Publications by authors named "Chia-wen Tsai"

Background/aim: Hallux valgus (HV) is the most common deformity of the forefoot. Although HV has been strongly associated with a family history, its genetic underpinnings remain unclear. Few studies have examined the relationship between folic acid metabolism, which is critical in normal bone development, and HV.

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Background/aim: Genetic polymorphisms in DNA repair mechanisms can modulate overall DNA repair capacity, potentially influencing individual susceptibility to cancer. This study investigated the relationship between polymorphic variations in DNA ligase 1 and the risk of childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia (cALL).

Materials And Methods: The genotypes of DNA ligase 1 rs20579 were determined using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis.

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Background/aim: The disruption of cell-cycle control can lead to an imbalance in cell proliferation, often accompanied by genomic instability, which in turn can facilitate carcinogenesis. This study aimed to examine the impact of CDKN1A rs1801270 and rs1059234 polymorphisms on the risk of childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) in Taiwan.

Materials And Methods: The genotypes of CDKN1A rs1801270 and rs1059234 in 266 childhood ALL cases and 266 controls were determined using PCR-RFLP techniques.

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Article Synopsis
  • Adipose-derived stem cell exosomes (ADSC-exos) show potential for helping nerve regeneration, but the mechanisms behind their effects are still not fully understood.
  • Researchers used fluorescent labeling and spatial transcriptomics in mice to observe how ADSC-exos impact crushed sciatic nerves, finding these exosomes in spinal neurons and nerve segments, along with significant changes in gene expression.
  • The study also revealed that ADSC-exo treatment boosts interactions between nerve-supporting cells, like Schwann cells and astrocytes, enhancing a regenerative environment and suggesting improvements in metabolism and structural support for nerve healing.
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Background/aim: The administration of contrast agents can adversely affect kidney function. Nevertheless, the nephrotoxicity of iopromide in human renal cells, potential therapeutic agents, and the underlying molecular mechanisms have not been thoroughly investigated.

Materials And Methods: The proliferation of HEK-293 kidney cells was assessed using the 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazoliumbromide (MTT) assay.

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Background/aim: In gastric cancer (GCa) tissues, the mRNA and protein levels of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) are significantly elevated compared to adjacent non-cancerous tissues. Moreover, the abnormal up-regulation of TIMP-1 has been associated with a poor prognosis. However, the role of TIMP-1 genotypes in susceptibility to GCa has seldom been investigated.

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Background/aim: The dysregulation of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) proteins has been reported to be involved in the etiology of pterygium. However, studies about the role of matrix metalloproteinase-11 (MMP-11) are lacking. This study is the first to examine the genomic role of MMP-11 in pterygium.

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We conducted the first genome-wide association study (GWAS) of colorectal cancer (CRC) in Taiwan with 5342 cases and 61,015 controls. Ninety-two SNPs in three genomic regions reached genome-wide significance (p < 5 × 10). The lead SNPs in these three regions were: rs12778523 (OR = 1.

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Background/aim: In gastric cancer (GCa) tissues, mRNA expression of matrix metalloproteinase-8 (MMP-8) is notably reduced compared to healthy tissues. Furthermore, abnormally low or elevated serum levels of MMP-8 have been linked to a significantly poor prognosis. The involvement of MMP-8 genotypes in susceptibility to GCa remains underexplored.

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Background/aim: The role of alcohol consumption and aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) genotype in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development remains uncertain.

Materials And Methods: We conducted genotyping of the ALDH2 rs671 single nucleotide polymorphism in 298 patients with HCC and 889 non-cancerous healthy controls. We assessed associations stratified by sex and alcohol consumption status.

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Prostate cancer (PCa) is a multifactorial disease influenced by genetic, environmental, and immunological factors. Genetic polymorphisms in the () gene have been implicated in PCa susceptibility, development, and progression. This study aims to assess the contributions of three promoter single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), A-1082G (rs1800896), T-819C (rs3021097), and A-592C (rs1800872), to the risk of PCa in Taiwan.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigated the role of matrix metallo-proteinase-8 (MMP-8) genotypes in predicting the risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) among a Taiwanese cohort.
  • Using the PCR-RFLP technique, researchers analyzed specific MMP-8 genotypes in 208 NPC cases compared to 416 healthy controls.
  • The results showed no significant association between the MMP-8 genotypes (rs11225395, rs34009635, and rs35866072) and NPC risk, regardless of other factors like smoking or alcohol consumption.
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Background/aim: Matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of breast cancer (BC). However, there is limited research on the role of MMP-2 genotypes in BC risk. This study aimed to investigate the associations between two MMP-2 promoter polymorphisms, rs243865 and rs2285053, and BC risk.

