Publications by authors named "Chih-Lang Lin"

Background And Aim: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation could develop after withdrawal following a finite course of nucleoside analog (NA) therapy, leading to virological and clinical relapses. The genetic heterogeneity in the HBV surface and polymerase genes during finite NA therapy has not been carefully studied.

Methods: Seven chronic HBV-infected patients experiencing relapses following entecavir (ETV; n = 5; Patients 1 to 5) or tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF; n = 2; Patients 6 and 7) withdrawal were included.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study aimed to compare the effectiveness and safety of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) versus warfarin in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF) and liver cirrhosis (LC) within a large Taiwanese hospital system from 2012 to 2021.
  • - Findings indicated that DOACs provided similar prevention of thromboembolic events compared to warfarin, but had a lower risk of major bleeding and reduced overall mortality, particularly in patients classified as Child-Pugh class A.
  • - The research suggests that DOACs may be safer than warfarin for patients with nonvalvular AF and LC, especially in minimizing major bleeding risk.
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Background/aims: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) eradication using antiviral agents augments the metabolic profile. Changes in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels in chronic hepatitis C patients who receive glecaprevir/pibrentasvir (GLE/PIB) remain elusive.

Methods: Data from 2417 patients treated with GLE/PIB from the Taiwan HCV Registry were analyzed, and pretreatment HbA1c levels were compared with 3-months after the-end-of treatment levels.

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The optimal strategy for the microelimination of HCV within community settings remains ambiguous. We evaluated the percentage of participants who achieved linkage to care (LTC) following the conclusion of a screening campaign and examined the diverse factors influencing LTC among these individuals. The effectiveness of recall intervention for the non-LTC population and its barriers were analyzed.

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Background: Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) increases the risk of liver cirrhosis (LC) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This nationwide cohort study assessed the effectiveness of viral eradication of CHC.

Methods: The Taiwanese chronic hepatitis C cohort and Taiwan hepatitis C virus (HCV) registry are nationwide HCV registry cohorts incorporating data from 23 and 53 hospitals in Taiwan, respectively.

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Introduction: Eight-week glecaprevir/pibrentasvir (GLE/PIB) is indicated for treatment-naïve (TN) patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC), with or without compensated cirrhosis. Given that the Taiwanese government is committed to eliminating hepatitis C virus (HCV) by 2025, this study aimed to measure real-world evidence for TN patients using 8-week GLE/PIB in the Taiwan HCV Registry (TACR).

Methods: The data of patients with CHC treated with 8-week GLE/PIB were retrieved from TACR, a nationwide registry program organized by the Taiwan Association for the Study of the Liver (TASL).

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Background: Both European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) and American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the Infectious Diseases Society of America (AASLD-IDSA) guidelines recommend simplified hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment with pan-genotypic sofosbuvir/velpatasvir or glecaprevir/pibrentasvir for eligible patients. This observational study used real-world data to assess these regimens' safety in eligible patients and develop an algorithm to identify patients suitable for simplified treatment by non-specialists.

Methods: 7,677 HCV-infected patients from Taiwan Hepatitis C Registry (TACR) who received at least one dose of sofosbuvir/velpatasvir or glecaprevir/pibrentasvir, and fulfilled the EASL/AASLD-IDSA criteria for simplified treatment were analyzed.

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Background/aims: Despite the high efficacy of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), approximately 1-3% of hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients fail to achieve a sustained virological response. We conducted a nationwide study to investigate risk factors associated with DAA treatment failure. Machine-learning algorithms have been applied to discriminate subjects who may fail to respond to DAA therapy.

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Background: Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) undergoing hemodialysis are at an elevated risk of developing dementia, potentially linked to the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in this population, which may contribute to cognitive impairment. Nevertheless, the impact of vitamin D supplementation on the risk of dementia in hemodialysis patients remains uncertain, necessitating further investigation to elucidate the potential benefits of vitamin D intervention in this vulnerable group.

Methods: In this propensity-score-matched comparative cohort study, we sought to assess the impact of vitamin D supplementation on the occurrence of dementia in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) undergoing hemodialysis.

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Background And Aims: Long-term nucleos(t)ide analog (Nuc) treatment can reduce HCC in patients with HBV-related liver cirrhosis (HBV-LC). Earlier small cohort studies showed a comparable 5-year incidence of HCC in HBeAg-negative patients with HBV-LC who stopped and those continued Nuc therapy. This study aimed to validate these findings using a large cohort with 10-year follow-up.

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Purpose: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most severe complications in chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. HCC can still develop in patients with chronic HBV (CHB) infection undergoing antiviral therapy. Several effective scoring systems for the prediction of HCC risk in CHB patients have been established.

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Background: Betel nut chewing involves the chewing of areca nuts or betel quid (areca nuts wrapped in betel leaves), which is associated with an increased risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Statins have anticancer properties. We investigated the association between statin use and ESCC risk in betel nut chewers.

