The role of secretory antibody in protection against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection was examined by using monoclonal immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibody for intranasal passive immunization of mice. Eight anti-RSV IgA hybridomas were produced by fusing myeloma cells with lung lymphocytes from RSV-immunized mice. Five IgA antibodies recognized RSV strains of both the A and the B subgroups, and two of these neutralized virus in a plaque reduction assay. Monoclonal IgA antibody HNK20, which bound to F glycoprotein, was most effective, reducing plaques by 50%o at a concentration of 0.1 ,ug/ml for both subgroup A and subgroup B strains. HNK20 also neutralized all of eight clinical isolates of RSV tested. When delivered intranasally to mice 24 h prior to RSV challenge, HNK20 reduced virus titers in the lungs by nearly 100-fold. Maximal protection occurred at a dose of 0.5 mg/kg of body weight. Significant protection against lung infection was seen when the interval between antibody treatment and challenge was as long as 72 h. HNK20 also decreased virus titers in the nose approximately 10-fold when given 1 h, but not 24 h, before challenge. When mice were treated with HNK20 intranasally 3 days after challenge, viral titers were reduced in the lungs but not the nose. The results indicate that topical application of relatively small amounts of monoclonal IgA can protect against both upper and lower respiratory tract infections caused by RSV.Primary infection with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) occurs during the first 2 years of life, causing self-limited disease of the upper or lower respiratory tract. In some cases, infection of the lower respiratory tract causes severe bronchiolitis or pneumonia (14). Those at highest risk for lower respiratory tract disease include infants and children with bronchopulmonary dysplasia, congenital heart disease, and immunodeficiency disorders.Since efforts to develop a safe and effective vaccine against RSV have not yet succeeded, passive immunization with polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies has been explored as an alternative strategy for prophylaxis. The evidence suggests that specific circulating antibody, if present at a high concentration, can protect against lower respiratory tract infection and disease. For example, infants are resistant to infection during their first 6 weeks of life, when maternal antibody levels are still high (6), and animals are protected against lung infection by parenteral administration of anti-RSV polyclonal antibody or monoclonal antibody (MAb) prior to RSV challenge (20,24,27).For protection of the upper airways, secretory antibody may be more important than circulating antibody. In adult volunteers challenged with RSV, the neutralizing antibody titers in nasal secretions were found to correlate with decreased virus shedding and protection against disease (17,28). A decrease in virus shedding also correlates with the appearance of anti-RSV secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA) in the nasal secretions of * Corresponding author.

Higher disappearance rate of anti-HBs was noted in recombinant group than in plasma group when the subjects reached their youth and young adulthood in Taiwan.

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to assess the efficacy of a family-based (FB) weight-loss and behavior-modification intervention among overweight/obese children (age 9-11 years) and their parents in Taiwan. The intervention group (52 child-parent dyads) participated in an FB program for 7 weeks. The control group (55 child-parent dyads) received an educational pamphlet about obesity prevention. The children's body mass index (BMI) z-scores were the primary outcome variable. The parents' BMI, high-calorie (HC) food-intake behaviors, screen-related behaviors, and restrictions on children's consumption of HC foods and screen-related behaviors and the availability of HC foods at home were the secondary outcome variables. Outcome variables were measured at baseline (T0), at the end of the intervention (T1), and 4 weeks after the end of the intervention (T2). A linear mixed model was used to assess the efficacy of the FB program. Results indicated that the children's BMI z-scores decreased significantly more from T0 to T2 in the experimental group than in the control group. The decreases in parents' HC food-intake behaviors and availability of HC foods at home and the increase in parental restrictions on children's consumption of HC foods were significantly greater in the experimental than in the control group from T0 to T1 and T0 to T2. The FB program was effective in modifying parental behaviors and the weight of overweight/obese children in a Taiwanese population.

Purpose This large population-based study is the first to analyze the association between coronary artery disease (CAD) and osteoporosis (OP) from the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) in Taiwan to determine if CAD is associated with OP. Methods Data from NHIRD, a national, population-based, retrospective, matched cohort study of 23 million patients, were collected to recruit two matched cohorts: with (n = 192,367) and without (n = 192,367) CAD. The Cox model was used to compare the incidence rate ratio and crude hazard ratio (HR) between the two cohorts for osteoporotic fracture and OP. Results The CAD cohort had a significantly increased risk for vertebral compression fracture, with an adjusted HR of 1.74 (95% CI, 1.60–1.89). The cumulative incidence of OP was also statistically higher in the cohort versus without CAD (11.6% vs. 5.6%; p ≤ 0.0001, log-rank) during the 10-year follow-up period. The Cox model showed a 2.04-fold increase in the incidence of OP in the CAD cohort, with an adjusted HR of 2.04 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.99–2.08). Conclusions A positive association exists between CAD and development of subsequent osteoporotic fracture and OP. Patients with CAD have a significantly increased risk of developing vertebral compression fracture and a higher incident rate ratio of OP. Trial registration IRB approval number: No. C108094 on February 19, 2020.

(1) Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common malignancy and the second leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. It often diagnosed at advanced stages, and with increasing incidence at younger generation. CRC poses a heavy financial burden and a huge public health challenge nowadays. Lipoproteins and serum lipids may have an influence on carcinogenesis by making oxidative stress, inflammation, and insulin resistance. Dyslipidemia plays a potential role in the risk of CRC. The purpose of this study is to use nationally representative samples to determine epidemiologic characteristics of CRC in the Taiwanese population, and to evaluate the associations between baseline levels of lipid profile and their effect on risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) comprehensively and quantitatively. The control of dyslipidemia in primary and secondary prevention may reduce the disease burden of CRC. (2) Methods: This is a nationwide long-term community-based prospective cohort study. Data were retrieved from the nationwide population-based Taiwanese Survey on Hypertension, Hyperglycemia and Hyperlipidemia (TwSHHH). Variables were estimated by the Cox proportional hazards model which was then further adjusted for age. We also calculated the relative ratios (RRs) of CRC for joint categories of serum cholesterol, triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoproteins cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level, and to examine their combined effect and statistical interactions. (3) Results: Male, age, waist circumference, diabetes mellitus (DM), high TG, high cholesterol level, smoking history, and metabolic syndrome were proved to increase the risk of CRC. In addition, DM patients with a TG level ≥ 150 mg/dL and cholesterol ≥ 180 mg/dL had a 4.118-fold higher risk of CRC as compared with a TG level < 150 mg/dL and cholesterol level < 180 mg/dL, which was a significant difference (95% CI, 1.061–15.975; p = 0.0407). (4) Conclusions: Patients with DM should control TG and cholesterol level through diet, exercise, or taking medications more aggressively, not only for preventing cardiovascular disease, but also for first prevention of CRC. The study can be valuable for the clinicians and policy makers to implement more precisely goals about dyslipidemia management.