Detection of significant liver fibrosis in Chinese psoriasis patients receiving methotrexate: a comparison between transient elastography and liver histology.

INTRODUCTION: Methotrexate (MTX) is effective for treating psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, but its potential hepatoxicity remains a concern. Liver biopsy, the gold standard for detecting MTX-induced liver injury, is invasive and carries considerable risk. Transient elastography (TE) offers a non-invasive alternative for detecting advanced liver fibrosis. This study investigated the performance of TE in detecting MTX-induced liver fibrosis among Chinese psoriasis patients, compared with liver biopsy. METHODS: This study included adult patients with clinical psoriasis. Liver stiffness measurement using TE was performed in patients receiving MTX. Exclusion criteria were known liver cirrhosis, positive viral hepatitis carrier status, or conditions influencing TE performance. Liver biopsy was performed when liver stiffness was ≥7.1 kilopascals (kPa) or when the total cumulative dose (TCD) of MTX was ≥3.5 g. RESULTS: A total of 228 patients were screened; among 34 patients who met the inclusion criteria, nine (26.5%) had significant liver fibrosis (Roenigk grade ≥3a). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.76 (95% confidence interval=0.59-0.93; P=0.021), indicating that TE had satisfactory performance in detecting liver fibrosis. A cut-off value of 7.1 kPa of liver stiffness yielded 100% sensitivity and 68% specificity. Liver fibrosis was not correlated with the TCD of MTX or the duration of MTX use; it was significantly correlated with obesity and diabetes status (body mass index ≥30 kg/m2, waist circumference ≥138 cm, and glycated haemoglobin level ≥7.8%). CONCLUSION: Transient elastography is reliable and superior to the TCD for detecting liver fibrosis in Chinese psoriasis patients receiving MTX. Liver biopsy should be reserved for high-risk patients or patients with liver stiffness ≥11.7 kPa on TE.

Cutaneous manifestations, viral load, and prognosis among hospitalised patients with COVID-19: a cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: Various cutaneous manifestations have been reported as symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which may facilitate early clinical diagnosis and management. This study explored the incidence of cutaneous manifestations among hospitalised patients with COVID-19 and investigated its relationships with viral load, co-morbidities, and outcomes. METHODS: This retrospective study included adult patients admitted to a tertiary hospital for COVID-19 from July to September 2020. Clinical information, co-morbidities, viral load (cycle threshold [Ct] value), and outcomes were analysed. RESULTS: In total, 219 patients with confirmed COVID-19 were included. Twenty patients presented with new onset of rash. The incidence of new rash was 9.1% (95% confidence interval=6.25%-14.4%). The most common manifestations were maculopapular exanthem (n=6, 42.9%, median Ct value: 24.8), followed by livedo reticularis (n=4, 28.6%, median Ct value: 21.3), varicella-like lesions (n=2, 14.3%, median Ct value: 19.3), urticaria (n=1, 7.1%, median Ct value: 14.4), and acral chilblain and petechiae (n=1, 7.1%, median Ct value: 33.1). The median Ct values for patients with and without rash were 22.9 and 24.1, respectively (P=0.58). There were no significant differences in mortality or hospital stay between patients with and without rash. Patients with rash were more likely to display fever on admission (P<0.01). Regardless of cutaneous manifestations, patients with older age, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease stage ≥3 had significantly higher viral load and mortality (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: This study revealed no associations between cutaneous manifestation and viral load or clinical outcomes. Older patients with multiple co-morbidities have risks of high viral load and mortality; they should be closely monitored.

Inter-relationships among psychopathology, premorbid adjustment, cognition and psychosocial functioning in first-episode psychosis: a network analysis approach.

BACKGROUND: Better understanding of interplay among symptoms, cognition and functioning in first-episode psychosis (FEP) is crucial to promoting functional recovery. Network analysis is a promising data-driven approach to elucidating complex interactions among psychopathological variables in psychosis, but has not been applied in FEP. METHOD: This study employed network analysis to examine inter-relationships among a wide array of variables encompassing psychopathology, premorbid and onset characteristics, cognition, subjective quality-of-life and psychosocial functioning in 323 adult FEP patients in Hong Kong. Graphical Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) combined with extended Bayesian information criterion (BIC) model selection was used for network construction. Importance of individual nodes in a generated network was quantified by centrality analyses. RESULTS: Our results showed that amotivation played the most central role and had the strongest associations with other variables in the network, as indexed by node strength. Amotivation and diminished expression displayed differential relationships with other nodes, supporting the validity of two-factor negative symptom structure. Psychosocial functioning was most strongly connected with amotivation and was weakly linked to several other variables. Within cognitive domain, digit span demonstrated the highest centrality and was connected with most of the other cognitive variables. Exploratory analysis revealed no significant gender differences in network structure and global strength. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest the pivotal role of amotivation in psychopathology network of FEP and indicate its critical association with psychosocial functioning. Further research is required to verify the clinical significance of diminished motivation on functional outcome in the early course of psychotic illness.

