| autoimmune hepatitis in an area endemic for hepatitis b virus infection: a report of three cases. | the role of autoimmune hepatitis (aih) in the pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis is usually neglected, and its prevalence in taiwan is uncertain. this report described three cases of aih among consecutive patients with abnormal liver function tests encountered during the past six years. the minimal follow-up period was three years. two of them were elderly males and one was associated with spontaneous clearance of hepatitis b surface antigen before being recognized as aih. though multiple relapse ... | 1996 | 8768385 |
| superinfection with hepatitis c virus in hemodialysis patients with hepatitis b surface antigenemia: its prevalence and clinical significance in taiwan. | a survey of hepatitis b surface antigen (hbsag) and antibodies against hepatitis c virus (anti-hcv) in 173 patients undergoing hemodialysis in taiwan revealed that 15 (9%) patients were positive for both hbsag and anti-hcv, 106 (61%) were positive for anti-hcv alone, and 14 (8%) were positive for hbsag alone. most hbsag positivity was acquired before the onset of hemodialysis. anti-hcv positivity, however, was mainly acquired via the hemodialysis procedure. patients with dual markers were younge ... | 1996 | 8773337 |
| seroepidemiology of hepatitis b virus infection in children: ten years of mass vaccination in taiwan. | to study the seroepidemiology of hepatitis b virus (hbv) infection in children 10 years after a mass hepatitis b vaccination program was begun in taiwan. | 1996 | 8782640 |
| aflatoxin exposure and risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in taiwan. | to investigate the carcinogenic effect of environmental aflatoxin exposure, 56 cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (hcc) diagnosed between 1991 and 1995 were identified and individually matched by age, sex, residence and date of recruitment to 220 healthy controls from the same large cohort in taiwan. blood samples were analyzed for hepatitis b and c viral markers and for aflatoxin-albumin adducts; urine was tested for aflatoxin metabolites. we obtained information about sociodemographic character ... | 1996 | 8782648 |
| precore mutant of hepatitis b virus prevails in acute and chronic infections in an area in which hepatitis b is endemic. | by using an amplification-created restriction site method, the precore tag mutant of hepatitis b virus was detected in 6 (75%) of 8 acute fulminant hepatitis b patients, 7 (58%) of 12 acute self-limiting hepatitis b patients, 35 (81%) of 43 hepatitis b virus surface antigen carriers with fulminant hepatitis, and 42 (70%) of 60 hepatitis b virus surface antigen carriers with chronic hepatitis. the precore tag mutant prevails in acute and chronic hepatitis b of various severity in this area where ... | 1996 | 8784599 |
| effects of multiple risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma on formation of aflatoxin b1-dna adducts. | covalent binding of aflatoxin b1 (afb1) with hepatic dna may be a critical step in hepatocarcinogenesis. the extent of the afb1 binding to dna may depend on various endogenous factors and concurrent exposure to other environmental agents. this study was performed to determine whether any individual characteristics correlated with the formation of afb1-dna adducts. the major afb1-dna adduct, afb1-n7-guanine, was measured using a high performance liquid chromatographic assay in urine samples from ... | 1996 | 8824363 |
| mutual confounding and interactive effects between hepatitis c and hepatitis b viral infections in hepatocellular carcinogenesis: a population-based case-control study in taiwan. | a population-based case-control study was conducted in taiwan to determine the hepatitis c virus (hcv)-associated risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (hcc) in a hyperendemic area for hepatitis b virus (hbv) infection. a total of 58 recently diagnosed hcc patients and 225 matched community controls, who participated in a community-based liver cancer screening program, were recruited between march 1991 and march 1994. control subjects were matched to hcc patients by age (+/- 5 years), sex, residence, ... | 1996 | 8833617 |
| hepatitis b virus infection in children: epidemiology, natural course and prevention in taiwan. | although most hepatitis b virus (hbv) related chronic liver diseases manifest themselves in adulthood, hbv infection usually begins in infancy or early childhood in hyperendemic areas. the following factors affect the natural course of hbv: 1) host factors: a) initial age of infection: the younger the patient at infection, the more chance the disease will run a chronic course. immune tolerance to hepatitis b e antigen (hbeag) and core antigen persists for a period of time in young children. b) t ... | 1996 | 8870428 |
| hepatitis c virus in chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma in taiwan. | hepatitis b virus (hbv) has long been known to be the major etiologic factor of chronic liver diseases and hepatocellular carcinoma (hcc), and in taiwan 80-90% of chronic liver diseases and hcc are caused by hbv. assays for antibody to hepatitis c virus (hcv) and to detect its viral genome (hcv-rna) have revealed hcv as the next most common cause of these diseases in taiwan. the prevalence of antibody to hcv (anti-hcv) in hepatitis b surface antigen (hbsag)-negative patients is around 70-80%, an ... | 1995 | 8875606 |
| genomic analysis of epstein-barr virus in nasal and peripheral t-cell lymphoma: a comparison with nasopharyngeal carcinoma in an endemic area. | the epstein-barr virus (ebv) is prevalent in nasal and peripheral t-cell lymphoma (nptl) in taiwan, where nasopharyngeal carcinoma (npc) is endemic. in order to understand the pathogenesis of these two malignancies in this endemic area, genomic analysis of ebv in nptl with comparison to npc is important. we investigated the ebv subtype (types a and b), bamh-i "f" variant, and the xho-i site mutant of the latent membrane protein-1 (lmp-1) gene in 19 cases of ebv-associated nptl and in 30 cases of ... | 1996 | 8950688 |
| hepatitis b vaccination and hepatocellular carcinoma in taiwan. | in 1984, taiwan started a large-scale hepatitis b vaccination program, enabling us to test the hypothesis that prevention of hepatitis b virus infection eventually decreases the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma. | 1997 | 9041286 |
| gb virus-c/hepatitis g virus infection in an area endemic for viral hepatitis, chronic liver disease, and liver cancer. | gb virus-c/hepatitis g virus (gbv-c/hgv) is a newly identified flavivirus, and little is known about its clinical significance. gbv-c/hgv was investigated in different populations, and its coinfection was investigated in patients with liver disease in taiwan where hepatitis b and c are endemic. | 1997 | 9098011 |
