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Biomedical subjects

J Suo

Publications and source records attributed to J Suo.

32 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Suppression of hepatic natural killer activity by liver metastasis of cancer and restoration of killer activity by oral administration of a Basidomycetes-derived polysaccharide, PSK.

PSK (Krestin) is a protein-bound polysaccharide with antitumor and immunomodulatory activity. In this study, the effects of the oral administration of PSK were investigated on the natural killer (NK) activity of liver-associated lymphocytes and their subfractions separated by density gradient centrifugation, in WKAH rats with liver metastasis of KDA hepatoma. PSK was administered orally, at a dose of 500 mg/kg once a day for 3 weeks. The NK activity of nonparenchymal liver cells (NPLC) and their subfractions, including large granular lymphocytes (LGL), was markedly augmented by this treatment. The effects of oral PSK were also examined in CDF1 mice with liver metastases of Colon 26 adenocarcinoma; the survival of tumor-bearing mice was prolonged and both metastatic foci and liver weight were decreased. These results suggest that PSK may be effective for the suppression of liver metastasis through activation of liver-associated NK cells.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗
PubMed1994

Quantitative measurement of drug susceptibility of Mycobacterium tuberculosis for monitoring chemotherapy response.

Changes in the degree of drug susceptibility of the bacterial population in tuberculosis patients during chemotherapy can be monitored by testing Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates against various concentrations of drugs in 7H12 broth to determine radiometrically the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC). The MICs were determined for multiple cultures isolated from 13 patients, of whom nine responded to chemotherapy within a few months, and four failed to respond at all. No changes in MICs were observed with the isolates obtained from the patients with a favorable response to chemotherapy. Determination of the MICs indicated that the failure in two cases out of four was associated with a steady increase in the degree of resistance of the patients' bacterial population. In two other failure cases, lack of change in the MIC values for multiple cultures suggests that the failure was associated with factors other than drug resistance. During the period of chemotherapy, quantitation of the degree of drug susceptibility in terms of broth-determined MICs may help to identify promptly those patients whose bacterial population is becoming resistant to the administered antimicrobial agents. For those patients who do not respond to chemotherapy, lack of change in the degree of resistance of their bacterial population may alert the physician to attempt to identify causes other than drug resistance for the chemotherapy failure.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Family factors affecting the outcome of tuberculosis treatment in Taiwan.

Despite the progress of tuberculosis (TB) control, the failure of treatment mainly due to non-adherence to medical recommendations remains a major obstacle to the eradication of this disease in both industrialized and developing countries. We interviewed 397 active pulmonary TB cases (274 males and 123 females) in Taiwan and followed up their treatment outcomes. No significant differences were found between any of the groups of either sex on TB cognition scores. Positive correlations between cognition scores and compliance scores, between cognition scores and family apgar scores, and between compliance scores and family apgar scores were noted in this study. In males, the complete treatment group had a higher compliance score (mean +/- standard deviation = 13.45 +/- 2.80) and family apgar score (22.44 +/- 2.29) than the incomplete treatment group (11.61 +/- 3.21 and 14.77 +/- 3.92, respectively). In females, the complete treatment group had a higher cognition score (65.99 +/- 6.75), compliance score (13.65 +/- 2.55) and family Apgar score (22.78 +/- 2.30) than the incomplete treatment group (62.05 +/- 6.91, 11.70 +/- 3.04 and 14.84 +/- 3.80, respectively). In the logistic regression analysis, both the family Apgar score and compliance score were significantly related to the TB treatment outcomes. The subjects with a family Apgar score higher than 20 had a chance to complete treatment as high as 72-fold (95% confidence interval = 31.7-164.0) that of those with a score less than 20.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Morbidity and mortality trends of pulmonary tuberculosis in Taiwan.

An epidemiologic study of pulmonary tuberculosis was carried out to examine the secular trend and geographic variations of the incidence, prevalence and mortality of pulmonary tuberculosis in Taiwan. The prevalence and incidence rates declined-steadily from 1910 to 1980, but have remained unchanged during the last decade. Mortality also showed an 8.0% annual decrease from 1974 to 1986, but has remained constant without any apparent changes in recent years. Mortality for pulmonary tuberculosis is much higher in the aboriginal areas, where patients have a poor adherence to treatment and where a high prevalence of alcohol abuse exists. The mortality for pulmonary tuberculosis in Taiwan is higher than that in most developed countries, such as the U.K. and the U.S.A., but is lower than that in mainland China and the Republic of Korea.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Occupational exposure and respiratory morbidity among asbestos workers in Taiwan.

To determine the prevalence of asbestos-related lung disease and the impairment of lung function among asbestos workers, we conducted a cross-sectional health survey of 459 workers in 33 asbestos-related factories in Taiwan. Each worker was asked about his medical and occupational history and was given a medical examination, chest roentgenogram and pulmonary function test. Manufacturing processes included production of asbestos cements, textiles, friction materials and insulation products. Exposure assessments were based on asbestos sampling and counting using a phase contrast microscope. The average age of the participants in the study was 41.6 years. They had an average of 8.1 years of dust exposure, with a range of one to 42 years. The majority had a cumulative asbestos exposure of less than 20 fiber years/mL. No case of asbestos-related lung disease was found during our investigation. No roentgenogram showed unequivocal changes of asbestosis. However, a multiple linear regression analysis of the pulmonary function test showed that both FVC and FEV1 decreased significantly with an increasing cumulative dose of exposure after controlling for age, height and smoking effects during analysis. FEV1/FVC and FEF25-75% were not affected by exposure dose. The absence of asbestosis and other asbestos-related lung diseases may be due to an inadequate induction time of asbestos exposure and a possible healthy selection of workers. We conclude that among workers in Taiwan, there is a significant effect on the respiratory system, especially pulmonary function, due to asbestos exposure.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

The effect of hyperinflation on respiratory muscle strength and efficiency in healthy subjects and patients with asthma.

