Antipsychotic drugs and risk of newly diagnosed tuberculosis in schizophrenia.

Aim: Patients with schizophrenia have a higher incidence of tuberculosis than do people in the general population. Information is limited regarding the association between antipsychotic agents and the risk of tuberculosis in patients with schizophrenia. This exploratory study assessed the risk of tuberculosis among patients with schizophrenia on antipsychotic therapy.

Excess incidence and risk factors for recurrent pneumonia in bipolar disorder.

Aim: Patients with bipolar disorder (BD) tend to have poorer outcomes after pneumonia and could have a higher risk for recurrence of pneumonia. We aimed to investigate the incidence and risk factors of recurrent pneumonia in patients with BD.

Methods: In a nationwide cohort of BD patients (derived from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan) who were hospitalized for pneumonia between 1996 and 2012, we identified 188 patients who developed recurrent pneumonia after a baseline pneumonia episode.

Antipsychotic Medications and Risk of Acute Coronary Syndrome in Schizophrenia: A Nested Case-Control Study.

Background: This study assessed the risk of developing acute coronary syndrome requiring hospitalization in association with the use of certain antipsychotic medications in schizophrenia patients.

Methods: A nationwide cohort of 31,177 inpatients with schizophrenia between the ages of 18 and 65 years whose records were enrolled in the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan from 2000 to 2008 and were studied after encrypting the identifications. Cases (n = 147) were patients with subsequent acute coronary syndrome requiring hospitalization after their first psychiatric admission.

Antipsychotic reexposure and recurrent pneumonia in schizophrenia: a nested case-control study.

Objective: Few studies have used systematic datasets to assess the safety of antipsychotic rechallenge after an adverse event. This nested case-control study estimated the risk for recurrent pneumonia after reexposure to antipsychotic treatment.

Method: In a nationwide schizophrenia (ICD-9-CM code 295) cohort (derived from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan) who were hospitalized for pneumonia (ICD-9-CM codes 480-486, 507) between 2000 and 2008 (N = 2,201), we identified 494 subjects that developed recurrent pneumonia after a baseline pneumonia episode.

Atopic diseases and systemic lupus erythematosus: an epidemiological study of the risks and correlations.

Both atopic diseases and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are immune disorders that may lead to physical complications or multi-system comorbidities. This population-based case-control study was designed to evaluate the risk of SLE associated with atopic diseases. Using a national insurance claims dataset in Taiwan, we identified 1673 patients newly diagnosed with SLE and 6692 randomly selected controls frequency matched for gender, age and index date.

Patients with blepharitis are at elevated risk of anxiety and depression.

Purpose: Population-based cohort study on the risk of anxiety and depression in patients with blepharitis is limited. This study evaluated whether blepharitis patients are at a higher risk of anxiety and depression.

Design: A retrospective cohort study.

Comparison of genome-wide DNA methylation in urothelial carcinomas of patients with and without arsenic exposure.

Background: Arsenic is a well-documented carcinogen of human urothelial carcinoma (UC) with incompletely understood mechanisms.

Objectives: This study aimed to compare the genome-wide DNA methylation profiles of arsenic-induced UC (AsUC) and non-arsenic-induced UC (Non-AsUC), and to assess associations between site-specific methylation levels and cumulative arsenic exposure.

Methods: Genome-wide DNA methylation profiles in 14 AsUC and 14 non-AsUC were analyzed by Illumina Infinium methylation27 BeadChip and validated by bisulfite pyrosequencing.

Cardiac complications associated with short-term mortality in schizophrenia patients hospitalized for pneumonia: a nationwide case-control study.

Background: Pneumonia is one of most prevalent infectious diseases worldwide and is associated with considerable mortality. In comparison to general population, schizophrenia patients hospitalized for pneumonia have poorer outcomes. We explored the risk factors of short-term mortality in this population because the information is lacking in the literature.

Antipsychotic drugs, mood stabilizers, and risk of pneumonia in bipolar disorder: a nationwide case-control study.

Objective: Like mood stabilizers, most second-generation antipsychotics are widely used to treat patients with bipolar disorder, yet their safety is still a concern. This study explored the association between antipsychotics and mood stabilizers and the risk of pneumonia, and it provides evidence-based information for clinical practice.

Method: In a nationwide cohort of bipolar patients (ICD-9 codes 296.

Elevated lactate dehydrogenase activity and increased cardiovascular mortality in the arsenic-endemic areas of southwestern Taiwan.