| prospective study of hepatocellular carcinoma and liver cirrhosis in asymptomatic chronic hepatitis b virus carriers. | the authors conducted a study to assess the importance of underlying liver cirrhosis in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (hcc) and the multifactorial etiology of liver cirrhosis in chronic carriers of hepatitis b virus (hbv). between november 1980 and may 1990, all male hepatitis b surface antigen (hbsag) carriers who routinely attended a clinic for asymptomatic hbv carriers at the liver unit of chang-gung memorial hospital, taiwan, were enrolled in the study (n = 1,506). the authors ... | 1997 | 9169913 |
| hepatitis b infection and changes in interferon-alpha and -gamma production in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus in taiwan. | according to previous reports, the prevalence of hepatitis b virus (hbv) infection in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (sle) is varied. there has been no report on taiwan, a hyperendemic area for hbv infection. furthermore, impaired production of interferon (ifn) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (pbmc) has been reported to be potentially pathogenic to both chronic hbv infection and sle. however, the production of ifn in patients with both diseases coexisting is unknown. the aims o ... | 1997 | 9195365 |
| changes of hepatitis b markers among young adults in a hepatitis b virus endemic area: a follow up study on medical students. | to elucidate the hepatitis b virus (hbv) infection status of teenagers, to observe changes of the status of these young adults after long-term follow up, to clarify the hbv replication activity of young hbsag carriers, and to understand the anti-hbs titer of those immune to hbv-infection, a comparison between two health examinations at a 5-or 6-year interval was conducted among 132 medical students. their ages were 19.1 +/- 0.9 (mean +/- sd). there were 19 (14.4%) hbsag carriers, 57 (43.2%) immu ... | 1997 | 9226969 |
| detection of hepatitis b surface gene mutation in carrier children with or without immunoprophylaxis at birth. | to investigate the clinical significance of mutation in hepatitis b virus (hbv) surface gene, dna sequence analysis of the "a" determinant was performed on sera from 27 carrier children with immunoprophylaxis, their mothers, and 21 carriers without vaccination. a precore mutant (g to a) at nucleotide 1896 was detected in sera from 11 carriers without vaccination. mutations in the "a" determinant were detected in 6 (22%) of the vaccinated children. four hbv strains showed a gly-to-arg mutation at ... | 1997 | 9237708 |
| different viral aetiology of hepatocellular carcinoma between two hepatitis b and c endemic townships in taiwan. | in taiwan, we found two hepatitis b virus (hbv)- and hepatitis c virus (hcv)-endemic townships, paisha and tzukuan, with an anti-hcv prevalence of 19 and 37% in men, and 26 and 38% in women, respectively. the hepatitis b surface antigen (hbsag)-positive rates were 25 and 18%, for men and women in paisha, and 25 and 22% in tzukuan, respectively. according to the national death certification database (1982 to 1991), the annual age-adjusted mortality rates per 100,000 population for liver cancer am ... | 1997 | 9257249 |
| high rate of hepatitis c virus infection in an isolated community: persistent hyperendemicity or period-related phenomena? | we investigated underlying risks for hyperendemic hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection among the 1853 inhabitants of a mountainous village in eastern taiwan with high prevalence of hcv and hepatitis b virus (hbv). among the 80 selected adults, we found that having resided away from the village before 1985 was protective against hcv infection, while residing in the village after 1985 posed little risk for hcv infection to children and young adults < 30 years of age. among the 559 school children 7 t ... | 1997 | 9260682 |
| viral hepatitis in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patients in an endemic area for hepatitis b and c infection: the taiwan experience. | the prevalence of hepatitis b virus (hbv), hepatitis c virus (hcv), and their associations in 64 continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (capd) patients (30 males and 34 females) were evaluated. a comparison was also made with 526 normal controls (266 males and 260 females). forty-seven (75%) capd patients were anti-hbc positive, with no significant difference to the control group (81.9%). this probably reflects acquisition of hbv infection by capd patients before initiation of chronic dialysi ... | 1997 | 9262846 |
| risk factors for gallbladder polyps in the chinese population. | to assess the prevalence of and risk factors for gallbladder (gb) polyps in the chinese population. | 1997 | 9362194 |
| decreasing hepatitis d virus infection in taiwan: an analysis of contributory factors. | superinfection of hepatitis d virus (hdv) among hepatitis b virus (hbv) carriers is mainly through heterosexual contact in taiwan. this study investigated the change of hdv endemicity and its associated contributory factors. seventy-seven patients with acute hdv superinfection among 527 consecutive exacerbating hepatitis b surface antigen (hbsag) carriers were identified over the past 12 years. the prevalence decreased significantly by each 3-year period from june 1983 to may 1995 (23.7, 15.5, 1 ... | 1997 | 9430041 |
| prevalence and manifestations of hepatitis c seropositivity in children in an endemic area. | according to our previous studies, paisha township in penghu islets is an endemic area for hepatitis b virus and hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection and for hepatocellular carcinoma. we conducted this study to understand the prevalence of anti-hcv seropositivity among children in this area and to observe clinical manifestations of anti-hcv-positive children. | 1998 | 9493811 |
| neonatal gastric aspirates as a predictor of perinatal hepatitis b virus infections. | to elucidate possible routes and predictors of perinatal transmission of hepatitis b virus (hbv). | 1998 | 9506409 |
| hepatitis b: long-term outcome and benefits from mass vaccination in children. | hepatitis b viruses can cause chronic liver diseases in both children and adults. in hyperendemic areas, although most related complications occur during adulthood, nearly half of the primary infection in chronic hepatitis b virus carriers occurs in perinatal period through maternal transmission and the other half are from horizontal transmission mainly through intrafamilial spread or injection using unsterilized needles. children with chronic hepatitis b virus infection are mostly asymptomatic. ... | 1998 | 9658611 |
