Publications by authors named "Chi C Leung"
Hong Kong is an intermediate tuberculosis (TB) endemicity city dominated by reactivation diseases. A cross-sectional study on the clinical and epidemiologic data of newly diagnosed TB cases was conducted in such a setting, to examine the association between ambient PM and TB reactivation. After the exclusion of cases most likely resulting from recent infection, four distinct TB population phenotypes were delineated by latent class analysis based on their reactivation risk and clinical profiles ( = 2,153): '' (26%), '' (34%), '' (19%) and '' (21%).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: The issue of whether integrase inhibitors (INSTIs) may confer a higher risk of paradoxical tuberculosis-related immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (TB-IRIS) compared with other classes of antiretroviral in people with HIV with a profound level of immunosuppression remains insufficiently explored. We aimed to assess whether such a higher risk exists by examining a cohort of patients with TB-HIV initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Hong Kong.
Methods: This was a retrospective review of 133 patients registered in the TB-HIV Registry of the Department of Health during the period 2014-2021.
Article Synopsis
- A retrospective study of 4,481 workers exposed to silica dust found a strong link between smoking and airflow obstruction (AFO), a key indicator of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Current smokers had nearly double the odds of developing AFO compared to non-smokers, and even former smokers showed a significant increased risk.
- Quitting smoking reduced the risk of AFO over time, with benefits not noted until at least 3 years after cessation, emphasizing the necessity of long-term smoking cessation for workers exposed to silica dust.
Objectives: While the plausible role of ambient particulate matter (PM) exposure in tuberculosis (TB) reactivation has been inferred from experiments, epidemiologic evidence is lacking. We examined the relationship between ambient PM concentration and pulmonary TB (PTB) in an intermediate TB endemicity city dominated by reactivation diseases.
Methods: Spatio-temporal analyses were performed on TB notification data and satellite-based annual mean PM concentration in Hong Kong.
Article Synopsis
- A study investigated how restrictive spirometry pattern (RSP) affects mortality risk in patients with silicosis, revealing that RSP increases overall and respiratory-related death rates compared to those with normal lung function.
- With data from 4315 silicotic patients, the research found that 24.1% had RSP, leading to 2399 deaths during the follow-up period.
- Those with RSP alone faced a 63% higher risk of death, while those with a mixed pattern of RSP and airflow obstruction had a staggering 122% higher mortality risk.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates how sleep patterns and circadian rhythms differ between sexes and their connection to obesity among older Chinese adults.
- It involved data from two surveys where participants wore actigraphy devices to track their sleep and activity levels, alongside measurements of body composition and strength.
- The results showed that males with delayed sleep schedules had a higher obesity risk, while females with lower relative amplitude in their circadian rhythm experienced greater BMI and reduced muscle strength.
Weakened circadian activity rhythms (CARs) were associated with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in the general population. However, it remains unclear among pneumoconiosis patients. We aimed to address this knowledge gap.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: While influenza infections and environmental factors have been documented as potential drivers of tuberculosis, no investigations have simultaneously examined their impact on tuberculosis at a population level. This study thereby made use of Hong Kong's surveillance data over 22 years to elucidate the temporal association between environmental influences, influenza infections, and tuberculosis activity.
Methods: Weekly total numbers of hospital admissions due to tuberculosis, meteorological data, and outdoor air pollutant concentrations in Hong Kong during 1998-2019 were obtained.
Background: The impact of low body mass index (BMI) at initiation of rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (RR-TB) treatment on outcomes is uncertain. We evaluated the association between BMI at RR-TB treatment initiation and end-of-treatment outcomes.
Methods: We performed an individual participant data meta-analysis of adults aged ≥18 years with RR-TB whose BMI was documented at treatment initiation.
To determine the association of sleep with mental health among Hong Kong community-dwelling older men in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. This additional analysis was derived from the community-dwelling men aged >60 recruited during three COVID-19 outbreaks (i.e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSummer-spring predominance of tuberculosis (TB) has been widely reported. The relative contributions of exogenous recent infection versus endogenous reactivation to such seasonality remains poorly understood. Monthly TB notifications data between 2005 and 2017 in Hong Kong involving 64,386 cases (41% aged ≥ 65; male-to-female ratio 1.
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- The study investigates how physical activity and circadian rhythms changed among older men in Hong Kong before and during different phases of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Researchers used a combination of self-reported questionnaires and wearable actigraphy devices to collect data on physical activity and rest-activity patterns over several periods related to the pandemic.
- Results showed that physical activity and certain circadian rhythm measures decreased significantly during the pandemic, particularly between the 2nd and 3rd COVID-19 waves, but did not change significantly between the pre-pandemic period and the late phase of the 3rd wave.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a rapidly evolving, highly transmissible, and potentially lethal pandemic caused by a novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). As of June 11 2020, more than 7,000,000 COVID-19 cases have been reported worldwide, and more than 400,000 patients have died, affecting at least 188 countries. While literature on the disease is rapidly accumulating, an integrated, multinational perspective on clinical manifestations, immunological effects, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of COVID-19 can be of global benefit.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImportance: With immune recovery following early initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART), the risk of tuberculosis (TB) reactivation among individuals with HIV could be reduced. The current strategy of annual latent TB infection (LTBI) testing should be revisited to increase cost-effectiveness and reduce the intensity of testing for individuals.
Objective: To analyze the cost-effectiveness of LTBI testing strategies for individuals in Hong Kong with HIV who had negative LTBI test results at baseline.
Latent TB infection (LTBI) in HIV patients, its treatment, and immunological recovery following highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) could interact and impact TB disease progression. We aim to examine the factors associated with LTBI and TB disease development among HIV patients. Longitudinal clinical and laboratory data were accessed from the largest HIV specialist clinic in Hong Kong, where HAART and yearly LTBI screening are routinely provided for HIV patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHong Kong is a high-income city with intermediate tuberculosis (TB) burden primarily driven by endogenous reactivations. A high proportion of remote latently infected people, particularly elderly, hinders the effectiveness of current strategies focusing on passive TB detection. In this study, we developed a mathematical model to evaluate the impact of treating latent TB infection (LTBI) in the elderly in addition to current TB control strategies.
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