There are 500 species of Viola(Violaceae) worldwide, among which 111 species are widely distributed in China and have a long medicinal history and wide varieties. According to the authors' statistics, a total of 410 compounds have been isolated and identified from plants of this genus, including flavonoids, terpenoids, phenylpropanoids, organic acids, nitrogenous compounds, sterols, saccharides and their derivatives, volatile oils and cyclotides. The medicinal materials from these plants boast anti-microbial, anti-viral, anti-oxidant and anti-tumor activities. This study systematically reviewed the chemical constituents and pharmacological activities of Viola plants to provide a basis for further research and clinical application.
Viola/chemistry* ; Plant Extracts/pharmacology* ; Flavonoids ; Terpenes/pharmacology* ; China

Selective dorsal neurotomy (SDN) is a surgical treatment for primary premature ejaculation (PE), but there is still no standard surgical procedure for selecting the branches of the dorsal penile nerves to be removed. We performed this study to explore the value of intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM) of the penile sensory-evoked potential (PSEP) for standard surgical procedures in SDN. One hundred and twenty primary PE patients undergoing SDN were selected as the PE group and 120 non-PE patients were selected as the normal group. The PSEP was monitored and compared between the two groups under both natural and general anesthesia (GA) states. In addition, patients in the PE group were randomly divided into the IONM group and the non-IONM group. During SDN surgery, PSEP parameters of the IONM group were recorded and analyzed. The differences in PE-related outcome measurements between the perioperative period and 3 months' postoperation were compared for the PE patients, and the differences in effectiveness and complications between the IONM group and the non-IONM group were compared. The results showed that the average latency of the PSEP in the PE group was shorter than that in the normal group under both natural and GA states (P < 0.001). Three months after surgery, the significant effective rates in the IONM and non-IONM groups were 63.6% and 34.0%, respectively (P < 0.01), and the difference in complications between the two groups was significant (P < 0.05). IONM might be useful in improving the short-term therapeutic effectiveness and reducing the complications of SDN.
Male ; Humans ; Premature Ejaculation/surgery* ; Intraoperative Neurophysiological Monitoring/methods* ; Prospective Studies ; Neurosurgical Procedures/methods* ; Penis/surgery* ; Retrospective Studies

BACKGROUNDAtherosclerosis (AS) is an inflammatory disease. Inflammation was considered to play a role in the whole process of AS. This study aimed to analyze the relationships of inflammatory factors and risk factors with different target organ damages (TOD) in essential hypertension (EH) patients and to explore its clinical significance.

METHODSA total of 294 EH patients were selected and divided into four groups according to their conditions of TOD. Forty-eight healthy subjects were selected as control. The clinical biochemical parameters, serum amyloid A, serum tryptase, and lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) in each group were detected, and the related risk factors were also statistically analyzed.

RESULTSFibrinogen (Fbg) was the most significant independent risk factor in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) group (odds ratio [OR]: 22.242, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 6.458-76.609, P< 0.001) with the largest absolute value of the standardized partial regression coefficient B' (b': 1.079). Lp-PLA2 was the most significant independent risk factor in stroke group (OR: 13.699, 95% CI: 5.236-35.837, P< 0.001) with b' = 0.708. Uric acid (UA) was the most significant independent risk factor in renal damage group (OR: 15.307, 95% CI: 4.022-58.250, P< 0.001) with b' = 1.026.

CONCLUSIONSFbg, Lp-PLA2, and UA are the strongest independent risk factors toward the occurrence of ACS, ischemic stroke, and renal damage in EH patients, thus exhibiting the greatest impacts on the occurrence of ACS, ischemic stroke, and renal damage in EH patients, respectively.

1-Alkyl-2-acetylglycerophosphocholine Esterase ; Aged ; Antihypertensive Agents ; therapeutic use ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Essential Hypertension ; blood ; complications ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney Diseases ; blood ; etiology ; physiopathology ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic ; blood ; etiology ; physiopathology ; Risk Factors ; Serum Amyloid A Protein ; metabolism ; Stroke ; blood ; etiology ; physiopathology ; Tryptases ; blood

