Calcification in lung lesions is an important assessing factor and usually indicates a benign ent... more Calcification in lung lesions is an important assessing factor and usually indicates a benign entity. Review of the present literature shows that reported cases of calcified small cell lung cancer are uncommon and still rare. We present herein a case of small cell lung carcinoma with unusual amor- phous calcification.
Background: Despite effective anti-TB treatments, tuberculosis remains a serious threat to public... more Background: Despite effective anti-TB treatments, tuberculosis remains a serious threat to public health and is associated with high mortality. Old age and multiple co-morbidities are known risk factors for death. The association of clinical presentations with mortality in pulmonary tuberculosis patients remains an issue of controversy.
Resveratrol exhibits potential anti-carcinogenic activities. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is involved ... more Resveratrol exhibits potential anti-carcinogenic activities. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is involved in angiogenesis and tumor metastasis. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are key enzymes in the degradation of extracellular matrix, and their expression may be dysregulated in lung cancer metastasis. In this study, we investigated the anti-invasive mechanism of resveratrol in lung cancer cells. HO-1 was shown to be elevated ($4.7-fold) in lung cancer tumor samples as compared with matched normal tissues. After treatment of lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549 cells with resveratrol (50 mM) for 24 h, the migratory and invasive abilities (38 and 30% inhibition, respectively) of A549 cells were significantly reduced. Resveratrol significantly inhibited HO-1-mediated MMP-9 (35% inhibition) and MMP-2 (28% inhibition) expression in lung cancer cells. Nuclear factor (NF)-kB inhibitor induced a marked reduction in MMP-9 and MMP-2 expression, suggesting NF-kB pathway could play an important role. Furthermore, HO-1 inhibition and silencing significantly suppressed MMPs and invasion of lung cancer cells. Our results suggest that resveratrol inhibited HO-1 and subsequently MMP-9 and MMP-2 expression in lung cancer cells. The inhibitory effects of resveratrol on MMP expression and invasion of lung cancer cells are, in part, associated with the HO-1-mediated NF-kB pathway.
Self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (scuba) diving is increasingly popular in Taiwan. T... more Self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (scuba) diving is increasingly popular in Taiwan. There are few references in the literature regarding pulmonary hemorrhage as the sole manifestation of pulmonary barotrauma in scuba divers, and no study from Taiwan was found in the literature. We present the case of a 25-year-old man who suffered alveolar hemorrhage related to pulmonary barotrauma as a complication of scuba diving. To our knowledge, this is the first case report describing a Taiwanese subject suffering from non-fatal pulmonary hemorrhage after scuba diving.
Genotypes of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) are related to the geographic origin of the patient... more Genotypes of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) are related to the geographic origin of the patients and population migration. The relationship between genotypes of MTB and clinical presentations has mainly focused on transmission of multi-drug resistant MTB strain in population. This study aimed to investigate the molecular epidemiology and dynamic change of MTB genotypes in Taiwan, and their association with clinical presentation among patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. A multi-center, two-year study which enrolled 516 patients with 516 MTB isolates was conducted, including: (1) 254 isolates from northern Taiwan; (2) 38 isolates from mid-western Taiwan; (3) 211 isolates from southern Taiwan; and (4) 13 isolates from the east coast of Taiwan. The isolates were genotyped with spoligotyping and standardized 12loci-MIRU-VNTR method. The results showed Beijing/Beijing-like family was the major genotype of MTB in the northern (58%), eastern (53%), and southern (33%) regions. The second most widely spread lineage were the EAI-Manila (20% in the west and south) and Haarlem family (13-27% in the south, west, and east). According to the cluster analysis of 12-MIRU-VNTR genotypes, there were differences in distribution of MTB genotype between the northern and southern regions, and a temporal relationship between isolation year and 12-MIRU-VNTR genotype especially in loci 26 and 39 might exist. Furthermore, some patients with cavity lesions on chest films were associated with a cluster of Beijing family MTB strains, which can be defined by cluster analysis of 12-MIRU-VNTR genotype. However, the results of 12-loci-MIRU-VNTR genotyping in a longitudinal study should be interpreted with caution due to its short term instability. Further investigations of different molecular methodologies are necessary.
Background: Cigarette smoking cannot fully explain the epidemiologic characteristics of chronic o... more Background: Cigarette smoking cannot fully explain the epidemiologic characteristics of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in women, particularly for those who rarely smoke, but COPD risk is not less than men. The aim of our study is to investigate the relationship between second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure and chronic bronchitis in Taiwanese women.
The ability to detect K-ras oncogene may provide additional information for the management of pat... more The ability to detect K-ras oncogene may provide additional information for the management of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In the present study, we detected the K-ras oncogene in 76 patients with NSCLC by two methods: direct sequencing of K-ras in tumor tissues and membrane array detection of the gene overexpression specific for activated K-ras in peripheral blood. The results showed that 28 (36.8%) of the 76 Taiwanese NSCLC patients had K-ras mutations, with a frequency of 36.4% (20/55) in adenocarcinomas and 38.1% (8/21) in squamous cell carcinomas. The K-ras mutations were more frequently found in smokers than in non-smokers (51.4 vs. 24.4%, P=0.015). The incidences of K-ras mutation in the subgroups of non-smokers and squamous cell carcinomas are relatively higher in Taiwan than in other countries. On the other hand, the membrane array method could positively detect circulating activated K-ras in all of the 27 NSCLC patients with K-ras mutations at codons 12...
