Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriage among patients on haemodialysis with newly inserted central venous catheters.

Background: Although methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) nasal colonization is common among end-stage kidney disease patients undergoing haemodialysis, few studies were focused on MRSA nasal carriers among haemodialysis patients with central venous catheters (CVCs). The aim of this study is to evaluate the risk factors, various clinical outcomes and effect of decolonization for MRSA nasal colonization among patients on haemodialysis via CVCs.

Methods: This was a single-centre non-concurrent cohort study of 676 patients who had new haemodialysis CVCs inserted.

Multi-Detector Heart Rate Extraction Method for Transabdominal Fetal Pulse Oximetry.

Intrapartum fetal well-being assessment relies on fetal heart rate (FHR) monitoring. Studies have shown that FHR monitoring has a high false-positive rate for detecting fetal hypoxia during labor and delivery. A transabdominal fetal pulse oximeter device that measures fetal oxygen saturation non-invasively through NIR light source and photodetectors could increase the accuracy of hypoxia detection.

Snapshot of a social movement: Mental health and protest classes in Hong Kong.

Background: Popular protests have broken out worldwide, particularly in the last few years. In 2019, numerous demonstrations against an extradition bill occurred in Hong Kong until pandemic restrictions were imposed. The policing response relied heavily on methods such as batons, tear gas and rubber bullets.

Immunosuppressive Medication Adherence in Kidney Transplant Recipients During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study in Hong Kong.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has put an enormous burden on health care systems worldwide. Limited access to medical care and fear of increased infective risks due to the use of immunosuppressive medication (IM) have increased concerns about IM adherence in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). The aim of this study was to determine the various dimensions of IM nonadherence in KTRs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Organ Donation in Hong Kong: A Single-Center Observational Study.

Introduction: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic was expected to have a negative impact on organ donation. With the differences in health care systems and lockdown policies in various regions, the pandemic's effect on organ donation and transplant service may vary. Most of the deceased donor organ referrals in our hospital came from non-intensive care units (ICUs).

EBV-encoded miRNAs can sensitize nasopharyngeal carcinoma to chemotherapeutic drugs by targeting BRCA1.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is an Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated epithelial malignancy. The high expression of BART-miRNAs (miR-BARTs) during latent EBV infection in NPC strongly supports their pathological importance in cancer progression. Recently, we found that several BART-miRNAs work co-operatively to modulate the DNA damage response (DDR) by reducing Ataxia-telangiectasia-mutated (ATM) activity.

Delineation of molecular findings by whole-exome sequencing for suspected cases of paediatric-onset mitochondrial diseases in the Southern Chinese population.

Background: Mitochondrial diseases (MDs) are a group of clinically and genetically heterogeneous disorders characterized by defects in oxidative phosphorylation. Since clinical phenotypes of MDs may be non-specific, genetic diagnosis is crucial for guiding disease management. In the current study, whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed for our paediatric-onset MD cohort of a Southern Chinese origin, with the aim of identifying key disease-causing variants in the Chinese patients with MDs.

Influence of CYP3A5 Genetic Polymorphism on Long-Term Renal Function in Chinese Kidney Transplant Recipients Using Limited Sampling Strategy and Abbreviated Area Under the Curve for Tacrolimus Monitoring.

Introduction: Although the association between CYP3A5 gene polymorphism and tacrolimus dosing requirements was well established, the impact on how CYP3A5 genotype affects the acute rejection and long-term renal function in patients who received kidney transplants and were treated with tacrolimus remained controversial.

Design: Sixty-seven Chinese patients with kidney transplants receiving de novo tacrolimus-based immunosuppressive therapy with known CYP3A5 genotype were divided into 2 groups. Those with at least 1 CYP3A5*1 allele were CYP3A5 expressers while homozygotes for the mutant allele CYP3A5*3 were nonexpressers.

Two related Chinese Fabry disease patients with a p.N215S pathological variant who presented with nephropathy.

Fabry disease is an X-linked lysosomal storage disease resulting from a mutation in the gene that encodes α-galactosidase A. The p.N215S (c.

BRAT1 encephalopathy: a recessive cause of epilepsy of infancy with migrating focal seizures.