| immune status in preschool children born after mass hepatitis b vaccination program in taiwan. | a mass hepatitis b vaccination program began in taiwan in 1984. in order to determine the immune status of hepatitis b virus (hbv) infection among preschool children, a total of 25 kindergartens in 20 townships and metropolitan precincts in central taiwan were randomly selected through stratified sampling. serum specimens of 2130 healthy preschool children aged 2-6 years old were screened for the hbv markers and liver function in 1996. hbv surface antigen (hbsag), antibody against hbsag (anti-hb ... | 1998 | 9713947 |
| control of hepatitis b virus infection by vaccination: the taiwan experience. | hepatitis b virus infection poses a serious health problem in taiwan, and plays an important role in the development of chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and hepatoma; the latter two are among the 10 leading causes of death in taiwan. the success from a mass hepatitis b vaccination program, which began in 1984 and first included high-risk neonates, has seen the hepatitis b carrier rate among children in taiwan drop from 10% to less than 2%, and the annual incidence of childhood hepatoma has als ... | 1998 | 9798297 |
| increased morbidity odds ratio of primary liver cancer and cirrhosis of the liver among vinyl chloride monomer workers. | to determine if there is an increased risk of admission to hospital for various diseases among vinyl chloride monomer (vcm) workers. | 1998 | 9849539 |
| seroepidemiologic survey for hepatitis b virus infection in taiwan: the effect of hepatitis b mass immunization. | a hepatitis b mass immunization program was launched in taiwan in july 1984, beginning with newborns of hepatitis b carrier mothers for the first 2 years of the program, which was then extended to all newborns. seroepidemiology was studied in 3 cohorts at age 6 years. each cohort consisted of 1500 children proportionally and randomly sampled from those entering elementary school in 1989, 1991, and 1993, representing those born 1 year before the program began and years 1 and 3 of the program, res ... | 1999 | 9878020 |
| age is one of the risk factors in developing gallstone disease in taiwan. | to assess the prevalence and risk factors of gallstone disease (gsd) in taiwan. | 1998 | 9883999 |
| clinical trials of hcc in taiwan. | tumors of the liver represent one of the most common malignancies in the world. little has changed in the past 5 years to alter the statistics. published census from the department of health in taiwan, 1993, showed that cancer death was 107/100,000 population. hepatoma is the number one cause of cancer death with 24.05/100,000 population. it increased 11.23% in comparison with last year's survey. about 5,000 people die from hepatoma each year in taiwan. both case control studies and cohort studi ... | 1998 | 9951844 |
| hepatitis b vaccination in high-risk infants: 10-year follow-up. | the long-term efficacy of hepatitis b vaccination among high-risk infants was determined in 805 vaccine responders, immunized at birth in taiwan during 1981-1984 and followed to age 10 years, via life table survival and cox multivariate analyses. at 10 years, cumulative persistence of antibody to hepatitis b surface antigen (anti-hbs) was 85%, and cumulative incidence of hepatitis b virus (hbv) infection was 15%. three children became carriers. twelve-month anti-hbs titer was the strongest predi ... | 1999 | 10228050 |
| long term immune response of universal hepatitis b vaccination in infancy: a community-based study in taiwan. | to evaluate the long term immunity provided by a universal hepatitis b vaccination program in infancy and the booster effect on school age children who had no protective antibody titers to hepatitis b surface antigen. | 1999 | 10353515 |
| gb virus c infection in hemodialysis patients: molecular evidence for nosocomial transmission. | studies of the prevalence and clinical relevance of gb virus c (gbv-c) infection in 328 hemodialysis (hd) patients were done, and the possibility of nosocomial gbv-c transmission was explored by molecular epidemiology methods. for gbv-c viremic patients in a given hd unit, nucleotide sequences of the envelope region were analyzed by phylogenetic tree constructions. of 328 hd patients, active hepatitis b virus, hepatitis c virus (hcv), and gbv-c infection were detected in 13%, 23%, and 17%, respe ... | 1999 | 10353878 |
| prevalence of nonreporting behavior of sharps injuries in taiwanese health care workers. | health care workers (hcws) were surveyed to identify factors associated with nonreporting behavior of sharps injuries (sis) in taiwan. | 1999 | 10358228 |
| the risk factors for gallstone disease among senior citizens: an oriental study. | few occidental studies have addressed the risk factors for gallstone disease (gsd), among aged people. it is unknown whether these factors also present in the orientals. therefore, we studied the prevalence and risk factors for gsd among aged people in taiwan. | 1999 | 10430304 |
| paraneoplastic syndromes in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in taiwan. | hepatocellular carcinoma (hcc) is the most common malignancy in taiwan. some patients may manifest paraneoplastic syndromes during the clinical course of the disease. in this study, the authors evaluated the clinical significance of these paraneoplastic syndromes, compared the prevalence of these syndromes between cases of hepatitis b virus (hbv)-related and hepatitis c virus (hcv)-related hcc, and estimated significant predictors associated with the syndromes. | 1999 | 10463978 |
| chromosomal abnormality in hepatocellular carcinoma by comparative genomic hybridisation in taiwan. | the elucidation of the genetic changes of hepatocellular carcinoma (hcc) is very important for understanding the molecular mechanism of liver carcinogenesis. in order to identify the gains or losses in dna sequence copy number in hcc, we used comparative genomic hybridisation to study 40 cases (44 tumours) of hcc. tumour dna and dna from non-neoplastic liver tissue were labelled with different fluorochromes and then simultaneously hybridised to normal metaphase spread chromosomes. an image acqui ... | 1999 | 10492642 |
| a hyperendemic community of hepatitis b virus and hepatitis c virus infection in taiwan. | | 1999 | 10492752 |
