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Biomedical subjects

H H Lin

Publications and source records attributed to H H Lin.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Prevalence, genotypes and antibody titer of hepatitis C virus in pregnant women in Taiwan.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prevalence and genotypes of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in pregnant women in Taiwan, as well as to examine whether any correlation occurs between HCV genotype and anti-HCV titer. METHODS: Forty-three pregnant women with positive anti-HCV and HCV-RNA were selected among 3,400 cases screened from January 1992 to March 1994. Each blood specimen was assayed for HCV genotypes by PCR method to detect HCV I, II, III and IV. Anti-HCV titer was determined by a second-generation EIA kit with serial dilutions. RESULTS: Twenty-eight cases (65%) belonged to HCV II, 11 (26%) HCV III, 3 (7%) HCV IV and 1 (2%) HCV II+III. Besides, the anti-HCV titers in HCV II and HCV III groups were similar, ranging from 8x to 40,000x and revealing no statistical significance (p = 0.75). CONCLUSIONS: Our data have verified that the prevalence rate of HCV infection in pregnant women is around 1.3% and no significant difference of anti-HCV titer occurs between HCV II and HCV III pregnant women.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1995

Is total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy adequate for new FIGO stage I endometrial carcinoma?

OBJECTIVE: The new FIGO staging for endometrial cancer cases complies with other forms of surgical staging and correlates better with clinical outcomes because it includes prognostic factors. This study was done to investigate whether total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (TAH+BSO) is adequate for new FIGO Stage I endometrial carcinoma. SUBJECTS: Sixty-five cases of endometrial carcinoma defined according to the new FIGO Stage Ia (n = 26), Ib (n = 24) and Ic (n = 15) were analysed. They all received TAH+BSO only and were followed up for at least two years. METHODS: The histologic type, grade, depth of myometrial invasion, lympho-vascular tumour emboli and tumour size were analysed by t-test to correlate the risk factors for treatment failure. RESULTS: There were no recurrences after TAH+BSO in Ia and Ib cases. However, recurrences occurred in five cases (33%) of Stage Ic with deep myometrial invasion, high histologic grade, large tumour size and tumour emboli. CONCLUSIONS: TAH+BSO is inadequate in some Ic cases with a high histologic grade, deep myometrial invasion and tumour emboli. Thus, thorough pre-operative and intra-operative staging, adequate operation method and prompt post-operative adjuvant therapy are indispensable for successful treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Glucocorticoid upregulates Na-K-ATPase alpha- and beta-mRNA via an indirect mechanism in proximal tubule cell primary cultures.

Adrenalectomy leads to the decline in the levels of renal Na-K-adenosinetriphosphatase (Na-K-ATPase) alpha- and beta-subunit protein and mRNA. Both alpha- and beta-mRNA, however, return to the control level within 1 h after corticosterone administration. Whether or not glucocorticoid acts directly on a specific segment of nephron to upregulate Na-K-ATPase has not been determined. Studies were undertaken in an attempt to elucidate this problem. Using primary cultures of renal proximal tubules, we found that 24-h treatment with dexamethasone augmented Na-K-ATPase activity and induced coordinate increase of alpha- and beta-protein and mRNA abundance dependent on the doses in the range of 10(-8) to 10(-6) M. We further demonstrated that 24-h incubation of dexamethasone (10(-7) M) enhanced Na-K-ATPase activity by 58 +/- 14%, alpha- and beta-protein abundance by 70 +/- 18 and 51 +/- 10%, and alpha- and beta-mRNA levels by 87 +/- 12 and 62 +/- 11%, respectively. The time course studies revealed that significant increase of Na-K-ATPase activity and alpha and beta-protein abundance was reached within 4 hr of dexamethasone treatment. Pretreatment of cultured proximal tubule cells with cycloheximide (20 micrograms/ml) completely inhibited dexamethasone-induced increase of Na-K-ATPase alpha- and beta-mRNA. Our results indicate that dexamethasone upregulates Na-K-ATPase in proximal tubule cells via pretranslational mechanisms, which may be mediated by proteins.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Cyclic AMP modifies the cellular distribution of connexin43 and induces a persistent increase in the junctional permeability of mouse mammary tumor cells.

