Publications by authors named "Vincent W Wong"
Purpose: Recent research (Li et al. 2021) suggests an upregulated expression and activation of H1 receptors on macrophages in the tumor microenvironment, and concomitant H1-antihistamine use is associated with improved overall survival in patients with lung and skin cancers receiving immunotherapy. Therefore, we retrospectively evaluated the impacts of H1-antihistamine use in cancer patients during immunotherapy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTransmembrane-6 superfamily member 2 (TM6SF2) regulates hepatic fat metabolism and is associated with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). TM6SF2 genetic variants are associated with steatotic liver disease. The pathogenesis of MASH involves genetic factors and gut microbiota alteration, yet the role of host-microbe interactions in MASH development remains unclear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlcohol-associated hepatitis trends before and following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic across two distinct cohorts in the United States and Hong Kong.
JHEP Rep
January 2025
Background & Aims: Alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) burden has been rising globally, fueled by increases in high-risk alcohol use following the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We evaluated trends in annual incidence of alcohol-associated hepatitis (AH) before and following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic across two geographically distinct populations in the USA and Hong Kong.
Methods: Using US national Veterans Affairs (VA) data and Hong Kong territory-wide data, trends in annual incidence of AH were evaluated from 2000 to 2023.
Article Synopsis
- * The study collected and analyzed 1,600 posts from various countries, revealing that the most common topics included patients' journeys (92%), comorbidities (38%), and their interactions with healthcare professionals (26%).
- * Major findings indicated that unhealthy diets and obesity are significant risk factors, with fatigue and abdominal pain being prevalent symptoms; meanwhile, the disease has a considerable negative impact on patients' quality of life, especially for those with comorbidities and more severe conditions.
Background & Aims: Current international guidelines recommend close monitoring and evaluation of patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in the indeterminate phase, and treatment of patients at high risk of adverse outcomes. Clinical outcomes and the effect of antiviral therapy on the indeterminate phase remain unclear. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to study the incidence of adverse clinical outcomes including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), cirrhosis, and hepatic decompensation, and the effect of antiviral therapy, in the indeterminate phase.
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- - The study aimed to examine how aspirin affects pregnancy outcomes in women with pre-gestational diabetes mellitus (PGDM).
- - Researchers conducted a retrospective audit of PGDM patients from two medical centers, categorizing them into those who took aspirin before 16 weeks and those who did not.
- - Results showed no significant differences in pre-eclampsia rates, pre-term deliveries, or birthweight percentiles between women who took aspirin and those who didn’t.
With the rising epidemic of obesity, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes mellitus in China, metabolic dysfunction-associated non-alcoholic fatty liver disease has become the most prevalent chronic liver disease. This condition frequently occurs in Chinese patients with alcoholic liver disease and chronic hepatitis B. To address the impending public health crisis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and its underlying metabolic issues, the Chinese Society of Hepatology and the Chinese Medical Association convened a panel of clinical experts to revise and update the "Guideline of prevention and treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (2018, China)".
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- - MASLD, previously known as NAFLD, can affect people with normal body weight, splitting into two categories: lean MASLD (with cardiometabolic risk factors) and cryptogenic steatotic liver disease (without these factors).
- - Research shows that the PNPLA3 rs738409 genetic variant is more prevalent in individuals with lean NAFLD compared to those who are overweight or obese, but cardiometabolic risk factors usually still play a role in liver issues.
- - Although the PNPLA3 gene is linked to severe liver conditions and complications, its specific effects on lean individuals with NAFLD have not been thoroughly investigated.
Aim: To evaluate the incidence and predictors of postpartum dysglycaemia among high-risk women who develop early gestational diabetes (eGDM) prior to 20 weeks' gestation.
Methods: This is a sub-study of the Treatment of Booking Gestational Diabetes (TOBOGM) Study, a randomised controlled trial of early or deferred treatment for women with risk factors for gestational diabetes diagnosed with eGDM, using current WHO criteria. Overt diabetes in pregnancy was excluded.
The current diagnosis of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and its severe form, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), is suboptimal. Here, we recruited 700 individuals, including 184 from Hong Kong as a discovery cohort and 516 from San Diego, Wenzhou, and Hong Kong as three validation cohorts. A panel of 3 parameters (C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 10 [CXCL10], cytokeratin 18 fragments M30 [CK-18], and adjusted body mass index [BMI]) was formulated (termed N3-MASH), which discriminated patients with MASLD from healthy controls with an area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) of 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGamma-glutamyl transferase: A potential biomarker for pancreas steatosis in patients with concurrent obesity, insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.