| age, gender, and local geographic variations of viral etiology of hepatocellular carcinoma in a hyperendemic area for hepatitis b virus infection. | there are etiologic variations of hepatocellular carcinoma (hcc) in different geographic areas. taiwan is a hyperendemic area for hepatitis b virus (hbv) infection. hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection also plays an important role in hcc development in taiwan. identification of local hcv-endemic areas is important to keep hcv from spreading. this study investigated the etiologic variations of hcc in different geographic areas of taiwan. | 1999 | 10506697 |
| changes of hepatitis b surface antigen variants in carrier children before and after universal vaccination in taiwan. | mutants of a determinant of hepatitis b surface antigen (hbsag) identified in vaccinated children pose a potential threat to long-term success of vaccination programs. we examined the mutants of a determinant (residues 110-160) of hbsag in hepatitis b virus (hbv) dna-positive children identified during previous serosurveys in taipei undertaken just before (1984), 5 years after (1989), and 10 years after (1994) universal vaccination began. in hbv dna-positive children from 3 surveys, the prevalen ... | 1999 | 10534356 |
| the effectiveness of serum alpha-fetoprotein level in anti-hcv positive patients for screening hepatocellular carcinoma. | in taiwan, most cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (hcc) are hepatitis b virus (hbv) or hepatitis c virus (hcv) related. the serum alpha-fetoprotein (afp) level is an important factor in the diagnosis of hcc. there have been many studies discussing the role of afp in diagnosing hbv-related hcc, but only few concerning hcv-related hcc. in this study, we aimed at analyzing the distribution of afp levels in anti-hcv positive patients with and without hcc and evaluating the effectiveness of serum afp ... | 1999 | 10626187 |
| prospects for hepatitis b virus eradication and control of hepatocellular carcinoma. | hepatitis b virus infection is the most common cause of chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma worldwide. in areas hyperendemic for hbv infection, the related complications occur mostly during adulthood. however, nearly half of all primary infection in chronic carriers occurs in the perinatal period through maternal transmission, the other half arising from horizontal transmission mainly through intrafamilial spread or injection using unsterilized needles. a universal va ... | 1999 | 10654916 |
| nationwide vaccination: a success story in taiwan. | in the early 1980s, 15-20% of the population of taiwan were estimated to be hepatitis b virus (hbv) carriers. a programme of mass vaccination against hepatitis b was therefore launched in 1984. in the first 2 years, newborns of all hbvsurface antigen (hbsag)-positive mothers were vaccinated. since 1986, all newborns, and then year by year pre-school children, primary school children, adolescents, young adults and others have also been vaccinated. vaccination coverage is over 90% for newborns, wi ... | 2000 | 10683542 |
| hepatitis b genotypes correlate with clinical outcomes in patients with chronic hepatitis b. | six genotypes (a-f) of hepatitis b virus (hbv) have been identified; however, the genotype-related differences in the pathogenicity of hbv remain unknown. therefore, we investigated the prevalence of hbv genotypes in taiwan and the association between distinct genotypes and severity of liver disease in a cross-sectional study. | 2000 | 10702206 |
| excess mortality from hepatocellular carcinoma in an hcv-endemic township of an hbv-endemic country (taiwan). | taiwan is an endemic area of hepatitis b virus (hbv). all previous studies have concluded that hbv is the major cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (hcc) in taiwan. an hbv- and hepatitis c virus (hcv)-endemic township, tzukuan, in southern taiwan has been identified with the prevalence of 24% for hb surface antigen (hbsag) and 37% for anti-hcv antibodies. to elucidate the aetiology of hcc and impact of hcv in this township, we conducted a case-control study and compared hbv-related liver cancer mo ... | 1999 | 10717743 |
| diabetes mellitus as a risk factor of liver cirrhosis in patients with chronic hepatitis b virus infection. | liver cirrhosis may occur in chronic hepatitis b surface antigen (hbsag) carriers. diabetes mellitus (dm)-associated chronic hepatitis may also occasionally lead to cirrhosis; however, its role in the course of chronic hbsag carriers has not been studied. a cohort of 500 hbsag carriers (398 men; mean age at entry, 42 +/- 15 years) were followed up longitudinally. after a mean follow-up of 5.8 +/- 3.3 years, 71 (14.2%: 70 men) patients developed cirrhosis. increased risks of cirrhosis were found ... | 2000 | 10777182 |
| [vaccination against hepatitis b virus: current data]. | infection by hepatitis b virus remains a major health problem in the world despite the availability of effective vaccines. although vaccination programs targeting high risk groups have been pushed to their limits, high prevalence rates persist especially in endemic zones. more recently mass vaccination programs conducted on taiwan have demonstrated the efficacy of this approach with a decrease in the number of chronic hepatitis b virus carriers in the general population in association with a dec ... | 1999 | 10901855 |
| perinatal transmission of hepatitis b virus and its prevention. | in order to prevent liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma in later life, it is essential to prevent hbv infection in infants. if the mother is chronically infected with hbv and is also positive for hbeag, 80-90% of the newborns become chronically infected, whereas if the mother is positive for anti-hbe, only some newborns will develop acute hepatitis or fulminant hepatitis. it is necessary to screen pregnant women for hbsag and prevent mother-to-infant infection of hbv, treating the infan ... | 2000 | 10921375 |
| identification and characterization of a prevalent hepatitis b virus x protein mutant in taiwanese patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. | the aim of this study was to investigate whether there was a particular hepatitis b virus (hbv) x protein (hbx) mutant associated with taiwanese patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (hcc). initially, the entire coding region of hbx gene from the serum samples of 14 taiwanese patients were sequenced. a novel mutant, hbx-a31, was preferentially found in patients with hcc. sera from 67 patients with hcc and 100 patients with chronic hepatitis b were thus subjected for codon 31 analysis using a du ... | 2000 | 11077437 |