Factor analysis of the Chinese version of the Autism Spectrum Quotient 10 and its association with schizotypal traits in adolescents and young adults in Hong Kong.

BACKGROUND: There is evidence suggesting that autistic traits are associated with schizotypal traits. This study examined the factor structure of the Autism Spectrum Quotient 10 (AQ-10) and its associations with schizotypal traits (measured by the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire-Brief [SPQ-B]) in a cohort of Chinese adolescents and young adults. METHODS: Invitation letters, stratified by locations and housing types, were randomly sent to individuals aged 15 to 24 years for participation. Assessments were made using face-to-face or online interviews. Autistic traits were assessed using the Chinese version of the AQ-10. Schizotypal personality traits were assessed using the Chinese version of the 22-item SPQ-B. RESULTS: In total, 395 male and 536 female participants (mean age, 19.93 years) were recruited between July 2020 and May 2021. Exploratory factor analysis of the AQ-10 yielded three factors (theory of mind, task switching, and attention deficits) explaining 55.11% of the total variance. Autistic traits were positively correlated with schizotypal traits of disorganised features (r = 0.21, p < 0.001), interpersonal relationship deficits (r = 0.19, p < 0.001), and cognitive-perceptual deficits (r = 0.11, p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: In Chinese adolescents and young adults, autistic traits, especially task switching and attention deficits (compared with theory of mind) are more closely correlated with schizotypal personality traits. Disentangling the overlapping and diametrical structure of autistic traits and schizotypal traits may help understand their aetiologies, assessment, and interventions.

Reward System in Late-Life Depression: a Cross-Sectional Case-Control Study.

OBJECTIVE: Anhedonia, commonly defined as a reduced ability to feel pleasure, is a core clinical symptom of late-life depression (LLD). Deficits in reward processing are hypothesised to be associated with anhedonia. We examined differences in reward sensitivity between patients with LLD and healthy controls and explored the associations between LLD-related symptomatology, global cognition, and the reward system. METHODS: The reward responsiveness of 63 patients with LLD and 58 healthy controls aged ≥60 years was assessed using the probabilistic reward learning task with an asymmetric reward schedule. RESULTS: Compared with healthy controls, patients with LLD displayed lower response bias and reward learning. Global cognition of all participants was positively correlated with response bias. In patients with LLD, anhedonia severity explained impaired reward learning. CONCLUSION: A deficit in reward processing is implicated in patients with LLD. Our findings suggest that executive dysfunction and anhedonia contribute to lower sensitivity to reward learning in patients with LLD.

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Late-Life Depression: a Randomised Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Rumination and overgeneral autobiographical memory are dysfunctional cognitions commonly found in older adults with depression. The theoretical underpinnings of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) address the ruminative tendencies and the non-specific retrieval of autobiographical memories. This study aims to examine the efficacy and cognitive mechanisms of MBCT in older adults with active depressive symptoms. METHODS: 57 older adults (mean age, 70 years) with normal cognition and mild to moderate depressive symptoms were randomly allocated to either the MBCT group or the active control group for 8 weeks. The MBCT group consisted of eight 2-hour weekly sessions and a 7-hour full-day retreat, with different themes for each class, guided mindfulness exercises, feedback and discussion, homework review, and psychoeducation. The active control group comprised a 1-hour physical exercise and a standardised health education of the specific theme with group discussion (eg fall prevention, chronic pain). Participants were assessed before and after the 8-week intervention for four outcome measures: the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD), the Ruminative Response Scale (RRS), the Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT), and the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS). RESULTS: There was a significant reduction in severity of depressive symptoms (HAMD score) in both the MBCT group (F(1, 27) = 35.9, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.57) and the active control group (F(1, 28) = 9.29, p < 0.01, η2 = 0.24), but only the MBCT group showed substantial improvements in autobiographical memory specificity (AMT score), rumination (RRS score), and mindfulness (MAAS score). CONCLUSION: Although both MBCT and active control programme decrease the severity of depressive symptoms in older adults, only MBCT improves AMS, rumination, and mindfulness. Our findings provide empirical support for the theoretical underpinnings of MBCT. Older adults with more severe depression and more severe dysfunctional cognition may benefit more from the specific therapeutic effects of MBCT.

