Publications by authors named "Fuujen Tsai"

Background: Otitis media with effusion (OME) is associated with comorbidities such as allergic rhinitis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, asthma, and more. Many of these comorbidities can be caused by type 2 inflammation (T2I). This study aims to determine the risk of undergoing OME surgery in patients with and without T2I disease.

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  • Recent research indicates a link between insomnia and a higher risk of stroke, prompting investigation into non-drug treatments like acupuncture.
  • A study using data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Database found that patients with insomnia who received acupuncture had a lower incidence of stroke compared to those who did not.
  • Specifically, acupuncture patients showed a reduced stroke risk with better outcomes for those who underwent more sessions, suggesting a dose-response relationship in treatment effectiveness.
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Introduction: Although the HaCaT keratinocyte model has been used in previous research to study the effects of antipsoriatic agents, there is still a lack of comprehensive understanding of the mechanism of imiquimod (IMQ)-induced proliferation and signal transduction in psoriasis-like keratinocytes.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanisms and pathways associated with psoriasis-like inflammation caused by IMQ in human keratinocytes.

Materials And Methods: HaCaT cells were exposed to different concentrations of IMQ to induce inflammation similar to that observed in psoriasis.

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Introduction: Our previous research demonstrated that a large language model (LLM) based on the transformer architecture, specifically the MegaMolBART encoder with an XGBoost classifier, effectively predicts the blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability of compounds. However, the permeability coefficients of compounds that can traverse this barrier remain unclear. Additionally, the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) characteristics of substances obtained from the Natural Product Research Laboratory (NPRL) at China Medical University Hospital (CMUH) have not yet been determined.

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Introduction: In recent years, significant progress has been made in regenerative medicine, specifically in using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) due to their regenerative and differentiating abilities. An exciting development in this area is the utilization of exosomes derived from MSCs, which have shown promise in tissue restoration, immune system modulation, and cancer treatment.

Objectives: This study aims to analyze global research trends and the academic impact of MSCs-derived exosomes from 2014 to 2023, providing a comprehensive overview of this emerging field.

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The Natural Product Research Laboratory (NPRL) of China Medical University Hospital (CMUH) was established in collaboration with CMUH and Professor Kuo-Hsiung Lee from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The laboratory collection features over 6000 natural products worldwide, including pure compounds and semi-synthetic derivatives. This is the most comprehensive and fully operational natural product database in Taiwan.

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Background: Bone age (BA) and sexual maturity rating (SMR) are crucial measures in assessing adolescent growth and development. However, studies specifically focusing on the association between BA and SMR in the Taiwanese adolescent population are limited. This study aims to utilize AI-assessed BA results to establish a relationship between BA and SMR in the Taiwanese adolescent population, particularly regarding the initiation of puberty.

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  • This study explores the link between herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection and the development of vitiligo, a skin condition characterized by loss of pigmentation.
  • Researchers analyzed data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database, comparing nearly 1 million patients with and without HSV infections over a 12-year period.
  • Findings indicate that those with HSV infection have a significantly higher risk of developing vitiligo, with an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.71, and an increased risk is especially pronounced within the first year post-infection.
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The impact of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SLGT2i) usage on reducing the risk of dementia remains uncertain. Our research seeks to establish the association between dementia risk and SLGT2 inhibitors among individuals with diabetes. This study relied on data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Database (NHIRD), which was established in 1995 coinciding with the launch of the National Health Insurance (NHI) program by the Taiwanese government.

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  • * A cohort of 4,606 individuals with schizophrenia was compared to another 4,606 without the disease, revealing that schizophrenia patients had a significantly higher risk of T2DM, especially those not treated with APs.
  • * The research suggests that while schizophrenia increases the risk of T2DM, APs may provide some protective effects; however, other unmeasured factors could also influence T2DM risk, pointing to a need for careful monitoring by healthcare providers.
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Current genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for kidney function lack ancestral diversity, limiting the applicability to broader populations. The East-Asian population is especially under-represented, despite having the highest global burden of end-stage kidney disease. We conducted a meta-analysis of multiple GWASs (n = 244,952) on estimated glomerular filtration rate and a replication dataset (n = 27,058) from Taiwan and Japan.