| serum alanine aminotransferase levels in relation to hepatitis b and c virus infections among drug abusers in an area hyperendemic for hepatitis b. | hepatitis b virus (hbv) and hepatitis c virus (hcv) infections are the major agents responsible for hepatitis in taiwan. the purpose of this study was to assess the serum alanine aminotransferase (alt) activity in relation to hbv and hcv infection among drug abusers. this survey included 769 male drug abusers aged 14-59 years, from the kaohsiung narcotic abstention institute and kaohsiung prision. the prevalence of hbsag seropositivity was 21.5%, and anti-hcv seropositivity was 27.2%, respective ... | 2000 | 11117565 |
| hepatitis b vaccination and hepatocellular carcinoma rates in boys and girls. | hepatocellular carcinoma (hcc) has a male predominance and is closely related to hepatitis b virus (hbv) infection. hepatitis b virus vaccination was launched in 1984 in taiwan for neonates of mothers carrying hepatitis b e antigen, resulting in a decreased incidence of hcc in children. the effect on boys vs girls is not known. | 2000 | 11122592 |
| respiratory viral infections among pediatric inpatients and outpatients in taiwan from 1997 to 1999. | the present study examined the association of specific virus infections with acute respiratory tract conditions among hospitalized and outpatient children in a subtropical country. a total of 2,295 virus infections were detected in 6,986 patients between 1997 and 1999, including infections caused by respiratory syncytial virus (rsv) (1.7%), parainfluenza virus (2.0%), influenza b virus (2.6%), adenovirus (4.0%), herpes simplex virus type 1 (4. 4%), influenza a virus (5.5%), and enterovirus (12.7 ... | 2001 | 11136758 |
| tt virus infection in screened taiwanese blood donors. | tt virus (ttv) is a newly discovered human dna virus of uncertain clinical significance. the aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of ttv infection among blood donors in taiwan. | 2000 | 11155069 |
| using the prevalence of an elevated serum alanine aminotransferase level for identifying communities with a high prevalence of hepatitis c virus infection. | antibody to hepatitis c virus (anti-hcv) is a widely accepted method for the diagnosis of hcv infection. however, it is too expensive to use in large-scale health surveys. | 2001 | 11176765 |
| hepatocellular carcinoma and aflatoxin exposure in zhuqing village, fusui county, people's republic of china. | hepatocellular carcinoma (hcc) is a common cause of cancer morbidity and mortality in asia and africa. epidemiological studies have found that dietary exposure to aflatoxin b1 (afb1) and chronic infection with hepatitis b virus are two major risk factors for hcc. we have collated the incidence and mortality data of malignant tumors from 1973 to 1999 in zhuqing village, fusui county, an area with very high hcc rates, and found that this cancer accounted for 64% of the total cancer incidence. diet ... | 2001 | 11219772 |
| the serological and molecular epidemiology of gb virus c/hepatitis g virus infection in a hepatitis c and b endemic area. | to investigate the serological and molecular characteristics of gb virus c/hepatitis g virus (gbv-c/hgv) infection in the hepatitis c virus (hcv)/hepatitis b virus (hbv)-endemic areas in taiwan. | 2001 | 11243756 |
| the epidemiology of tt virus (ttv) infection in a hepatitis c and b virus hyperendemic area of southern taiwan. | tt virus (ttv) is a newly isolated dna virus from the serum of a patient with posttransfusion hepatitis of unknown etiology in 1997. to evaluate the clinical and molecular characteristics of tt virus (ttv) in a hepatitis c virus (hcv) and b (hbv) hyperendemic area (masago), 200 residents were enrolled in the study. the sera were tested for alanine aminotransferase (alt), hcv rna and gb virus c/hepatitis g virus (hgv) rna, ttv dna, hbsag, anti-hcv and antibodies to hgv e2-protein (anti-e2). ttv d ... | 2000 | 11272796 |
| genetic polymorphisms of glutathione s-transferases m1 and t1 associated with susceptibility to aflatoxin-related hepatocarcinogenesis among chronic hepatitis b carriers: a nested case-control study in taiwan. | this study was conducted to investigate the modifying effect of glutathione s-transferase (gst) m1 and t1 polymorphisms on aflatoxin-induced hepatocarcinogenesis among chronic hepatitis b virus surface antigen (hbsag) carriers. a total of 79 hbsag-positive cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (hcc) diagnosed between 1991 and 1997 were identified and individually matched to one or two hbsag-positive controls on age, gender, residence and date of recruitment from the same cancer screening cohort in t ... | 2001 | 11470760 |
| hepatitis b virus infection in heart transplant recipients in a hepatitis b endemic area. | hepatitis b virus (hbv) infection is hyperendemic in taiwan. it is almost impossible for us to reject organ donors or recipients with positive serum hepatitis b surface antigen (hbsag). we report our experience with hbv infection in heart transplant recipients with particular attention to outcome of recipients who were hbsag+ or who had received donor hearts from hbsag+ donors. | 2001 | 11502409 |
| hepatitis b virus infection in children and adolescents in a hyperendemic area: 15 years after mass hepatitis b vaccination. | hepatitis b virus (hbv) infection is hyperendemic in taiwan. before universal hbv immunization was started in taiwan in 1984, the carrier rate for hepatitis b surface antigen (hbsag) was 15% to 20% in the general population. | 2001 | 11694104 |
| association of aflatoxin b(1)-albumin adduct levels with hepatitis b surface antigen status among adolescents in taiwan. | chronic hepatitis b virus (hbv) infection and aflatoxin b(1) (afb(1)) exposure interact synergetically to induce hepatocellular carcinoma. one suggested mechanism for this interaction is the enhanced activation of afb(1) in chronically hbv-infected individuals. whereas no associations between chronic hbv infection and afb(1)-albumin adducts were observed in several studies in adults, hepatitis b surface antigen (hbsag)-positive children were found to have elevated adducts in gambia. to assess th ... | 2001 | 11700273 |
| reactivation of precore mutant hepatitis b virus in chemotherapy-treated patients. | a point mutation from g to a at nucleotide (nt) 1896 of the precore region of hepatitis b virus (hbv) dna has been shown to be associated with fulminant and severe hepatitis. further studies have suggested that this point mutation, together with additional mutations in the precore promoter, is probably linked to the reactivation of hbv in patients undergoing cytotoxic chemotherapy. taiwan is an area with a high prevalence of hbv where hepatitis b flare-up has become a serious problem of hbv carr ... | 2001 | 11753968 |
