Adult ; China ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Occupational Health ; statistics & numerical data ; Transients and Migrants ; Young Adult

Objective: To explore the effect of Fuzheng granules on immune function activities in animal models.Methods: The effects of Fuzheng granules were investigated in normal mice and immunosuppressive mice by macrophage englobement rate and index of phagocytosis,leucocyte quantity,lymphocyte conversion ratio induced by adhesin,serum hemolysin,content of serum con-complement.Results: Fuzheng granules could significantly elevate the macrophage englobement rate,index of phagocytosis,leucocyte quantity,lymphocyte conversion ratio induced by adhesin,serum hemolysin,content of serum con-complement in above mice.Conclusion: Fuzheng granules had the effect of improving immune function activities.

The aim was to prepare a novel ocular cationic microemulsion-in situ gel (CM-ISG) system with vitamin A palmitate (VAP) as model drug, and investigate the corneal retention behavior and corneal irritation of the system. VAP/CM was prepared by a process based on supply of energy, and the before-and-after gelation rheology of VAP/CM-ISG was investigated. In vitro VAP release and gel dissolution of both VAP/CM-ISG and Oculotect Gel was determined. And in vitro corneal retention behavior of both formulations was evaluated by captive bubble technique. Ocular irritation test was carried out based on the Draize method. Images of TEM showed that homogenous VAP/CM was made, and no significant differences of particle size were found between the VAP/CM and VAP/CM in Poloxamer 407 gel. Rheology study illustrated that VAP/CM reduced the phase transition temperature of Poloxamer 407 gel by 1.5 degrees C, and the elastic modulus increased about 15.7 times. The in vitro release and gel dissolution profile of both formulations exhibited the characteristics of zero order kinetics. Comparing with Oculotect Gel, desorption kinetics study of VAP/CM-ISG exhibited longer corneal retention time and smaller contact angle. Irritation test showed a good ocular compatibility of VAP/CM-ISG. Therefore, VAP/CM-ISG combined both advantages of the cationic microemulsion and in situ gel system, provided better wettability and longer ocular retention time. It might be a promising ocular drug delivery system.
Animals ; Cornea ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Delayed-Action Preparations ; Drug Carriers ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Emulsions ; Ophthalmic Solutions ; Poloxamer ; chemistry ; Rabbits ; Random Allocation ; Viscosity ; Vitamin A ; administration & dosage ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacokinetics ; toxicity

Objective To investigate the expression of serum angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2 ) and its clinical significance in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF).Methods The levels of serum Ang-2,N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP)and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF)were detected in 1 1 3 patients with CHF,who were divided into four groups according to New York Heart Association (NYHA:class Ⅰ,n=3 2;Ⅱ,n=30;Ⅲ,n=26;Ⅳ,n=25).Another 20 healthy volunteers for physical check-up were chosen as the control group.Results With the change of cardiac function (from Ⅰ to Ⅳ),the levels of plasma Ang-2 and NT-proBNP were increased significantly (P<0.05 ).The level of serum Ang-2 was positively correlated with NT-proBNP (r=0.774,P<0.001),but negatively correlated with left ventricular ejection fraction (r=-0.725,P<0.001).Conclusion The level of serum Ang-2 has a significant correlation with the severity of heart failure.Ang-2 is expected to be used to predict and evaluate the severity of CHF.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical features of thyroid disease occurring in response to antiviral therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC).

METHODSEighty-two patients diagnosed with CHC were recruited for study from our hospital between 2009 and 2010. All patients were given a 48-week course of antiviral combination therapy with pegylated-interferon (Peg-IFN; 180 mug qw ih) and ribavirin (RBV; 15 mg/kg bw). Patient sera was collected prior to treatment (baseline), at treatment weeks 24 and 48, and post-treatment week 24, and used to detect changes in levels of thyroid function markers, thyroid-specific and other autoantibodies, complement factors, and immunoglobulins (Igs). Differential expression of biomarkers was assessed between patients who developed thyroid disorder and those who did not.

