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Mei-Shang Ho

Publications and source records attributed to Mei-Shang Ho.

22 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2003

Habitual betel quid chewing as a risk factor for cirrhosis: a case-control study.

Betel quid chewing, part of traditional Taiwanese culture, is common in 10%-20% of the human population worldwide. In this case-control study we assessed the independent and interactive role of habitual betel quid chewing and chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection on risk of cirrhosis. Subjects enrolled included 210 pairs of sex- and age-matched cirrhotic patients and healthy controls. Information on risk factors was obtained through serologic examination of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and antibodies to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV), and a standardized personal interview with a structured questionnaire. Univariate analysis indicated that betel quid chewing, HBsAg+, anti-HCV+, alcohol drinking, and smoking are significant risk factors for cirrhosis. Multivariate analysis indicated that betel quid chewing (odds ratio [OR], 3.56), HBsAg (OR 20.37), and anti-HCV (OR 31.43) are independent risk factors for cirrhosis. Most betel quid chewers habitually drink alcohol. Although our analysis indicates that betel quid chewing acts independently from alcohol as a risk factor for cirrhosis, the confounding effect of alcohol cannot be excluded entirely by our study. There was an additive effect of the interaction between betel quid chewing and the presence of either HBsAg or anti-HCV. Moreover, a higher risk of cirrhosis was associated with longer duration of betel quid chewing and greater amount of betel quid consumed (each p for trend <0.0001). In conclusion, betel quid chewing appears to be an independent risk factor for cirrhosis. There is an additive interaction between betel quid chewing and chronic HBV/HCV infection.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Enterovirus 71 outbreaks, Taiwan: occurrence and recognition.

Enterovirus 71 (EV71) caused a large outbreak in Taiwan in 1998 with 78 deaths, and smaller outbreaks recurred in 2000 and 2001. The outbreak was recognized because of a large number of hand, foot, and mouth disease cases and the rapid deaths of children with the disease. Virologic and pathologic studies indicated that EV71 was the most important agent related to severe and fatal cases and that a neurogenic inflammatory response was involved in the pathogenesis of cardiopulmonary collapse resulting from fulminant EV71 infection. Seroepidemiologic study suggested that EV71 had circulated for at least 16 years and that the accumulation of susceptible hosts might have triggered the 1998 outbreak. However, a change in EV71 neurovirulence and host genetic susceptibility may also have affected the clinical outcome. The Taiwan outbreak shows that worldwide attention should be paid to such outbreaks, new antiviral drugs should be developed, and that vaccination of children under 5 years of age may be warranted.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Characterization of a Vero cell-adapted virulent strain of enterovirus 71 suitable for use as a vaccine candidate.

Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is a neurotrophic virus that causes seasonal morbidity and mortality in children throughout the world with increasing frequency in recent years. Because of the lack of an effective antiviral agent, primary prevention, including the development of effective vaccines, is a top priority in terms of control strategies. Poliovirus vaccine technology, both live attenuated and inactivated, killed virus vaccines, can be adopted for use with EV71 because of their relatedness. In this study, we have characterized a laboratory-adapted EV71 strain, YN3-4a, which exhibits different characteristics from those of its parent isolate, neu, in having a rapid growth rate in Vero cells, a larger plaque size, and a lower LD(50) in newborn mice. The YN3-4a can be produced at a high viral titer of up to 10(10) tissue culture infective dose (TCID(50)) when grown in Vero cells, an approved substrate for virus vaccine production. Mouse antiserum raised against YN3-4a can neutralize a broad range of strains of EV71 isolated at different times from a variety of geographic regions. On passage in Vero cells, YN3-4a remained genetically and phenotypically stable. Many of the above-described features, such as high viral yield, strong immunogenicity, broad-based antigenic coverage, and passage stability, are desirable features in a prototype virus for the development of an inactivated viral vaccine.

Animals↗