| clinical and virological aspects of blood donors infected with hepatitis b virus genotypes b and c. | pathogenic and therapeutic differences among hepatitis b virus (hbv) genotypes have been documented. however, the association of virological characteristics with clinical differences among hbv genotypes remains unclear. we therefore studied the clinical and virological characteristics of taiwanese volunteer blood donors infected with hbv genotypes b and c. hbv genotypes were determined in 300 candidate blood donors positive for hbv surface antigen (hbsag), and sequences of the precore gene of th ... | 2002 | 11773087 |
| estimation of the risk of bloodborne pathogens to health care workers after a needlestick injury in taiwan. | to estimate the number of health care workers (hcws) in taiwan at risk annually for contracting hepatitis b virus (hbv), hepatitis c virus (hcv), and hiv after a needlestick and sharps injury (nsi) with a used hollow-bore needle. | 2002 | 11852411 |
| student nurses in taiwan at high risk for needlestick injuries. | to describe the prevalence and characteristics of needlestick injuries (nsi) in student nurses in taiwan. | 2002 | 11897177 |
| molecular epidemiology of hepatitis b viral serotypes and genotypes in taiwan. | subtypes of hepatitis b virus (hbv) have specific geographic distributions and can serve as epidemiological markers. the relationship of hbv serotypes and genotypes in taiwan and their correlation with the domiciles of origin in 122 patients with chronic hbv infection were investigated. the serotype of hbv was determined by comparing the surface gene encoding amino acids 22-148 of the major surface protein with published sequences. genotyping of hbv was performed by polymerase chain reaction-res ... | 2002 | 11914584 |
| androgen receptor exon 1 cag repeat length and risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in women. | the androgen receptor (ar) gene is localized on chromosome x, and shorter cag repeats in exon 1 of the ar gene were recently suggested to increase hepatitis b virus (hbv)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (hcc) risk among men. to examine whether the relationship between the ar-cag repeats and hcc was also evident among women, we conducted a case-control study in taiwan. the number of ar-cag repeats was determined for 238 women with hcc and 354 unrelated control subjects (comprising 188 first-degr ... | 2002 | 12085360 |
| trend of hepatitis b virus infection in freshmen classes at two high schools in hualien, taiwan from 1991 to 1999. | taiwan is an endemic area of hepatitis b virus (hbv) infection. a nationwide mass vaccination program to prevent hbv infection was started in 1985. perinatal and horizontal transmission of hbv decreased substantially after the launching of this program. however, the influence of this program on children born before 1985 has not been studied. from 1991 to 1999, annual surveys of hepatitis b virus surface antigen (hbsag) and antibody (anti-hbs) were carried out in freshmen at two high schools in h ... | 2002 | 12115991 |
| hepatitis b e antigen and the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma. | the presence of hepatitis b e antigen (hbeag) in serum indicates active viral replication in hepatocytes. hbeag is thus a surrogate marker for the presence of hepatitis b virus dna. we conducted a prospective study to determine the relation between positivity for hepatitis b surface antigen (hbsag) and hbeag and the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. | 2002 | 12124405 |
| global control of hepatitis b virus infection. | worldwide about 350 million people are chronic carriers of the hepatitis b virus (hbv). the infection can cause acute and chronic liver disease including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (hcc). hepatocellular injuries of hbv infection are predominantly immune-mediated, and the natural history of chronic infection can be divided into three phases based on virus-host interactions-namely, immune tolerance, immune clearance, and viral integration phases. four serotypes (adw, ayw, adr, and ayr) ... | 2002 | 12127351 |
| hepatitis d virus genotypes in intravenous drug users in taiwan: decreasing prevalence and lack of correlation with hepatitis b virus genotypes. | of 368 hepatitis b virus (hbv)-infected intravenous drug users, 144 (39%) were positive for antibody to hepatitis d virus (anti-hdv). anti-hdv-positive hbv carriers had a lower rate of positivity for hbv dna than did anti-hdv-negative carriers (52 versus 73%, respectively). from 1986 to 1997, the average rate of decrease in the prevalence of hdv infection in this population was 4.7%/year. | 2002 | 12149376 |
| comparison of hepatitis b virus and hepatitis c virus prevalence and risk factors in a community-based study. | we performed a community-based study of 12 villages of southern taiwan's a-lein township to investigate the epidemiology of hepatitis b and hepatitis c virus (hcv) infections. of 6,095 patients, 13.8% were positive for hepatitis b surface antigen positive (hbsag(+)) and 17.0% were positive for anti-hcv (anti-hcv(+)). infection was found to be inversely related to educational level and to be directly related to the frequency of the receipt of parenteral injection for medical purposes. risk factor ... | 2002 | 12164293 |
| sequence analysis of pre-s/surface and pre-core/core promoter genes of hepatitis b virus in chronic hepatitis c patients with occult hbv infection. | although occult hepatitis b virus (hbv) infection in individuals without detectable hepatitis b surface antigen (hbsag) may occur and has been reported to be common in patients with chronic hepatitis c, the related molecular mechanisms remain unknown. with the polymerase chain reaction, serum hbv dna was sought in 100 hbsag-negative patients with chronic hepatitis c virus (hcv)-infection. in those with occult hbv infection, possible genomic variability of hbv was evaluated by amplification and d ... | 2002 | 12210410 |
| determinants of formation of aflatoxin-albumin adducts: a seven-township study in taiwan. | dietary exposure to aflatoxins is one of the major risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma. individual susceptibility to aflatoxin-induced hepatocarcinogenesis may be modulated by both genetic and environmental factors affecting metabolism. a cross-sectional study was performed to evaluate determinants of the formation of aflatoxin covalently bound to albumin (afb1-albumin adducts). a total of 474 subjects who were free of liver cancer and cirrhosis and were initially selected as controls for ... | 2002 | 12434285 |
