Chun-Chia Chen

Current patterns of irritable bowel syndrome in Taiwan: the Rome II questionnaire on a Chinese population

Background :u2002Irritable bowel syndrome is a common condition seen in Western countries. In Asia, however, it is less known and even less studied.

Gender difference on the symptoms, health-seeking behaviour, social impact and sleep quality in irritable bowel syndrome: a Rome II-based survey in an apparent healthy adult Chinese population in Taiwan.

Background :u2002Little is known about the gender effect on irritable bowel syndrome in Asia.

Can computed tomography with coronal reconstruction improve the diagnosis of choledocholithiasis

Background and Aim:u2002 Many technical developments of computed tomography (CT) made in recent years have improved imaging quality. However, the diagnostic efficacy of CT with coronal reconstruction for choledocholithiasis remains uncertain. This study aimed to investigate if CT with coronal reconstruction can aid in the diagnosis of choledocholithiasis.

Significance of Rome II-defined functional constipation in Taiwan and comparison with constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome

The epidemiology and impact of functional constipation on Asians remain unclear.

Social and medical impact, sleep quality and the pharmaceutical costs of heartburn in Taiwan

Background :u2002Little is known about the social and medical burdens of heartburn in Asia.

Impacts of peripheral obestatin on colonic motility and secretion in conscious fed rats

Obestatin, a novel putative 23-amino acid peptide, was found to be derived from a mammalian preproghrelin gene by using a bioinformatics approach. Although the effects of obestatin on food intake and upper gut motility remain controversial, no studies have been carried out to explore its influence on lower gut motility and secretion. We investigated the impacts of intravenous (IV) injection of obestatin on rat colonic motor and secretory functions. Colonic transit time, fecal pellet output, and fecal content were measured in freely fed, conscious rats, which were chronically implanted with IV and colonic catheters. To test the validity of this animal model, human/rat corticotropin-releasing factor (h/rCRF) served as a stimulatory inducer of colonic motility and secretion. IV injection of obestatin (45, 100, and 300 nmol/kg) did not affect the colonic transit time, whereas IV injection of h/rCRF (30 nmol/kg) effectively accelerated colonic transit time. IV obestatin, in every dose we tested, also did not modify fecal pellet output, frequency of watery diarrhea, total fecal weight, fecal dried solid weight, or fecal fluid weight in the first hour after injection. On the other hand, IV injection of h/rCRF significantly enhanced fecal pellet output, as well as increased the frequency of watery diarrhea, total fecal weight, fecal dried solid weight, and fecal fluid weight during the first hour after injection compared with IV saline controls. In conclusion, peripheral obestatin administration has no impact on colonic motility and secretion in conscious fed rats.

The potential risk factors leading to peptic ulcer formation in autoimmune disease patients receiving corticosteroid treatment

Aim : To study the potential risk factors leading to peptic ulcer disease among autoimmune disease patients on corticosteroid treatment.

Antiplatelet Therapy is Associated with a Better Prognosis for Patients with Hepatitis B Virus-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma after Liver Resection

AbstractBackgroundRecurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with unsatisfactory survival is common after surgical resection. Antiplatelet therapy with aspirin or clopidogrel was recently shown to prevent hepatic carcinogenesis in a murine model, but its effect in humans had not been clarified. This study aimed to investigate the association between antiplatelet therapy and the outcomes for patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related HCC after liver resection.MethodsBy analyzing data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database, 9461 HBV-related HCC patients who had undergone liver resection between January 1997 and December 2011 were identified. After one-to-four matching by sex, age, and propensity score, 442 patients with antiplatelet therapy and 1768 patients without antiplatelet therapy were enrolled for the analysis. The Kaplan–Meier method and modified Cox proportional hazards models were used for survival and multivariable, stratified analyses.nResultsRecurrence-free survival and overall survival after resection surgery were significantly better after 5xa0years in the treated cohort than in the untreated cohort (52.8 vs 47.9xa0%; pxa0=xa00.021 and 80.3 vs 65.4xa0%; pxa0<xa00.001, respectively). Besides, antiplatelet therapy reduced the risk of HCC recurrence (hazard ratio [HR] 0.73; pxa0<xa00.001) and overall mortality (HR 0.57; pxa0<xa00.001) in the multivariable analysis. However, antiplatelet use significantly increased the risk of upper gastrointestinal bleeding (odds ratio [OR] 1.91; pxa0<xa00.001).nConclusionsUse of aspirin or clopidogrel was associated with better recurrence-free survival and overall survival among patients with HBV-related HCC after liver resection. However, these agents should be used with caution due to the adverse effects of upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

The Risk of Cancer in Patients with Benign Anal Lesions: A Nationwide Population-based Study

OBJECTIVEnTo evaluate the risk of cancer among patients diagnosed with hemorrhoids and benign anal inflammatory lesions.nnnMETHODSnA population-based, retrospective cohort study was conducted that included patients diagnosed with hemorrhoids or benign inflammatory anal lesions (eg, anal fissure, fistula, and perianal abscesses) that were registered in the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2010. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were calculated to compare the cancer incidence of these patients to the general population.nnnRESULTSnDuring a median observation period of 6.23 years, 3080 cancers developed among 70,513 hemorrhoid patients, with a follow-up period of 438,425.6 person-years, entailing the SIR of 1.52 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.47-1.58). Increased cancer risk (SIR 1.16; 95% CI, 1.11-1.21) was still noted even after excluding the first year of observation. Significant long-term risk for colorectal cancer (SIR 1.50; 95% CI, 1.35-1.66) and prostate cancer (SIR 1.40; 95% CI, 1.17-1.66) was observed after corrections were made for multiple comparisons. In contrast, there was no remarkable increase in cancer risk for patients with inflammatory anal lesions when cancers detected within the first year of diagnosis were excluded.nnnCONCLUSIONnThe presence of hemorrhoids is associated significantly with a long-term risk of developing colorectal cancer or prostate cancer. In contrast, benign inflammatory anal lesions do not appear to increase the risk of malignancy.

DR‐70 immunoassay for the surveillance of hepatocellular carcinoma

Background and Aim:u2002 Although alpha‐fetoprotein (AFP) is a widely used serological marker for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), its utility is limited due to its unsatisfactory sensitivity. Meanwhile, a newly developed immunoassay—DR‐70—has been reported to have a good sensitivity for HCC in a small‐scale study. The aim of this study was to determine the clinical value of DR‐70 for the surveillance of HCC.