Complete genomic profiles of 1496 Taiwanese reveal curated medical insights.

Introduction: The population of Taiwan has a long history of ethno-cultural evolution. The Taiwanese population was isolated from other large populations such as the European, Han Chinese, and Japanese population. The Taiwan Biobank (TWB) project has built a nationwide database, particularly for personal whole-genome sequence (WGS) to facilitate basic and clinical collaboration nationally and internationally, making it one of the most valuable public datasets of the East Asian population.

Modifiable vascular risk factors contribute to stroke in 1080 R544C carriers in Taiwan Biobank.

Background And Aim: Previous studies have suggested cardiovascular risk factors increase the risk of not only common sporadic stroke but also of stroke in patients with monogenic stroke disorders including CADASIL. We investigated the effects of the Arg544Cys (R544C) variant and associated vascular risk factors on stroke in the Taiwanese population.

Methods: This study was conducted using data from the Taiwan Biobank, consisting of at least 130,000 Han Chinese participants.

Sex-specific interactive effect of melamine and DEHP on a marker of early kidney damage in Taiwanese adults: A national population-based study from the Taiwan Biobank.

Taiwan had the high incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) worldwide. Our objective was to examine associations between daily exposure of phthalates and melamine, two common nephrotoxins, and kidney damage risk in a well-established nationwide cohort. Study subjects were from Taiwan Biobank (TWB) with existing data of questionnaire and biochemical examinations.

Neutrophil extracellular trap production and CCL4L2 expression influence corticosteroid response in asthma.

The association between neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and response to inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) in asthma is unclear. To better understand this relationship, we analyzed the blood transcriptomes from children with controlled and uncontrolled asthma in the Taiwanese Consortium of Childhood Asthma Study using weighted gene coexpression network analysis and pathway enrichment methods. We identified 298 uncontrolled asthma-specific differentially expressed genes and one gene module associated with neutrophil-mediated immunity, highlighting a potential role for neutrophils in uncontrolled asthma.

Taiwan Biobank: A rich biomedical research database of the Taiwanese population.

The Taiwan Biobank (TWB) is an ongoing prospective study of >150,000 individuals aged 20-70 in Taiwan. A comprehensive list of phenotypes was collected for each consented participant at recruitment and follow-up visits through structured interviews and physical measurements. Biomarkers and genetic data were generated from blood and urine samples.

A Metallomic Approach to Assess Associations of Plasma Metal Levels with Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease: An Exploratory Study.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) involves the abnormal activity of transition metals and metal ion dyshomeostasis; however, the potential of trace metal biomarkers in predicting cognitive decline has not been evaluated. This study aimed to assess the potential of 36 trace elements in predicting cognitive decline in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) or AD. Participants (9 controls, 23 aMCI due to AD, and 8 AD dementia) underwent comprehensive cognitive tests, including the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and trace metal analysis.

Investigating obesity-related risk factors for childhood asthma.

Background: We tested the hypothesis that multiple obesity-related risk factors (obesity, physical activity, cardiopulmonary physical fitness, sleep-disorder breathing (SDB), and sleep quality) are associated with childhood asthma using a Mendelian randomization (MR) design. Furthermore, we aim to investigate whether these risk factors were associated with incident asthma prospectively.

Methods: In total, 7069 children aged 12 from the Taiwan Children Health Study were enrolled in the current study.

Better Identification of Cognitive Decline With Interleukin-2 Than With Amyloid and Tau Protein Biomarkers in Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment.

The rate of cognitive decline among patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) varies, and it is thus crucial to accurately predict the probability of cognitive deterioration in patients with MCI. We compared the potential of cytokines with amyloid beta (Aβ) and tau biomarkers for predicting cognitive decline in patients with aMCI or Alzheimer's disease (AD). All participants (controls, aMCI, and AD patients) underwent plasma biomarker examinations for Aβ, Aβ, total tau (t-tau), tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 [-Tau181]), and 29 cytokines and baseline cognitive tests, including Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE).

The role of interleukin-33 in patients with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease.

Background: The neuroprotective role of interleukin (IL)-33 is supported by numerous preclinical studies, but it remains uninvestigated in clinical studies of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We aimed to examine the association between human blood levels of IL-33 and cognitive preservation in amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and AD.

Methods: A total of 100 participants (26 controls, 35 aMCI patients, and 39 AD patients) completed two Mini-Mental State Examinations (MMSEs) over a 1-year interval.

decreases asthma exacerbations and modulates respiratory syncytial virus latent infection in children.

Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is associated with childhood asthma. Nevertheless, not all children exposed to RSV develop asthma symptoms, possibly because genes modulate the effects of RSV on asthma exacerbations.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify genes that modulate the effect of RSV latent infection on asthma exacerbations.

Indicators of rapid cognitive decline in amnestic mild cognitive impairment: The role of plasma biomarkers using magnetically labeled immunoassays.

