Acute mountain sickness on Jade Mountain: Results from the real-world practice (2018-2019).

Acute mountain sickness (AMS) is initiated in response to a hypoxic and hypobaric environment at a high altitude. The precise prevalence of AMS in Jade Mountain climbers remained largely unknown, particularly data obtained from real medical consultations. An overnight stay at the Pai-Yun Lodge (3402 m) is usually required before an ascent of the Jade Mountain. Since 2004, a Pai-Yun Clinic has been established in the Pai-Yun Lodge. The Pai-Yun Clinic provided regular and emergency medical service every weekend. We conducted a retrospective study by using medical records from the Pai-Yun Clinic between 2018 and 2019. A total of 1021 patients were enrolled, with 56.2 % males. Different age groups were 3.2 %, 54.5 %, 37.9 %, and 4.4 % in <20, 20-39, 40-59, and ≥60 years, respectively. There were 582 (57.0 %) patients diagnosed to have AMS (230 [39.5 %] were mild type and 352 [60.5 %] were severe type). The factors associated with AMS development included young age, absence of climbing history (>3000 m) within the last 3 months, first climbing (>3000 m) experience, taking preventive medication, low oxygen saturation, and a high Lake Louise AMS score (LLAMSS). The factors associated with AMS severity included absence of taking preventive medication, low oxygen saturation, and a high LLAMSS. Approximately 15 % of Jade Mountain climbers needed medical service, of which 60 % had AMS. 60 % of patients with AMS must require oxygen supply or medication prescription. Oxygen saturation measure and LLAMSS evaluation are reasonable tools to predict the occurrence and severity of AMS on Jade Mountain.

The effects of traffic-related air pollutants on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the community-based general population.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown inconsistent results regarding the impact of traffic pollution on the prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Therefore, using frequency matching and propensity scores, we explored the association between traffic pollution and COPD in a cohort of 8284 residents in a major agricultural county in Taiwan. METHODS: All subjects completed a structured questionnaire interview and health checkups. Subjects with COPD were identified using Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Databases. A hybrid kriging/LUR model was used to identify levels of traffic-related air pollutants (PM2.5 and O3). Multiple logistic regression models were used to calculate the prevalence ratios (PRs) of COPD and evaluate the role played by traffic-related indices between air pollutants and COPD. The distributed lag nonlinear model was applied in the analysis; we excluded current or ever smokers to perform the sensitivity analysis. RESULTS: Increased PRs of COPD per SD increment of PM2.5 were 1.10 (95% CI 1.05-1.15) and 1.25 (95% CI 1.13-1.40) in the population with age and sex matching as well as propensity-score matching, respectively. The results of the sensitivity analysis were similar between the single and two pollutant models. PM2.5 concentrations were significantly associated with traffic flow including sedans, buses, and trucks (p < 0.01). The higher road area and the higher PM2.5 concentrations near the subject's residence correlated with a greater risk of developing COPD (p for interaction < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that long-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution may be positively associated with the prevalence of COPD.

RISK OF AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION IN PATIENTS WITH PERIODONTITIS: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study.

PURPOSE: Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease that results in loss of connective tissue and bone support. Evidence shows a possible relationship between periodontitis and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). METHODS: This population-based cohort study was conducted using data from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan, with a 13-year follow-up, to investigate the risk of AMD in patients with periodontitis. The periodontitis cohort included patients with newly diagnosed periodontitis between 2000 and 2012. The nonperiodontitis cohort was frequency-matched with the periodontitis cohort by age and sex, with a sample size of 41,661 in each cohort. RESULTS: Patients with periodontitis had an increased risk of developing AMD compared with individuals without periodontitis (5.95 vs. 3.41 per 1,000 person-years, adjusted hazard ratio = 1.58 [95% confidence interval, 1.46-1.70]). The risk of developing AMD remained significant after stratification by age (adjusted hazard ratio = 1.48 [1.34-1.64] for age <65 years and 1.76 [1.57-1.97] for age ≥65 years), sex (adjusted hazard ratio = 1.40 [1.26-1.55] for women and 1.82 [1.63-2.04] for men), and presence of comorbidity (adjusted hazard ratio = 1.52 [1.40-1.66] for with comorbidity and 1.92 [1.63-2.26] for without comorbidity). In addition, patients with periodontitis showed an increased incidence for both nonexudative type AMD (5.43 vs. 3.13 per 1,000 person-years) and exudative type AMD (0.52 vs. 0.28 per 1,000 person-years). CONCLUSION: People with periodontitis could be at a greater risk of developing AMD than those without periodontitis. However, we need more evidence to support this association.

