Ting-Tse Lin

Poor outcome in post transplant lymphoproliferative disorder with pulmonary involvement after allogeneic hematopoietic SCT: 13 years' experience in a single institute.

EBV-induced post transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) continues to be a major complication after transplantation. Between January 1993 and April 2006, 12 cases of B-cell lymphoproliferative disorder were identified among 577 patients after allogeneic hematopoietic SCT (HSCT) with an overall incidence of 2.51% at 1 year. Grades II–IV acute GVHD, CMV antigenemia and the use of antithymocyte globulin (ATG) were independent risk factors for PTLD. At diagnosis, all of the tumors were CD20-positive and 11 (92%) were EBV-encoded RNA (EBER)-positive. Of the 12 patients with B-cell lymphoproliferative disorder, 8 had pulmonary involvement and 10 had extranodal involvement. Eleven patients received weekly rituximab therapy at a dose of 375 mg/m2; the median interval between the onset of symptoms and rituximab therapy was 6 days. The overall mortality rate was 92% and seven (64%) of the deaths were directly attributable to disseminated PTLD within days or weeks of presentation. In our series, pulmonary PTLD followed an extremely aggressive course and poor response to current therapy, even though rituximab was included in the therapeutic regimens.

Statin use reduces the risk of dementia in elderly patients: a nationwide data survey and propensity analysis

The objective of this study was to examine the association between the use of statins and the risk of newly diagnosed dementia in an elderly population.

Primary prevention of atrial fibrillation with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers in patients with end-stage renal disease undergoing dialysis

Current evidence suggests that angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) reduce the incidence of new atrial fibrillation (AF) in a variety of clinical conditions, including the treatment of left ventricular dysfunction or hypertension. Here we assessed whether ACEIs and ARBs could decrease incidence of new-onset AF in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). We identified patients from the Registry for Catastrophic Illness, a nation-wide database encompassing almost all of the patients receiving dialysis therapy in Taiwan from 1995 to 2008. Propensity score matching and Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios for new-onset AF. Among 113,186 patients, 13% received ACEIs, 14% received ARBs therapy, and 9% received ACEIs or ARBs alternatively. After a median follow-up of 1524 days, the incidence of new-onset AF significantly decreased in patients treated with ACEIs (hazard ratio 0.587, 95% confidence interval 0.519-0.663), ARBs (0.542, 0.461-0.637), or ACEIs/ARBs (0.793, 0.657-0.958). The prevention of new-onset AF was significantly better in patients taking longer duration of ACEI or ARB therapy. The effect remained robust in subgroup analyses. Thus both ACEIs and ARBs appear to be effective in the primary prevention of AF in patients with ESRD. Hence, renin-angiotensin system inhibition may be an emerging treatment target for the primary prevention of AF.

Comparative Effectiveness and Safety of Dabigatran and Rivaroxaban in Atrial Fibrillation Patients.

Background We aimed to examine the comparative effectiveness and safety between dabigatran and rivaroxaban in atrial fibrillation patients. Methods and Results We conducted a population‐based, retrospective, new‐user cohort study based on the National Health Insurance claims database in Taiwan. Adult atrial fibrillation patients who initiated dabigatran (N=10 625) or rivaroxaban (N=4609) between June 1, 2012 and May 31, 2014 were identified as the overall population. A propensity score was derived using logistic regression to model the probability of receipt of rivaroxaban as a function of potential confounders. Altogether, 4600 dabigatran users were matched with 4600 rivaroxaban users to create a propensity score–matched population. The marginal proportional hazards model was applied among the propensity score–matched population as the primary analysis, and the proportional hazards model with adjustment of the quintiles of the propensity score among the overall population was used as the secondary analysis. Rivaroxaban users had a higher risk of all‐cause death than dabigatran users (hazard ratio 1.44, 95%CI 1.17‐1.78 in the primary analysis and hazard ratio 1.47, 95%CI 1.23‐1.75 in the secondary analysis). Rivaroxaban users also possessed a higher risk of gastrointestinal hemorrhage needing transfusion than dabigatran users in the primary analysis (hazard ratio 1.41, 95%CI 1.02‐1.95), but the difference diminished in the secondary analysis (hazard ratio 1.20, 95%CI 0.92‐1.56). The risks of ischemic stroke, acute myocardial infarction, arterial embolism/thrombosis, and intracranial hemorrhage were similar between the 2 groups. Conclusions Rivaroxaban therapy was associated with a statistically significant increase in all‐cause death compared with dabigatran therapy in atrial fibrillation patients.

