Publications by authors named "Tung-Ying Chao"

Objectives: RNA therapeutics is an emerging field that widens the range of treatable targets and would improve disease outcome through bypassing the antibiotic bactericidal targets to kill Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb).

Methods: We screened for microRNA with immune-regulatory functions against M.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates acute exacerbations (AEs) in male patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to find independent markers that could predict these episodes.
  • It included data from 149 patients, categorizing them into high and low AE groups based on their exacerbation history, using various clinical parameters.
  • Key findings show that different markers like white blood cell count and FEV were linked to AEs in different years, highlighting the importance of ongoing monitoring for better management of COPD.
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Body mass index (BMI) influences the prognosis of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), including both early-stage and late-stage NSCLC patients that are undergoing chemotherapies. However, earlier research on the relationship between BMI and survival in patients taking epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) yielded contradictory results. These publications either had a limited number of patients or were getting TKIs in various lines of therapy, which might explain why the outcomes were contradictory.

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We hypothesized that epigenetics is a link between smoking/allergen exposures and the development of Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (ACO). A total of 75 of 228 COPD patients were identified as ACO, which was independently associated with increased exacerbations. Microarray analysis identified 404 differentially methylated loci (DML) in ACO patients, and 6575 DML in those with rapid lung function decline in a discovery cohort.

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The aim of this study is to explore the role of microRNAs (miR)-21/23a/146a/150/155 targeting the toll-like receptor pathway in active tuberculosis (TB) disease and latent TB infection (LTBI). Gene expression levels of the five miRs and predicted target genes were assessed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 46 patients with active pulmonary TB, 15 subjects with LTBI, and 17 non-infected healthy subjects (NIHS). THP-1 cell lines were transfected with miR-23a-3p mimics under stimuli with Mycobacterium TB-specific antigens.

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Objectives: This study aims to explore the role of M2a polarization and formyl peptide receptor (FPR) regulation in the reactivation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection.

Methods: M1/M2a monocyte percentage and FPR1/2/3 protein expression of blood immune cells were measured in 38 patients with sputum culture (+) active pulmonary TB disease, 18 subjects with latent TB infection (LTBI), and 28 noninfected healthy subjects (NIHS) using flow cytometry method.

Results: M1 percentage was decreased in active TB versus either NIHS or LTBI group, while M2a percentage and M2a/M1 percentage ratio were increased.

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Article Synopsis
  • Researchers explored how DNA methylation patterns may play a role in the development of active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB), using the Illumina DNA methylation 450 K assay to analyze 12 TB patients and 6 healthy subjects.
  • They identified over 1,000 differentially methylated loci (DMLs) in TB patients compared to healthy individuals, particularly focusing on those altered post anti-TB treatment and related to autophagy signaling pathways.
  • The study suggests that specific genes show hypomethylation or hypermethylation in TB patients, which are linked to clinical outcomes, symptoms, and overall survival, indicating that these methylation changes could help predict disease progression and prognosis.
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Background: Controversy exists in previous studies on macrophage M1/M2 polarization in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We hypothesized that formyl peptide receptor (FPR), a marker of efferocytosis and mediator of M1/M2 polarization, may be involved in the development of COPD.

Methods: We examined FPR 1/2/3 expressions of blood M1/M2a monocyte, neutrophil, natural killer (NK) cell, NK T cell, T helper (Th) cell, and T cytotoxic (Tc) cell by flowcytometry method in 40 patients with cigarette smoking-related COPD and 16 healthy non-smokers.

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  • Rikkunshito, a traditional Chinese medicine, shows potential in improving anorexia for cancer patients and reducing lung injury by limiting neutrophil infiltration.
  • In a study involving 17 advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, the effects of rikkunshito combined with standard chemotherapy were analyzed, focusing on treatment response and gene expression changes.
  • Results indicated no significant differences in overall survival or clinical outcomes between the groups; however, rikkunshito treatment led to notable changes in certain blood cell counts and gene expression linked to immune response and inflammation.
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The aim of this study is to determine the roles of global histone acetylation (Ac)/methylation (me), their modifying enzymes, and gene-specific histone enrichment in active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) disease. Global histone H3K27me3, H3K27me2, H3K9me3, H3K9Ac, and H3K14Ac expressions, and their modifying enzyme expressions, including KDM1A, KDM6B, EZH2, HDAC1, and HDAC2, were assessed in blood leukocytes from 81 patients with active pulmonary TB disease and 44 matched healthy subjects (HS). , , , and -specific histone enrichment of peripheral blood mononuclear cells was measured by chromatin immunoprecipitation method.

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In the pre-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) era, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with de novo bone metastases had a worse prognosis than those without. However, whether epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-TKIs affect the outcomes of EGFR mutant NSCLC patients with de novo bone metastases has not been well studied thus far. We retrospectively studied the effect of EGFR mutation status and first-line EGFR-TKIs on patient outcomes and created a survival scoring system for NSCLC patients with de novo bone metastases.