Direct communication between cells via gap junctions is thought to be an important component of homeostasis and coordinated cellular responses to external signals. We investigated how the second messenger cAMP exerts its effects on junctional communication in a mouse mammary tumor cell line, MMT22. Junctional permeance was quantitatively assessed using dye microinjection and video microscopy. An increase of permeance was found after exposure to 8-bromo-cAMP, being detectable after 30 minutes of treatment and attaining a fourfold higher level of permeance by 24 hours. This elevated level was maintained with continuous exposure to 8-bromo-cAMP for seven days. The permeability change was accompanied by an increase in gap junctions as shown by freeze-fracture electron microscopy and by confocal microscopy using antibodies directed against the gap junction protein, connexin43. The amount of detergent-insoluble connexin43 also increased with 8-bromo-cAMP treatment, and most of the increase could be attributed to an increase of slower migrating (i.e. phosphorylated) species of connexin43. However, connexin43 mRNA and the total cellular content of connexin43 did not change over this period of exposure to 8-bromo-cAMP, as shown by densitometric analyses of northern and western blots. We conclude that 8-bromo-cAMP affects the distribution of connexin43 such that a greater proportion of the protein is utilized for channel formation. Since these changes were relatively slow to develop and persisted with prolonged exposure to 8-bromo-cAMP, it is possible that the junctional permeability of these mammary tumor cells is linked to the 'basal' level of cAMP, i.e. levels maintained by the cells in accordance with a particular cell state.

8-Bromo Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate↗
PubMed1995

Increased norfloxacin skin permeability for fatty alcohol propylene glycol (FAPG) ointment by optimized process of preparation: behavior of stearic acid in stratum corneum lipids.

Preparation of the fatty alcohol propylene glycol (FAPG) ointment base plays an important role in controlling the physicochemical properties of ointments. These essay investigates the effects of preparative conditions such as cooling rate and stirring rate on the percutaneous absorption of norfloxacin from FAPG ointment. The influence of process-induced variation in enhancing effect of stearic acid which was incorporated into FAPG base was evaluated in vitro on rat skin. In the permeation experiment, norfloxacin penetration significantly increased with faster cooling rate. This result directly related to the increasing norfloxacin skin--vehicle partition coefficient. Histological analysis results showed no appreciable exfoliation of the stratum corneum. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results show that stearic acid enriched lipid in the stratum corneum resulting from treatment with supercooling products may result in more crystalline structure and, hence preferential partitioning of the norfloxacin into the more crystalline regions of the membrane can be observed. A much greater enhancing effect can be achieved when we use stearic acid together with norfloxacin in propylene glycol (PG); but such effect cannot be found if 5 wt% stearic acid/PG suspension is used to pretreat skin before the application of norfloxacin PG solution.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Measurement of gap junctional communication by fluorescence activated cell sorting.

Cell-to-cell communication via gap junctions has played a fundamental role in the orderly development of multicellular organisms. Current methods for measuring this function apply mostly to homotypic cell populations. The newly introduced Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting (FACS) method, albeit with some limitations, is simple, reliable, and quantitative in measuring the dye transfer via gap junctions in both homotypic and heterotypic cell populations. In the homotypic setting, the result in dye transfer from the FACS method is comparable to the scrape-loading and microinjection methods. Using this FACS method, we observed a decline of cell-to-cell communication in transformed and cancer cells. We also observed a differential degree of communication between two heterotypic cell populations depending on the direction of dye transfer.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Clinical significance of multiple hypothalamic-pituitary functions assessment in patients with Turner's syndrome.

