BACKGROUND/AIMS: Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) contributes to poorer short-term mortality in cirrhotic patients with ascites. However, it is unknown how long the effect of the first SBP event persists in these patients. METHODS: The National Health Insurance Database, derived from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Program, was used to identify and enroll 7,892 cirrhotic patients with ascites who were hospitalized between January 1 and December 31, 2007. All patients were free from episodes of SBP from 1996 to 2006. RESULTS: The study included 1,176 patients with SBP. The overall 30-day, 90-day, 1-year, and 3-year mortality rates in this group were 21.8%, 38.9%, 57.5%, and 73.4%, respectively. The overall 30-day, 90-day, 1-year, and 3-year mortality rates in the non-SBP group were 15.7%, 32.5%, 53.3%, and 72.5%, respectively. After adjusting for gender, age, and other medical comorbidities, the adjusted hazard ratios of SBP for 30-day, 30- to 90-day, 90-day to 1-year, and 1- to 3-year mortality were 1.49 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.30 to 1.71), 1.19 (95% CI, 1.02 to 1.38), 1.04 (95% CI, 0.90 to 1.20), and 0.90 (95% CI, 0.77 to 1.05), respectively, compared with the non-SBP group. CONCLUSIONS: The effect of SBP on the mortality of cirrhotic patients with ascites disappeared in those surviving more than 90 days after the first SBP event.
Ascites* ; Comorbidity ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Mortality* ; National Health Programs ; Peritonitis* ; Taiwan*

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Cellulitis is a common infectious disease. However, the risk of cellulitis in cirrhotic patients is not well established, and whether liver cirrhosis is a risk factor for cellulitis remains unknown. This study evaluated the relationship between cellulitis and liver cirrhosis. METHODS: The National Health Insurance Database, which was derived from the Taiwan National Health Insurance program, was used to identify patients. The study group consisted of 39,966 patients with liver cirrhosis, and the comparison group consisted of 39,701 randomly selected age- and sex-matched patients. RESULTS: During the 3-year follow-up period, 2,674 (6.7%) patients with liver cirrhosis developed cellulitis, and 1,587 (4.0%) patients without liver cirrhosis developed cellulitis (p<0.001). Following a Cox's regression analysis adjusted for age, sex, and underlying medical disorders, the cirrhotic patients demonstrated a greater risk for the occurrence of cellulitis than the non-cirrhotic patients during the 3-year period (hazard ratio [HR], 1.66; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.55 to 1.77; p<0.001). Additionally, cirrhotic patients with complications also had a greater risk for the occurrence of cellulitis than those patients without complications (HR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.14 to 1.33; p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that cirrhotic patients have a greater risk of cellulitis than non-cirrhotic patients.
Cellulitis ; Communicable Diseases ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Liver ; Liver Cirrhosis ; National Health Programs ; Risk Factors ; Taiwan

Background: Echocardiography is a primary tool used by veterinarians to evaluate heart diseases. In recent years, various studies have targeted standard echocardiographic values for different breeds. Reference data are currently lacking in Maltese dogs and it is important to fill this gap as this breed is predisposed to myxomatous mitral valve disease, which is a volume overload disease. Objectives: To establish the normal echocardiographic parameters for Maltese dogs. Methods: In total, 23 healthy Maltese dogs were involved in this study. Blood pressure measurements, thoracic radiography, and complete transthoracic echocardiography were performed. The effects of body weight, age and sex were evaluated, and the correlations between weight and linear and volumetric dimensions were calculated by regression analysis. Results: The mean vertebral heart size was 9.1 ± 0.4. Aside from the ejection fraction, fractional shortening, and the left atrial to aorta root ratio, all the other echocardiographic parameters were significantly correlated with weight. Conclusion This study describes normal echocardiographic parameters that may be useful in the echocardiographic evaluation of Maltese dogs.

