10th Anniversary of the Asia Pacific Stroke Organization: State of Stroke Care and Stroke Research in the Asia-Pacific.

The Asia Pacific Stroke Organization is the largest international and professional stroke group in the region. It has worked consistently over the last 10 years to gain visibility and consistency across the Asia-Pacific and beyond. The 10-year journey will be reviewed in the background of many internal and external developments including changes in Asia-Pacific stroke epidemiology, stroke care systems, and stroke service developments as well as major research studies in the Asia-Pacific.

Safety and efficacy of nilotinib in routine clinical practice in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic or accelerated phase with resistance or intolerance to imatinib: results from the NOVEL study.

Background: Nilotinib, a second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), is approved for the treatment of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in many countries, including Taiwan. Though a number of controlled clinical trials have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of nilotinib, studies assessing the safety and efficacy of nilotinib in routine clinical practice are limited.

Methods: The current study was an open-label, single-arm study conducted across 12 centers in Taiwan in adult patients with CML in chronic or accelerated phase with confirmed Ph+ chromosome (or BCR-ABL) and resistant or intolerant to one or more previous TKIs.

Cyclin D1 promoter -56 and -54bp CpG un-methylation predicts invasive progression in arsenic-induced Bowen's disease.

Background: Patients with arsenic-induced Bowen's disease (As-BD) are at risk of developing invasive cancers in the skin, lung, and urinary bladder. However, a longitudinal follow-up study on the association between As-BD and invasive cancers is still lacking.

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms of this malignant progression in the skin and internal organs.

Bipolar disorder and the risk of fracture: A nationwide population-based cohort study.

Background: The co-primary aims are: 1) to compare the risk of fracture between adults with bipolar disorder and those without bipolar disorder; and 2) to assess whether lithium, anticonvulsants and antipsychotics reduce risk of fracture among individuals with bipolar disorder.

Methods: The analysis herein is a population-based retrospective cohort study, utilizing the National Health Insurance (NHI) medical claims data collected between 1997 and 2013 in Taiwan. We identified 3705 cases with incident diagnoses of bipolar disorder during study period and 37,050 matched controls without bipolar diagnoses.

An Interaction between Arsenic-Induced Epigenetic Modification and Inflammatory Promotion in a Skin Equivalent during Arsenic Carcinogenesis.

Animal studies have shown that chemical carcinogenesis consists of a three-stage process: initiation, promotion, and progression. However, because of the lack of a suitable tissue model, the molecular mechanisms of cell-cell interactions involved in those processes remain unclear. We have established a human intraepidermal carcinoma skin equivalent with organotypic culture-consisting of keratinocytes, fibroblasts, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells - induced by arsenic treatment.

Impact of routine coronary catheterization in low extremity artery disease undergoing percutaneous transluminal angioplasty: study protocol for a multi-center randomized controlled trial.

Background: The prevalence of significant obstructive coronary artery disease with complex lesions is high in patients who have low extremity artery disease (LEAD). However, intermediate- or long-term cardiovascular prognosis of LEAD patients undergoing percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) remains poor. Accordingly, prophylactic coronary revascularization may modify short- and long-term cardiovascular outcomes of LEAD patients receiving PTA.

Hyperglycemia Increases the Production of Amyloid Beta-Peptide Leading to Decreased Endothelial Tight Junction.

Aims: Amyloid beta-peptide (Aβ), the main component of senile plaques in the Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains, is generated from sequential cleavage of amyloid precursor protein (APP) by β- and γ-secretase. Hyperglycemia in diabetes may compromise barrier integrity in endothelial cells (ECs). However, the roles of endothelial APP in response to high glucose (HG) remain to be delineated.

Differential immunological effects of infrared irradiation and its associated heat in vivo.

Infrared irradiation (IR) is the most abundant fraction of sunlight reaching the earth's surface and provides heat. The fever response of an animal is known to regulate its immune responses. However, the non-thermal immune responses of IR were difficult to assess owing to its close association with heat.

Aortic smooth muscle cell alterations in mice systemically exposed to arsenic.

Previous epidemiological studies showed that chronic arsenic exposure is related to increased cardiovascular disease incidence. The detailed biochemical mechanisms by which arsenic exerts its effects remain unknown. Vascular disease progression is characterized by smooth muscle cell (SMC) phenotypic switching, vessel wall reorganization, and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) production.

Human sebum extract induces barrier disruption and cytokine expression in murine epidermis.

Background: Previous studies have shown that human sebum may play a role in barrier function but with much debate.

Objective: To elucidate the effects of human sebum on skin barrier function.

Methods: We used hairless mouse skin to study the functional and morphological alternation of epidermis after the application of human sebum.

The Immune Regulator VTCN1 Gene Polymorphisms and Its Impact on Susceptibility to Breast Cancer.

Background: VTCN1, a T-cell regulator, belongs to the immunoglobulin superfamily. It is more highly expressed in tumor tissues than in normal tissues, which suggests that it could serve as a tumor-related agent. We hypothesize the gene variants for this coinhibitory molecule may be associated with the risk of breast cancer, given such gene polymorphisms could affect its related gene expression.

Rituximab-associated hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation in lymphoproliferative diseases: meta-analysis and examination of FDA safety reports.

Background: Rituximab has been associated with hepatitis B virus reactivation (HBV-R). However, the characteristics and scope of this association remain largely undefined.