Hypothalamic-pituitary functions in 26 cases of Turner syndrome were assessed with a combined stimulation test. The results showed that the peak GH levels of 12 cases were less than 10 micrograms/L; 3 patients were demonstrated as having an even TSH response, while another one with a delayed TSH peak, and other 4 had high basal values and consistent exaggerated TSH responses to TRH; all patients showed increased basal and peak LH and FSH levels but 5, whose LH and FSH secretion patterns were similar to normal. 12 cases have been treated with individualized protocols and followed up for 12 months or more, of them the growth velocity all increased, especially those with hypothyroidism or with a BA less than 13. It is suggested that multiple functions of hypothalamic-pituitary axis in Turner patients be evaluated as early as possible, in order that proper treatment could be adopted and their growth and development improved.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Temporal profile of hepatitis C virus antibody and genome in infants born to mothers infected with hepatitis C virus but without human immunodeficiency virus coinfection.

To investigate mother-to-infant transmission of hepatitis C virus, serial follow-up of anti-HCV and hepatitis C virus RNA was undertaken in 11 infants born to hepatitis C virus-infected mothers who had been screened from 11,688 pregnant women. None of the hepatitis C virus-infected mothers was infected by human immunodeficiency virus. Anti-HCV was checked by the second-generation enzyme immunoassay kit, and hepatitis C virus RNA was examined by reverse transcriptase-nested polymerase chain reaction. Hepatitis C virus RNA was found in more than two serum samples in two of these 11 infants; those two infants were regarded as hepatitis C virus-infected. One of the two had hepatitis C virus RNA at the age of 1, 3, and 6 months, but not later. The course of hepatitis C virus RNA and anti-HCV in this baby may reflect fluctuating viral replication in chronic infectious disease or viral clearance in acute infection. The other infant had hepatitis C virus RNA detectable at the age of 3 months and at 15, 18 and 24 months. In the other nine non-hepatitis C virus-infected infants, maternally acquired anti-HCV gradually disappeared by the age of 6 months. The liver function profile fell to the normal range in all the infants, including the two hepatitis C virus-infected infants. This may indicate the subclinical nature of hepatitis C virus infection in infancy. Seven fathers and four siblings of these 11 infants were checked for anti-HCV and liver function tests; none had evidence of hepatitis C virus infection.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Fungal infection of ventriculoperitoneal shunts in children.

Infection is still the most common complication of shunt procedures in children. However, fungal infection is still considered to be rare. We found that fungi accounted for 17% of shunt infections (8 of 48) in a retrospective study. All of the patients were premature babies and had received a ventriculoperitoneal shunt because of hydrocephalus. The clinical manifestations were subtle and insidious. The time of onset of infection ranged from 1 month to 1 year after the insertion of the shunt. Examination of the cerebrospinal fluid of infected patients showed mild pleocytosis with an elevated protein concentration. Candida species (including Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis, and Candida tropicalis) or Torulopsis glabrata were isolated. In all but one case, shunts were removed and systemic therapy with amphotericin B was administered. Amphotericin B was given intrathecally to two patients, who did not respond to systemic therapy. Treatment with fluconazole failed for one patient. We suggest performing fungal cultures in cases of shunt infection, especially those involving premature infants. Extraventricular drainage, systemic therapy with amphotericin B, and insertion of a new shunt remain the principal components of the treatment regimen for fungal shunt infections in children.

Amphotericin B↗
PubMed1994

Possible role of high-titer maternal viremia in perinatal transmission of hepatitis C virus.

To study perinatal transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV), 15 anti-HCV-positive carrier mothers without human immunodeficiency virus coinfection were recruited. At delivery, maternal blood was taken and anti-HCV titer was determined and HCV RNA measured in each serum sample by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A competitive PCR was used in selected samples to quantitate HCV concentration. The 15 neonates were followed regularly for 1 year and their sera were also assayed for anti-HCV and for HCV RNA by reverse transcription PCR. All the mothers were positive for HCV RNA. Only one normal spontaneously delivered neonate of a mother with extremely high titer of anti-HCV (1:20,000) and HCV concentration (10(10) copies/mL) had both anti-HCV and HCV RNA in serum for up to 6 months of age. In contrast, none of the remaining 14 neonates born to mothers with low- to high-titer anti-HCV (1:4-1:1000) and moderate amounts of HCV RNA (10(5)-10(6) copies/mL) contracted HCV infection. The results imply that high-titer maternal viremia and normal spontaneous delivery may allow more HCV to infect the neonate intrapartum, therefore establishing perinatal transmission.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Long term clinical and virologic outcome of primary hepatitis C virus infection in children: a prospective study.

