The relationship between serum γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT) and diabetic nephropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a cross-sectional study.

The relationship between serum γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT) and renal dysfunction is controversial. In this study, we examined the relationship of serum GGT to diabetic nephropathy (DN) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A total of 577 patients with T2DM were enrolled and their basic information and laboratory data were collected and analyzed.

Low-dose adefovir dipivoxil-induced hypophosphatemia osteomalacia in five chronic hepatitis B virus-infected patients. Is low-dose adefovir dipivoxil-induced nephrotoxicity completely reversible?

Adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) is one of the most important nucleostide analogues currently in use for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Low-dose ADV-induced nephrotoxicity in most cases was reported to be reversible after the discontinuation of ADV or by decreasing the dose of ADV. In our study, we have 5 documented cases of low-dose ADV-induced hypophosphatemia osteomalacia with or without Fanconi syndrome which were diagnosed in our hospital between 2010 and 2017.

Thyrotoxic periodic paralysis complicated by life-threatening acute hypercapnic respiratory failure in a Chinese male with painless thyroiditis.

Context: Thyrotoxic periodic paralysis (TPP) is a relatively common complication seen in Asian hyperthyroid patients. However, it is a rare occurrence to find a TPP case comprised of acute hypercapnic respiratory failure in patients with painless thyroiditis.

Patient: A 29-year-old Chinese man presented with flaccid paralysis of all four limbs and he was brought to emergency room.

The relation between gallstone disease and cardiovascular disease.

Gallstone disease (GD) is a common digestive disorder that shares many risk factors with cardiovascular disease (CVD). CVD is an important public health issue that encompasses a large percentage of overall mortality. Several recent studies have suggested an association between GD and CVD, while others have not.

A 24-week, parallel-group, open-label, randomized clinical trial comparing the early antiviral efficacy of telbivudine and entecavir in the treatment of hepatitis B e antigen-positive chronic hepatitis B virus infection in adult Chinese patients.

Background: Because drug-resistant strains of hepatitis B virus (HBV) have developed, and because serum HBV-DNA levels may rebound in patients who receive treatment with nucleoside/nucleotide analogues for up to 2 years, there remains a largely unmet clinical need for agents to induce potent virologic suppression in the initial stage of the disease course of HBV infection.

Objective: The aim of this work was to compare the early antiviral effectiveness of telbivudine and entecavir in the treatment of patients with hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive HBV.

Methods: In this parallel-group, open-label trial, adult Chinese patients with previously untreated HBeAg-positive HBV (HBV-DNA concentration: >or=6 log(10) copies/mL; alanine aminotransferase [ALT] level: >or=2 times the upper limit of normal) were randomized to receive telbivudine 600 mg or entecavir 0.