Background: Atherosclerosis (AS) is an inflammatory disease. Inflammation was considered to play a role in the whole process of AS. This study aimed to analyze the relationships of inflammatory factors and risk factors with different target organ damages (TOD) in essential hypertension (EH) patients and to explore its clinical significance. Methods: A total of 294 EH patients were selected and divided into four groups according to their conditions of TOD. Forty?eight healthy subjects were selected as control. The clinical biochemical parameters, serum amyloid A, serum tryptase, and lipoprotein?associated phospholipase A2 (Lp?PLA2) in each group were detected, and the related risk factors were also statistically analyzed. Results: Fibrinogen (Fbg) was the most significant independent risk factor in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) group (odds ratio [OR]:22.242, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 6.458–76.609, P < 0.001) with the largest absolute value of the standardized partial regression coefficient B''(b'': 1.079). Lp?PLA2 was the most significant independent risk factor in stroke group (OR: 13.699, 95% CI: 5.236–35.837, P < 0.001) with b'' = 0.708. Uric acid (UA) was the most significant independent risk factor in renal damage group (OR: 15.307, 95%CI: 4.022–58.250, P < 0.001) with b'' = 1.026. Conclusions: Fbg, Lp?PLA2, and UA are the strongest independent risk factors toward the occurrence of ACS, ischemic stroke, and renal damage in EH patients, thus exhibiting the greatest impacts on the occurrence of ACS, ischemic stroke, and renal damage in EH patients, respectively.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the changes of incidence and prognosis of epithelial ovarian cancer in thirty years in Taiwan. METHODS: The databases of women with epithelial ovarian cancer during the period from 1979 to 2008 were retrieved from the National Cancer Registration System of Taiwan. The incidence and prognosis of these patients were analyzed. RESULTS: Totally 9,491 patients were included in the study. The age-adjusted incidences of epithelial ovarian cancer were 1.01, 1.37, 2.37, 3.24, 4.18, and 6.33 per 100,000 person-years, respectively, in every 5-year period from 1979 to 2008. The age-specific incidence rates increased especially in serous, endometrioid and clear cell carcinoma, and the age of diagnosis decreased from sixty to fifty years old in the three decades. Patients with mucinous, endometrioid, or clear cell carcinoma had better long-term survival than patients with serous carcinoma (log rank test, p<0.001). Patients with undifferentiated carcinoma or carcinosarcoma had poorer survival than those with serous carcinoma (log rank test, p<0.001). The mortality risk of age at diagnosis of 30-39 was significantly higher than that of age of 70 years or more (test for trend, p<0.001). The mortality risk decreased from the period of 1996-1999 (hazard ratio [HR], 0.90; p=0.054) to the period after 2000 (HR, 0.74; p<0.001) as compared with that from the period of 1991-1995. CONCLUSION: An increasing incidence and decreasing age of diagnosis in epithelial ovarian cancer patients were noted. Histological type, age of diagnosis, and treatment period were important prognostic factors for epithelial ovarian carcinoma.
Carcinoma ; Carcinosarcoma ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mucins ; Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; Prognosis ; Taiwan

BACKGROUNDThe relationship between inflammatory markers and the characteristics of coronary atherosclerosis plaques is uncertain. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between the characteristics of coronary atherosclerosis plaques and inflammatory markers such as high sensitivity C-reactive proteins (Hs-CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6).

METHODSAll patients suspected of having coronary heart disease (CHD) underwent Siemens 64-slice CT angiography (64-SCTA) to distinguish the quality of plaque of coronary artery lesions. Blood samples were taken to measure levels of serum Hs-CRP and IL-6 in different plaque groups and the control group and compared with the value of 64-SCTA for detection of coronary artery plaque.

RESULTSThe sensitivity of detecting coronary artery plaque by 64-SCTA was 87.4%, the specificity was 87.1%, the positive predictive value was 82.2%, and the negative predictive value was 91.0%. Comparing the levels of serum Hs-CRP and IL-6 among plaque groups, the mean levels of serum Hs-CRP and IL-6 in three plaque groups were significantly higher than those in the control group (P < 0.01). The mean levels of serum Hs-CRP and IL-6 in the soft plaque group and mixed plaque group were significantly higher than those in hard plaque group (P < 0.01). Plaque burden in the soft plaque group and mixed plaque group was significantly higher than in the hard plaque group (P < 0.01), but there was no statistical difference between the soft plaque group and mixed plaque group (P = 0.246). There was a negative correlation between the CT scale and Hs-CRP and IL-6 levels in the soft plaque group (r = -0.621, P < 0.01, and r = -0.593, P < 0.01 respectively). There was a positive correlation between the plaque burden and Hs-CRP and IL-6 levels in the soft plaque group (r = 0.579, P < 0.05 and r = 0.429, P < 0.05 respectively).

