Publications by authors named "H L Lai"

Introduction: Sjögren's syndrome (SS) presents complex diagnostic challenges due to its multi-organ involvement, often leading to misdiagnosis, which can result in unnecessary treatments, elevated healthcare costs, and significant impacts on patient quality of life. Accurate diagnosis is therefore critical, utilising ACR/EULAR criteria that include both labial minor salivary gland (LMSG) biopsy and anti-SSA antibodies.

Methods: This retrospective study analysed medical records of 87 adults suspected of primary SS, who underwent both anti-SSA serology and LMSG biopsy.

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Background: Dietary protein adequacy is crucial for muscle health in aging individuals, posing a particular challenge for vegetarian seniors. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) investigates the impacts of protein-enriched lacto-vegetarian soup supplementation on body composition, physical performance and muscle strength functional assessment as well as cardiometabolic and inflammatory biomarkers in older adults.

Methods: We enrolled 100 participants ≥65 years at risk for malnutrition (MNA-SF ≤ 11) and at risk for sarcopenia (SARC-F ≥4 or SARC-CalF ≥11) in this RCT.

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Background: People in justice settings experience higher rates of psychiatric morbidity, including alcohol and drug use disorders, compared with the general population. However, our understanding of opioid-related harms in justice settings is limited. This study used ambulance data to examine opioid-related harms and experiences of care in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, during periods of incarceration or detention.

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Loss-of-function mutations in NOTCH1 were previously linked to thoracic aortopathy, a condition for which non-surgical treatment options are limited. Based on clinical proteome analysis, we hypothesized that mitochondrial fusion and biogenesis in aortic smooth muscle cells (SMCs) are crucial for regulating the progression of NOTCH1-related aortopathy. Here we demonstrate that SMC-specific Notch1 knockout mice develop aortic pathology, including stiffening, dilation and focal dissection.

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Aim: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of an active matrix metalloproteinase-8 (aMMP-8) point-of-care oral rinse test (POC-ORT) for predicting periodontitis in treatment-naïve subjects in two independent studies and update a recent meta-analysis.

Methods: The aMMP-8 POC-ORT index test was performed in a representative population in Hong Kong, China, and a consecutive convenience sample in Shanghai, China. The reference standard was the 2017 World Workshop classification of periodontal diseases.

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