MicroRNA-145-5p modulates Krüppel-like factor 5 and inhibits cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: In several human cancers, Krüppel-like factor 5 (KLF5), a zinc finger transcription factor, can contribute to both tumor progression or suppression; however, the precise role of KLF5 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remains poorly understood. In this study, the association between KLF5 and microRNA-145-5p (miR-145-5p) in NPC cells was elucidated. RESULTS: Our results showed that KLF5 expression was up-regulated in NPC group compared to normal group. We found that KLF5 exhibited an oncogenic role in NPC cells. The upregulation of miR-145-5p inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of NPC cells. It was observed that miR-145-5p could down-regulate the mRNA and protein expression of KLF5 in NPC cell lines. Additionally, the activity of focal adhesion kinase (FAK), a migration marker, was regulated by miR-145-5p and KLF5 in NPC cells. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicated that miR-145-5p could repress the proliferation, migration, and invasion of NPC cells via KLF5/FAK regulation, and could be a potential therapeutic target for patients with NPC.

Clinical Detection of Chronic Rhinosinusitis through Next-Generation Sequencing of the Oral Microbiota.

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is the chronic inflammation of the sinus cavities of the upper respiratory tract, which can be caused by a disrupted microbiome. However, the role of the oral microbiome in CRS is not well understood. Polymicrobial and anaerobic infections of CRS frequently increased the difficulty of cultured and antibiotic therapy. This study aimed to elucidate the patterns and clinical feasibility of the oral microbiome in CRS diagnosis. Matched saliva and nasal swabs were collected from 18 CRS patients and 37 saliva specimens from normal volunteers were collected for 16S rRNA sequencing. The α-diversity of the saliva displayed no significant difference between control and CRS patients, whereas the ß-diversity was significantly different (p = 0.004). Taxonomic indices demonstrated that Veillonella dispar, Rothia mucilaginosa, and Porphyromonas endodontalis were enriched, while Campylobacter and Cardiobacterium were reduced in the saliva of CRS patients. These microbial markers could significantly distinguish CRS patients from control (AUC = 0.939). It is noted that the 16S rRNA results of the nasal swab were consistent with the nasopharynx aerobic culture, and additionally detected multiple pathogens in CRS patients. In summary, these results indicated these oral microbiomes may provide a novel signal for CRS detection and that NGS may be an alternative approach for CRS diagnosis.

A predictive model of the association between gene polymorphism and the risk of noise-induced hearing loss caused by gunfire noise.

BACKGROUND: Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is one of the common diseases in otology. In general, we assume that most people who are exposed to loud noise constantly, e.g., soldiers, will suffer from hearing loss. Hearing loss is related to the gene polymorphisms, with the Wolfram syndrome type 1 gene (T2500C), interleukin-4 receptor α chain (Q576R) and chloride channel-Kb (T481S) polymorphisms being most related to NIHL. METHODS: We analyzed the association between the polymorphisms and the risk of NIHL in 119 subjects who were exposed to the same loud gunfire. In the current study, 39 persons with hearing loss and 80 with normal hearing were recruited from military officers and soldiers that were exposed to gunfire. RESULTS: The results showed that the genetic variation of Wolfram syndrome type 1 gene was a more crucial factor than other genes in causing hearing loss. There was a significant difference (p=0.027) in WFS1 (T2500C) polymorphism between NIHL subjects and controls. CONCLUSION: In this study, we found that although loud noise could usually result in hearing damage, the clinical characteristics of hearing loss were irrelevant to gunfire noise. The gene polymorphisms provide predictors for us to evaluate the risk of NIHL prior to gunshot training.

Investigation of the Sniffin' Sticks olfactory test in Taiwan and comparison with different continents.

BACKGROUND: The Sniffin' Sticks test is a well-developed olfactory test, with normative data having been derived from more than 3,000 subjects in central-northern Europe and Australia. However, as environment affects olfactory function, the purposes of this study were to establish normative data for the Sniffin' Sticks olfactory test in Taiwan, where the climate is different from that of Europe, and to determine whether or not the olfactory function of Taiwanese is different from that of Europeans. METHODS: One hundred and forty-five subjects with normal self-rated olfactory function were enrolled. The Sniffin' Sticks olfactory test was used to score olfactory threshold (OT), odor discrimination (OD) and odor identification (OI), and a composite TDI score was calculated. RESULTS: All of the tasks related to the Sniffin' Sticks olfactory test correlated significantly and inversely with age. The 10(th) percentiles of OT, OD, OI and TDI in the 16-35 years age group were 4.50, 9.70, 12.00 and 30.00, respectively. These data were the criteria used to separate normosmia from hyposmia. CONCLUSION: The diagnostic criteria to separate normosmia from hyposmia in Taiwan are similar to those in Europe.

