Safety and Efficacy of Adalimumab for Patients With Moderate to Severe Crohn's Disease: The Taiwan Society of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (TSIBD) Study.

Background/aims: Only moderate to severe Crohn's Disease (CD) patients without a satisfactory conventional therapy effect are eligible to get reimbursement from the National Health Insurance of Taiwan for using adalimumab. These are more stringent criteria than in many Western countries and Japan and Korea. We aim to explore the efficacy of using adalimumab in CD patients under such stringent criteria.

SLCO3A1, A novel crohn's disease-associated gene, regulates nf-κB activity and associates with intestinal perforation.

Background & Aims: To date, only one gene (TNFSF15) has been identified and validated as a Crohn's disease (CD)-associated gene in non-Caucasian populations. This study was designed to identify novel CD-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)/genes and to validate candidate genes using a functional assay.

Methods: SNPs from 16 CD patients and 16 age- and sex-matched control patients were analyzed using Illumina platform analysis.

An experimental study of the management of severe keratoconjunctivitis sicca with autologous reduced-sized submandibular gland transplantation.

We have evaluated transplantation of reduced submandibular glands for the treatment of severe keratoconjunctivitis sicca. Thirty-four rabbits were allocated into three groups: dry eye (controls, n=10), transplantation of whole submandibular glands (n=12), and transplantation of reduced submandibular glands (n=12). Outcome measures included the results of Schirmer's test and the Rose Bengal test, and histological examination of the cornea and the transplanted gland.

Relationship of activated extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 with lung metastasis in salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma.

Lung metastasis is one of the important characteristics of salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma (SACC). Although activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) pathway may be associated with cancer progression in some malignant tumors, its roles in lung metastasis of SACC remains unclear. We examined the expression of activated ERK1/2 in SACC-LM with high lung-metastatic rate and SACC-83 with low lung-metastatic rate, as well as in the tissues from lung-metastatic and non-metastatic groups of SACC patients.

Aquaporin-1 and aquaporin-3 expressions in the temporo-mandibular joint condylar cartilage after an experimentally induced osteoarthritis.

Background: Over 70% of the total tissue weight in the cartilage matrix consists of water, and the early-stage osteoarthritic cartilage is characterized by swelling. Water transport in the cartilage matrix and across the membranes of chondrocytes may be important in normal and pathological conditions of cartilage. The purpose of this study was to identify aquaporin-1 (AQP1) and aquaporin-3 (AQP3) expressions in the mandibular condylar cartilage after experimentally induced osteoarthritis (OA) in rats.

[Study on the characteristics of apoptosis in the condyles of osteoarthritic temporomandibular joints].

Objective: To study the characteristics of apoptosis in the condyles of osteoarthritic temporomandibular joints, and investigate its role in the pathogenesis of the disease.

Methods: Temporomandibular joint osteoarthrosis model of rabbits was created by partial resection of joint disc. The animal models were sacrificed in the 15th day, the 1st month, the 2nd month, the 3rd month, the 4th month, the 5th month, and the 6th month chronologically.

[Bone formation in vitro and in vivo by human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells].

Objective: To culture and study the osteogenic characteristics of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBMMSCs).

Methods: hBMMSCs were separated and cultured from human iliac crest marrow. Growth kinetics of hBMMSCs was studied by growth curve.