Objective To investigate prevalence of associated diseases in patients with gout as well as their diagnoses and treatment. Methods Two hundreds out-patients diagnosed with gout from April to October 2008 were investigated at Peking University People's Hospital, and information collected included their general characteristics, associated diseases, diagnoses and treatment, as well as blood lipid profiles, serum creatinine, uric acid, results of routine urine tests and glomerular filtration rate estimated by MDRD formula in the past three months. Results Among patients with gout, prevalence of associated hypertension, obesity, renal calculi, coronary heart disease, cerebral infarction and diabetes were 54.5% (109/200), 23.2% (42/181), 20.0% (40/200), 12.0% (24/200), 8.0% (16/200) and 7.0% (14/200), respectively, and 53.7% (101/188) of them associated with hypertriglyceridemia, 63.7% (114/179) with impaired renal function and 15.1% (27/179) with chronic kidney disease. In acute attack of gout, 124 (62.0%) of them were treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NASID), 72 (36.0%) with colchicines, 12 (6.0%) with corticosteroid and 30 (15.0%) with urate-lowering drugs, respectively, and during its intermittent period, 69. 8% (81/116) of them received urate-lowering therapy with indications generally accepted internationally, but serum level of uric acid could be maintained below 0.06 g/L in only 8.6% (10/116) of them. And 73.8% (48/65) of the patients with no therapy indications also were treated with urate-lowering drugs. Conclusions The most commonly associated diseases in gout patients are hypertension, hyperlipidemia and obesity, followed by renal calculi, chronic kidney disease and coronary heart disease, and so on. At present, oral NSAID is the first choice of drugs for its acute attack. Indications for urate-lowering therapy in this hospital usually are not consistent with those by generally international acceptance, with lower therapeutic effectiveness achieved.

Objective· To identify the effect and potential mechanism of gambogic acid (GA) on natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (NK/TCL) cell lines.Methods · SNK-1,SNK-6 and SNT-8 were incubated with various concentrations of GA for 24 h,and cell viability was detected with CCK-8 assay.Cell apoptosis was examined by Annexin V-FITC/PI staining assay.Levels of proteins regulating cell apoptosis and phosphorylation levels of proteins in key signaling pathways were detected by Western blotting.Results · GA showed a potent effect on reduction of cell viability of NK/fCL cell lines in CCK-8 assay.GA increased the percentages of Annexin V positive cells and induced activation of caspase-3 and caspase-9,cleavage of PARP as well as the reduction of Bcl-xl.GA also inhibited the phosphorylation levels of STAT3 in SNK-1 and SNT-8,and ERK1/2 in SNK-1 and SNK-6 significantly.Conclusion· GA induces cell apoptosis in NK/TCL cell lines SNK-1,SNK-6 and SNT-8.Anti-apoptosis protein Bcl-xl and signaling pathway JAKs/STATs and MEK/MAPK might be involved in this process.

Objective To study the effects of acupuncture at myofascial trigger points on spastic foot drop and inversion after stroke. Methods From May, 2014 to May, 2016, 50 stroke patients were randomly divided into control group (n=25) and observation group (n=25). Both groups accepted routine rehabilitation, while the observation group accepted acupuncture at myofascial trigger points per day in addi-tion. They were assessed with Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) of pain, modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), range of motion (ROM) of ankle, sim-plified Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) for lower limbs and maximum walking speed (MWS) in ten metres before and six weeks after treat-ment. Results The scores of VAS, MAS, and FMA, the ROM of ankle, and MWS improved after treatment (t>6.845, P<0.001), and im-proved more in the observation group than in the control group (t>5.586, P<0.001). Conclusion Acupuncture at myofascial trigger points can release spasm to reduce foot drop and inversion in patients with stroke.

Objective To observe the effects of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) on hand dysfunction after stroke. Methods From March, 2013 to June, 2015, 56 cases of stroke with hand dysfunction were divided into group A (n=28) and group B (n=28). Both groups received basic rehabilitation, while group B received TEAS in addition, for six weeks. They were evaluated with Brunnstrom Grades, Manunl Muscle Test (MMT), Fugl- Meyer Assessment (FMA) of fingers, Motor Status Scale (MSS), modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), Motor Hand Functional Status Score and Barthel Index (BI). Results The scores of FMA of fingers, MMT of wrist flexion, MSS, MAS and BI were more in group B than in group A (t>2.2527, P<0.05), and the score of NI-HSS was less in group B (t=3.556, P<0.001). There was no significant difference between two groups in the score of Motor Hand Functional Status Score and MMT of wrist extension (t<0.310, P>0.05). Conclusion TEAS can promote the recovery of hand function and the activi-ties of daily living in patients after stroke.