The proportion of self-rated olfactory dysfunction does not change across the life span.

BACKGROUND: Previous reports indicated that self-reports of olfactory function are unreliable. The occurrence of measured olfactory dysfunction is approximately 20% in the general population and consistently higher than that of self-reported olfactory dysfunction. To further understand the frequencies of self-rated olfactory function in different age groups and its relation with measured olfactory function, a prospective investigation of self-rated and measured olfactory function was performed. METHODS: One thousand five subjects were enrolled from the health care center, where subjects underwent a physical checkup for possible preclinical diseases. The subjects completed a questionnaire about demographic data and medical and surgical histories and self-rated their olfactory function. Then, they received a modified "Sniffin' Sticks" odor identification test. RESULTS: The self-rated olfaction function did not correlate significantly with measured olfactory function. The frequencies of self-rated olfactory dysfunction (9-14%) were similar among various age groups. However, the frequencies of measured olfactory dysfunction in the three age groups, i.e., 18 to 35, 36 to 55, and > 55 years, were 3.7%, 17.4%, and 35.6%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Self-ratings of olfactory function were unreliable at all ages. The frequencies of self-rated olfactory function in various age groups did not differ significantly, in contrast to the decrease of measured olfactory function with age.

Survey of the frequency of olfactory dysfunction in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: Olfactory function is related to the scrutiny of environmental dangers and the tasting of food. However, olfactory dysfunction is not as distinctive as visual loss and may go unnoticed, especially when olfactory function deteriorates slowly. Most studies have used either questionnaires or relatively insensitive tests to assess olfactory dysfunction. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the frequency of olfactory dysfunction in Taiwan. METHODS: A total of 211 participants were recruited randomly from the community, factories or offices in Taichung City, Taiwan from April 2005 to March 2006. Age ranged from 19 to 89 years (mean age, 43.3 +/- 12.7 years). All participants filled in questionnaires about sociodemographic data, self-rated olfactory function and impact on quality of life. The olfactory test was performed with identification task of the "Sniffin' Sticks" olfactory function test. RESULTS: The frequency of olfactory dysfunction in our series was 12.3%. There was a statistically significant difference in the ages of the normal and olfactory dysfunction groups (t test, p < 0.0001). The incidences of parosmia and phantosmia in the 211 participants were 10% and 30.8%, respectively. Most subjects did not rate their olfactory function well. There was no correlation between olfactory function and self-ratings of impact of olfactory function on quality of life. CONCLUSION: Our present results provide preliminary data and clinical experience regarding the frequency of olfactory dysfunction in Taiwan. Future modifications and suggestions for the study of the prevalence of olfactory dysfunction are also mentioned.

Assessment of odor identification function in Asia using a modified "Sniffin' Stick" odor identification test.

Odor familiarity is an important factor for odor identification but varies profoundly in different areas. The "Sniffin' Stick" odor identification test originates from Europe. Modification should be made before it can be used to assess olfactory function in Asia. Replacement of some odorants with more familiar ones is a direct method of modification. The purpose of this study was to establish a modified version of the "Sniffin' Stick" odor identification test. Five odors of the original odor identification test were changed to become the Veterans-General-Hospital (VGH) version "Sniffin' Stick" odor identification test. The identifiability, intensity and hedonic tone of the odors were characterized. One hundred and thirty-five subjects with subjectively normal olfaction were enrolled to test the VGH-version set. Another 37 subjects with subjectively normal olfaction were enrolled to investigate the correlation between the original and VGH-version test. The characteristics of odorants in the VGH-version odor identification test fulfilled the prerequisite of the "Sniffin' Stick" odor identification test. The age effect on the olfactory function was clearly present in the VGH-version test. The test-retest correlation coefficient was 0.85. The tenth percentile of the VGH-version was 14, which served as an absolute cut-off value of normosmia. The Pearson correlation coefficient of the two sets of "Sniffin' Stick" odor identification was r = 0.72. The VGH-version of the "Sniffin' Stick" odor identification test is well characterized and capable of assessment of odor identification in the Asian region.