Arsenic ingestion has been linked to increasing global prevalence of and mortality from cardiovascular disease (CVD); arsenic can be removed from drinking water to reduce related health effects. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) is used for the evaluation of acute arsenic toxicity in vivo and in vitro, but it is not validated for the evaluation of long-term, chronic arsenic exposure. The present study examined the long-term effect of chronic arsenic exposure on CVD and serum LDH levels, after consideration of arsenic metabolism capacity.

Second-generation antipsychotic medications and risk of pneumonia in schizophrenia.

This study assessed the association between second-generation antipsychotic medications and risk of pneumonia requiring hospitalization in patients with schizophrenia because the evidence is limited in the population. We enrolled a nationwide cohort of 33,024 inpatients with schizophrenia ranged in age from 18 to 65 years, who were derived from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan from 2000 to 2008. Cases (n = 1741) were defined as patients who developed pneumonia after their first psychiatric admissions.

Elevated aspartate and alanine aminotransferase levels and natural death among patients with methamphetamine dependence.

Background: Methamphetamine is one of the fastest growing illicit drugs worldwide, causing multiple organ damage and excessive natural deaths. The authors aimed to identify potential laboratory indices and clinical characteristics associated with natural death through a two-phase study.

Methods: Methamphetamine-dependent patients (n = 1,254) admitted to a psychiatric center in Taiwan between 1990 and 2007 were linked with a national mortality database for causes of death.

Polymorphisms in steroidogenesis genes, sex steroid levels, and high myopia in the Taiwanese population.

Purpose: To evaluate the relationship among single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in steroidogenesis enzyme genes, serum levels of sex steroids, and high myopia in Taiwanese male and female populations.

Methods: A campus-based sample of 283 cases (145 males and 138 females) with high myopia and 280 controls (144 males and 136 females) with low myopia or emmetropia was studied. Estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone levels were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits.

Genetic polymorphisms in glutathione S-transferase (GST) superfamily and risk of arsenic-induced urothelial carcinoma in residents of southwestern Taiwan.

Background: Arsenic exposure is an important public health issue worldwide. Dose-response relationship between arsenic exposure and risk of urothelial carcinoma (UC) is consistently observed. Inorganic arsenic is methylated to form the metabolites monomethylarsonic acid and dimethylarsinic acid while ingested.

Causes of death of patients with methamphetamine dependence: a record-linkage study.

Introduction And Aims: Methamphetamine use leads to increased likelihood of premature death. The authors investigated the causes of death and risk of mortality in a large cohort of patients with methamphetamine dependence.

Design And Methods: A cohort of 1254 subjects with methamphetamine dependence, admitted to a psychiatric centre in Taiwan from January 1990 to December 2007, was retrospectively studied.

Human leukocyte antigen-DRB1*1101 correlates with less severe hepatitis in Taiwanese male carriers of hepatitis B virus.

Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II molecules are associated with host immune responses against hepatitis B virus infection. Male gender is the apparent host factor when someone encounters with the severity of hepatitis. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of the most polymorphic HLA class II allele, human leukocyte antigen-DRB1, with the severity of hepatitis in male carriers of hepatitis B virus.

Synergistic effect of polymorphisms of paraoxonase gene cluster and arsenic exposure on electrocardiogram abnormality.

Arsenic has been linked to increased prevalence of cancer and cardiovascular disease (CVD), but the long-term impact of arsenic exposure remains unclear. Human paraoxonase (PON1) is a high-density lipoprotein-associated antioxidant enzyme which hydrolyzes oxidized lipids and is thought to be protective against atherosclerosis, but evidence remains limited to case-control studies. Only recently have genes encoding enzymes responsible for arsenic metabolism, such as AS3MT and GSTO, been cloned and characterized.

Analysis of epistasis for diabetic nephropathy among type 2 diabetic patients.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the most serious complications of diabetes, accounting for the majority of patients with end-stage renal disease. The molecular pathogenesis of DN involves multiple pathways in a complex, partially resolved manner. The paper presents an exploratory epistatic study for DN.

Genetic predisposition of responsiveness to therapy for chronic hepatitis C.

Background: A combination of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) and ribavirin has been the choice for treating chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients. It achieves an overall sustained response rate of approximately 50%; however, the treatment takes 6-12 months and often brings significant adverse reactions to some patients. It would therefore be beneficial to include a pretreatment evaluation in order to maximize the efficacy.