualified professional Chinese doctors. Reasons for discontinuing such treatment were mostly given as lack of positive effect. In conclusion, Chinese cancer patients, willingly, rampantly and non-selectively seek out and consume alternative medications, with almost total ignorance of the medication consumed, oblivious to any potential side effects, and with little subjective benefit.

Adult↗