Publications by authors named "Wen-Chi Chen"

Objective: The results of long-term, follow-up studies show that the severity and frequency of acute exacerbation of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) are associated with the development of liver cirrhosis in chronic HBV infection. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between virological factors of HBV and the severity of acute exacerbation.

Material And Methods: Fifty-one chronic hepatitis B patients with symptomatic acute exacerbation without antiviral therapy were enrolled in the study.

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It is believed that boundary compositions of matrix proteins might play a role in stone formation; however, few proteomic studies concerning matrix proteins in urinary stones have been conducted. In this study, we extracted low molecular weight proteins from calcium oxalate stones and measured their characteristic patterns by mass spectroscopy. A total of 10 stones were surgically removed from patients with urolithiasis.

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We investigated the effects of a traditional Chinese herbal formula, Wulingsan (WLS), on renal stone prevention using an ethylene glycol-induced nephrocalcinosis rat model. Forty-one male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were divided into four groups. Group 1 (n=8) was the normal control; group 2 (n=11) served as the placebo group, and received a gastric gavage of starch and 0.

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Introduction: Although many studies have reported that upper urinary tract stones in patients with nonfunctioning kidneys are associated with malignancy, the incidence and frequency of the tumor cell type remain unclear. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the percentage of malignancies present in patients with nonfunctional kidneys who underwent nephrectomy.

Materials And Methods: From July 1995 to December 2005, we reviewed a total of 47 patients who underwent nephrectomy to treat a nonfunctional kidney due to urolithiasis with clinical symptoms such as complicated chronic infection.

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Urinary stone disease is a common disease and has a high rate of recurrence. There is no ideal long-term medical treatment to prevent the recurrence of urinary stones. Wu-Ling-San (WLS) formula has been used for centuries in China for long-term treatment of urological diseases.

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Goals And Background: Dyspeptic symptoms are associated with acute pancreatitis, but some of them may be related to acute gastrointestinal mucosal lesions (AGML) and need acid-suppressive therapy. The aim of this prospective study was to investigate the incidence, characteristics, and clinical significance of acute pancreatitis-associated AGML.

Study: From January to December 2005, a total of 197 patients with acute pancreatitis were included.

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1,25(OH)(2)D(3), exerting its biological effects through the vitamin-D receptor (VDR), plays a role in the modulation of the human immune system. The aim of this study was to test for the presence of an association between VDR gene polymorphism and the susceptibility to Graves' disease (GD) for Taiwanese Chinese. Using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based restriction analysis, we screened the VDR exon 2 start codon T/C (VDR-FokI) polymorphism to determine the genotypes for 88 GD patients and 90 normal controls.

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Objective: This prospective cohort study investigated the impact of Helicobacter pylori infection on the development of various gastric malignancies.

Methods: We prospectively followed up 1,225 dyspeptic Taiwanese who had nonulcer dyspepsia, gastric ulcers, or duodenal ulcers at enrollment. Among them, 618 (50.

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Cytokines are reported to be associated with the formation of prostate cancer. Our aim was to investigate whether C/T polymorphisms of the interleukin-2 (IL-2) gene and IL-2 receptor beta (IL-2RB) gene are associated with prostate cancer. We compared the frequency of the polymorphisms of the IL-2 gene and the IL-2RB gene between 96 patients with prostate cancer and 105 healthy male volunteers from the same area (age >60 years).

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Background: Both drug therapy and banding ligation are widely used in the prevention of first variceal bleeding. This study compared the efficacy and safety of band ligation vs. combination of beta-blocker and nitrate for the prevention of first bleeding in patients with cirrhosis and high-risk esophageal varices.

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Background: In this study, we compared the differences in dynamic changes of the bladder neck between women with and without urodynamic stress incontinence by computer-aided vector-based perineal ultrasound.

Methods: The function and morphology of the lower urinary tract were assessed in 48 women with or without urodynamic stress incontinence by urodynamic study and computer-aided vector-based perineal ultrasound.

Results: Patients in the urodynamic stress incontinence group had a significantly higher parity and higher prevalence of funneling of the bladder neck than participants in the control group (p<0.

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A total of 95 patients with active Graves' disease (GD) and 105 normal healthy subjects were enrolled in this study, which attempted to determine whether single-site polymorphisms of the transporter associated with antigen processing 2 (TAP2) gene contribute to an individual's susceptibility to GD. Such polymorphisms were detected using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based restriction analysis. Associations between GD and the three site polymorphisms of the TAP2 gene at codons 379, 565, and 665 were investigated.

