Chih-Hsin Lee

Wan Fang Hospital · Pulmonary Research Center

Aim: A population pharmacokinetic (PPK) study of the correlation of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) with the 3HP regimen (weekly high-dose rifapentine plus isoniazid for 12 doses) for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) remains lacking. The purpose of this study is to determine the association of rifapentine or isoniazid concentration and ADRs. Me...

The clinical impact of nucleic acid amplification (NAA) tests on reducing delayed diagnosis and misdiagnosis of pulmonary TB (PTB) has rarely been investigated. PTB patients were classified into a frontline NAA group, an add-on NAA group, and a no NAA group. The outcomes of interest were the proportion of PTB case died before anti-TB treatment, the...

Objective We conducted an updated network meta-analysis to elucidate the best regimen for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). Methods We searched the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases on August 16, 2021, to perform an updated network meta-analysis. Only randomized controlled trials on populations with LTBI that reported the efficacy...

Bisphosphonates are considered an effective inhibitor of glutamine synthetase and thus can be used for treating tuberculosis (TB). However, its clinical benefit in TB remains unknown. We conducted a population‐based cohort study by using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database and TB databases of the Taiwan Centers for Disease Contro...

Introduction: Several nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) for detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) complex (MTBC) are available in Taiwan; however, their performances may differ and have not been extensively evaluated. Therefore, we aimed to explore the accuracy of NAATs overall followed by comparison between platforms commonly used i...

Background. Second-line injectables (SLI) are potent agents against multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). To minimize nephrotoxicity, we implemented a stepwise de-escalation of SLI dosing intervals. Methods. The study retrospectively summarized the incidence of nephrotoxicity as well as the MDR-TB treatment efficacy. SLI were given once daily...

Objectives: Studies have pointed out inadequate antibody response following COVID-19 vaccination in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), although the interplays of humoral and cellular immunity remain unclear. Methods: We recruited 53 ESRD patients receiving the ChAdOx1 nCov-19 vaccine. Antibody titer (AT) against the receptor-binding dom...

Background Systemic drug reaction (SDR) is a major safety concern with weekly rifapentine-based treatment (3HP) for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). Identifying SDR predictors and at-risk subjects before treatment can improve cost-effectiveness of the LTBI program. Methods We prospectively recruited 187 cases receiving 3HP (44 SDRs and 143 no...

Inactivation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is an important step to guarantee biosafety for subsequent M. tuberculosis identification and related research, notably in areas of endemicity with minimal resources. However, certain biomolecules might be denatured or hydrolyzed because of the harsh inactivation process, and a standardized protocol is yet...

Background and objective Studies have reported an increased tuberculosis (TB) incidence among patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). This nationwide nested case–control study investigated the risk of active TB due to nosocomial exposure and its correlation with the delay in TB treatment in hemodialysis patients. Methods Adult (aged ≥20 year...

Patients receiving hemodialysis (HD) are at risk of TB development. IGRA-positive patients showed significant decrease in quantitative IGRA result with alterations in CD3⁺CD4⁺CD45RO⁺, NK cell, and monocyte subsets immediately upon HD procedure. Our result suggested that the timing of IGRA testing is crucial in end-stage renal disease population.

Background: Previous studies have indicated that statins can reduce the severity of depressive symptoms. However, the optimal choice of statin remains unclear. Therefore, we conducted a network meta-analysis to determine the optimal statin for treating depression. Method: We performed a pairwise and network meta-analysis by searching the PubMed,...

Appropriate treatment is the key element in eliminating tuberculosis (TB), and requires prompt diagnosis. We presented a case of a household contact of rifampicin-resistant TB revealing reactive IFN-gamma release assay with unsuspicious clinical and radiologic examinations. She was diagnosed with latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) and treated wit...

The heterogeneity of immune response to COVID-19 has been reported to correlate with disease severity and prognosis. While so, how the immune response progress along the period of viral RNA-shedding (VRS), which determines the infectiousness of disease, is yet to be elucidated. We aim to exhaustively evaluate the peripheral immune cells to expose t...

Background Global pandemic resulted from the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) demands mental health concerns on the affected population. We examine the time-course shift of psychological burden among suspected and confirmed COVID-19 patients. Methods Participants with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 were included in the cohort. Consecutive survey...

Background Survival after post-transplant recurrence of HCC is dismal, and almost all treatments for recurrent HCC are off-labeled, without an extensive large-scale analysis. We aimed to delineate their post-recurrence courses and define benchmarks for comparing future treatment effectiveness. Methods Three national databases, including health ins...