Epilepsy of infancy with migrating focal seizures (EIMFS), one of the most severe developmental and epileptic encephalopathy syndromes, is characterized by seizures that migrate from one hemisphere to the other. EIMFS is genetically heterogeneous with 33 genes. We report five patients with EIMFS caused by recessive BRAT1 variants, identified via next generation sequencing.

Impact of CYP3A5 Genetic Polymorphism on Intrapatient Variability of Tacrolimus Exposure in Chinese Kidney Transplant Recipients.

Background: Although high tacrolimus (FK) intrapatient variability (IPV) was shown to be associated with poor graft outcome in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs), it is uncertain whether there is any association between the CYP3A5 genotype and IPV of FK concentrations. Instead of trough level, we use calculated abbreviated AUC to investigate the impact of CYP3A5 genetic polymorphism on IPV of FK pharmacokinetics.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective, single-center study of 86 adult Chinese KTRs with known CYP3A5 genotype.

EXOSC4 functions as a potential oncogene in development and progression of colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a heterogeneous disease with complex mechanisms of pathogenesis. Classification systems have been proposed based on molecular features of tumors in clinical practice. Thus, more molecular markers associated with development and progression of CRC might serve as useful tools for early diagnosis even for providing more accurate molecular classification.

First case of genetically confirmed CLN3 disease in Chinese with cDNA sequencing revealing pathogenicity of a novel splice site variant.

Background: Juvenile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (CLN3 disease) is a hereditary progressive neurodegenerative disease well documented among Caucasians, but such clinical data and genetic characterization is lacking among Asian populations.

Patient And Methods: A 13-year-old Chinese girl presented for diagnostic evaluation with retinitis pigmentosa, generalised tonic-clonic seizure and cerebellar ataxia. Electron microscopy of whole blood and skin biopsy, and mutation analysis of CLN3 gene with genomic DNA and cDNA, were performed.

RASAL2 promotes tumor progression through LATS2/YAP1 axis of hippo signaling pathway in colorectal cancer.

Background: Patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) have a high incidence of regional and distant metastases. Although metastasis is the main cause of CRC-related death, its molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown.

Methods: Using array-CGH and expression microarray analyses, changes in DNA copy number and mRNA expression levels were investigated in human CRC samples.

Low-cost, flexible, disinfectant-free and regular-array three-dimensional nanopyramid antibacterial films for clinical applications.

In this work, a low-cost, scalable and highly repeatable approach was developed to prepare polystyrene films with three-dimensional nanopyramids on the surface. The nanopyramids have a tunable aspect ratio and more importantly, their anti-bacterial performance has been systematically studied. The effectiveness of the nanopyramids on E.

Hydration and nutritional status in patients on home-dialysis-A single centre study.

Background: Over-hydration (OH) and malnutrition are prevalent among patients on dialysis therapy. The prevalence of OH and malnutrition as well as the risk factors associated with OH and malnutrition in our patients on home peritoneal dialysis (PD) and home haemodialysis (HD) are examined.

Design And Methods: This was a cross-sectional study.

miR-375 is involved in Hippo pathway by targeting YAP1/TEAD4-CTGF axis in gastric carcinogenesis.

miR-375 is a tumor-suppressive microRNA (miRNA) in gastric cancer (GC). However, its molecular mechanism remains unclear. The aim of this study is to comprehensively investigate how miR-375 is involved in Hippo pathway by targeting multiple oncogenes.

EBV-encoded miRNAs target ATM-mediated response in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a highly invasive epithelial malignancy that is prevalent in southern China and Southeast Asia. It is consistently associated with latent Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. In NPC, miR-BARTs, the EBV-encoded miRNAs derived from BamH1-A rightward transcripts, are abundantly expressed and contribute to cancer development by targeting various cellular and viral genes.

Posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorders in kidney transplant recipients: a retrospective cohort analysis over two decades in Hong Kong.

Objective: To characterize the posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLD) including the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) status, histological subgroups, site of occurrence and the clinical outcome in the Chinese kidney transplant recipients.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study of 1, 227 adult kidney transplant recipients who were followed up in two transplant centers in Hong Kong over two decades.

Results: 23 (1.