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Article Synopsis
  • Patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) have similar underlying mechanisms as those with alcohol-related liver disease, potentially linked to specific genetic variants.
  • A study analyzed the impact of genetic variations in the ADH1B and ALDH2 genes on liver health in 66 NAFLD patients, focusing on metabolic factors and liver conditions.
  • The results showed a high prevalence of mutant-type alleles in ADH1B (87.9%) and ALDH2 (45.5%), with these mutants associated with elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, but no correlation was found between these genes and body mass index or liver fat/fibrosis levels.
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Background: Large-scale real-world data of the 8-week glecaprevir/pibrentasvir (GLE/PIB) therapy for treatment-naïve patients of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection with compensated cirrhosis is scarce.

Methods: The TASL HCV Registry (TACR) is an ongoing nationwide registry program that aims to set up a database and biobank of patients with chronic HCV infection in Taiwan. In this study, data were analyzed as of 31 October 2021 for treatment-naïve HCV patients with compensated cirrhosis receiving 8-week GLE/PIB therapy.

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Background: Sorafenib and lenvatinib are tyrosine kinase inhibitors widely used in the targeted therapy to treat advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (aHCC). The GALNT14-rs9679162 genotype is a predictor of therapeutic outcome in multiple gastrointestinal cancers.

Objective: To investigate the predictive role of the GALNT14-rs9679162 genotype in aHCC treated with sorafenib or lenvatinib.

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Background: Factors of metabolic syndrome such as obesity are well-known risk factors for gallstone disease (GSD). There are different indicators of obesity, including weight, body mass index, waist circumference, and waist-to-height ratio. The predictive ability of different obesity indicators for GSD remains unclear.

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  • Sorafenib is a medicine used to treat a type of liver cancer called advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (aHCC), but doctors need a better way to know who will respond well to it.
  • A study looked at the DNA of 74 aHCC patients to find links between genetic markers and how well they responded to sorafenib.
  • They discovered a specific genetic marker, called rs1010816, that was connected to better treatment results, especially in patients with alcoholic liver cancer who had a certain version of this marker.
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Elevated serum ferritin and uric acid levels are common in patients with fatty liver disease. This study assessed the association between serum ferritin and uric acid levels and liver fibrosis in subjects with lean metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). This cross-sectional study used data from a community screening examination for metabolic syndrome from December 2018 to September 2019 at Keelung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital.

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  • - Diabetic kidney disease is a major global health issue, and researchers are using AI and machine learning to identify biomarkers that indicate which diabetes patients are at high risk for this condition.
  • - Three predictive models were developed based on clinical data and various genomic datasets, showing different accuracy rates for differentiating between diabetes patients and assessing their risk for kidney issues.
  • - The study also highlights specific genes involved in kidney impairment progression in diabetes patients, suggesting that AI can enhance traditional methods by uncovering complex molecular interactions.
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  • Gilbert's syndrome is diagnosed through genetic analysis, specifically a mutation in the promoter region of a gene, but most research has focused on Caucasian populations.
  • This study explored the Han population in Taiwan, analyzing 45 individuals with Gilbert's syndrome and 180 healthy controls to identify additional mutations using advanced genotyping techniques.
  • A total of 57 significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were linked to the syndrome, with 27 closely related SNPs found in the UGT1A region, providing a foundation for future diagnostic models in the Taiwanese population.
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Background: Nucleos(t)ide analogues (NUCs) were proved to reduce hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients, but data were limited on their efficacy in cirrhotic CHB patients. Methods: A total of 447 cirrhotic CHB patients treated with tenofovir/entecavir were retrospectively analyzed and divided into HCC (n = 48) and non-HCC (n = 399) groups. The median follow-up period was 62.

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The quantitative analysis of cell surface antigens has attracted increasing attention due to the antigenic variation recognition that can facilitate early diagnoses. This paper presents a novel methodology based on the optical "cell-tearing" and the especially proposed "dilution regulations" to detect variations in cell surface antigens. The cell attaches to the corresponding antibody-coated slide surface.

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Excessive alcohol consumption, as part of an unhealthy lifestyle, can contribute to metabolic abnormalities. This study investigated the sex differences in the relationship between excessive drinking and the risk of metabolic abnormalities. This community-based study included 3387 participants (age range: 30-103 years, mean age ± SD: 57 ± 13.

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Purpose: Entecavir (ETV) and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) are both recommended as first-line treatments for patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (CHB) infection according to international HBV treatment guidelines. However, recent studies reported conflicting results regarding the preferred antiviral in the prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This cohort study aimed to investigate this issue by using Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database, wherein a "finite" but not life-long treatment policy was applied.

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Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with incident chronic kidney disease (CKD). We aimed to investigate outcomes and risk factors of CKD progression and regression.

Methods: This is a longitudinal community-based cohort study of patients with NAFLD.

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