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Background: Scabies is typically treated with scabicides like lindane, which poses a risk for acute neural toxicity. Lindane's prolonged use, particularly in agriculture, is linked to neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease (PD), the second most common neurodegenerative disorder. This study aimed to evaluate whether scabies patients, particularly those treated with topical lindane, are at increased risk of developing PD.

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  • Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is an autoimmune disease that causes dryness and affects exocrine glands, prompting this study to explore genetic links in the Taiwan Han population through a genome-wide association study (GWAS) and polygenic risk score (PRS) analysis.
  • The research included over 11,000 pSS patients and identified one known genetic location along with eight new ones, confirming the involvement of certain HLA alleles, which are crucial in autoimmune responses.
  • This study is the largest of its kind in this population and sheds light on the genetic predisposition to pSS, while also linking it to other autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus.
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Mevastatin (MVS) is known for its anti-inflammatory effects, potentially achieved by upregulating heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), an enzyme involved in cytoprotection against oxidative injury. Nonetheless, the specific processes by which MVS stimulates HO-1 expression in human cardiac fibroblasts (HCFs) are not yet fully understood. In this study, we found that MVS treatment increased HO-1 mRNA and protein levels in HCFs.

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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: Clinical studies have shown that glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA) can have beneficial effects on cardiopulmonary function. We conducted this longitudinal cohort study to compare the risk of cardiopulmonary outcomes and mortality between GLP-1 RA use and no use in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Methods: The study identified 8060 matched GLP-1 RA users and non-users from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database from 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2019.

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Objectives: To estimate the risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) associated with long-term use of topical glaucoma medications among middle-aged and older glaucoma patients, and compare the AD risk among various glaucoma subtypes.

Methods: This nationwide population-based cohort study utilized insurance claims data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database between 2008 and 2019. Participants were adults aged 45 years or older either with a diagnosis of glaucoma or without.

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  • In Taiwan, nonionic iodinated contrast media (ICMs) are widely used but can sometimes lead to severe adverse reactions, making it challenging to investigate the genetic factors behind these side effects.
  • A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted using data from two cohorts: one assessing immediate reactions through adverse drug reports, and the other focusing on delayed reactions from self-reports, ultimately identifying multiple risk loci and causal variants.
  • The findings suggest that different genes are involved in immediate and non-immediate hypersensitivity reactions to ICMs, providing insight into their genetic basis within the Taiwanese population.
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Background: The association between Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) and the risk of developing major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) in patients with dialysis hypotension is unclear and has not yet been investigated. This study aimed to determine whether CMH intervention could reduce the risk of MACEs in patients with dialysis hypotension.

Methods: The study data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database were analyzed to clarify this association.

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Objectives: The association between diuretic use and cardiorenal outcomes remains limited in patients with stage 3-5 chronic kidney disease (CKD) and hypertension. To address this gap, we aim to investigate the long-term clinical impact of diuretic use with its pharmacological classification in Taiwanese patients with stage 3-5 CKD and hypertension who were concurrently received angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) or angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs).

Methods: Using data from the National Health Insurance Research Database (January 2008 to December 2019), we focused on individuals with stage 3-5 CKD receiving ACEIs/ARBs between 2010 and 2018.

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Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common atrial arrhythmia, presents with varied clinical manifestations. Despite the identification of genetic loci associated with AF, particularly in specific populations, research within Asian ethnicities remains limited. In this study we aimed to develop predictive models for AF using AF-associated single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on a substantial cohort of Taiwanese individuals, to evaluate the predictive efficacy of the model.

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Background: Several risk factors for peptic ulcer disease (PUD) have been identified; however, the recurrence rate of PUD remains high even with standard ulcer treatments. High cholesterol levels have been proposed as a risk factor for PUD, but clinical evidence remains limited. Therefore, this database study investigated whether hyperlipidemia increases PUD risk and whether antihyperlipidemic drugs reduce this risk.

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(L.) Kuntze is a traditional herb with multiple medicinal properties and with potential for preventing or treating various diseases. Acteoside, one of the active ingredients in , is prepared into commercially available products of A.

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Myopia is the leading cause of impaired vision, and its prevalence is increasing among Asian populations. This study aimed to develop a polygenic risk score (PRS) followed by replication to predict myopia in the Taiwanese population. In total, 23,688 participants with cycloplegic autorefraction-measured mean spherical equivalent (SE), genetic, and demographic data were included.

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