Objective To investigate the expression and clinical significance of β2 microglobin (β2-MG)protien and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) protien in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).Methods The expressions of VEGF protien and β2-MG protien were evaluated in 49 DLBCL patients which started the initial treatment by luminex suspension array.Results Among 49 DLBCL patients,expression of β2-MG protein was high in 37 cases and the expression of VEGF protein was high in 23 cases.The expression of VEGF protien and β2-MG protien were not related with gender,age,B symptoms,clinical stage and lactic acid (LDH).There was positive correlation between the high expression of β2-MG protien and chemotherapy (P =0.037).There was relevant trend between the higher expression of VEGF protien (P =0.067).Conclusion The expressions of VEGF protien and β2-MG protien are detected in DLBCL,both proteins may be the potencial markers of DLBCL and therapeutic targets for DLBCL.

Objective: To identify the expression pattern of TIM-3 in natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (NK/TCL) cell lines, and to investigate the effect and mechanism of its ligand galectin-9 (GAL-9) inducing apoptosis of NK/TCL cell lines. Methods: Expression of TIM-3 in NK cell of peripheral blood from healthy donors and NK/TCL cell lines (SNK-1、SNK-6、SNT-8) was detected by Western blotting. After being treated with rhGAL-9 at various concentrations for 24h, the cell proliferation ability was analyzed with CCK-8 assay. Apoptosis ratio of the cells was determined by flow cytometry. Expressions of caspase-3, PARP and their cleavages were detected by Western blotting; moreover, phosphorylation levels of proteins in MAPK signaling pathway were also detected by Western blotting. Results: The expression of TIM-3 in SNK-1, SNK-6 and SNT-8 cell lines was significantly higher than that of NK cells from healthy donors (P<0.05). CCK-8 result showed that rhGAL-9 obviously inhibited the proliferation of NK/TCL cell lines in a concentration dependent manner. Flow cytometry showed that rhGAL-9 induced the apoptosis of NK/TCLcells; and Western blotting proved that the expression of cleaved caspase-3, cleaved-PARP, and p-JNK in MAPK signaling pathway were significantly elevated. Conclusion: TIM-3 was over-expressed in NK/TCL cell lines, and its ligand galectin-9 induced cell apoptosis probably through the activation of JNK kinase pathways.

Objective To identify the effectiveness of physical therapy on neuromuscular control dysfunction of chronic ankle instability (CAI). Methods CAI physiotherapy-related systematic reviews, meta-analysis, randomized controlled studies and case-controlled studies were systematically searched in PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane, PEDro, EBSCO and CNKI from October 1st, 2010 to October 1st, 2020. After quality assessment, the research evidence regarding certain intervention was then graded according to the Oxford Center for Evidence-based Medicine. Results A total of 20 articles were included. Intervention based on unstable plane exercise training could significantly improve lower limb balance control ability (Ⅰ A) and muscle strength (Ⅱ A) for CAI patients. The efficiency of exercise-based intervention could be further raised (Ⅱ C) with the aid of external equipment, but either the benefits in muscle reaction (Ⅲ C) or proprioception (Ⅱ D) was limited. Six sessions or more of manual therapy could be used to enhance the balance ability of the lower limbs (Ⅱ B), while taping failed to provide improvements in ankle proprioception in short period or immediately (Ⅰ A). Conclusion Unstable plane training-based therapeutic exercise and manual therapy could effectively enhance the neuromuscular control with high-quality evidence supporting, which can be primary interventions for CAI patients. Meanwhile, taping and other external devices could be used as adjunct methods to improve the efficiency of physiotherapy program, while there is currently no evidence to support the application of modality treatment in neuromuscular control of CAI.

Objective:To observe any effect of dry needling of myofascial trigger points on substance P and synaptophysin expression in the spinal dorsal horn.Methods:Sixty-four Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a control group ( n=16) and a model group ( n=48). Myofascial trigger points were induced in the model group by a blunt strike and eccentric running. That group was then randomly divided into a no-treatment group ( n=15), a massage group ( n=16), and a dry needling group (16 rats). The rats in the two treatment groups received 4 weeks of dry needling or Chinese massage. Pressure pain thresholds were recorded before the experiment and after the 4 weeks. The content of substance P and synaptophysin in the spinal dorsal horn were measured using immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry. Results:After the treatment 14 rats (93%) in the model group had trigger points, significantly higher than the 8 rats (50%) in the massage group and the 7 rats (44%) in the dry needling group. After treatment, the average pressure pain thresholds of the no-treatment and massage groups was significantly lower than the control group′s average, while the difference between the dry needling group and the control group was not significant. The average pressure pain threshold had improved significantly in the no-treatment group, the massage group and the dry needling group, and the averages of the massage group and the dry needling group were significantly higher than that of the no-treatment group. The level of substance P was significantly higher in the no-treatment group than in the other three groups and the ratio of substance P to Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH)was significantly higher. The substance P: GAPDH ratio of the massage group was significantly higher than that of the control group.Conclusions:Dry needling and massage are effective in relieving myofascial pain, at least in rats. Both can reduce the content of substance P in the spinal dorsal horn.