CONCLUSIONS64-SCTA is an effective way to distinguish the different quality of coronary atherosclerosis plaque. Serum Hs-CRP and IL-6 levels can be considered as the indexes to judge the degree of CHD and may reflect the activity of plaque in CHD patients. Thus it is important for clinical diagnosis and risk evaluation of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients.

Aged ; C-Reactive Protein ; metabolism ; Coronary Artery Disease ; blood ; diagnostic imaging ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Interleukin-6 ; blood ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tomography, Spiral Computed

OBJECTIVESTo study the active immunity response of liver transplant patients for HBV-related diseases after hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine immunization and to investigate the factors that influence the effectiveness of the vaccination in order to find measures to increase its success.

METHODSThirteen patients who had liver transplants because of HBV-related end-stage liver diseases received hepatitis B virus immunoglobulin and lamivudine for an average of 38 months (range 27-77 months). They received double intramuscular doses (40 microg) of a recombinant vaccine at months 0, 1, 2 and 6. The anti-HBs titers were tested regularly at months 1, 2, 3, 6 and 7.

RESULTSSeven of the 13 patients (53.8%) developed higher serum titers of anti-HBs compared with their titers prior to the vaccinations, 2 patients of the 13 (15.4%) developed an increase by 100 U/L and in 4 patients (30.8%) their base levels were doubled. Those responding patients were followed-up for another 8 months after the fourth vaccination, and only 1 patient among them had a decrease of the anti-HBs titers below the level prior to the vaccination.

CONCLUSIONHepatitis B vaccine immunization can be used to enhance the active immunity against HBV in patients who had liver transplants for HBV-related diseases.

Adult ; Female ; Hepatitis B ; immunology ; Hepatitis B Vaccines ; therapeutic use ; Hepatitis B virus ; Humans ; Immunity, Active ; Liver Diseases ; immunology ; virology ; Liver Transplantation ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Period

OBJECTIVETo research the clinical feasibility of emergency right lobe adult-to-adult live-donor liver transplantation in treating acute liver failure following severe hepatitis.

METHODSConsecutive ten severe hepatitis patients (4 acute-on-chronic severe hepatitis and 6 acute severe hepatitis; 9 caused by HBV and 1 with drug-induced acute liver failure) underwent emergency right lobe adult-to-adult live-donor liver transplantation in our hospital from April 2007 to December 2007. The +/- s of model for end-stage liver disease score was 33.22 +/- 6.55. The outcomes of these recipients were prospectively analyzed.

RESULTSAmong them, 8 ABO blood group were identical and 2 compatible. One was Rh sub-group negative. Except 2 recipients died (1 acute renal failure caused by veno cava thrombosis, 1 liver graft lose caused by hepatic artery thrombosis), the rest of recipients (80%) and all donors were safe. The mean graft-to-recipient weight ratio was (1.19 +/- 0.14)%, and graft volume to recipient estimated standard liver volume ratio was (65.13 +/- 8.75)%. Right lobe grafts with middle hepatic vein (MHV) 3 cases, without MHV 4 cases, without MHV but followed by V and VIII hepatic vein outflow reconstruction 3 cases. Encouraging outcome was achieved in this group of recipient: elevated serum creatinine, serum endotoxin, decreased serum prothrombin activity (PTA) and total bilirubin returned to normal about on postoperative day (POD) 3, POD 7, POD 14 and POD 28, respectively.

CONCLUSIONSOutcomes of emergency right lobe adult-to-adult live-donor liver transplantation for acute hepatic failure following severe hepatitis are fairly encouraging and acceptable. emergency right lobe adult-to-adult live-donor liver transplantation is an effective and life-saving modality for acute liver failure following severe hepatitis.

Adult ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hepatitis ; complications ; Humans ; Liver Failure, Acute ; etiology ; surgery ; Liver Transplantation ; methods ; Living Donors ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

Adult ; Hepatitis B ; prevention & control ; Humans ; Immunity, Active ; Liver Transplantation ; immunology ; methods ; Male ; Postoperative Complications ; prevention & control

Adult ; Antigens, CD34 ; Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; Bone Marrow Cells ; virology ; DNA, Viral ; blood ; Female ; Hepatitis B virus ; genetics ; physiology ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; therapeutic use ; Lamivudine ; therapeutic use ; Liver Transplantation ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Monocytes ; Postoperative Period ; Virus Replication