Excess mortality and life-years lost in people with bipolar disorder: an 11-year population-based cohort study.

AIMS: Bipolar disorder is associated with premature mortality, but evidence is mostly derived from Western countries. There has been no research evaluating shortened lifespan in bipolar disorder using life-years lost (LYLs), which is a recently developed mortality metric taking into account illness onset for life expectancy estimation. The current study aimed to examine the extent of premature mortality in bipolar disorder patients relative to the general population in Hong Kong (HK) in terms of standardised mortality ratio (SMR) and excess LYLs, and changes of mortality rate over time. METHODS: This population-based cohort study investigated excess mortality in 12 556 bipolar disorder patients between 2008 and 2018, by estimating all-cause and cause-specific SMRs, and LYLs. Trends in annual SMRs over the 11-year study period were assessed. Study data were retrieved from a territory-wide medical-record database of HK public healthcare services. RESULTS: Patients had higher all-cause [SMR: 2.60 (95% CI: 2.45-2.76)], natural-cause [SMR: 1.90 (95% CI: 1.76-2.05)] and unnatural-cause [SMR: 8.63 (95% CI: 7.34-10.03)] mortality rates than the general population. Respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases and cancers accounted for the majority of deaths. Men and women with bipolar disorder had 6.78 (95% CI: 6.00-7.84) years and 7.35 (95% CI: 6.75-8.06) years of excess LYLs, respectively. The overall mortality gap remained similar over time, albeit slightly improved in men with bipolar disorder. CONCLUSIONS: Bipolar disorder is associated with increased premature mortality and substantially reduced lifespan in a predominantly Chinese population, with excess deaths mainly attributed to natural causes. Persistent mortality gap underscores an urgent need for targeted interventions to improve physical health of patients with bipolar disorder.

Cognitive Stimulation for Persons with Dementia: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: We aim to provide an up-to-date systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of cognitive stimulation (CS) on cognition, depressive symptoms, and quality of life in persons with dementia. Factors affecting the treatment effect were examined. METHODS: A literature search was performed on databases of MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL Plus, and Cochrane Library up to 7 March 2019. Only randomised controlled trials investigating the effects of CS in persons with dementia were included. The outcome measures were cognitive function, depressive symptoms, and quality of life. RESULTS: 20 randomised controlled trials with a total of 1251 participants (intervention group: 674; control group: 577) were included for meta-analysis. Most participants had mild to moderate dementia. CS had a significant positive small-to-moderate effect on cognition (Hedges's g = 0.313, p < 0.001). Heterogeneity of CS was low to moderate (Q=30.5854, df=19, p < 0.05, I2 = 37.877%). Inconclusive results were found for depressive symptoms and quality of life. CONCLUSION: CS has a significant positive effect on cognitive function, but its effect on depressive symptoms and quality of life was inconclusive. Future studies with more robust methodology establishing evidence of its efficacy are required.

Vulvovaginal-gingival syndrome.

Vulvovaginal-gingival syndrome is a distinct variant of classic lichen planus frequently associated with mucocutaneous scarring and vaginal stricture formation, therefore early diagnosis and treatment through a multidisciplinary approach is essential. Management is challenging and is characterised by wide variation in treatments and lack of evidence-based therapeutic approaches. Literature review with particular regard to therapeutic approaches is performed with a view towards a cooperative treatment study.

Short- and potential long-term adverse health outcomes of COVID-19: a rapid review.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in millions of patients infected worldwide and indirectly affecting even more individuals through disruption of daily living. Long-term adverse outcomes have been reported with similar diseases from other coronaviruses, namely Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Emerging evidence suggests that COVID-19 adversely affects different systems in the human body. This review summarizes the current evidence on the short-term adverse health outcomes and assesses the risk of potential long-term adverse outcomes of COVID-19. Major adverse outcomes were found to affect different body systems: immune system (including but not limited to Guillain-Barré syndrome and paediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome), respiratory system (lung fibrosis and pulmonary thromboembolism), cardiovascular system (cardiomyopathy and coagulopathy), neurological system (sensory dysfunction and stroke), as well as cutaneous and gastrointestinal manifestations, impaired hepatic and renal function. Mental health in patients with COVID-19 was also found to be adversely affected. The burden of caring for COVID-19 survivors is likely to be huge. Therefore, it is important for policy makers to develop comprehensive strategies in providing resources and capacity in the healthcare system. Future epidemiological studies are needed to further investigate the long-term impact on COVID-19 survivors.