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Background: Rebleeding occurs in 10% to 30% of bleeding ulcer patients receiving endoscopic epinephrine injection therapy. It remains unclear whether addition of a secondary clip therapy following epinephrine injection may reduce the rebleeding rate of high-risk bleeding ulcers.

Objective: To compare the efficacies of epinephrine injection alone and epinephrine injection combined with hemoclip therapy in treating high-risk bleeding ulcers.

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Background: Endoscopic variceal ligation and somatostatin are widely used for treating acute esophageal variceal bleeding. This study compared the efficacy, safety, and survival of both therapies.

Methods: Acute esophageal variceal bleeding patients were randomized to undergo emergency ligation or receive a bolus of 250 microg somatostatin plus infusion at 250 microg/hour for 48 hours and undergo ligation subsequently.

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Background/aims: Glutathione S-transferases (GST) are involved in the detoxification of many potential carcinogens and appear to play an important role in the protection from carcinogens. The association between different GSTM1 genotypes and gastric cancer risk is still controversial. The aim of this study was to determine the association between the GSTM1-null genotype and gastric cancer risk.

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Introduction: E-cadherin (CDH-1) is a cell-cell adhesive molecule which maintains cell integrity and communication between the intracellular and extracellular world. CDH-1 may therefore be related to carcinogenesis. A polymorphism located at the 3'-UTR of the CDH-1 gene is associated with stone disease; however, its relationship to prostate cancer has not been reported.

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Objective: This prospective, randomized, controlled, head-to-head study was conducted to compare the efficacies of esomeprazole- and pantoprazole-based triple therapies for Helicobacter pylori eradication.

Methods: From January 2002 to October 2003, 200 H. pylori-infected patients were randomly assigned to undergo twice daily treatment with esomeprazole 40 mg (n = 100) or pantoprazole 40 mg (n = 100) combined with clarithromycin 500 mg and amoxicillin 1 g for 1 wk (ECA and PCA groups, respectively).

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Purpose: E-cadherin (E-CDH) is one of the most important cell surface glycoproteins involved in cell morphogenesis. In primary open angle glaucoma (POAG), the extracellular matrixes of trabecular meshwork and lamina cribrosa in the optic nerve head are out of balance. We suspected that E-CDH by way of metalloproteinases is closely related to POAG.

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Introduction: Inflammation might be one of the causes of stone disease. The function of the transporter associated with antigen-processing protein (TAP) is related to immune response and inflammation. Our aim was to investigate the relationship between stone disease and 5 polymorphic sites of the TAP gene (TAP1-1, 1-2, 2-1, 2-2, 2-3).

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Background: The role of Helicobacter pylori in patients with cirrhosis and increased prevalence of peptic ulcers is still poorly defined. The objective is to evaluate the effect of H pylori eradication on ulcer recurrence in patients with cirrhosis.

Methods: The study was conducted at a single, tertiary, referral hospital with 1200 beds.

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Aim: To develop a serum or histological marker for early discovery of gastric atrophy or intestinal metaplasia.

Methods: This study enrolled 44 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma, 52 patients with duodenal ulcer, 14 patients with gastric ulcer and 42 consecutive healthy adults as controls. Each patient received an endoscopy and five biopsy samples were obtained.

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Interleukin-1 (IL-1) is considered to be involved in the pathogenesis of Graves' disease. The aim of this study was to test whether the IL-1-beta gene promoter region and exon 5 and IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) gene intron 2 polymorphisms could be useful genetic markers for susceptibility to Graves' disease. A normal control group of 163 healthy people and another group of 95 patients with Graves' disease were examined.

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Prostate cancer is the most common urologic malignancy involving multiple factors. There is evidence that suggests that detoxification enzymes and growth factors may play a role in the formation of prostate cancer. Our aim was to investigate whether polymorphisms of glutathione S-transferase M1 (GST M1), insulin-like growth factor-2 (IGF-2), and epidermal growth factor (EGFR) genes could be used as genetic markers for risk of prostate cancer.

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Aim: Endoscopic sphincterotomy (ES) is a well-established therapeutic modality for the removal of common bile duct (CBD) stones. After ES there are still around 10% of patients that experience recurrent CBD stones. The aim of this study is to investigate the composition of CBD stones before and after ES and its clinical significance in Chinese patients.

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