The role of genotype/phenotype at apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease Rs1130409 in renal cell carcinoma.

The DNA repair capacity plays a critical role in maintaining the genomic stability and gatekeeping for individual cancer risk. In this study, we aim at evaluation the role of the Asp148Glu (rs1130409) variant at apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease (APE) gene in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) risk and the contribution of different genotypes to its transcriptional mRNA levels. In the case-control study, 92 RCC patients and 580 cancer-free patients matched by age and gender were recruited. The apurinic/APE genotyping work was conducted with typical restriction fragment length polymorphism methodology after polymerase chain reaction. At the meanwhile, thirty renal tissue samples with variant genotypes were examined for their apurinic/APE mRNA and protein expressions by real-time quantitative reverse transcription method and Western blotting. The results showed that compared with the wild-type TT genotype, the people with TG and GG genotypes of apurinic/APE Asp148Glu had 0.88- and 1.09-fold risk of RCC, respectively. We have also examined the in vivo transcriptional (RNA) and translational (protein) levels with renal tissues of various apurinic/APE Asp148Glu genotypes, revealing that the apurinic/APE mRNA and protein were of similar levels among people of TT, TG, or GG genotypes. There was no joint gene-environment effect of apurinic/APE Asp148Glu genotype and smoking habit on RCC risk. The evidence indicated that apurinic/APE Asp148Glu genotypic variants did not alter its mRNA and protein expression among RCC patients. The genotype of apurinic/APE Asp148Glu may not serve as a proper predictive marker for RCC risk in Taiwan.

Genetic variants in the nucleotide excision repair genes are associated with the risk of developing endometriosis.

Endometriosis is a major health issue among women of reproductive age. However, its etiology has not yet been completely understood. We investigated 10 single nucleotide polymorphisms from six novel nucleotide excision repair genes and the susceptibility to endometriosis. A total of 153 patients with endometriosis were recruited during 2000-2010 from central Taiwan. Pathological confirmation was necessary for all patients, and exclusion criteria included the presence of leiomyoma, adenomyosis, or cancer of the uterine, cervix, or ovary and a prescription of hormone therapy. Furthermore, a total of 636 age-matched individuals without endometriosis were recruited during the same time period from central Taiwan. The polymerase chain reaction coupled with restriction fragment length polymorphism methodology was applied for genotyping. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that subjects carrying the ERCC1 rs11615 TT (OR = 2.04, 95% CI = 1.36-3.41), ERCC2 rs1799793 AA (OR = 1.86, 95% CI = 1.14-3.11), and ERCC6 rs2228528 AA genotypes (OR = 1.79, 95% CI = 1.13-2.83) exhibited significantly increased risks of developing endometriosis compared with their counterparts carrying the wild-type genotypes. This study suggests that certain single nucleotide polymorphisms of nucleotide excision repair genes excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1, ERCC2, and ERCC6) predispose women to the development of endometriosis.