Abnormal activation of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β is a common cause of fibroblast activation and fibrosis. In bleomycin (BLM)-induced lung fibrosis, the marked expression of phospho-Src homology-2 domain-containing phosphatase (SHP) 2, phospho-signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 3, and suppressor of cytokine signaling (S...

Therapeutic drug monitoring is important for achieving desirable outcomes in tuberculosis treatment. In this study, microwave-assisted extraction was used to extract levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, and moxifloxacin from dried plasma spots for subsequent detection and quantification with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrom...

Background Evidence regarding whether statin use is associated with depression is inconsistent. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to investigate this association. Methods We searched PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and the EMBASE database, limiting the search to human patients and articles written in English and published by March 31, 2020. Th...

Background: Through activation of adrenergic receptors, chronic stress can trigger the secretion of neurotransmitters and hormones that enhance tumor growth, increase angiogenesis, and promote drug resistance. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of β-blockers in patients receiving first-line epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inh...

Objectives: To analyze the association of the use of different doses of angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB) and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) independently with lung cancer risk and to evaluate the lung cancer type that may be related to ARB or ACEI use. Patients and methods: A nationwide population-based nested case-control...

Background Treatment of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is an important strategy for active disease prevention. Conventional in-person DOT (CDOT) programs are challenged by patient dissatisfaction over problems of convenience and privacy. The present study assessed satisfaction to DOT program and treatment adherence of synchronous video observ...

Background: The protective effect of metformin against active tuberculosis (TB) among TB close contacts is unknown. Methods: TB close contacts with diabetes mellitus (DM) and normal renal function were selected from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan. Metformin users were patients who received ≥90 cumulative defined daily...

Purpose The risk of cardiotoxicity induced by adjuvant anthracycline-based chemotherapy (CT) and radiotherapy (RT) is yet to be investigated in a large-scale randomized controlled trial with an adequate sample size of young and old women with breast cancer. Patients and methods To compare the occurrence of major heart events (heart failure and cor...

While evidence is accumulating that platelets contribute to tissue destruction in tuberculosis (TB) disease, it is still not known whether antiplatelet agents are beneficial to TB patients. We performed this retrospective cohort study and identified incident TB cases in the Taiwan National Tuberculosis Registry from 2008 to 2014. These cases were f...

Animal studies have demonstrated that metformin exerts a renoprotective effect. Human studies of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) regarding the association of metformin use with end‐stage renal disease (ESRD) are lacking. Patients with type 2 DM and without a history of kidney disease who were enrolled under the pay‐for‐performance program of t...

Background/purpose: Little remains known regarding whether newer FQ with less anti-mycobacterial activity (gemifloxacin) would reduce treatment delay. Methods: We identified one hospital-based cohort (HBC) and one population-based cohort (PBC) including patients receiving amoxicillin/clavulanate acid (Beta-lactam), gemifloxacin (Gemi), and fluor...

Context: At the end of life, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer (LC) patients exhibit similar symptoms; however, a large-scale study comparing end-of-life health care utilization between these two groups has not been conducted in East Asia. Objectives: To explore and compare end-of-life resource use during the last six...

Human studies on the use of metformin as host-directed therapy (HDT) for tuberculosis (TB) are rare. We performed a nationwide cohort study to evaluate the effect of metformin on mitigating the risk of active TB among patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Among newly diagnosed DM patients identified in the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research...

We previously synthesized new tubulin inhibitors, MPT0B169 and MPT0B002, which induced growth inhibition and apoptosis in leukemia cells. However, their effects on solid tumor cells have not been determined. In this study, we investigated the effects of MPT0B169 and MPT0B002 on glioblastoma, breast, lung, and colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines. A c...

Background: Research has revealed that angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) may prevent cancers such as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The comparative chemopreventive effects of ACEIs and ARBs in high-risk populations with hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection have yet...

Background Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the major infectious diseases worldwide. Adverse reactions are common during TB treatment. Few reports, however, are available on treatment-related acute biliary events (ABEs), such as cholelithiasis, biliary obstruction, acute cholecystitis, and cholangitis. Methods We first report four pulmonary TB pati...

There are still several unanswered research questions regarding tuberculosis (TB) contact investigations [1–4]. For example, up-to-date epidemiological studies regarding TB contacts in the area of intermediate incidence are not readily available [5]. The long-term risk of TB, especially beyond 5 years, remains undetermined [6]. Risk factors for TB...