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Background: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) readministration to lung cancer patients is common owing to the few options available. Impact of clinical factors on prognosis of EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients receiving EGFR-TKI readministration after first-line EGFR-TKI failure and a period of TKI holiday remains unclear. Through this retrospective study, we aimed to understand the impact of clinical factors in such patients.

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Background: Clinically, multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (MDR-AB) recurrence is found in some patients although identified as successfully eradicated. We aim to discover the characteristics of patients with MDR-AB recurrence in the respiratory tract.

Methods: We retrospectively collected 106 chronic respiratory failure patients with MDR-AB harvest in pulmonary secretion culture.

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Objectives: In daily practice, some patients with certain clinical characteristics may have better responses to the administration of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). It is therefore reasonable to stratify and weigh the importance of these clinical parameters which may not only affect patients' responses to TKIs but also progression-free survival (PFS) other than the impact of EGFR mutation status per se.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study evaluated EGFR-mutant, non-small cell lung cancer patients who received EGFR-TKIs as a first-line therapy between January 2011 and December 2013.

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Background: Antacid treatments decrease the serum concentrations of first-generation epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), although it is unknown whether antacids affect clinical outcomes. As cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of TKIs are much lower than serum concentrations, we hypothesized that this drug-drug interaction might affect the prognosis of patients with de novo brain metastases.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study evaluated 269 patients with EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who had been diagnosed between December 2010 and December 2013, and had been treated using first-line first-generation EGFR-TKIs.

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Among epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation status unknown nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, those with higher carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level are more likely to response to EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) because they tend to have mutant epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). However, patients with higher CEA also have more tumor burden. With the above paradoxical evidence, it is prudent to understand the prognostic significance of baseline CEA in patients with EGFR-mutant NSCLC treated with first-line EGFR-TKIs.

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Background: Patients with early-stage lung cancer who have a high baseline lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) have a favorable prognosis. However, the prognostic significance of LMR in patients with advanced-stage EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) receiving first-line epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) has not been established. We conducted a retrospective analysis to investigate the influence of LMR on clinical outcomes including progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in EGFR-mutant patients with NSCLC.

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Objectives: Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) is a major mediator of innate immunity against tuberculosis (TB). This study aimed to determine if TLR2 promoter DNA methylation is associated with pulmonary TB.

Methods: The DNA methylation levels of 20 CpG sites over the TLR2 promoter region and TLR2 gene/protein expressions of immune cells of the blood were examined in 99 sputum culture-positive pulmonary TB patients and 77 healthy subjects (HS).

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Background: The increased prevalence of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (MDRAB) poses a worldwide treatment challenge. Although aerosolized colistin therapy for MDRAB pneumonia has attracted increasing interest, factors influencing successful eradication remain unclear.

Methods: This retrospective study evaluated 135 consecutively admitted adult patients showing positive respiratory secretion cultures for MDRAB who underwent aerosolized colistin therapy between January 2007 and November 2011.

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Introduction: Increasing evidence has shown that immune surveillance is compromised in a tumor-promoting microenvironment for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and can be restored by appropriate chemotherapy.

Methods: To test this hypothesis, we analyzed microarray gene expression profiles of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 30 patients with newly-diagnosed advanced stage NSCLC, and 20 age-, sex-, and co-morbidity-matched healthy controls. All the patients received a median of four courses of chemotherapy with cisplatin and gemcitabine for a 28-day cycle as first line treatment.

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Objective: To identify patients at high risk of relapse after anti-tuberculosis (TB) therapy or with poor long-term outcomes.

Methods: Fifty-one patients with pulmonary TB: 7 were classified as high association with both cavitations on initial chest radiography and positive sputum smear/cultures after two months of anti-TB treatment (HA group); 19 medium association (MA, one risk alone); and 25 low association (LA, neither risk). Serum interferon (IFN)-γ-inducible protein 10 (IP-10), interleukin-17 (IL-17), and C-reactive protein levels were investigated.

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Gefitinib is effective in treating patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The response rate and improvement in survival are related to several aspects, including race, gender, smoking status, and histology; however, little is known about the relationship between survival and length of gefitinib treatment. We conducted this retrospective study to examine this relationship and identify the predictive factors influencing survival and tumor response in chemonaive and chemotherapy patients who had stage IIIb or IV NSCLC with unknown epidermal growth factor receptor mutants.

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Background And Objective: Little is known about the usefulness of lymphocyte subsets as early predictors of anti-tuberculosis (TB) treatment response in immuno-competent patients.

Methods: Among a total of 64 patients with culture positive pulmonary TB, 29 remained sputum smear/culture positive or had delayed resolution on CXR (slow responders (SR)), and 35 had sputum culture conversion to negative and rapid resolution on CXR (fast responders (FR)) after two months of anti-tuberculosis treatment. Clinical parameters and lymphocyte subsets were investigated.

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The aim of this study was to investigate genetic effects on the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The study was conducted as a prospective case-control study in a medical center in southern Taiwan. The patient group consisted of 145 male patients with smoking-related COPD and a control group of 139 resistant smokers from July 2004 to September 2009.

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