Cross-cultural application of the "Sniffin' Sticks" odor identification test.

BACKGROUND: Odor identification tasks are an important tool for the clinical assessment of olfactory function. However, cultural differences prevent odor identification tests from being used in different countries, because odor identification is strongly dependent on familiarity with these odors. The "Sniffin' Sticks" olfactory test has been developed in Europe and is used for assessment of olfactory function in many European countries. The aim of this study was to investigate the applicability of the "Sniffin' Sticks" odor identification test in an area with a different culture compared with its place of origin. METHODS: The 16 odors in the ''Sniffin' Stick'' odor identification test were kept the same but some descriptors were changed compared with the original version. One odor was presented for 3 seconds. Then, subjects chose an item from a list of four descriptors. Two hundred two subjectively normosmic subjects were tested. Forty-two subjects were retested 1 week after the first test. RESULTS: Mean odor identification scores of age groups 18-35 years, 36-55 years, and >55 years were 14.8, 14.7, and 13.3, respectively. The score at the 10th percentile was 13.0 in the youngest group of subjects. Age-related decrease of odor identification scores was clearly established. The decrease of the odor identification score was most obvious in subjects aged 63-67 years. The coefficient of correlation between test and retest was 0.76. CONCLUSION: After revision of the descriptors, the ''Sniffin' Sticks'' odor identification test appears to be suited for assessment of olfactory identification function in an Asian region.

Effectiveness of a nurse-led management programme for paediatric asthma in Taiwan.

AIM: The aim of this study was to carry out a preliminary analysis of the impact of a government-sponsored disease management programme for paediatric asthma on economic outcomes and patient satisfaction. METHODS: Of the 398 patients who participated in the programme, 249 (62.56%) who had at least two medical care encounters with an ICD-9 code of 493 were classified as 'already diagnosed cases'; and 129 (34.12%) who had a single or no medical care encounter with an ICD-9 code of 493 were classified as 'newly diagnosed cases'. A retrospective 1:4 (intervention vs. control group) matched cohort study design was conducted, with the control group randomly drawn from 236 637 paediatric asthmatics who were not enrolled the programme. Questionnaires were collected from 105 (26.3%) of the patients. RESULTS: Comparison results of 1 year pre/post tests of utilisation of health care resources indicated that the intervention group of already diagnosed cases had 77.97% fewer emergency department visits, 80.77% fewer inpatient visits, and 75.65% fewer stays of significant length. For the newly diagnosed group, the intervention group had 35.11% fewer emergency department visits than the control group. The majority of the patients had substantial adherence to physicians' suggestions, more accurate knowledge and better self-care skills concerning asthma. CONCLUSION: A nurse-led management programme has proved useful in managing paediatric asthma in Taiwan. Simplification of paperwork, some reorganisation of the practitioner's daily responsibilities and provision of a fail-safe information system may make the programme even more beneficial.

Developing a predictive model for vertigo using demographic and laboratory data: An evidence-based medicine approach.

CONCLUSION: The approach described in this paper may be helpful in establishing an early-warning, evidence-based mechanism for diagnosing vertigo, which can be utilized in medical education to reduce medical uncertainty. OBJECTIVE: To use an evidence-based medicine approach to evaluate the probability of having vertigo using laboratory and demographic data. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was conducted on 22 working days during July 2002. Targeted cases who visited a general hospital in southern Taiwan for routine physical examinations were asked to participate in the study and agreed to take additional tests during their visits. A total of 200 subjects were systematically and randomly selected from this data pool. We ran binary logistic regression on all these cases. RESULTS: The logistic regression model explained 71.3% of the variance in having vertigo or not. The equation for having vertigo was as follows: -21.855 + (1.132 x male gender) + (0.071 x age) + (-0.023 x systolic blood pressure) + (0.057 x diastolic blood pressure) + (0.048 x fasting glucose) + (0.051 x cholesterol) + (-0.005 x triglycerides) + (-0.361 x presence of cardiovascular diseases).