Journal of the Chinese Medical Association : JCMA
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Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of mortality in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). In addition to arteriosclerosis (arterial stiffness) and atherosclerosis, left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy and LV systolic dysfunction are the major cardiac determinants of cardiovascular mortality in hemodialysis patients. Although LV diastolic dysfunction is common in patients with ESRD, its prognostic value is yet to be established. ⋯ The findings of the current study suggest that diastolic function, as indexed by TDI, is an independent predictor of hospitalization and mortality in ESRD patients receiving regular hemodialysis and with preserved LV systolic function. The TDI parameters may reflect the impairment of arterial function and LV pressure overload.
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The aim of this study was to investigate whether macrophages can participate in the immunosuppression of condyloma acuminatum (CA) by expressing PD-1/PD-L1. ⋯ Macrophages participate in the immunosuppression of CA by expressing PD-1/PD-L1.
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The major curative remedy for advanced liver failure is hepatic transplantation. However, the conventional medicine still shows the limitations and obstacles for liver regeneration. Importantly, it is unclear whether we can get a rapid and high efficacy platform to facilitate to reprogram hepatic capability. The main work of this study was to develop a platform for a nanomedicine-based gene-delivery platform of novel nanoparticles (NNPs) to efficiently facilitate the liver function recovery. ⋯ Herein, we demonstrated that novel nanoparticle, such as NNP-HNF3, serves as a key regulator for protecting the damaged hepatic cell and the bioproduct-based source for the new therapeutics of hepatic failure.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
A subanalysis of Taiwanese patients from ODYSSEY South Korea and Taiwan study evaluating the efficacy and safety of alirocumab.
Alirocumab can provide significant reductions in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). However, data regarding its efficacy and safety in Asians are limited. ⋯ Alirocumab treatment provided a favorable effect on LDL-C levels and other lipid parameters, and was generally well-tolerated in patients from Taiwan. The results of current analysis were consistent with the overall ODYSSEY phase 3 program.
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Treatment of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) evolved rapidly due to the invention of interferon-free direct antiviral agents. Previous clinical trials showed combination therapy with paritaprevir/ritonavir, ombitasvir, and dasabuvir (PrOD) with or without ribavirin (RBV) can cure over 95% of genotype 1 CHC patients, regardless with cirrhosis or not. However, real-world data regarding the efficacy and safety of PrOD-based therapy in Asian HCV genotype 1 CHC patients are limited, especially for advanced-fibrotic patients who failed previous therapy with pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) plus RBV. ⋯ Our real-world data in Taiwan revealed that PrOD-based rescue therapy is well-tolerated and highly effective for genotype 1 CHC patients with advanced fibrosis failing previous therapy with PEG-IFN plus RBV.