RESULTSAt treatment week 48, 13.4% (11/82) of cases developed hypothyroidism, 3.7% (3/82) developed hyperthyroidism, 20.7% (17/82) tested positive for thyroglobulin antibody, and 22.0% (18/82) tested positive for thyroid peroxidase antibody. The patients who did not develop thyroid disease had significantly higher post-treatment levels (vs. baseline) of IgG (14.84 +/- 2.61 vs. 12.95 +/- 3.32 g/L, F = 10.458, P = 0.002) and C4 (0.26 +/- 0.09 vs. 0.22 +/- 0.08 g/L, F = 6.835, P = 0.011) and significantly lower IgM (0.86 +/- 0.48 vs. 1.00 +/- 0.42 g/L, F = 9.106, P = 0.003). The patients who developed thyroid disease showed no significant differences in the baseline and post-treatment levels of IgG, C4, or IgM. When the two groups of patients who did or did not develop thyroid disease were compared, there was no difference in the amount of patients who achieved sustained virological response.

CONCLUSIONAntiviral-induced thyroid disease in patients with refractory hepatitis C manifests as clinically-detectable abnormalities in serum levels of thyroid autoantibody and markers of hypothyroidism. Levels of other autoantibodies and Igs do not correlate with the development of thyroid disease in these patients, and thyroid disease does not appear to affect the efficacy of Peg-IFN + RBV antiviral therapy.

Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Hepatitis C, Chronic ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha ; therapeutic use ; Polyethylene Glycols ; therapeutic use ; Ribavirin ; therapeutic use ; Thyroid Diseases ; chemically induced

Objective: This is a review of our cases and published literature on cheiro-oral syndrome (COS), to better understand its localization, etiology and outcome. Methods: In addition to our database, we reviewed the medical database (including PUBMED, BIOSIS, EMBASE, and SCOPUS) and other sources, searched by the keyword of “cheiro-oral”. The defi nition of COS was a subjective or an objective sensory disturbance confi ned to the perioral area and the fi nger(s)/hand without a detectable abnormality in mental, motor or cerebellar function. Only cases of COS where the clinicoanatomic correlation could be identifi ed by neuroimaging study, autopsy or stereotatic surgery was included. Results: There were a total of 174 patients; 85 patients from our database, 76 patients from medical database, and 13 patients from other sources. They were 111 men and 63 women. Their age ranged from 12 to 85 years; average being 58.2 years. Stroke is the leading etiology and constituted 74% of the patients. The most common location of lesion was thalamus, followed by pons and cortex. Classical unilateral COS was seen in 81% of patients, atypical COS in 19%. Whereas the lesions were from cortex to cervical spinal cord in unilateral COS, atypical COS was associated with lesions in pons or medulla oblongata. An early deterioration was seen in 16.5% of patients, especially in large cortical infarction and subdural hemorrhage. Structural lesions were found in 85% of patients. Conclusion: Classical unilateral COS do not have a high localizing value, the atypical COS is associated with lesion in pons or medulla.

Objective To analyze the clinical and genetic characteristics of 10 Chinese patients with 17? hydroxylase/17,20 lyase deficiency (17OHD). Methods Clinical features and laboratory data were collected from 7 kindreds with 17OHD. PCR products and subclone sequencing were performed to screen the mutation of CYP17A1 gene. Results All patients had typical clinical presentation of sexual infantilism, hypertension and hypokalemia. The laboratory examinations indicated decreased plasma cortisol, 17-hydroxy progesterone, estradiol and testosterone, and elevated blood adrenocorticotrophic hormone(ACTH), follcie-stimulating hormone(FSH) and luteinizing hormone(LH). CT scan showed bilateral adrenal hyperplasia. 5 CYP17A1 mutations were identified, 4 of which are novel types D487_F489del, the most frequent mutation, was identified in 4 families and 45% alleles. Conclusion Our study indicates that 17OHD should be considered in the diagnosis of patients with sexual infantilism. D487_F489del is the most frequent mutation in Chinese 17OHD patients.