Background: Echocardiography is a primary tool used by veterinarians to evaluate heart diseases. In recent years, various studies have targeted standard echocardiographic values for different breeds. Reference data are currently lacking in Maltese dogs and it is important to fill this gap as this breed is predisposed to myxomatous mitral valve disease, which is a volume overload disease. Objectives: To establish the normal echocardiographic parameters for Maltese dogs. Methods: In total, 23 healthy Maltese dogs were involved in this study. Blood pressure measurements, thoracic radiography, and complete transthoracic echocardiography were performed. The effects of body weight, age and sex were evaluated, and the correlations between weight and linear and volumetric dimensions were calculated by regression analysis. Results: The mean vertebral heart size was 9.1 ± 0.4. Aside from the ejection fraction, fractional shortening, and the left atrial to aorta root ratio, all the other echocardiographic parameters were significantly correlated with weight. Conclusion This study describes normal echocardiographic parameters that may be useful in the echocardiographic evaluation of Maltese dogs.

INTRODUCTIONNecrotising fasciitis (NF) is often found in patients with diabetes mellitus, chronic renal failure, alcoholism, malignancy or liver cirrhosis. However, it remains unknown whether liver cirrhosis is an independent risk factor for the occurrence of NF. This study aimed to determine whether liver cirrhosis is an independent risk factor for the occurrence of NF, and to identify the relationship between severity of liver cirrhosis and occurrence of NF.

METHODSThe National Health Insurance Research Database, maintained by Taiwan's National Health Insurance programme, was retrospectively analysed, and the hospitalisation data of 40,802 cirrhotic patients and 40,865 randomly selected, age‑ and gender‑matched non‑cirrhotic control patients was collected. The medical records of all patients were individually followed for a three‑year period from the patients' first hospitalisation in 2004.

RESULTSDuring the three‑year follow‑up period, there were 299 (0.7%) cirrhotic patients with NF and 160 (0.4%) non‑cirrhotic patients with NF. Cox regression analysis showed that liver cirrhosis was a risk factor for the occurrence of NF during the study period (hazard ratio 1.982; p < 0.001). Among cirrhotic patients, those with complicated liver cirrhosis had a higher risk for the occurrence of NF than patients with non‑complicated liver cirrhosis (hazard ratio 1.320; p = 0.028).

CONCLUSIONCirrhotic patients had a higher risk for the occurrence of NF than non‑cirrhotic patients, and the risk for NF was especially high among patients with complicated liver cirrhosis.

Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Alcoholism ; complications ; Comorbidity ; Fasciitis, Necrotizing ; complications ; physiopathology ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Incidence ; Liver Cirrhosis ; complications ; physiopathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Sex Factors ; Taiwan ; Treatment Outcome

No abstract available.
Hand Strength*

Subclavian artery (SCA) perforation is a rare complication while performing SCA intervention. In our present report, a 73-year-old female, with stenosis of the left SCA and situs inversus, presented with exercise-induced left arm weakness. The SCA stenosis was treated with direct stenting with a balloon-expansible Express LD 10×25 mm stent. However, it caused iatrogenic SCA perforation and hemothorax. The perforation was sealed by endovascular repair with operator-modified Endurant II graft stent, which complicated with occlusion of left common carotid artery. And, the carotid artery was rescued by another stent. The graft stent, which was originally designed for abdominal aortic aneurysm, can be modified to suitable length and take as a rescue stent of large vessel with iatrogenic perforation. Due to strong radial force of graft stent, preservation of large side branches should been watched out.
Aged ; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal ; Arm ; Carotid Arteries ; Carotid Artery, Common ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Female ; Hemothorax ; Humans ; Situs Inversus ; Stents* ; Subclavian Artery* ; Subclavian Steal Syndrome ; Transplants*

INTRODUCTIONLarge, recent population-based data for evaluating the predictors of oesophageal variceal bleeding (OVB) among cirrhotic patients is still lacking. This study aimed to determine the cumulative incidence of OVB among cirrhotic patients and identify the predictors of OVB occurrence.