Class effect of beta-blockers in survivors of ST-elevation myocardial infarction: A nationwide cohort study using an insurance claims database.

Beta-blockers can help reduce mortality following acute myocardial infarction (MI); however, whether beta-blockers exert a class effect remains controversial. This study identified all patients with first ST-elevation MI for the period of 2003 to 2010 from the National Health Insurance claims database, Taiwan. We compared patients prescribed carvedilol, bisoprolol, and propranolol. Study outcomes included all-cause death, cardiovascular death, and recurrence of MI. The propensity scores were constructed using multinomial logistic regression to model the receipt of different beta-blockers. Treating carvedilol group as a reference, we employed a simultaneous three-group comparison approach using the Cox regression model with adjustment for the propensity scores to compare the relative risks of various outcomes. Among the 16836 patients, 7591 were prescribed carvedilol, 5934 bisoprolol, and 3311 propranolol. Mean follow-up time was one year. After accounting for baseline differences, patients treated with bisoprolol (HR 0.87, 95% CI 0.72–1.05, p = 0.14) or propranolol (HR 1.07, 95% CI 0.84–1.36, p = 0.58) had a similar risk of all-cause death in comparison with carvedilol. No significant differences were observed among three beta-blocker groups with regard to the risks of cardiovascular death and recurrence of MI. Our results suggest that beta-blockers exert a possible class effect in the treatment of acute MI.

Anti-Hyperglycemic Agents and New-Onset Acute Myocardial Infarction in Diabetic Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease Undergoing Dialysis.

Background Diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are a high-stakes combination for cardiovascular disease. Patients with decreased kidney function and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) have increased risk of hypoglycemia when attaining better glycemic control, leading to higher risk of myocardial infarction (MI). For these patients, which kinds of anti-hyperglycemic agents would be associated with higher risk of MI is not clear. Methods We identified patients from a nation-wide database called Registry for Catastrophic Illness, which encompassed almost 100% of the patients receiving dialysis therapy in Taiwan from 1995 to 2008. Patients with diabetes and ESRD were selected as the study cohort. Propensity score adjustment and Coxs proportional hazards regression model were used to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) for new-onset MI. Results Among 15,161 patients, 39% received insulin, 40% received sulfonylureas, 18% received meglitinides and 3% received thiazolidinedione (TZD). After a median follow-up of 1,357 days, the incidence of MI was significant increase in patients taking sulfonylureas (HR = 1.523, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.331–1.744), meglitinides (HR = 1.251, 95% CI = 1.048–1.494) and TZD (HR = 1.515, 95% CI = 1.071–2.145) by using patients receiving insulin therapy as the reference group. The risk of MI remains higher in other three groups in subgroup analyses. Conclusions In conclusion, among diabetic patients with ESRD undergoing dialysis, the use of sulfonylureas, meglitinides and TZD are associated with higher risk of new-onset MI as compared with insulin.

Effect of statin therapy on the prevention of new-onset acute coronary syndrome in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

BACKGROUND The aim of this study is to investigate whether statin therapy can reduce new-onset acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS We used a database from the Registry for Catastrophic Illness from the National Health Research Institute (NHRI) in Taiwan. All RA patients aged 18 or older, diagnosed between 1995 and 2013, without previous cardiovascular events were included. We divided participants into quartiles according to the accumulated statin equivalent dosage and tertiles of period of days of statin treatment to examine the possible dose-response effect. To avoid confounding effects, a 1:4 propensity score matching and Coxs proportional hazard regression models were applied to estimate the hazard ratios for ACS events in patients with and without statin use. RESULTS Total 49,227 patients were included and PS matching identified 5483 patients receiving statins and 21,932 who did not. RA patients treated with statins had lower incidence of first ACS event (IRR 0.779, 95% CI: 0.654-0.927, p=0.005) after PS matching. Statin therapy is associated with reduced risk of new ACS before PS matching (HR=0.847, 95% CI: 0.737-0.973, p=0.019) and the beneficial effect is correlated with accumulated dose and therapy duration (HRs from Q1 to Q4 are 1.215, 0.825, 0.716 and 0.611, p<0.001 for trend; HRs from T1 to T3 are 1.100, 0.841 and 0.611, p<0.001 for trend). These results remained robust after propensity matching. Comparison between 6 different statins, rosuvastatin seems to be associated with better outcome on ACS primary prevention after excluding participants taking more than one kind of statin. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrated that statin therapy is associated with lower event rate of new-onset ACS in RA patients and the beneficial effect is dose-responsive.