We evaluated respiratory muscle strength and efficiency in 15 patients with asthma. There was a significant reduction in mean Plmax (89.3 +/- 4.7 versus 110.5 +/- 9.4 cm H2O, p less than 0.001) and efficiency (2.41 +/- 0.2 versus 4.2 +/- 0.6%, p less than 0.01). This reduction in strength and efficiency was seen only in the male patients. Following bronchodilator, there was a significant increase in Plmax (from 89.3 +/- 4.7 to 96.2 +/- 5.4 cm H2O, p less than 0.005) and efficiency (from 2.41 +/- 0.2 to 3.22 +/- 0.2%, p less than 0.001). There was no correlation between the change in strength and efficiency and the degree of improvement in FEV1 following bronchodilator. However, there was a significant correlation with the fall in lung volume. To determine whether hyperinflation would result in a reduction in respiratory muscle strength and efficiency, we induced a mean increase in end-expiratory lung volume of 0.66 L by applying continuous negative pressure around the chest in 10 healthy individuals. This was associated with a significant fall in Plmax (from 110.5 +/- 9.4 to 100.5 +/- 8.93 cm H2O, p less than 0.001) and efficiency (from 4.2 +/- 0.6 to 2.6 +/- 0.5%, p less than 0.005). The data suggest that the strength and efficiency of the respiratory muscles are reduced in asthmatic males but not in the females. The strength and efficiency of the respiratory muscles improve significantly following bronchodilator, and this improvement is related to reduction in lung volume.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adrenergic beta-Agonists↗
PubMed1989

Efficiency of the respiratory muscles in healthy individuals.

We evaluated respiratory muscle performance by determining the energy cost of breathing against incremental threshold loads and calculating the efficiency of the respiratory apparatus for handling the added work. In five subjects, the energy cost of breathing against the loads, and thus the calculated efficiency of the respiratory muscles, was reproducible on repeated measurements. In all subjects, the calculated efficiency varied while breathing with low loads but was relatively constant at loads that resulted in a mouth pressure of 20 to 60% of the subjects' maximal static inspiratory pressure (PImax). The mean efficiency calculated between 20 to 60% of PImax in 30 normal subjects (15 males and 15 females) ranged between 1.54 and 7.98%. It was significantly greater in males (5.41 +/- 0.43%) (mean +/- SEM) than in females (2.41 +/- 0.17%). There was no relationship between efficiency and body size, but the efficiency correlated with inspiratory muscle strength (PImax). We suggest that measurement of the efficiency of the respiratory muscles over a spectrum of incremental threshold loads is a simple, noninvasive, and reproducible method of assessing respiratory muscle performance and may have clinical application.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Minimal inhibitory concentrations of isoniazid, rifampin, ethambutol, and streptomycin against Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains isolated before treatment of patients in Taiwan.

Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of isoniazid (INH), rifampin (RMP), ethambutol (EMB), and streptomycin (SM) for susceptible "wild" M. tuberculosis strains isolated from Taiwanese patients were within the limits previously reported for strains isolated in the United States. The highest agar-determined MICs (in 7H10 and 7H11 agar) corresponded well with the critical concentrations established for these media. The highest MICs found radiometrically in 7H12 broth were significantly lower than the critical concentrations proposed for this medium. On the basis of an evaluation of the highest broth-determined MICs found in this and in the previous study (1), we suggest that the following MICs, when determined radiometrically, should be used as breakpoints to classify the strain as "susceptible": for INH, 0.1 microgram/ml or less; for RMP, 0.5 microgram/ml or less; for EMB, 4.0 micrograms/ml or less; for SM, 2.0 micrograms/ml or less.

Antitubercular Agents↗
PubMed1987

Short-course chemotherapy of pulmonary tuberculosis in pneumoconiotic patients.

This is the first prospective clinical trial recorded to date of short-course chemotherapy in pulmonary tuberculosis complicated by pneumoconiosis. Forty-eight anthrasillicotic and 11 silicotic patients with previously untreated pulmonary tuberculosis completed 9-month, short-course chemotherapy regimens: 2 months of daily streptomycin, isoniazid, rifampicin, and pyrazinamide followed by daily isoniazid and rifampicin for 7 months (2SHRZ/7HR). There were 3 treatment failures (5%). The remaining 56 patients (95%) all had their sputum converted within 4 months (mean, 1.5 months). Bacteriologic relapses were noted in 3 patients (5%) after 18 to 40 months of follow-up (mean, 28.4 months). The relapses occurred within 7 months after chemotherapy was stopped. There were 2 deaths from nontuberculosis causes during the follow-up period. Fifty-one patients (90%) remained bacteriologically sterile for 28.4 +/- 6.1 months. These results suggest that the 2SHRZ/7HR regimen is satisfactory in treating anthrasilicotic or silicotic patients with pulmonary tuberculosis, though antituberculosis chemotherapy seemed less effective in patients with pneumoconiosis than in those without pneumoconiosis.

Adult↗