Publications by authors named "Ching-Tang Shih"

Patients with refractory diabetes are defined as type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients; they cannot achieve optimal glycemic control and exhibit persistent elevations of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) ≥8% while on appropriate therapy. Hyperglycemia can lead to severe microvascular/macrovascular complications. However, in contrast to T2D, few studies have focused specifically on the gut microbiota in refractory diabetes.

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Problem: Vaccination is the best protection against rubella and congenital rubella infection. Although a high rate of immunization coverage is achieved in Taiwan, it is unknown if the vaccine-induced immunity persists from the age of vaccination to childbearing age.

Methods Of Study: A total of 5,988 prenatal rubella IgG test results of young pregnant women aged 19-23 years old from six hospitals during January 2001 to December 2008 and January 2013 to December 2017 were analyzed.

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Universal immunoprophylaxis against hepatitis B virus (HBV) is regarded as a key element to prevent perinatal HBV infection. The aim of the present study was to investigate the changes in the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)- and hepatitis B envelope antigen (HBeAg)-positive rates in native and immigrant pregnant women, to realize the impact of immigrants, and to identify any weaknesses 30 years after the implementation of hepatitis B vaccination in Taiwan. A total of 20,020 test results of HBsAg and HBeAg in pregnant women-2,915 (14.

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Trace elements can influence glucose metabolism and be related to oxidative stress in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Moreover, trace elements play important roles in the nephrotic complications of these patients. Nevertheless, few investigations have been made into the changes in the levels of trace elements in diabetic patients at various stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD).

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As the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) decreases, it can cause imbalance in some divalent elements. These imbalances can cause increased oxidative stress in patients with renal impairment. The aim of present study was to investigate the changes of these divalent elements with CKD progression.

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Vaccination is considered the most effective method to prevent rubella spread and congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). The aim of the present study was to investigate the rubella immunity among native and immigrant pregnant women in Taiwan. From 2000 to 2014, a total of 16,879 pregnant women who received routine prenatal examinations were recruited in this study.

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Introduction: Vaccination is the best strategy to prevent rubella and congenital rubella. The aim of our study was to assess the immunity to rubella and determine rubella virus antibody titers in pregnant women who were offered a single dose of rubella vaccine at different ages of their lives.

Methods: A total 15,067 rubella IgG antibody test results for Taiwanese pregnant women who received routine prenatal checkup at Fooyin University Hospital from 1999 to 2014 were analyzed in this study.

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Background: Group A streptococcus (GAS) pharyngitis can cause serious complications such as rheumatic heart disease. The McIsaac sore throat score is a clinical prediction score used to improve the detection rate of GAS pharyngitis. We evaluated the validity of the McIsaac sore throat score in Southern Taiwan and compared our findings to those of other studies.

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Background: The national hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination program was launched in Taiwan in 1984. After November 1992, a recombinant HBV vaccine replaced the plasma-derived HBV vaccine.

Methods: A total of 1,812 nursing and medical technology freshman students was tested to evaluate their waning immunity toward hepatitis B.

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Rubella vaccination in Taiwan started in 1986; mass vaccination was introduced into the national immunization program in 1992. In recent years, 17-31% of all marriages in Taiwan have been between Taiwanese men and foreign women. The aim of this study was to analyze rubella seroepidemiology and the rate of catch-up immunization in women.

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