PCTH: a novel orally active chelator of the aroylhydrazone class that induces iron excretion from mice.

beta-Thalassaemia major is an inherited blood disorder which is complicated by repeated blood transfusion and excessive gastrointestinal iron (Fe) absorption, which leads to toxic Fe overload. Current treatment using the chelator, desferrioxamine (DFO), is expensive and cumbersome since the drug requires long subcutaneous infusions and it is not orally active. A novel chelator, 2-pyridylcarboxaldehyde 2-thiophenecarboxyl hydrazone (PCTH), was recently designed and shown to have high Fe chelation efficacy in vitro. The aim of this investigation was to examine the Fe chelation efficacy of PCTH in vitro implementing primary cultures of cardiomyocytes and in vivo using mice. We showed that PCTH was significantly (P<0.005) more effective than DFO at mobilising (59)Fe from prelabelled cardiomyocytes. Moreover, PCTH prevented the incorporation of (59)Fe into ferritin during Fe uptake from (59)Fe-labelled transferrin. These effects were important to assess as cardiac complications caused by Fe deposition are a major cause of death in beta-thalassaemia major patients. Further studies showed that PCTH was orally active and well tolerated by mice at doses ranging from 50 to 200 mg/kg, twice daily (bd), for 2 days. A dose-dependent increase in faecal (59)Fe excretion was observed in the PCTH-treated group. This level of Fe excretion at 200 mg/kg was similar to the same dose of the orally effective chelators, pyridoxal isonicotinoyl hydrazone (PIH) and deferiprone (L1). Effective Fe chelation in the liver by PCTH was shown via its ability to reduce ferritin-(59)Fe accumulation. Mice treated for 3 weeks with PCTH at doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg/bd showed no overt signs of toxicity as determined by weight loss and a range of biochemical and haematological indices. In subchronic Fe excretion studies over 3 weeks, PIH and PCTH at 75 mg/kg/bd for 5 days/week increased faecal (59)Fe excretion to 140% and 145% of the vehicle control, respectively. This study showed that PCTH was well tolerated at 100 mg/kg/bd and induced considerable Fe excretion by the oral route, suggesting its potential as a candidate to replace DFO.

The Hong Kong mental morbidity survey: background and study design.

Mental disorders are highly prevalent conditions with immense disease burden. To inform health and social services policy formulation, local psychiatric epidemiological data are required. The Hong Kong Mental Morbidity Survey is a 3-year population-based study in which 5700 community-dwelling Chinese adults aged between 16 and 75 years were interviewed with the aim of evaluating the prevalence, co-morbidity, functional impairment, physical morbidity, and social determinants of significant mental disorders in the population. This paper describes the background and design of the survey, and is the first territory-wide psychiatric epidemiological study in Hong Kong.

The validity of proxy-based NEO-Five Factor Inventory data in suicide research: a study of 18- to 64-year-old Hong Kong Chinese who attempted suicide.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the validity of proxy-based NEO-Five Factor Inventory ratings for 18- to 64-year-old Chinese who attempted suicide. METHODS: In all, 71 suicide attempters and their proxy-informants were recruited. Data based on structured interviews with the proxy respondents were compared with data obtained from interviews of the subjects themselves. RESULTS: For the 71 subject-proxy pairs, the overall correlations were fair to moderate (r = 0.30-0.45; p < 0.05) in all domains, except openness-to-experience. Informants with lower education levels tended to yield data that correlated less strongly with subjects' self-reports. Spousal ratings and self-reports correlated significantly in all domains, except extraversion (r = 0.42-0.63; p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The results supported proxy-based data on NEO-Five Factor Inventory in research of suicidal behaviour in this age-group.

Isolated vulval splitting--is this normal or pathological?

Vulval splitting may be seen in association with clinically apparent dermatological disease but occasionally occurs in patients presenting with dyspareunia only. These patients usually have normal-looking vulvas on examination, apart from splitting. They are usually diagnosed as vulval vestibulitis. We have biopsied several patients with isolated vulval splitting with surprising results. Between the months of October 2000 and April 2002, 310 new patients were seen in the vulval clinic at Hope Hospital, which is a tertiary referral centre. Among these were nine cases of isolated vulval splitting, eight of which had histological features of dermatological disease on vulval biopsies. There were three cases of lichen planus, three with chronic dermatitis and two with candidiasis.

Childhood linear IgA disease in association with autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome.

A child is described who had the signs of autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome from an early age and later developed a blistering dermatosis that was shown to be childhood linear IgA disease.