To investigate the long term natural course of primary hepatitis C virus infection in children from the beginning, we prospectively followed up 88 children at risk because of frequent blood transfusions or of hepatitis C virus infection from the mother. Ten of the 88 children contracted primary infection during follow-up. In the acute stage of infection acute hepatitis with elevation of aminotransferases and a positive IgM antibody was found in both children infected during open heart surgery, 3 of the 5 multiply transfused children with congenital hemolytic anemia and none of the 3 infants infected by their mothers. Four of the 10 children later lost hepatitis C virus RNA, whereas 6 had a chronic course. Three of the latter 6 children had abnormal aminotransferase activities in the chronic phase. Our study suggests that the very young age of primary infection and the underlying status of the host may affect the clinical course of hepatitis C virus infection in children.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1994

Spatial W-plasty full-thickness skin graft for neovaginal reconstruction.

Although neovaginal reconstruction has achieved satisfactory results, there is still room for refinement and improvement. Despite its popularity, McIndoe's inlay split-thickness skin graft method still has several significant drawbacks. Here a new approach to neovaginal reconstruction by using a full-thickness skin graft displayed in the fashion of spatial W-plasty is described. Our idea combines the advantages of a full-thickness skin graft and Z-plasty principle in clinical practice. Four patients who had been reconstructed with this method had satisfactory results with minimal secondary contracture and unilateral linear groin scar. Three of them have married and enjoy sexual life without difficulties. The fourth patient has not married but shows no contracture in follow-up examinations. Since the result is encouraging, this method deserves wider clinical application.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed1994

Hepatitis C virus infection in pregnant women: detection by different anti-HCV immunoassays and serum HCV-RNA.

To assess the seroepidemiology of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in pregnant women and explore the correlation between different anti-HCV immunoassays, we investigated 2 independent groups in Taipei: 1,687 pregnant women without screening for serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (group A) and 260 pregnant women with elevated ALT activity (> 45 IU/l) screened from 15,978 cases (group B). In group A, 11 women (0.65%) were found to be anti-HCV-positive by first-generation tests and 21 (1.24%) by second-generation tests, while 7 (2.69%) and 15 (5.77%) of the group B subjects were positive, respectively. The results of the second-generation assays, based either on recombinant proteins or synthetic peptides, were identical. Among the 36 second-generation anti-HCV-positive cases, 18 (86%) of the 21 cases in group A and 13 (87%) of the 15 cases in group B contained serum HCV-RNA by RT-PCR. We conclude that the prevalence of anti-HCV in pregnant Taiwanese women is 1.24%, and the prevalence is 5.77% among those with an elevated ALT level. HCV-RNA is present in 86% of the cases positive for anti-HCV. The discrepancy between positive anti-HCV and negative HCV-RNA in some pregnant women suggests that anti-HCV positivity in such cases may merely represent a past HCV infection or a fluctuating viremia.

Female↗
PubMed1994

Age-specific prevalence of hepatitis B surface and e antigenemia in pregnant women in Taiwan.