Clin Obes
February 2025
To evaluate the relationship between serum gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) levels and fatty pancreas in subjects with concurrent obesity, insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) without a history of pancreatitis. From March 2019 to September 2021, 31 adult subjects with concurrent obesity and MASLD were recruited as part of the study investigating the biological impact of bariatric surgery and lifestyle modification on obesity. Chemical shift encoded MRI of the abdomen, LiverMultiScan, anthropometric, clinical and blood biochemistry analyses were performed prior to any intervention at baseline.
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- Scientists studied a health problem called MASH, which affects people's livers, and worked on two tests to help doctors tell if someone has it.
- They looked at data from over 3,000 people to make sure their first test, called acMASH, worked well, and then created a new test called acFibroMASH to find more severe cases.
- The new acFibroMASH test was better at predicting who might have future liver problems compared to another test, showing it's a useful tool for doctors to keep patients healthy.
Article Synopsis
- - The study aimed to create and validate a prognostic model for assessing the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in noncirrhotic adults with chronic hepatitis B, focusing on those without significant alanine aminotransferase (ALT) elevation.
- - Researchers analyzed data from over 13,000 patients across several cohorts in Taiwan, Korea, and Hong Kong, finding that baseline HBV DNA levels were key predictors of HCC risk, especially at moderate viral loads.
- - The new model, called Revised REACH-B, showed strong predictive accuracy and was more beneficial compared to other strategies in predicting HCC risk, though its applicability to other racial groups remains a limitation.
The role of dietary modification in the prevention and management of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease: An international multidisciplinary expert consensus.
Metabolism
December 2024
Article Synopsis
- Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is a rising cause of chronic liver disease globally, prompting the need for dietary intervention strategies.
- A panel of 55 international experts conducted a study to reach a consensus on dietary modifications for preventing MAFLD, covering various aspects from epidemiology to management.
- Recommended strategies include following a balanced diet, increasing whole grains and plant-based foods, and reducing red meat and processed foods, along with advocating for physical activity and possibly maintaining Mediterranean or DASH diets.
Enhanced liver fibrosis (ELF) score is a noninvasive assessment for liver fibrosis. We aimed to evaluate the performance of changes in ELF score 3 years apart in combination with liver stiffness measurement (LSM)-hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) score to predict HCC in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. This is a prospective cohort study.
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- * Researchers analyzed data from nearly 4,800 patients and found that their model, named PLAN-B-CURE, outperformed existing prediction models significantly in various metrics.
- * The results indicate that the PLAN-B-CURE model can be utilized for personalized monitoring of patients post-HBsAg seroclearance, improving long-term health management.
Article Synopsis
- The study focuses on predicting the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with chronic hepatitis B receiving nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs), emphasizing the importance of serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) RNA as a novel biomarker.
- Researchers analyzed data from 1,374 NA-treated patients, tracking HBV RNA levels over three years and using a Cox proportional-hazard model to assess the link between HBV RNA declines and HCC risk, finding significant associations.
- The findings suggest that patients with lower declines in HBV RNA at one and two years have a higher risk of developing HCC, and incorporating these declines into existing risk prediction models can improve their accuracy and help guide patient monitoring strategies
Objective: To identify factors associated with neonatal respiratory distress (NRD) in early Gestational diabetes mellitus (eGDM).
Design: Nested case-control analysis of the TOBOGM trial.
Setting: Seventeen hospitals: Australia, Sweden, Austria and India.
Article Synopsis
- Statins provide multiple benefits for patients with metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), particularly in reducing long-term risks of all-cause mortality and liver-related clinical events (LREs).
- A study followed 7988 patients for nearly 4.6 years, revealing that statin users had significantly lower risks of mortality (HR=0.233) and LREs (HR=0.380), as well as slower liver stiffness progression rates.
- While statin usage is linked to a decrease in the progression of liver stiffness, it did not significantly correlate with liver stiffness regression, suggesting a complex relationship in liver health management.
Objective: We evaluated associations between early-pregnancy oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) glucose and complications in the Treatment of Booking Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (TOBOGM) cohort to inform prognostic OGTT thresholds.
Research Design And Methods: Individuals with risk factors for hyperglycemia were recruited for an international, multicenter, randomized controlled gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) (World Health Organization 2013 criteria) treatment trial. A 2-h 75-g OGTT was performed at <20 weeks' gestation.