Background and objective Studies focusing on pulmonary tuberculosis in advanced age (≥80 years) are lacking. This study aimed to explore treatment delay, outcomes and their predictors in this group. Methods Adult (≥20 years) patients with pulmonary tuberculosis were identified from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan from 200...

Among treatment modalities for lung cancer, the most promising therapy is the use of epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs). Both erlotinib and gefitinib, the two first-generation EGFR-TKIs, exhibit significant clinical responses for patients with lung adenocarcinoma. However, few studies have compared the effects o...

Background and objective: The link between tuberculosis (TB) and dialysis is known; however, the impact of TB on the clinical outcomes remains to be elucidated. This study aims to determine the clinical consequences of pulmonary TB among patients under long-term dialysis. Methods: A retrospective propensity-scores matched (1:4) cohort study was...

Abuse-related trauma remains a global health issue. However, there is paucity in nationwide reports. We aim to estimate the incidence of abuse-related trauma forward medical care and identify its characteristics and clinical course in Taiwan. Patients with trauma between 2005 and 2007 that occurred 3 months before or after a diagnosis of abuse were...

Abuse-related trauma remains a global health issue. However, there is paucity in nationwide reports. We aim to estimate the incidence of abuse-related trauma forward medical care and identify its characteristics and clinical course in Taiwan. Patients with trauma between 2005 and 2007 that occurred 3 months before or after a diagnosis of abuse were...

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients are at an increased risk of tuberculosis (TB) and its recurrence following completion of anti-TB treatment. We investigated whether extending anti-TB treatment to 9 months or longer reduces TB recurrence. Methods: HIV-infected patients who were diagnosed with pulmonary TB between 1...

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The association of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) and pneumonia in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is still controversial. From the National Health Insurance Database of Taiwan, COPD cases with history of acute exacerbation (AE) were identified (COPD cohort). Time-dependent Cox regression analysis was applied to investigat...

Background: Esophagogastroduodenal pneumatosis is the presence of air in esophagus, stomach, and duodenum simultaneously, which have never been described in the literature. Intramural duodenal hematoma (IDH) rarely occurs after endoscopic intervention. The diagnosis and treatment in both conditions are great challenge in daily practice. Case pres...

Background and objectiveThis retrospective national surveillance study investigated the burden of and risk factors for nosocomial exposure of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) in intensive care units.Methods Patients admitted to intensive care units were identified from the National Health Insurance Research Database. During 2004–2009, there were 1 387 7...

Despite its excellent activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis [1], empirical fluoroquinolone (FQ) therapy has been associated with delayed initiation of appropriate treatment [2–4] and acquired resistance [5, 6] in tuberculosis (TB) patients presenting as community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). A previous study conducted in intensive care unit reve...

The association between tuberculosis (TB) and lung cancer is well known. However, carcinogenesis of TB and its connection with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation remains unclear. This study aimed to determine this connection to see if TB can affect the outcome of patients with lung cancer. This is a retrospective cohort study of patie...

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) increases the risk of TB recurrence. This study investigated whether 9-month anti-TB treatment is associated with a lower risk of TB recurrence within 2 years after complete treatment than 6-month treatment in patients with DM with an emphasis on the impact of directly observed therapy, short course (DOTs). Meth...

Survivin, a structurally unique protein expressed in most common human neoplasms, is thought to support cell cycle progression and suppress apoptosis. Survivin expression is highly correlated with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and poor prognosis. In this retrospective study of banked pathology tissue of patients with advanced NSCLC, w...

Abstract: Acute liver failure (ALF) is uncommon but fatal. Current management is based mostly on clinical experience. We aimed to investigate the incidence, etiology, outcomes, and prognostic factors of ALF in Taiwan. Patients with the admission diagnosis of ALF between January 2005 and September 2007 were identified from the Longitudinal Health In...

Background: Poor sleep quality is often reported among patients with COPD. Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is beneficial in improving exercise capacity and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). However, its benefit in terms of sleep quality in patients with COPD remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of PR on sleep quality of...

Purpose: To compare the risk factors of developing a pneumothorax after computed tomography-guided lung biopsy in cases in which aerated lung is traversed and in cases in which aerated lung is not traversed. Materials and methods: The records of 381 patients from July 2005-December 2009 were retrospectively reviewed. Multivariable analysis of pa...