The association between Type 1 diabetes mellitus and periodontal diseases.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is a chronic autoimmune disease affecting oral health. Evidence shows possible association between T1DM and periodontal diseases (PDs). We conducted a nationwide population-based study in Taiwan, with a 14-year follow-up to investigate the risk of PDs in T1DM patients. METHODS: We used data from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan. The T1DM cohort was identified with newly diagnosed T1DM from 1998 to 2011. The non-T1DM cohort was frequency matched with the T1DM cohort. Participants comprised 4248 patients in the T1DM cohort and 16992 persons in the non-T1DM cohort. RESULTS: The T1DM patients showed an increased risk of PDs compared to non-T1DM individuals [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 1.45]. T1DM patients who visited the emergency room more than twice per year had a higher aHR of 13.0 for developing PDs. The aHR for PDs was 13.2 in the T1DM patients who had been hospitalized more than twice per year. CONCLUSION: T1DM patients are at higher risk of developing PDs than non-T1DM individuals. Our results further showed that the number of T1DM interventions; that is, annual emergency visits and hospitalizations were associated with increased the risk of developing PDs.

The association of matrix metalloproteinas-2 promoter polymorphisms with lung cancer susceptibility in Taiwan.

Matrix metalloproteinases-2 (MMP2) has been reported to be overexpressed in various types of cancer. However, the contribution of various genotypes of MMP2 to lung cancer is controversial and not yet been examined in Taiwan. Therefore, in the current study, we investigated the association of MMP2 genotypes with lung cancer risk among Taiwanese. In this hospital-based, case-control study, 358 lung cancer patients and 716 age- and gender-matched healthy controls were recruited, and the genotypic distributions of MMP2-1306 and MMP2- 735 were determined. Then, their association with lung cancer was evaluated, and their interaction with personal smoking status was also examined via stratification analysis. The results showed that the percentages of variant CT and TT at MMP2-1306 were 17.3% and 1.7% among the lung cancer patients, respectively, much lower than those of 28.7% and 2.4%, respectively, among the healthy controls (P for trend = 0.0001). The allelic frequency distribution analysis showed that the variant T allele at MMP2-1306 conferred a statistically significantly lower lung cancer risk than the wild-type C allele (adjusted odds ratio = 0.54, 95% confidence interval = 0.41-0.72, P = 0.0001). There was an obvious effect of MMP2-1306 genotype on lung cancer risk among the subpopulations of ever smokers but not nonsmokers. As for the genotypes of MMP2-735, there was no such differential distribution in the aspects of genotypic or allelic frequencies, or combinative effects with smoking status. The genotypes of MMP2-1306 may act as a biomarker in determining personal susceptibility to lung cancer in Taiwan. The contribution of MMP2 genotypes alone and its joint effects with personal cigarette smoking habit on lung cancer susceptibility should be taken into consideration of the clinical practices for early detection and prediction of lung cancer in Taiwan.

Contribution of Inflammatory Cytokine Interleukin-18 Genotypes to Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Interleukin-18 (IL-18) is a multi-functional immuno-mediator in the development and progression of many types of infectious and inflammatory diseases. In this study, we evaluated the contribution of IL-18 genotypes to renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in Taiwan via the genotyping of IL-18 -656 (A/C), -607 (A/C), and -137 (G/C). Moreover, we analyzed their interactions with smoking, alcohol drinking, hypertension, and diabetes status. The results showed an association of the AC and CC genotypes of IL-18 -607 with a significant decrease in the risk of RCC compared with the AA genotype (odds ratio (OR) = 0.44 and 0.35, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.27⁻0.72 and 0.18⁻0.66, p = 0.0008 and 0.0010, respectively). Furthermore, a significantly lower frequency of the C allele at -607 was observed in the RCC group (35.3% vs. 49.8%; OR = 0.53; 95% CI = 0.35⁻0.71, p = 0.0003). However, IL-18 -656 and -137 did not exhibit a likewise differential distribution of these genotypes between the control and case groups. Stratifying the population according to smoking, alcohol drinking, hypertension, and diabetes status revealed a different distribution of IL-18 -607 genotypes among non-smokers, non-drinkers, and patients without diabetes, but not among smokers, drinkers, or patients with diabetes. These findings suggest that IL-18 -607 genotypes may play a role in the etiology and progression of RCC in Taiwan and may serve as a useful biomarker for early detection.

