Hepatitis B virus infection among pregnant women in Taiwan: Comparison between women born in Taiwan and other southeast countries

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Taiwan's national vaccination program has successfully decreased the prevalence of hepatitis B infection after twenty years of implementation and might be indirectly beneficial to the second generation. In this study, we compared the hepatitis B infection status of two groups: pregnant Taiwanese women and other Southeast Asian women, who because they had immigrated later in life to Taiwan by marriage to a Taiwanese man, had not been exposed to that vaccination program to evaluate the effect of hepatitis vaccination program on women of child-bearing age and further explored the potential impact of immigration on the hepatitis B public health policy in Taiwan.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Data was collected from 10,327 women born in Taiwan and 1,418 women born in other Southeast Asian countries, both groups receiving prenatal examinations at Fooyin University Hospital between 1996 and 2005. The results of serum hepatitis B s-Antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B e-Antigen (HBeAg) tests and other demographic data were obtained by medical chart review.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The pregnant women from Taiwan had a higher HBsAg positive rate (15.5%) but lower HBeAg(+)/HBsAg(+) ratio (32.1%) than the women from other countries (8.9% and 52.4%). For those born before July, 1984, the period of no national vaccination program, Taiwanese women had a higher HBsAg positive rate than other Southeast Asian women (15.7% vs. 8.4%), but for women born after that day and before June 1986, the period of vaccination for high risk newborns, the HBsAg positive rates found to be slightly lower for Taiwanese women than for other Southeast Asian women (11.4% vs. 12.3%) and the difference was more significant (3.1% vs. 28.6%) after June 1986, the period of vaccination for all newborns. While the HBeAg(+)/HBsAg(+) ratios decreased with age in both groups, they were consistently higher in women from other Southeast Asian countries than in women born in Taiwan after age 20.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In Taiwan, the neonatal vaccination program that was implemented in 1984 has successfully reduced hepatitis B infection among pregnant women in present day, and is likely to indirectly prevent hepatitis B infection in the next generation. However, the increasing number of pregnant women from other Southeast Asian countries without a national neonatal vaccination program or with a program that was introduced later than the one in Taiwan will likely lessen the positive impact of this program and should be further assessed.</p

Regulation of epithelial–mesenchymal IL-1 signaling by PPARβ/δ is essential for skin homeostasis and wound healing

Skin morphogenesis, maintenance, and healing after wounding require complex epithelial–mesenchymal interactions. In this study, we show that for skin homeostasis, interleukin-1 (IL-1) produced by keratinocytes activates peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor β/δ (PPARβ/δ) expression in underlying fibroblasts, which in turn inhibits the mitotic activity of keratinocytes via inhibition of the IL-1 signaling pathway. In fact, PPARβ/δ stimulates production of the secreted IL-1 receptor antagonist, which leads to an autocrine decrease in IL-1 signaling pathways and consequently decreases production of secreted mitogenic factors by the fibroblasts. This fibroblast PPARβ/δ regulation of the IL-1 signaling is required for proper wound healing and can regulate tumor as well as normal human keratinocyte cell proliferation. Together, these findings provide evidence for a novel homeostatic control of keratinocyte proliferation and differentiation mediated via PPARβ/δ regulation in dermal fibroblasts of IL-1 signaling. Given the ubiquitous expression of PPARβ/δ, other epithelial–mesenchymal interactions may also be regulated in a similar manner

Determinants of Actual Purchase Behavior in Farmers' Markets

Farmers’ markets in Taiwan advocate for the sustainable consumption of locally produced food to support sustainability and social justice goals. Institutional trust and interpersonal trust are critical determinative factors in sustaining farmers’ farm-to-consumer venues for the long-run. The purpose of this research was to investigate determinants of customers’ actual purchase behaviors, and the relationships between trust, purchase intention, and actual purchase behavior in the context of farmers’ markets. A questionnaire approach with closed-ended survey questions was conducted with customers in farmers’ markets in different parts of Taiwan. The results revealed that both institutional and interpersonal trust could serve as driving forces influencing a consumer’s purchase intentions, which in turn reinforces their actual purchase behavior. Specifically, the interpersonal trust between consumers and producers includes positive interactions and sufficient communication, enabling producers to share the value and concepts underlying their production processes with the consumers, enhancing customers’ purchase intentions and intensity. Institutional trust generated from a producer’s endeavor to improve the quality of their own products by meeting market standards would impress consumers and build loyalty. It is recommended that farmers’ market farmers or managers continually examine both the institutional and interpersonal needs of customers (e.g., food safety, face-to-face interactions between farmers and consumers) to earn customers’ trust, and to accommodate their expectations by providing sufficient products and services

Patient-specific Factors Associated with Difficult Mask Ventilation in the Emergency Department

Summary: Background: Difficult mask ventilation (DMV) leading to oxygen and ventilation failure can cause complications and fatal consequences in airway management, but has rarely been studied as a primary outcome in the emergency department (ED). This study aimed to determine the incidence and predictors of DMV in the ED. Methods: A specially designed form recording potential risk factors for DMV was designed and subsequently completed by a research nurse and physicians who had performed the procedure for all mask ventilation attempts over a one-year period in the ED of a large hospital in Taipei, Taiwan. Univariate associations between patient characteristics and DMV were measured, and a risk assessment scale was created according to the independent risk factors for DMV ascertained by adjusted regression models. Results: One hundred ten mask ventilation attempts were recorded during the study period. DMV occurred frequently in the ED (45.9% of mask ventilation attempts). Significantly elevated rates of DMV were observed in patients aged 65 years or older those lacking teeth, with sunken cheeks, a double chin or a thick short neck. In adjusted analyses, three easily recognizable predictors, namely lack of teeth, sunken cheeks, and a double chin were found to be independent risk factors for DMV, and accordingly a risk assessment scale- LSD method was made. Conclusion: DMV is a frequent challenge in EDs. An easy-to-use LSD risk scale is created for clinicians to rapidly identify and appropriately manage the risk patients of DMV. Keywords: airway management, emergency physician, endotracheal intubatio

Correction: MicroRNA-1301-Mediated RanGAP1 Downregulation Induces BCR-ABL Nuclear Entrapment to Enhance Imatinib Efficacy in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Cells.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0156260.]