| clinical characteristics and distribution of genotypes of tt virus infection in a hepatitis c virus-hyperendemic township of a hepatitis b virus-endemic country (taiwan). | the prevalence of tt virus (ttv) viremia, without definite clinical significance, has been reported to be higher among chronic hepatitis c patients. the status and clinical characteristics of tt virus (ttv) infection and distribution of ttv genotypes in a hepatitis c virus (hcv) hyperendemic township (masago community) in a hepatitis b virus (hbv) endemic country (taiwan) were investigated. | 2002 | 12453279 |
| long-term immunogenicity and efficacy of universal hepatitis b virus vaccination in taiwan. | the long-term immunogenicity of universal hepatitis b virus (hbv) vaccine is seldom studied in large-scale prospective community-based populations, especially in adolescents. this study enrolled 1200 children aged 7 years with complete hbv immunization in infancy and determined hbv surface antigen (hbsag), its antibody (anti-hbs), and hbv core antibody (anti-hbc) annually until the children were aged 14 years. eleven children had new hbv infections with anti-hbc positivity as the only marker. no ... | 2003 | 12508157 |
| decline of hepatitis b carrier rate in vaccinated and unvaccinated subjects: sixteen years after newborn vaccination program in taiwan. | taiwan was an endemic area for hepatitis b virus (hbv) infection, and related liver diseases cause a significant drain of public resources. to control the endemic, a nation-wide newborn vaccination program was started in 1985. we reviewed the results of the annual survey for hbv surface antigen (hbsag) performed in freshmen class of two high schools in hualien, eastern taiwan, from 1991 to 2001. a total of 10,194 students, most of them 15 years old, were tested for serum hbsag using enzyme immun ... | 2003 | 12601753 |
| prevalence and clinical implications of hepatitis b virus genotypes in southern taiwan. | hepatitis b virus (hbv) infection is a major health problem. hbv genotypes may be associated with progression of liver disease. the distribution and clinical implications of hbv genotypes in southern taiwan are evaluated. | 2003 | 12608471 |
| combined effects of chronic hepatitis virus infections and substance-use habits on chronic liver diseases in taiwanese aborigines. | chronic liver disease (cld) is a major cause of death in taiwanese aborigines. the roles of substance-use habits and hepatitis b virus (hbv) and hepatitis c virus (hcv) infections in the development of cld are not well understood in this indigenous population. | 2002 | 12632815 |
| re: hormonal markers and hepatitis b virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma risk: a nested case-control study among men. | | 2003 | 12671025 |
| incidence and cofactors of hepatitis c virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma: a prospective study of 12,008 men in taiwan. | in a community-based prospective study, the authors examined the independent and interactive effects of hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection and cofactors, including hepatitis b virus (hbv) infection and lifestyle habits, on the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (hcc) in taiwan. at baseline recruitment, subjects were evaluated with regard to second-generation hcv antibody (anti-hcv), hepatitis b surface antigen, and serum alanine aminotransferase, as well as cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking, ... | 2003 | 12697571 |
| seroprevalence of hepatitis c virus infection and its association with natural infection of hepatitis b virus among preschool children in taiwan. | taiwan is a hyperendemic area of hepatitis b virus (hbv) infection where chronic hepatitis b is the most important cause of liver cirrhosis and hepatoma. since, diagnostic kit for detecting hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection has been developed, hcv was found to be another important etiology of chronic liver disease. in order to study the seroprevalence of hcv infection among preschool children after mass hepatitis b vaccination program in taiwan, a community-based survey was carried out in 54 kin ... | 2003 | 12800949 |
| association between dioxins/furans exposures and incinerator workers' hepatic function and blood lipids. | this study examined the effects of dioxins/furans on blood lipids and hepatic function and assessed potential interaction between hepatitis b virus (hbv) infection and dioxins on hepatic function for 133 male workers of municipal waste incinerators. we found that total cholesterol levels in workers with blood dioxins/furans levels of 15.4-59.0 pg teq/g lipid (high-exposure workers) averaged 13.5 mg/dl higher than workers with 5.5-15.3 pg teq/g lipid (low-exposure workers). the adjusted odds rati ... | 2003 | 12802213 |
| risk of hepatocellular carcinoma and habits of alcohol drinking, betel quid chewing and cigarette smoking: a cohort of 2416 hbsag-seropositive and 9421 hbsag-seronegative male residents in taiwan. | hepatitis b virus (hbv) is a major cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (hcc) in the world. the specific aim of this study is to assess the associations between the risk of hcc and habits of alcohol drinking, betel quid chewing and cigarette smoking among subjects with and without chronic hbv infection. | 2003 | 12814203 |
| analysis of clinical, biochemical and viral factors associated with early relapse after lamivudine treatment for hepatitis b e antigen-negative chronic hepatitis b patients in taiwan. | the efficacy of lamivudine for hbeag-negative chronic hepatitis b (chb) chinese patients has not been fully investigated. the role of the hepatitis b virus (hbv) genotype on the treatment effect of lamivudine is controversial. thirty-two consecutive patients with hbeag-negative chb were enrolled. all patients were treated with lamivudine 100 mg once daily of 7-12 months duration. the mean total period of follow-up since entry for all patients was 24 +/- 3.5 months. hbv genotypes were classified ... | 2003 | 12823594 |
| role of hepatitis b immunoglobulin in infants born to hepatitis b e antigen-negative carrier mothers in taiwan. | the efficacy of hepatitis b immunoglobulin (hbig) in infants of hepatitis b e antigen (hbeag)-negative hepatitis b surface antigen (hbsag) carrier mothers in taiwan is not clear. | 2003 | 12867831 |
| long-term outcome of heavy proteinuria in patients under 2 years of age. | from january 1985 to july 2000, a retrospective study of 53 patients in taiwan was performed in order to evaluate the underlying diseases causing heavy proteinuria and the clinical outcome in children under 2 years of age (33 boys and 20 girls). renal biopsy or autopsy was performed in 26 of the children. renal pathology revealed 2 patients with congenital nephrosis (cns) (7.7%), 4 with diffuse mesangial sclerosis (dms) (15.4%), 4 with minimal change nephrotic syndrome (mcns) (15.4%), 5 with foc ... | 2003 | 12898378 |