Calcification in lung lesions is an important assessing factor and usually indicates a benign ent... more Calcification in lung lesions is an important assessing factor and usually indicates a benign entity. Review of the present literature shows that reported cases of calcified small cell lung cancer are uncommon and still rare. We present herein a case of small cell lung carcinoma with unusual amor- phous calcification.
Background: Despite effective anti-TB treatments, tuberculosis remains a serious threat to public... more Background: Despite effective anti-TB treatments, tuberculosis remains a serious threat to public health and is associated with high mortality. Old age and multiple co-morbidities are known risk factors for death. The association of clinical presentations with mortality in pulmonary tuberculosis patients remains an issue of controversy.
Resveratrol exhibits potential anti-carcinogenic activities. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is involved ... more Resveratrol exhibits potential anti-carcinogenic activities. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is involved in angiogenesis and tumor metastasis. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are key enzymes in the degradation of extracellular matrix, and their expression may be dysregulated in lung cancer metastasis. In this study, we investigated the anti-invasive mechanism of resveratrol in lung cancer cells. HO-1 was shown to be elevated ($4.7-fold) in lung cancer tumor samples as compared with matched normal tissues. After treatment of lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549 cells with resveratrol (50 mM) for 24 h, the migratory and invasive abilities (38 and 30% inhibition, respectively) of A549 cells were significantly reduced. Resveratrol significantly inhibited HO-1-mediated MMP-9 (35% inhibition) and MMP-2 (28% inhibition) expression in lung cancer cells. Nuclear factor (NF)-kB inhibitor induced a marked reduction in MMP-9 and MMP-2 expression, suggesting NF-kB pathway could play an important role. Furthermore, HO-1 inhibition and silencing significantly suppressed MMPs and invasion of lung cancer cells. Our results suggest that resveratrol inhibited HO-1 and subsequently MMP-9 and MMP-2 expression in lung cancer cells. The inhibitory effects of resveratrol on MMP expression and invasion of lung cancer cells are, in part, associated with the HO-1-mediated NF-kB pathway.
Self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (scuba) diving is increasingly popular in Taiwan. T... more Self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (scuba) diving is increasingly popular in Taiwan. There are few references in the literature regarding pulmonary hemorrhage as the sole manifestation of pulmonary barotrauma in scuba divers, and no study from Taiwan was found in the literature. We present the case of a 25-year-old man who suffered alveolar hemorrhage related to pulmonary barotrauma as a complication of scuba diving. To our knowledge, this is the first case report describing a Taiwanese subject suffering from non-fatal pulmonary hemorrhage after scuba diving.
Genotypes of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) are related to the geographic origin of the patient... more Genotypes of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) are related to the geographic origin of the patients and population migration. The relationship between genotypes of MTB and clinical presentations has mainly focused on transmission of multi-drug resistant MTB strain in population. This study aimed to investigate the molecular epidemiology and dynamic change of MTB genotypes in Taiwan, and their association with clinical presentation among patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. A multi-center, two-year study which enrolled 516 patients with 516 MTB isolates was conducted, including: (1) 254 isolates from northern Taiwan; (2) 38 isolates from mid-western Taiwan; (3) 211 isolates from southern Taiwan; and (4) 13 isolates from the east coast of Taiwan. The isolates were genotyped with spoligotyping and standardized 12loci-MIRU-VNTR method. The results showed Beijing/Beijing-like family was the major genotype of MTB in the northern (58%), eastern (53%), and southern (33%) regions. The second most widely spread lineage were the EAI-Manila (20% in the west and south) and Haarlem family (13-27% in the south, west, and east). According to the cluster analysis of 12-MIRU-VNTR genotypes, there were differences in distribution of MTB genotype between the northern and southern regions, and a temporal relationship between isolation year and 12-MIRU-VNTR genotype especially in loci 26 and 39 might exist. Furthermore, some patients with cavity lesions on chest films were associated with a cluster of Beijing family MTB strains, which can be defined by cluster analysis of 12-MIRU-VNTR genotype. However, the results of 12-loci-MIRU-VNTR genotyping in a longitudinal study should be interpreted with caution due to its short term instability. Further investigations of different molecular methodologies are necessary.
Background: Cigarette smoking cannot fully explain the epidemiologic characteristics of chronic o... more Background: Cigarette smoking cannot fully explain the epidemiologic characteristics of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in women, particularly for those who rarely smoke, but COPD risk is not less than men. The aim of our study is to investigate the relationship between second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure and chronic bronchitis in Taiwanese women.
The ability to detect K-ras oncogene may provide additional information for the management of pat... more The ability to detect K-ras oncogene may provide additional information for the management of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In the present study, we detected the K-ras oncogene in 76 patients with NSCLC by two methods: direct sequencing of K-ras in tumor tissues and membrane array detection of the gene overexpression specific for activated K-ras in peripheral blood. The results showed that 28 (36.8%) of the 76 Taiwanese NSCLC patients had K-ras mutations, with a frequency of 36.4% (20/55) in adenocarcinomas and 38.1% (8/21) in squamous cell carcinomas. The K-ras mutations were more frequently found in smokers than in non-smokers (51.4 vs. 24.4%, P=0.015). The incidences of K-ras mutation in the subgroups of non-smokers and squamous cell carcinomas are relatively higher in Taiwan than in other countries. On the other hand, the membrane array method could positively detect circulating activated K-ras in all of the 27 NSCLC patients with K-ras mutations at codons 12...
Uploads
Papers by Jhi-jhu Hwang