Association of Apolipoprotein E Polymorphism with Adipokines and Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) polymorphism and adipokines are linked to atherosclerosis. We aimed to investigate the associations of apoE genotypes with adipokines, inflammatory parameters, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risks in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. We enrolled 152 RA patients and 49 healthy control (HC) subjects. The apoE genotyping was determined by a polymerase chain reaction, while plasma levels of adipokines and inflammatory cytokines were measured with ELISA. Although apoE genotypes distributions were indistinguishable between RA patients and HC, we found significantly higher levels of apoE and adipokines in RA patients compared with HC. RA patients with &epsilon;2&epsilon;3 genotype had lower levels of TNF-&alpha;, IL-6, resistin, and visfatin, but higher leptin levels compared with &epsilon;3&epsilon;3 genotype patients. Patients with &epsilon;3&epsilon;4 genotype had significantly higher low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) levels and atherogenic index scores compared with &epsilon;2&epsilon;3 genotype carriers. Moreover, patients with &epsilon;2&epsilon;3 genotype had significantly lower 10-year CVD risk than &epsilon;3&epsilon;3 or &epsilon;3&epsilon;4 genotype patients. &epsilon;3&epsilon;4 genotype and adiponectin levels were independent predictors of a high 10-year CVD risk. RA patients with &epsilon;2&epsilon;3 genotype are associated with lower levels of TNF-&alpha;, IL-6, resistin, visfatin, and CVD risk, while RA patients with &epsilon;3&epsilon;4 genotype exhibited higher levels of LDL-C, insulin resistance, and higher CVD risks

Discordance of Mutation Statuses of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor and K-ras between Primary Adenocarcinoma of Lung and Brain Metastasis

Mutations on epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) of adenocarcinomas of lung have been found to be associated with increased sensitivity to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors and K-ras mutations may correlate with primary resistance. We aimed to explore the discordant mutation statuses of EGFR and K-ras between primary tumors and matched brain metastases in adenocarcinomas of lung. We used a sensitive Scorpion ARMS method to analyze EGFR mutation, and Sanger sequencing followed by allele-specific real-time polymerase chain reaction to analyze K-ras mutation. Forty-nine paired tissues with both primary adenocarcinoma of lung and matched brain metastasis were collected. Thirteen patients (26.5%) were discordant for the status of EGFR between primary and metastatic sites. K-ras gene could be checked in paired specimens from 33 patients, thirteen patients (39.6%) were discordant for the status of K-ras. In primary lung adenocarcinoma, there were 14 patients of mutant EGFR had mutant K-ras synchronously. This study revealed that the status of EGFR mutation in lung adenocarcinomas is relatively consistent between primary and metastatic sites compared to K-ras mutation. However, there are still a few cases of adenocarcinoma of lung showing discordance for the status of EGFR mutation. Repeated analysis of EGFR mutation is highly recommended if tissue from metastatic or recurrent site is available for the evaluation of target therapy

MicroRNA-1301-Mediated RanGAP1 Downregulation Induces BCR-ABL Nuclear Entrapment to Enhance Imatinib Efficacy in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Cells

<div><p>Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a myeloproliferative disease. Imatinib (IM), the first line treatment for CML, is excessively expensive and induces various side effects in CML patients. Therefore, it is essential to investigate a new strategy for improving CML therapy. Our immunoblot data revealed that RanGTPase activating protein 1 (RanGAP1) protein levels increased by approximately 30-fold in K562 cells compared with those in normal cells. RanGAP1 is one of the important components of RanGTPase system, which regulates the export of nuclear protein. However, whether RanGAP1 level variation influences BCR-ABL nuclear export is still unknown. In this report, using shRNA to downregulate RanGAP1 expression level augmented K562 cell apoptosis by approximately 40% after treatment with 250 nM IM. Immunofluorescence assay also indicated that three-fold of nuclear BCR-ABL was detected. These data suggest that BCR-ABL nuclear entrapment induced by RanGAP1 downregulation can be used to improve IM efficacy. Moreover, our qRT-PCR data indicated a trend of inverse correlation between the <i>RanGAP1</i> and microRNA (miR)-1301 levels in CML patients. MiR-1301, targeting the <i>RanGAP1</i> 3′ untranslated region, decreased by approximately 100-fold in K562 cells compared with that in normal cells. RanGAP1 downregulation by miR-1301 transfection impairs BCR-ABL nuclear export to increase approximately 60% of cell death after treatment of 250 nM IM. This result was almost the same as treatment with 1000 nM IM alone. Furthermore, immunofluorescence assay demonstrated that Tyr-99 of nuclear P73 was phosphorylated accompanied with nuclear entrapment of BCR-ABL after transfection with RanGAP1 shRNA or miR-1301 in IM-treated K562 cells. Altogether, we demonstrated that RanGAP1 downregulation can mediate BCR-ABL nuclear entrapment to activate P73-dependent apoptosis pathway which is a novel strategy for improving current IM treatment for CML.</p></div