Circulating Progenitor Cells Affect Thrombosis of Dialysis Arteriovenous Fistulas

Background: Arteriovenous fistula (AVF) thrombosis is a relevant cause of morbidity in hemodialysis (HD) patients. The number of circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) has been identified as a surrogate marker for vascular repair and health. Deficiency of EPCs has been demonstrated in dialysis patients to be associated with vascular events. Nonetheless, their role in thrombosis of AVFs remains unknown. Methods: From January 2010 to May 2013, 147 HD patients with dysfunctional AVFs were enrolled. Surface makers including CD34, KDR and CD133 were used in combination to determine the number of circulating EPCs. All participants were prospectively followed at 6-month interval until December 2015. The primary outcome was thrombosis of dialysis AVFs. Results: The median follow-up was 47 months, within which 42 patients experienced at least one episode of AVF thrombosis. Patients with AVF thrombosis had lower CD34+KDR+ cell counts compared with patients without thrombosis (median 5 vs. 13 per 150,000 mononuclear cells, p < 0.001). Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated an inverse relationship between CD34+KDR+ cell count tertiles and thrombosis-free patency (59, 69 and 86% for low, middle and high tertiles; p = 0.02). Using Cox regression analysis, AVF thrombosis was predicted by baseline CD34+KDR+ cell counts (hazards ratio (HR) 0.963, 95% CI 0.928-1.000, p = 0.05) and tertiles (high vs. low, HR 3.266, 95% CI 1.380-7.728, p < 0.01). In multivariate analysis, only CD34+KDR+ cell tertiles, C-reactive protein and lesion length remained independent predictors for thrombosis. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated an independently reverse association between circulating EPCs and thrombosis of dialysis AVFs. Further studies are warranted to ascertain whether EPCs serve as a marker or a therapeutic target for AVF thrombosis.

Primary prevention of atrial fibrillation with beta-blockers in patients with end-stage renal disease undergoing dialysis

Current evidence suggests that beta-blocker lower the risk of development of atrial fibrillation (AF) and in-hospital stroke after cardiac surgery. This study was to assess whether beta-blockers could decrease incidence of new-onset AF in patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD). We identified patients from a nation-wide database called Registry for Catastrophic Illness, which encompassed almost 100% of the patients receiving dialysis therapy in Taiwan from 1995 to 2008. Propensity score matching and Cox’s proportional hazards regression model were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for new-onset AF. Among 100066 patients, 41.7% received beta-blockers. After a median follow-up of 1500 days, the incidence of new-onset AF significantly decreased in patients treated with beta-blockers (HR = 0.483, 95% confidence interval = 0.437-0.534). The prevention of new-onset AF was significantly better in patients taking longer duration of beta-blockers therapy (P for time trend <0.001). The AF prevention effect remains robust in subgroup analyses. In conclusion, beta-blockers seem effective in the primary prevention of AF in ESRD patients. Hence, beta-blockers may be the target about upstream treatment of AF.

Very late recurrence of sinus of Valsalva aneurysm rupture after patch repair

BackgroundSinus of Valsalva aneurysm (SVA) is an uncommon cardiac defect accounting for only 1% of congenital cardiac anomalies and the most common complication is ruptured into the atrium or ventricle. Very late recurrence of ruptured SVA after patch repair is extremely rare.Case presentationWe present a case of 57-year-old man had received repair for ruptured Sinus of Valsalva aneurysm at 19 ages. In the clinics, he presented with exertional dyspnea and leg swelling. The serial examination disclosed he had bicuspid aortic valve and very late rupture of SVA connecting to right atrium. After surgical repair again, he was discharged smoothly.ConclusionA very late recurrence of ruptured SVA after surgical repair was rare. We reported a case with unique echocardiographic presentation and a successful repair.