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  • The study investigates the role of the MMP9 promoter rs3918242 genotype in asthma susceptibility among Taiwanese individuals, comparing 453 healthy controls and 198 asthmatic patients.
  • Results indicate that the CT or TT genotypes of MMP9 rs3918242 do not increase asthma risk compared to the CC genotype, and the T allele does not show a significant risk difference from the C allele.
  • However, individuals with CT or TT genotypes displayed a correlation with more severe asthma symptoms, suggesting that while the genotype may not affect the likelihood of developing asthma, it could influence the severity of the condition.
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Background/aim: In current literature, there is a notable lack of studies investigating the role of radiation-sensitive protein 51 (RAD-51) in pterygium diagnosis. Nevertheless, reports indicate elevated expression levels of RAD-51 among recurrent pterygium cases compared to those with primary pterygium. However, the genomic involvement of RAD-51 has yet to be explored in any population.

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Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and -9, which degrade type IV collagen, are linked to cancer invasion and metastasis. Gene polymorphisms in and can influence their function, impacting cancer development and progression. This study analyzed the association between polymorphisms rs243865 (C-1306T), rs2285053 (C-735T), and rs3918242 (C-1562T) with serum concentrations of these enzymes in upper tract urothelial cancer (UTUC) patients.

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Bladder cancer is an age-related disease, with over three-quarters of cases occurring in individuals aged 65 years and older. Accelerated biological aging has been linked to elevated cancer risks. Epigenetic clocks serve as excellent predictors of biological age, yet it remains unclear whether they are associated with bladder cancer risk.

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Background/aim: The up-regulation of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) expression is a characteristic feature observed across various malignancies, including nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Nevertheless, the influence of MMP-9 genotype in the context of NPC remains underexplored. This study examined the implications of MMP-9 promoter rs3918242 genotypes on the susceptibility to NPC in Taiwan.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study explored the potential link between vitamin D receptor (VDR) genotypes and the risk of hallux valgus (HV), a common foot deformity, using a sample of 150 HV patients and 600 non-HV subjects.
  • The results indicated that there were no significant differences in the genetic frequencies of key VDR variants (rs731236, rs1544410, rs2228570, and rs7975232) between HV and non-HV groups.
  • The findings concluded that these VDR genotypes do not appear to be reliable indicators for predicting a higher risk of developing HV.
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Background/aim: The activity and expression of matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP7) have been found to be upregulated in the late stages of endometriosis. However, the contribution of MMP7 genotype to endometriosis has seldom been examined. This study aimed to investigate the role of MMP7 promoter A-181G (rs11568818) and C-153T (rs11568819) genotypes in determining personal susceptibility to endometriosis in a Taiwanese cohort.

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Ferroptosis is an iron-driven cell-death mechanism that plays a central role in various diseases. Recent studies have suggested that baicalein inhibits ferroptosis, making it a promising therapeutic candidate. Fibroblast cultures were treated with different agents to determine the effects of baicalein on ferroptosis.

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Background/aim: Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) expression is upregulated in various diseases, including lung cancer. However, the role of MMP-9 genotype in lung cancer susceptibility remains uncertain. This study aimed to clarify the contribution of MMP-9 promoter rs3918242 genotypes to the risk of lung cancer in Taiwan.

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Background/aim: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) presents a formidable clinical challenge due to its aggressive behavior and limited therapeutic options. Matrix metalloproteinase-8 (MMP-8) has recently emerged as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for various cancers. However, the genetic involvement of MMP-8 in RCC has remained largely obscure.

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Circulating exosomes derived from polymicrobial sepsis contain various non-coding RNAs and proteins. Isobaric tags for a relative or absolute quantitation proteomic analysis of the exosomal content revealed 70 dysregulated proteins in the circulating exosomes from septic mice. Next-generation sequencing was used to profile the long non-coding RNA expression in primary cultured macrophages treated with exosomes obtained from the blood of septic C57BL/6 mice, and it was discovered that the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB)/miR-17-92a-1 cluster host gene (MIR17HG) pathways were activated in the macrophages.

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Background/aim: Numerous studies have reported the over-expression of the radiation-sensitive protein 51 (RAD51) in various types of cancer. However, the role of RAD51 genotypes in lung cancer remains largely unknown. This study aimed to assess the impact of the common variant RAD51 rs1801320 (G-135C) genotypes on the risk of lung cancer in Taiwan.

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