Risk of empyema in patients with chronic liver disease and cirrhosis: A nationwide, population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Empyema is an important complication for patients with chronic liver disease and cirrhosis (CLDC). However, no study has investigated this relationship by using a population-based cohort study. METHODS: We used the National Health Insurance Research Data of Taiwan to identify a cohort of 76 027 CLDC patients newly diagnosed in 2000-2010 and a comparison cohort without CLDC of same size matched by age, gender and the year of diagnosis. The occurrence of empyema was monitored until the end of 2011. The hazard ratios (HRs) of empyema were estimated using the Cox model. RESULTS: The overall incidence of empyema was 66% greater in the CLDC group than in the non-CLDC group (3.85 vs 2.32/10 000 person-years, P<.001), with an adjusted HR of 1.54 (95% confidence interval [CI]=1.24-1.90). Compared with those without CLDC, adjusted HRs of empyema were 4.96 (95% CI=3.40-7.24) for patients with cirrhosis and 4.75 (95% CI=3.11-7.24) for patients with alcoholic CLDC. Further analyses revealed significant adjusted HRs of empyema among CLDC patients with ascites (5.76, 95% CI=4.13-8.04) and with gastrointestinal haemorrhage (1.60, 95% CI=1.03-2.48), compared to those without the respective disorders. Analyses using propensity score matched CLDC and non-CLDC cohorts revealed similar results. CONCLUSION: The present study shows that CLDC patients have an increased risk of empyema. These patients need timely monitor for the risk of empyema, particularly for those with comorbid cirrhosis, alcoholic disorder, gastrointestinal haemorrhage and ascites.

Risk of pulmonary embolism in patients with end-stage renal disease receiving long-term dialysis.

BACKGROUND: This study compared the pulmonary embolism (PE) risks between Asian dialysis patients and a comparison cohort without clinical kidney disease. METHODS: From the National Health Insurance claims data of Taiwan, we identified 106 231 newly diagnosed end-stage renal disease patients undergoing dialysis in 1998-2010 and randomly selected 106 231 comparison subjects, frequency matched by age, sex and the index year. We further selected 7430 peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients and 7340 propensity score-matched hemodialysis (HD) patients. Incidence rates and hazard ratios (HRs) of PE and odds ratio (OR) of subsequent 30-day deaths from PE were evaluated among study cohorts by the end of 2011. RESULTS: The overall incident PE was nearly 3-fold greater in dialysis patients than in the comparison cohort (0.92 versus 0.33 per 1000 person-years), with an adjusted HR of 2.02 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.63-2.50]. The PE incidence was greater in the propensity score-matched HD patients, than in PD patients with an adjusted HR of 2.30 (95% CI = 1.23-4.29). There was a greater PE risk for central venous catheter users than non-users among HD patients (1.83 versus 0.75 per 1000 person-years). The 30-day mortality from PE was higher in dialysis patients than in the comparison cohort (16.5 versus 9.77%) with an adjusted OR of 2.56 (95% CI = 1.32-4.95). CONCLUSIONS: Dialysis patients are at a nearly 2-fold increased hazard of developing PE and are at greater risk of fatality from PE compared with those without clinical kidney disease. This study also shows a higher PE risk in HD patients than in PD patients.

Preschoolers With Allergic Diseases Have an Increased Risk of Irritable Bowel Syndrome When Reaching School Age.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to systemically investigate the risk of subsequent irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in children with antecedent allergic diseases in a population-based case-control study in Taiwan. METHODS: We evaluated 11,242 children (age range: 7-18 years) with IBS and 44,968 age- and sex-matched control subjects who had been examined between 2000 and 2008. IBS odds ratios were calculated for children with antecedent allergic diseases, including allergic conjunctivitis, allergic rhinitis, asthma, atopic dermatitis, urticaria, and food allergy. RESULTS: Children with antecedent allergic diseases had a greater risk of IBS than did control subjects (P < 0.001). Among the 6 evaluated diseases, the highest adjusted odds ratio of 1.78 was observed with allergic rhinitis (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.69-1.87). With 2 or more allergic diseases, the adjusted odds ratios increased to 2.06 (95% CI, 1.93-2.19) for all subjects, 2.07 (95% CI, 1.88-2.28) for girls, and 2.18 (95% CI, 2.02-2.35) for children 12 years or older. CONCLUSIONS: Preschoolers with a history of allergic disease had an increased risk of subsequent IBS development upon reaching school age. This risk increased in the presence of concurrent allergic disease and a higher clinical allergy burden.

