Association of herpes simplex virus infection and vitiligo: a nationwide retrospective cohort study.

Background: Several studies have proposed viral infection with herpes simplex virus (HSV) as a probable cause of vitiligo. We aimed to examine the association between HSV infection and vitiligo.

Methods: We used the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan to perform a comparative analysis of the study population with or without a diagnosis of HSV infection.

Reply to: mRNA COVID-19 vaccinations are not associated with RVO development 21 days and 12 weeks after vaccination.

We appreciate your interest in our study. This study contrasts with Dorney et al.'s focus on the first 21 days.

Strong association of lumbar disk herniation with diabetes mellitus: a 12-year nationwide retrospective cohort study.

Background: Despite reports on the association between diabetes mellitus (DM) and lumbar disk herniation (LDH), large-scale, nationwide studies exploring this relationship are lacking. We aimed to examine the profiles of DM in individuals with LDH and explore the potential mechanisms underlying the development of these disorders.

Methods: This retrospective, population-based study was conducted between 2008 and 2019 using data from the National Health Insurance (NHI) research database in Taiwan.

The risk assessment of uveitis after COVID-19 diagnosis: A multicenter population-based study.

Reports on uveitis after COVID-19 have been limited. Our objective was to examine the risk of uveitis among COVID-19 patients. This was a retrospective cohort study based on the TriNetX platform.

RETINAL VASCULAR OCCLUSION AND COVID-19 DIAGNOSIS: A Multicenter Population-Based Study.

Background: Several ocular diseases have been reported in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), especially retinal vascular occlusion. This study aimed to examine the risk of retinal vascular occlusion after COVID-19 diagnosis.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study was based on 46 health care organizations in the United States using the TriNetX network.

Sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitor add-on therapy for metformin delays diabetic retinopathy progression in diabetes patients: a population-based cohort study.

To investigate how sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) add-on therapy for metformin affects diabetic retinopathy (DR) progression in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This nationwide population-based study conducted from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2018 involved 3,432,911 adults with T2DM in Taiwan. To adjust for potential confounders, data on sex, age, income, comorbidities, diabetes complication severity index score, staging of kidney disease, anti-diabetic medications, and index year were included.

A chronological review of COVID-19 case fatality rate and its secular trend and investigation of all-cause mortality and hospitalization during the Delta and Omicron waves in the United States: a retrospective cohort study.

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused more than 690 million deaths worldwide. Different results concerning the death rates of the Delta and Omicron variants have been recorded. We aimed to assess the secular trend of case fatality rate (CFR), identify risk factors associated with mortality following COVID-19 diagnosis, and investigate the risks of mortality and hospitalization during Delta and Omicron waves in the United States.

Risk assessment of retinal vascular occlusion after COVID-19 vaccination.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines are associated with several ocular manifestations. Emerging evidence has been reported; however, the causality between the two is debatable. We aimed to investigate the risk of retinal vascular occlusion after COVID-19 vaccination.

The risk of ischemic stroke significantly increases in individuals with blepharitis: A population-based study involving 424,161 patients.

Introduction: To investigate the association of blepharitis and ischemic stroke.

Methods: This nationwide retrospective cohort study used population-based data in Taiwan. Individuals aged 20 and above with diagnosis of blepharitis was included based on electrical medical records.

The Prevalence of Ocular Extra-Intestinal Manifestations in Adults Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have a greater frequency of ocular extra-intestinal manifestations (O-EIMs) than the general population, while Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) have inconsistent prevalence, according to previous studies. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of O-EIMs in CD and UC, respectively. We systemically reviewed O-EIMs and IBD across several online databases.

Secular Trends in Systemic Sclerosis Mortality in the United States from 1981 to 2020.

Background: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) has the highest mortality rate among autoimmune disorders. Individuals with SSc frequently die from complications or infections related to SSc. Nonetheless, the sex-age-period interaction of SSc is complex and remains unclear.

Lifitegrast Ophthalmic Solution 5% Is a Safe and Efficient Eyedrop for Dry Eye Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Dry eye disease (DED) is a multifactorial disease that causes ocular discomfort and visual impairment on a damaged ocular surface. Lifitegrast, a novel T-cell integrin antagonist, was approved in the United States in July 2016 as a 5% (50 mg/mL) ophthalmic solution for DED management. Currently, no meta-analysis and systemic review based on relevant studies have been conducted.