METHODSPatient information on 38,172 cirrhotic patients without a history of OVB, who were discharged between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2007, was obtained from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Database for this study. All patients were followed up for three years. Death was the competing risk when calculating the cumulative incidences and hazard ratios (HRs) of OVB.

RESULTSOVB was present in 2,609 patients (OVB group) and absent in 35,563 patients (non-OVB group) at hospitalisation. During the three-year follow-up period, the cumulative incidence of OVB was 44.5% and 11.3% in the OVB and non-OVB group, respectively (p < 0.001). Modified Cox regression analysis showed that the HR of OVB history was 4.42 for OVB occurrence (95% confidence interval [CI] 4.13-4.74). Other predictors for OVB occurrence included hepatocellular carcinoma (HR 1.16, 95% CI 1.09-1.24), young age (HR 0.98, 95% CI 0.98-0.98), ascites (HR 1.46, 95% CI 1.37-1.56), alcohol-related disorders (HR 1.20, 95% CI 1.12-1.28), peptic ulcer bleeding (HR 1.26, 95% CI 1.13-1.41) and diabetes mellitus (HR 1.14, 95% CI 1.06-1.23).

CONCLUSIONCirrhotic patients have a fourfold increased risk of future OVB following the first incidence of OVB.

Adult ; Aged ; Alcoholism ; complications ; Ascites ; complications ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; complications ; Databases, Factual ; Diabetes Complications ; Esophageal and Gastric Varices ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Humans ; Incidence ; Liver Cirrhosis ; complications ; physiopathology ; Liver Neoplasms ; complications ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Peptic Ulcer ; complications ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk ; Taiwan

BACKGROUND: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are derived from internal cellular compartments, and have potential as a diagnostic and therapeutic tool in degenerative disease associated with aging. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have become a promising tool for functional EVs production. This study investigated the efficacy of EVs and its effect on differentiation capacity. METHODS: The characteristics of MSCs were evaluated by flow cytometry and stem cell differentiation analysis, and a production mode of functional EVs was scaled from MSCs. The concentration and size of EVs were quantitated by Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA). Western blot analysis was used to assess the protein expression of exosomespecific markers. The effects of MSC-derived EVs were assessed by chondrogenic and adipogenic differentiation analyses and histological observation. RESULTS The range of the particle size of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs)- and Wharton’s jelly -MSCs-derived EVs were from 130 to 150 nm as measured by NTA, which showed positive expression of exosomal markers. The chondrogenic induction ability was weakened in the absence of EVs in vitro. Interestingly, after EV administration, type II collagen, a major component in the cartilage extracellular matrix, was upregulated compared to the EV-free condition.Moreover, EVs decreased the lipid accumulation rate during adipogenic induction.

Objective: Emerging evidence suggests that air pollution exposure may increase the risk of Parkinson’s disease (PD). We aimed to investigate the association between exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and the risk of incident PD nationwide. Methods: We utilized data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database, which is spatiotemporally linked with air quality data from the Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration website. The study population consisted of participants who were followed from the index date (January 1, 2005) until the occurrence of PD or the end of the study period (December 31, 2017). Participants who were diagnosed with PD before the index date were excluded. To evaluate the association between exposure to PM2.5 and incident PD risk, we employed Cox regression to estimate the hazard ratio and 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: A total of 454,583 participants were included, with a mean (standard deviation) age of 63.1 (9.9) years and a male proportion of 50%. Over a mean follow-up period of 11.1 (3.6) years, 4% of the participants (n = 18,862) developed PD. We observed a significant positive association between PM2.5 exposure and the risk of PD, with a hazard ratio of 1.22 (95% CI, 1.20–1.23) per interquartile range increase in exposure (10.17 μg/m3) when adjusting for both SO2 and NO2. Conclusion We provide further evidence of an association between PM2.5 exposure and the risk of PD. These findings underscore the urgent need for public health policies aimed at reducing ambient air pollution and its potential impact on PD.