Association between allergic diseases and risks of HSP and HSP nephritis: a population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Some allergic inflammation-associated mediators have been reported in acute stage of Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP). However, the association of children with allergic diseases and their subsequent risks of HSP and HSP nephritis remain unknown. METHODS: In this study, we included 2,240 children with HSP diagnosed between 2000 and 2008 as well as 8,960 non-HSP controls matched for age, sex, and level of urbanization. The odds ratios (ORs) of HSP were calculated with respect to associations with pre-existing allergic diseases. RESULTS: Children with allergic diseases had an increased subsequent risk of HSP; the lowest adjusted OR (aOR) was 1.33 for allergic conjunctivitis (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.17-1.52) and the highest was 1.68 for asthma (95% CI: 1.48-1.91). The aOR increased to 2.03 (95% CI: 1.80-2.31) in children with at least two allergic diseases. Children who visited medical institutes more often per year for associated allergic diseases had an increased risk of HSP. Of the 2,240 children with HSP, 249 (11%) had HSP nephritis and 45.8% of those with nephritis had history of any allergic disease. CONCLUSION: Atopic children had an increased subsequent risk of HSP but not an increased risk of HSP nephritis.

Risk of asthma in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Sjögren's syndrome (SS) has been associated with bronchial hyperresponsiveness and asthma; however, no population-based cohort study has been performed. We evaluated the risk of asthma in patients with primary SS in a nationwide population. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using data from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan. The primary SS group included 4725 adult patients diagnosed between 2000 and 2006. Each patient was frequency-matched with four people without SS by sex, age and year of diagnosis. The occurrence and hazard ratio (HR) of asthma was monitored by the end of 2011. RESULTS: The overall incidence density of asthma was 1.62-fold higher in the primary SS group than in the non-SS group (9.86 vs. 6.10 per 1000 person-years), with a multivariable Cox proportional hazards model measured adjusted HR of 1.38 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.21-1.58]. Stratified analyses by sex, age group, and presence of comorbidity revealed that asthma incidences were all higher in the primary SS group than in the non-SS group, and the relative HRs of asthma associated with primary SS were significant in all subgroups. CONCLUSION: Patients with primary SS are associated with an increased risk of developing asthma. We should pay more attention to this group of individuals and provide them with appropriate support.

Lung cancer screening with low-dose computed tomography: Experiences from a tertiary hospital in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Lung cancer screening using low-dose computed tomography (CT) has been reported to reduce lung cancer-specific mortality for smokers at high risk. However, despite different characteristics of lung cancer in Asia, there are few data concerning this specific population for screening. We aim to analyze the performance of lung cancer screening with low-dose CT concurrent with chest radiography in Taiwan, with reference to international experience. METHODS: During the 1-year period from January 2012 to December 2012, we conducted a retrospective, single-center population-based screening program for lung cancer in the setting of annual medical examinations. Participants were asymptomatic adults without prior history of any cancer. Low-dose CT and chest radiography were offered to all individuals. Baseline CT evaluations were defined as positive if any noncalcified nodule≥4 mm in diameter, which were then classified as solid, pure ground-glass or partial ground-glass opacity. RESULTS: Of 3339 individuals, we detected 34 cancers, yielding an overall cancer detection rate of 1.02%. There was a particularly high cancer detection rate of 6.2% (8/129) in the high-risk group aged younger than 50 years with a positive family history of all types of cancers in first-degree relatives. Adenocarcinomas accounted for 88% (30/34) of cancers and 99% of them were early-stage (including carcinoma in situ and Stage I). The probability of cancers was significant higher in nodules with interval growth (odds ratio 257.89, p = 0.0002). There was no significant difference in the probability of cancers between ground glass opacity nodules and solid nodules (odds ratio 1.16, p=0.72). Of all screen-detected cancers, 61.76% (21/34) were chest radiographically occult. CONCLUSION: Low-dose CT is effective to detect early lung cancers. Further establishment of selection criteria for lung cancer screening, specifically for Asian individuals, is definitely warranted.