Plasma levels of biomarkers change with the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD), which involves the accumulation of pathological amyloid β (Aβ) and Tau protein tangles. However, few studies have investigated the association between plasma biomarkers and rapid cognitive decline in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and AD. A total of 10 healthy controls, 24 patients with aMCI, and 19 patients with AD were enrolled.

Blood multiomics reveal insights into population clusters with low prevalence of diabetes, dyslipidemia and hypertension.

Diabetes, dyslipidemia and hypertension are important metabolic diseases that impose a great burden on many populations worldwide. However, certain population strata have reduced prevalence for all three diseases, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. We sought to identify the phenotypic, genomic and metabolomic characteristics of the low-prevalence population to gain insights into possible innate non-susceptibility against metabolic diseases.

The Causal Relationship of Circulating Triglyceride and Glycated Hemoglobin: A Mendelian Randomization Study.

Context: The association between circulating triglyceride (TG) and glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), a biomarker for type 2 diabetes, has been widely addressed, but the causal direction of the relationship is still ambiguous.

Objective: To confirm the causal relationship between TG and HbA1c by using bidirectional and 2-step Mendelian randomization (MR) approaches.

Methods: We carried out a bidirectional MR approach using the summarized results from the public database to examine any potential causal effects between serum TG and HbA1c in 16 000 individuals of the Taiwan Biobank cohort.

Associations between Plasma Biomarkers and Cognition in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease and Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Study.

Brain degeneration in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) results from the accumulation of pathological amyloid- (Aβ) plaques and tau protein tangles, leading to altered plasma levels of biomarkers. However, few studies have investigated the association between plasma biomarkers and cognitive impairment in patients with AD. In this cross-sectional study, we investigated correlations between mini-mental state examination (MMSE) scores and levels of plasma biomarkers in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and AD.

A simple prediction tool for inhaled corticosteroid response in asthmatic children.

Background: Inhaled corticosteroids are recommended as the first-line controller medication for childhood asthma owing to their multiple clinical benefits. However, heterogeneity in the response towards these drugs remains a significant clinical problem.

Methods: Children aged 5 to 18 years with mild to moderate persistent asthma were recruited into the Taiwanese Consortium of Childhood Asthma Study.

Smoking-related microRNAs and mRNAs in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

Teenager smoking is of great importance in public health. Functional roles of microRNAs have been documented in smoke-induced gene expression changes, but comprehensive mechanisms of microRNA-mRNA regulation and benefits remained poorly understood. We conducted the Teenager Smoking Reduction Trial (TSRT) to investigate the causal association between active smoking reduction and whole-genome microRNA and mRNA expression changes in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC).

Associations of serum perfluoroalkyl acid levels with T-helper cell-specific cytokines in children: By gender and asthma status.

Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) are a group of common chemicals that ubiquitously exist in wildlife and humans. Experimental data suggest that they may alter T-lymphocyte functioning in situ by preferentially enhancing the development of T-helper 2 (TH2)- and inhibiting TH1-lymphocyte development and might increase allergic inflammation, but few human studies have been conducted. To evaluate the association between serum PFAAs concentrations and T-lymphocyte-related immunological markers of asthma in children, and further to assess whether gender modified this association, 231 asthmatic children and 225 non-asthmatic control children from Northern Taiwan were recruited into the Genetic and Biomarker study for Childhood Asthma.

Bioinformatic Interrogation of 5p-arm and 3p-arm Specific miRNA Expression Using TCGA Datasets.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in cellular functions and developmental processes. They are also implicated in oncogenesis mechanisms and could serve as potential cancer biomarkers. Using high-throughput miRNA sequencing information, expression of both the 5p-arm and 3p-arm mature miRNAs were demonstrated and generated from the single miRNA hairpin precursor.

Association of STAT6 genetic variants with childhood atopic dermatitis in Taiwanese population.

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is the single most common allergic disease in children. STAT6 has been noted as a hub molecule in IL-4 mediated response and AD pathogenesis. However, the association between STAT6 genetic variants and childhood AD has never been thoroughly examined.

Analysis of codon usage preference in hemagglutinin genes of the swine-origin influenza A (H1N1) virus.

Background: The swine-origin influenza A (H1N1) virus (S-OIV) has come to the forefront since 2009 and was identified as a new reassortant strain. The hemagglutinin (HA) glycoprotein mediates virus binding, contains antigenic regions recognized by neutralizing antibodies, and is associated with viral cross-species infection and adaption. The comparison study of codon usage preferences in influenza viral genomes was less extensive.

miR-200c and GATA binding protein 4 regulate human embryonic stem cell renewal and differentiation.

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are functionally unique for their self-renewal ability and pluripotency, but the molecular mechanisms giving rise to these properties are not fully understood. hESCs can differentiate into embryoid bodies (EBs) containing ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. In the miR-200 family, miR-200c was especially enriched in undifferentiated hESCs and significantly downregulated in EBs.