| clinical aspects and outcomes of volunteer blood donors testing positive for hepatitis-c virus infection in taiwan: a prospective study. | the natural history of hepatitis-c virus (hcv) infection has been explored in volunteer blood donors, but not yet in hepatitis-b endemic areas. whether previous or concurrent hepatitis-b virus (hbv) infection influences the natural history of hcv infection remains unknown. thus, we followed the anti-hcv-positive blood donors who had past or concurrent hbv infection in taiwan. | 2003 | 12955877 |
| the isolation and characterization of a new influenza type b virus on taiwan. | | 1964 | 14114349 |
| habitual betel quid chewing as a risk factor for cirrhosis: a case-control study. | betel quid chewing, part of traditional taiwanese culture, is common in 10%-20% of the human population worldwide. in this case-control study we assessed the independent and interactive role of habitual betel quid chewing and chronic hepatitis b virus (hbv) and hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection on risk of cirrhosis. subjects enrolled included 210 pairs of sex- and age-matched cirrhotic patients and healthy controls. information on risk factors was obtained through serologic examination of hepati ... | 2003 | 14530785 |
| hla phenotypes and outcomes of hepatitis b virus infection in taiwan. | the relationship of hla phenotype and outcome of hepatitis b virus (hbv) infection was studied in two ethnic groups of taiwan: han chinese and taiwanese aborigines. in han chinese, the study groups consisted of 98 persons who tested both hepatitis b surface antigen (hbsag) and anti-hbs negative (uninfected group), 324 persons who tested hbsag negative and both anti-hbs and anti-hbc positive (recovered group), and 98 patients who tested hbsag positive for at least 6 months (chronically infected g ... | 2004 | 14635006 |
| hepatitis b virus genotypes and hepatocellular carcinoma in taiwan. | with phylogenetic analysis of hepatitis b virus (hbv) isolates, eight different genotypes (a to h) have been recognized worldwide. the impact of hbv genotypes on the clinical aspects of hbv infection in taiwan, including the clinical outcome of chronic infection and therapeutic response to antiviral treatments, has been clarified. our data showed that genotypes b and c are the predominant hbv strains in taiwan, and genotype c is associated with more severe liver disease including cirrhosis and h ... | 2003 | 14688459 |
| clinical relevance of hepatitis b virus genotypes ba and bj in taiwan. | | 2003 | 14727634 |
| hepatitis b virus genotypes and spontaneous hepatitis b e antigen seroconversion in taiwanese hepatitis b carriers. | hepatitis b virus (hbv) is classified into eight genotypes (a-h), and genotype c is associated with more aggressive liver disease compared to genotype b. however, the mechanisms responsible for the clinical differences remain unclear. to test whether genotype c patients had with lower rates of spontaneous hepatitis b ge antigen (hbeag) seroconversion than genotype b patients, stored serum samples from 146 taiwanese adult hbeag-positive hepatitis b carriers followed-up for a mean of 52 months (ra ... | 2004 | 14748059 |
| pediatric fulminant hepatic failure in endemic areas of hepatitis b infection: 15 years after universal hepatitis b vaccination. | to investigate the role of hepatitis b virus (hbv) infection in pediatric fulminant hepatic failure (fhf) after the launch of universal hbv vaccination, the authors analyzed the data from patients with fhf collected from a nationwide collaborative study group. children aged 1 month to 15 years who were diagnosed with fhf (62 males and 33 females) between 1985-1999 were included. hbv infection (hepatitis b surface antigen [hbsag] and/or immunoglobulin m hepatitis b core antibody [igm anti-hbc] se ... | 2004 | 14752823 |
| precore/core promoter mutations and genotypes of hepatitis b virus in chronic hepatitis b patients with fulminant or subfulminant hepatitis. | the association of precore stop codon mutation (a1896), dinucleotide mutation (t1762/a1764) in the basic core promoter of hepatitis b virus (hbv) genome, and genotype of hbv with fulminant or subfulminant hepatitis remains controversial. we studied hbv genotypes as well as mutations in the precore and basic core promoter regions in 18 hepatitis b carriers with fulminant or subfulminant hepatitis. genotyping of hbv was performed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphis ... | 2004 | 14981756 |
| hepatitis b genotypes correlate with tumor recurrence after curative resection of hepatocellular carcinoma. | hepatitis b virus (hbv) genotype c is associated with the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (hcc), compared with genotype b. this study aims to investigate whether hbv genotypes influence the clinicopathologic features and long-term prognosis of patients after curative resection of hcc. | 2004 | 15017634 |
| hepatitis b virus transmission and hepatocarcinogenesis: a 9 year retrospective cohort of 13676 relatives with hepatocellular carcinoma. | familial clustering of hepatitis b virus (hbv) infection is related to perinatal transmission, and is the main cause of familial-type hepatocellular carcinoma (hcc). the route of hbv transmission differs between the children and siblings of patients with hcc. this study examined the differences in hbv carrier rates and hcc-related mortality between two generations in hcc families. | 2004 | 15030982 |
| genotypic dominance and novel recombinations in hbv genotype b and c co-infected intravenous drug users. | pathogenic differences among hepatitis b virus (hbv) genotypes have been documented. however, the interaction between different hbv genotypes remains unclear. herein, we chose hbv genotypes b (hbv/b) and c (hbv/c) co-infected intravenous drug users to study this issue. hbv genotype was determined in 40 hbsag, anti-hcv, and anti-hdv co-positive intravenous drug users by using genotype-specific primers. the distribution of hbv genotype was as follows: hbv genotype b alone in 29 (72.5%); hbv genoty ... | 2004 | 15042642 |
| surveillance of respiratory viral infections among pediatric outpatients in northern taiwan. | viruses are a frequent cause of upper respiratory tract infections in children. like taiwan, there were few virological surveillance systems for respiratory viral infections among children in developing countries. | 2004 | 15072759 |