Neonatal jaundice and risks of childhood allergic diseases: a population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Only a few studies have systemically analyzed the association between neonatal jaundice and childhood-onset allergic diseases. METHODS: From 2000 to 2007, 27,693 neonates with newly diagnosed neonatal jaundice and 55,367 matched nonneonatal jaundice cohorts were identified. The incidences and hazard ratios (HRs) of five allergic diseases, namely allergic conjunctivitis (AC), allergic rhinitis (AR), atopic dermatitis (AD), asthma, and urticaria, by the end of 2008 were calculated. RESULTS: The incidence density and HRs of the five allergic diseases were greater in the neonatal jaundice cohort than in the nonneonatal jaundice cohort, and the HRs declined modestly with age. The HRs for AR (HR = 2.51, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.43-2.59) and AD (HR = 2.51, 95% CI = 2.40-2.62) were the highest, and that for urticaria was the lowest (HR = 2.06, 95% CI = 1.94-2.19). The HRs of allergic diseases were substantially greater for boys and those requiring phototherapy. The HRs of the allergic diseases, except urticaria (HR = 2.49, 95% CI = 1.57-3.97), were not significantly different between the neonatal jaundice regardless of whether the patients received exchange transfusion. CONCLUSION: Neonatal jaundice is associated with the development of allergic diseases in early childhood.

Risk of idiopathic nephrotic syndrome among children with asthma: a nationwide, population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Although clinical and immunological studies have shown a possible link between allergy and idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS), the nature of the relationship remains unclear. Asthma is the most common chronic allergic airway inflammation. However, no study has used a longitudinal design with a population cohort to investigate INS in children with asthma. METHODS: Using nationwide claims data from 2000 through 2007, we randomly selected 251,698 asthma cases and 1,006,791 frequency-matched controls. Incidence rates of INS and hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated. RESULTS: The INS incidence was 3.36-fold greater in the asthma cohort than in the nonasthma control (9.26 vs. 2.76 per 100,000 person-years; 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.65-4.26). The HR for INS increased for those with more asthma-related medical visits per year, from 1.49 (95% CI: 1.06-2.11) for <3 visits to 15.7 (95% CI: 11.5-21.5) for ≥6 visits (trend test, P < 0.0001). The HR for INS slightly decreased during the follow-up period, from 3.41 (95% CI: 2.66-4.38) for ≤5.5 y to 2.90 (95% CI: 1.33-6.30) for >5.5 y. CONCLUSION: We conclude that children with asthma had an increased incidence rate of INS, and increased incidence rate correlated with asthma-related medical visits.

Occurrence of common allergic diseases in children with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Clinical and immunological studies have consistently shown a possible link between atopy and idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS). However, whether allergic diseases occur after INS develops is unknown. METHODS: From Taiwan's National Health Insurance database, 1340 children with newly diagnosed INS and 5360 non-INS matched controls were identified in 2000-2007. By the end of 2008, the incidences and hazard ratios of four allergic diseases (allergic conjunctivitis, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, and asthma) were calculated. RESULTS: The incidence rates of all four allergic diseases were greater in the INS cohort than in the non-INS cohort in all age groups and decreased sharply as age increased in both cohorts. Children with INS had the highest adjusted hazard ratio (4.13; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.50-6.83) for atopic dermatitis and the lowest adjusted hazard ratio (1.71; 95% CI, 1.39-2.09) for allergic rhinitis. Most of the allergic diseases appeared within 2-6 months after INS developed, and the incidences declined with increasing follow-up duration. CONCLUSIONS: Allergic disorders are common in children with INS, especially within the first year after diagnosis. The role of INS in the development of allergic disorders should be elucidated to establish innovative disease intervention programs.

