Publications by authors named "Mei-Ping Liu"
Background: The multiple symptoms of Sjögren's syndrome lead patients affected by this disease to seek medical advice from different medical disciplines and specialists. Diagnoses are often made many years after initial onset, resulting in mental and physical exhaustion and misunderstandings.
Purpose: This study was designed to explore the health-seeking experiences of patients with Sjögren's syndrome.
Background: Our aim was to investigate dynamic changes in hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antibody (HBsAb) titer and the associated risk of HBV reactivation and clinical course in patients with HBV surface antigen negative/core antibody positive (HBsAg/HBcAb) serostatus during antirheumatic therapy with biologic agents.
Methods: In a prospective study from January 2013 to June 2017, we monitored the HBV serostatus of HBsAg/HBcAb patients undergoing biologic therapy for rheumatic diseases. From HBsAb titers at baseline and subsequent time points, we calculated the person-years (PY) contributed by patients with different HBsAb levels: < 10 mIU/mL (negative); 10-100 mIU/mL (low); and > 100 mIU/mL (high).
Objective: To determine the frequency of lost to follow-up (LTFU) in the setting of usual care for outpatients with rheumatic diseases including RA, SLE, AS, and Ps/PsA, to explore the associated demographic factors, and to investigate the reasons for being LTFU from the original medical care.
Methods: Patients registered between May 2011 and January 2014 at the rheumatology outpatient department of a medical center were included. Those who did not attend their scheduled appointment were defined as LTFU.