To investigate the age-specific prevalence of hepatitis B surface and e antigens (HBsAg and HBeAg) in pregnant women, we studied all the parturients encountered in National Taiwan University Hospital between 1985 and 1990. Serum HBsAg and HBeAg were checked by radioimmunoassay. The prevalence rate of HBsAg in pregnant women was 13.2%, 12.7%, 11.4%, 11.7%, 12.9% and 14.2%, respectively for each year. The figures seemed stable. The positive rate of HBeAg in HBsAg-positive pregnant women was 32.8%, 39.9%, 42.6%, 30.8%, 32.0% and 31.7%, respectively during the past 6 years. We also analyzed the results in different age-grouped pregnant women. The positive rate of HBsAg was 12.8%, 13.1%, 11.6% and 11.5% respectively in 21-25 year-old, 26-30 year-old, 31-35 year-old and 36-40 year-old groups. The positive rate of HBeAg in HBsAg-positive pregnant women was 49.4%, 36.5%, 31.5% and 20.0% respectively in these 4 age groups, with a prevalence declining with the advanced age. We conclude that HBsAg-positive rate was 11-14% in the pregnant women who visited our hospital, and their HBeAg-positive rate was 31-43%. No decrease of HBsAg carriage or HBeAg prevalence was seen in the past 6 years.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Ultrasound diagnosis of rudimentary uterine horn pregnancy in fourteen weeks of gestation: a case report.

Pregnancy in a rudimentary uterine horn is rare. Rupture tends to occur in the second trimester, and results in maternal morbility and mortality. Although the diagnosis prior to rupture is difficult, early detection is essential in avoiding a fatal outcome. An asymptomatic case of pregnancy in the rudimentary horn of a bicornuate uterus prior to rupture is presented. This report is to emphasize the important value of sonography for early detection of the prerupture of the rudimentary pregnancy.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Expression and regulation of Na, K-ATPase in primary culture of proximal tubule cells.

We previously reported that butyrate slowed the downregulation of activities of differentiation marker enzymes for the proximal tubule during cellular proliferation. This work was designed to delineate whether butyrate also regulated activity of Na,K-ATPase, a basolateral membrane marker. We observed that Na,K-ATPase activity was decreased in cultured proximal tubule cells, which occurred before cell proliferation. When cultured proximal tubule cells approached confluency from day 4 to day 6, Na,K-ATPase activity was increased by 27%, but the increase was not seen in cultures under a lower plating density. Cultured proximal tubule cells under a large plating density also exhibited greater Na,K-ATPase activity than those under a small density. Na butyrate inhibited Na,K-ATPase activity throughout the course of primary culture and dependent on dose in the range 2-5 mM. At the confluent phase, 24-h treatment of butyrate (5mM) induced a 24% decrease in Na,K-ATPase activity, which is associated with coordinated decreases in both Na,K-ATPase alpha and beta subunit abundances and is mediated by coordinate decreases in both Na,K-ATPase alpha and beta mRNA levels. Moreover, Na butyrate, at a dose greater than 2 mM, inhibits proliferation of proximal tubular cells, but results in cell hypertrophy. Finally, the effect of butyrate on cell growth and Na,K-ATPase expression cannot be mimicked by other short chain fatty acids, such as acetate, hexanoate or octanoate.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Studies of the synthesis, immunology, and cytotoxicity of a cyclic octapeptide corresponding to TNF-alpha-(59-66).

In an attempt to investigate possible binding domains of the tumor necrosis factors (TNF), we have previously synthesized a cyclic hexapeptide corresponding to murine TNF-(127-132) (cTNF-1). In this report, we describe the synthesis and biological activity of another cyclic octapeptide corresponding to human TNF-alpha-(59-66) (cTNF-2). The design of these cyclic peptides is based on their high sequence homology with corresponding fragments of human TNF-alpha or TNF-beta. Similar to cTNF-1, the cyclic octapeptide cTNF-2 displayed low in vitro cytotoxicity against human HeLa and HEP-2 cell lines. The cyclic peptides cTNF-2 and cTNF-1 were then tested for the induction of interleukin-1 (IL-1) production from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells and monocytes in vitro. At low concentrations, the IL-1 levels induced by these cyclic peptides were similar to that of recombinant TNF-alpha. However, the IL-1 production by cTNF-2 stimulation was dose-dependently increased and reached that of a lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 0.1 micrograms/mL) level. These findings suggest that the fragments corresponding to human TNF-alpha-(59-66) and murine TNF-(127-132) may represent certain binding domains of the tumor necrosis factors that elicit IL-1 production.

Amino Acid Sequence↗