Increased incidence of juvenile-onset systemic lupus erythematosus among children with asthma.

BACKGROUND: Children with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have an especially aggressive disease course and poor outcomes. Previous studies demonstrated a possible association between SLE and allergies, but the relationship between these disorders remains unclear. This population-based cohort study aimed to investigate the incidence and risk of juvenile-onset SLE (JSLE) among children with asthma. METHODS: From 2000 to 2003, 120,939 children with newly diagnosed asthma and 483,756 randomly selected non-asthma controls were enrolled. We used a multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression model to measure and compare the incidence rate and risk of JSLE in the asthma and non-asthma cohorts. RESULTS: The overall incidence of JSLE was 2.52 times greater in the asthma cohort than that in the non-asthma cohort [3.49 vs. 1.53 per 100,000 person-years; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.59-3.99]. The risk of JSLE was greatest among boys [hazard ratio (HR) 3.02, 95% CI: 1.21-7.52] and children aged 6-10 yr (HR 3.50, 95% CI: 1.75-7.02). The HR of JSLE increased with greater frequency of asthma-related medical visits from 1.22 (95% CI: 0.67-1.41) for those with ≤2 visits/yr to 5.88 (95% CI: 3.43-10.1) for subjects with >2 visits/yr (trend test p < 0.001). However, the risk of JSLE declined over time. CONCLUSION: We found an increased incidence of JSLE among children with asthma. The mechanism of asthma on JSLE development should be elucidated to establish innovative disease intervention programs.

Increased risk of idiopathic nephrotic syndrome in children with atopic dermatitis.

BACKGROUND: Clinical and immunological studies have consistently shown a relationship between atopic diathesis and idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS). However, no large population cohort study has yet to demonstrate the nature of the relationship between these disorders. METHODS: Claims data from a random selection of children representing half of the insured population in Taiwan were examined. During the period from 1998 to 2007, we identified 192,295 children aged <18 years with newly diagnosed atopic dermatitis (AD) and 769,169 frequency-matched controls. Incidence of INS and hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated. RESULTS: The AD cohort had a 2-fold higher overall incidence of INS than the non-AD cohort [7.20 vs. 3.60 per 100,000 person-years, respectively; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.50-2.66]. The HR for INS increased with age and was higher among females. The HR for INS was also higher in AD children with more medical visits per year, ranging from 0.94 for those having ≤3 visits to 38.6 for those having >6 visits (trend test P < 0.0001). In particular, the risk of INS clearly increased during the initial 5 years after AD onset. CONCLUSIONS: Children with AD have a greater incidence and risk of developing INS and this risk increases with AD severity.

Risk of sleep disorders in patients with pneumoconiosis: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Pneumoconiosis is associated with pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases; however, the link between pneumoconiosis and sleep disorders is not well understood. This study aimed to investigate the connection between pneumoconiosis and subsequent risk of sleep disorders. METHODS: This population-based retrospective cohort study used data from the National Health Insurance database in Taiwan. The pneumoconiosis cohort consisted of 13,329 patients newly diagnosed between 2000 and 2015. The comparison group included 53,316 age-, sex-, and diagnosis date-matched individuals without pneumoconiosis. The development of sleep disorders was monitored until the end of 2018. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used for risk assessment. RESULTS: The incidence of sleep disorders was 1.31 times higher in the pneumoconiosis cohort than in the comparison cohort (22.8 vs. 16.2 per 1000 person-years). After controlling for age, sex, comorbidity, and medication, the adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) was 1.24 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.17-1.32). Stratified analyses by age group, sex, and comorbidity status showed significant associations between pneumoconiosis and sleep disorders (aHRs, 1.19-1.64). In addition, patients with pneumoconiosis had a significantly increased risk of developing sleep apnea (aHR = 1.71, 95% CI = 1.31-2.22). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that patients with pneumoconiosis are at a higher risk of developing sleep disorders and sleep apnea. Healthcare professionals should pay close attention to sleep quality and disturbances in patients with pneumoconiosis.