This study aims to investigate the function of two SNPs (rs8904C > T and rs696G >A) in 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) of NFKBIA gene by constructing luciferase reporter gene. A patient's genomic DNA with rs8904 CC and rs696 GA genotype was used as the PCR template. Full-length 3'UTR of NFKBIA gene was amplified by different primers. After sequencing validation, these fragments were inserted to the luciferase reporter vector, pGL3-promoter to construct recombinant plasmids containing four kinds of haplotypes, pGL3-rs8904C/rs696G, pGL3-rs8904C/rs696A, pGL3-rs8904T/rs696G and pGL3-rs8904T/rs696A. Then these plasmids were transfected into LS174T cells and the luciferase activity was detected. Compared with pGL3-vector transfected cells (negative control), the luciferase activity of the four kinds of recombinant plasmids was significantly decreased (P < 0.001). For rs696G > A, the luciferase activity of the recombinant plasmids containing A allele (pGL3-rs8904C/rs696A and pGL3-rs8904T/rs696A) was about 45.1% (P < 0.05) and 56.1% (P < 0.001) lower than those containing G allele (pGL3-rs8904C/rs696G and pGL3-rs8904T/rs696G), respectively. For rs8904C > T, there were no significant differences in the luciferase activity between the recombinant plasmids containing T allele and those with C allele. Together, the luciferase reporter gene vectors containing SNPs in NFKBIA gene 3'UTR were constructed successfully and rs696G > A could decrease the luciferase activity while rs8904C >T didn't have much effect on the luciferase activity.
3' Untranslated Regions ; Genes, Reporter ; Genetic Vectors ; Humans ; I-kappa B Proteins ; genetics ; Luciferases ; NF-KappaB Inhibitor alpha ; Plasmids ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; Transfection

Breast cancer has the highest incidence rate among all women's malignant tumors worldwide.Surgery,radiotherapy and chemotherapy are three major treatments,while most patients showed adverse effects or complications during or after the treatment,including lymphedema,gastrointestinal reactions and leukopenia,which cause severe impact on patients' recovery and quality of life.Moxibustion has been used and certified to alleviate adverse effects of surgery or chemoradiotherapy for breast cancer.We have summarized literatures in recent years and suggest more systematic research in the future for the underlying mechanism.

Objective To survey the prevalence rates of adult carotid atherosclerosis in water-sourceoriginated high iodine area in Shandong province in 2008 and discuss the relationship between water-sourceoriginated high iodine and carotid atherosclerosis occurrence. Methods Yuncheng county was chosen as observation area which included Dachenlou, Weigai, Liuyi and Ershilipu villages. Juye county was chosen as control that included Zhangxi, Bihainan, Xiaguan and Qiji villages. Two hundred and ninety-nine participants aged over 40 from water-source-originated high iodine areas and 323 residents aged over 40 from normal iodine areas were investigated.Portable-type B mode color Doppler was performed to examine the carotid artery of all participants. The adult carotid atherosclerosis was diagnosed and graded through the ultrasonograms. Results The prevalence rates of adult carotid atherosclerosis in the 4 water-source-originated high iodine villages of Dachenlou, Weigai, Liuyi and Ershilipu were 47.1% (33/70) ,62.2% (51/82) ,67.5% (52/77) and 58.6% (41/70), respectively and the prevalence rates of adult carotid atherosclerosis in the 4 normal iodine villages of Zhangxi, Bihainan, Xiaguan and Qiji were 40.7%(35/86),40.8% (31/76),38.2% (34/89) and 37.5% (27/72), respectively. The prevalence rates of adult carotid atherosclerosis standardized by age in the 4 high iodine villages and the 4 normal iodine villages were 45.81% ,58.18% ,61.63%,55.34% and 34.66%,36.25%,43.01% ,41.30%, respectively. The prevalence rates were higher in high iodine villages than that in control villages(T = 26, P ＜ 0.05 ). There were 136 people scored "0", 120 people scored "1 -3",43 people scored "4 - 7", and total 299 people. There were 201 people scored "0", 87 people scored "1 - 3", 35 people scored "4 - 7", and total 323 people. The expected prevalence rates and severity of adult carotid atherosclerosis was significantly different between high iodine area and normal iodine area (x2 = 17.54,18.42, all P ＜ 0.01).Conclusion The prevalence rate and severity of adult atherosclerosis in water-source-originatod high iodine area is higher than that in normal iodine area.