Methods: We completed a comprehensive literature search of all published rituximab-associated HBV-R cases and from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS) MedWatch database.

Influence of cytokine gene polymorphisms on prostate-specific antigen recurrence in prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy.

Purpose: Evidence is accumulating indicating that chronic inflammation plays an important role in prostate cancer. We investigated the potential prognostic roles of IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10 polymorphisms in clinical localized prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy.

Materials And Methods: A total of 116 clinically localized prostate cancer patients undergoing curative radical prostatectomy were included in this study.

Preliminary efficacy report of a novel thrombolytic agent for acute ischaemic stroke within a 5-hour window.

Background: Adopting thrombolytic therapy with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) in clinical practice presents many challenges. One major factor is the restrictive time window of 0-3 hours after symptom onset, for the commencement of treatment.

Objective: To test the efficacy of a newly developed plasminogen activator (human tissue urokinase type plasminogen activator [HTUPA]) for the treatment of acute ischaemic stroke within 5 hours of symptom onset.

Altered retrobulbar hemodynamics in patients who have transient monocular blindness without carotid stenosis.

Background And Purpose: This study was to evaluate the retrobulbar hemodynamics in patients who have transient monocular blindness (TMB) without carotid stenosis.

Methods: Fifty-nine patients who have TMB without carotid stenosis were studied along with 59 age- and sex-matched controls. Color Doppler-imaging was used to study the retrobulbar hemodynamic by measuring the flow velocities (peak-systolic velocity, and end-diastolic velocity), vascular resistance indices (pulsatility index, and resistance index) in central retinal arteries, short posterior ciliary arteries, and ophthalmic arteries.

Neurosyphilis presenting with status epilepticus.

Background: With the introduction of antibiotics, neurosyphilis is now considered uncommon, and accurate diagnosis sometimes is problematic as the symptoms and signs are not pathognomonic.

Review Summary: We present a 51-year-old man who had a 4-month history of general malaise and subtle cognitive impairment, combined with a normal brain image study, who ultimately developed an episode of status epilepticus as the main manifestation of unrecognized neurosyphilis.

Conclusion: Because a clinical diagnosis of neurosyphilis is rarely encountered today in the developed world, a high index of suspicion and clinician awareness is very important in early diagnosis.

Analysis of the correlation of plasma NO and ET-1 levels in rats with acute mesenteric ischemia.

Mesenteric ischemia is a devastating disease process that frequently challenges clinicians. To enhance the early diagnosis of gut ischemia and judgment of its severity, it may be helpful to detect the unusual existence or increase in biomarkers in the body fluid. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the correlation of plasma nitric oxide (NO) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) levels to mesenteric ischemia using an animal model.

Randomized controlled trial of LigaSure with submucosal dissection versus Ferguson hemorrhoidectomy for prolapsed hemorrhoids.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes between the LigaSure vessel sealing system and the conventional closed Ferguson hemorrhoidectomy procedure performed by diathermy.

Methods: A series of 84 patients with grades III and IV hemorrhoids were randomized into two groups: (1) LigaSure hemorrhoidectomy with submucosal dissection (42 patients) and (2) Ferguson hemorrhoidectomy (42 patients). The patient demographics, operative details, parenteral analgesic requirement, postoperative pain score (assessed by an independent assessor), operating time, intraoperative blood loss, hospital stay, early and delayed complications, and time off from work or normal activity were recorded.

Laparoscopic assisted placement of peritoneal dialysis catheters for selected patients with previous abdominal operation.

Peritoneal dialysis is an established alternative method for the management of patients with end-stage renal disease. Recently, laparoscopy has been utilized in assisting the insertion of catheters under direct vision. The efficacy of the laparoscopic approach for patients with a history of abdominal surgery remains largely unknown.

Gastric cancer cell detection in peritoneal lavage: RT-PCR for carcinoembryonic antigen transcripts versus the combined cytology with peritoneal carcinoembryonic antigen levels.

Free cancer cells exfoliated from the serosal surfaces of primary cancers are considered to be responsible for peritoneal dissemination, which are both the most frequent pattern of treatment failure and the most important cause of death in gastric cancer patients. Detection of free cancer cells in the peritoneal cavity at the time of surgery, therefore, is thought to be of great value in predicting peritoneal recurrence and accordingly the prognosis of gastric cancer patients. This study was designed to determine whether free cancer cells in peritoneal lavage fluid from gastric cancer patients could be identified by a reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method specific to carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) mRNA.

Genomic organization, alternative splicing, and promoter analysis of human dynamin-like protein gene.

The human dynamin-like protein, HdynIV, has recently been cloned and shown to be involved in the formation and trafficking of coated vesicles. In particular, one of the HdynIV variant overexpressions has been suggested to contribute to the pathogenesis of brain tumors. In this paper, we report on the genomic organization of the human HdynIV gene.

Noninvasive assessment of spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity and heart rate variability in patients with carotid stenosis.

Background: Previous limited observations have suggested that atherosclerosis may affect the distensibility of the carotid sinus and then impair the baroreflex sensitivity (BRS). No studies have been done to compare the BRS and heart rate variability (HRV) in patients with carotid stenosis and normal controls.

Methods: A convenience-consecutive sample of 118 patients with transient ischemic attack or minor stroke 3 months to 1 year before (mean 6 months) who met the study criteria were referred to the neurovascular laboratory of the study hospital.