Predictive Genetic Variations in the Kynurenine Pathway for Interferon-α-Induced Depression in Patients with Hepatitis C Viral Infection.

The high incidence of major depressive episodes during interferon-α (IFN-α) therapy is considered the most powerful supportive evidence for the inflammation theory of depression. As the kynurenine pathway plays an important role connecting inflammation and depression, it is plausible to investigate this pathway for predictive genetic markers for IFN-α-induced depression. In this prospective case-control study, we assessed 291 patients with chronic hepatitis C viral infection taking IFN-α therapy and analyzed the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes in the kynurenine pathway.

New Proximal Anastomosis Technique for Calcified Ascending Aorta in Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting.

To deal with calcified ascending aorta during coronary artery bypass grafting, we describe an alternative technique to create a clampless proximal anastomosis using a Foley catheter and polypropylene suture. In 30 patients, the number of distal anastomoses averaged 3.1 ± 0.

Genetic Variations of Ionotropic Glutamate Receptor Pathways on Interferon-α-induced Depression in Patients with Hepatitis C Viral Infection.

Importance: The most supportive evidence of the inflammation theory of depression is that up to one-third of patients with Hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) develop clinical depressive episodes during interferon-α (IFN-α) therapy. As glutamate-mediated excitotoxicity has been found to be a consequence of excessive inflammation and a pathogenic mechanism of depression, it is plausible to investigate genes on ionotropic glutamate receptor pathways.

Objective: To identify the at-risk genetic variations on ionotropic glutamate receptor pathways for interferon-α-induced depression.

A pilot study of systolic dyssynchrony index by real-time three-dimensional echocardiography predicting clinical outcomes to surgical ventricular reconstruction in patients with left ventricular aneurysm.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to detect whether the systolic dyssynchrony index (SDI) assessed by real-time 3D echocardiography (RT3DE) could predict clinical outcomes of patients with ventricular aneurysm in response to surgical ventricular reconstruction (SVR).

Methods: In total, 120 individuals underwent RT3DE, including 30 healthy volunteers and 90 patients with ventricular aneurysm. All patients underwent clinical and echocardiographic assessments at baseline and at 12 months after SVR.

The application of intraoperative transit time flow measurement to accurately assess anastomotic quality in sequential vein grafting.

Objectives: Intraoperative transit time flow measurement (TTFM) is widely used to assess anastomotic quality in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). However, in sequential vein grafting, the flow characteristics collected by the conventional TTFM method are usually associated with total graft flow and might not accurately indicate the quality of every distal anastomosis in a sequential graft. The purpose of our study was to examine a new TTFM method that could assess the quality of each distal anastomosis in a sequential graft more reliably than the conventional TTFM approach.

Off-pump anteroapical aneurysm plication following left ventricular postinfarction aneurysm: effect on cardiac function, clinical status and survival.

Background: In patients with coronary disease and aneurysm, ventricular reconstruction with revascularization is a surgical option. Details of patient selection and optimal surgical technique are still debated. We report our results with off-pump aneurysm plication after ventricular aneurysm with relative wall thinning.

Off-pump anteroapical aneurysm plication for left ventricular post-infarction aneurysm: long-term results.

Background: The temporal response to off-pump anteroapical aneurysm plication has not been well defined. We have evaluated the long-term clinical and functional results of this technique and compared the efficacy with the patch modeling repair.

Methods: From March 2005 to May 2010, 163 (115 men and 48 women) consecutive patients were operated on for post-infarction left ventricular aneurysm (LVA), 54 patients underwent patch remodeling (group A) and 109 patients underwent off-pump anteroapical aneurysm plication repair (group B).

A novel and feasible way to cultivate and purify endothelial progenitor cells from bone marrow of children with congenital heart diseases.

Background: Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are used in vascular tissue engineering and clinic therapy. Some investigators get EPCs from the peripheral blood for clinic treatment, but the number of EPCs is seldom enough. We have developed the cultivation and purification of EPCs from the bone marrow of children with congenital heart disease, to provide enough seed cells for a small calibre vascular tissue engineering study.