The pharmacokinetics of alprazolam in 18 rats was studied by using reversed-phase HPLC. The pharmacokinetic characteristics were fit to one compartment opened model after intragastric administration of alprazolam at doses of 50,20 and 2 mg ? kg-1, respectively. The absorbing and eliminating parameters between the three groups were no significant difference. Mean of Ka was 3. 3454 h-1,Ke 0. 3873h-1,T1/2Ka 0. 29 h, T1/2Ke 2.61 h, and Tmax 1.04 h. There was a positiverelationship between the serum concentration and dosage (r = 0. 6096, P

The pharmacokinetics and absolute bioavailability of 1-hexyl-carbamoyl-5-fluorouracil ( HCFU ) (10 mg/kg ) after oral and intravenous administration were studied in 5 dogs with cross-over design. The concentration of HCFU in serum was determined by reversed-phase high performanee liquid chromatography. After intravenous administration, the curve of serum HCFU concentration vs time was fit to a two-compartment opened model and the phar-macokinetic parameters were. T1/2?=1 .67 min, T1/2? = 34.55 min, Vc= 0.2525L/kg,C1 = 0.3205 L/kg?h~-1 & AUCiv =1.9375 mmol/min?L~-1. When HCFU tablets were tiken orally, the curve of concentration vs time was fit to an one-compartment opened model and its pharmacokinetie parameters were: T1/2ke=12.13 min, T1/2ke=38.51 min, Tmax=23.46 min,Cmax=8.140?10~-3mmol/L & AUCpo=1.5856 mmol/min?L~-1 . The absolute bioavailability calculated from AUCpo and AUCiv was 0.8214.

With the rapid development of the computer technology and the constant updating of the radiotherapy equipment, a huge improvement has been manifested by the new generation of the Gamma Knife radiotherapy system. Not only its functions are being improved, but also the treatment indications are expanding. These advances have been widely recognized by the clinical medical experts, breaking off the forbbiden zone of surgical operations, saving a lot of tumor patients with both malignant and benign lesions, who are not suitable for surgical operations due to local anatomical limitations. However, there are still a lot of clinicians being not clear about the funcitons and generations of Gamma Knife radiotherapy system. Moreover, variant guidances by different manufacturerers have given rise to confusions, especially on the equipment purchasing. Therefore, in this report we summarize the features of Gamma radiotherapy systems produced by different manufacturers in recent years, to supply reference data for the organization and expert buyers.
Equipment and Supplies ; Purchasing, Hospital ; methods ; Radiotherapy ; instrumentation

OBJECTIVETo investigate the value of myeloproliferative neoplasms Symptom Assessment Form total symptom score (MPN-SAF-TSS)in assessing constitutional symptoms among Ph/BCR- ABL negative myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN)patients.

METHODSA cohort of 628 MPN patients were evaluated by MPN- SAF- TSS.

RESULTSFatigue was the most common symptom (76.0%, 76.2%vs 89.9%)and the highest average severity of all the symptoms (3.46±2.97, 3.47±2.99vs 4.74±3.04 scores)among polycythemia vera (PV), essential thrombocythemia (ET)and primary myelofibrosis (PMF)patients. Using the MPN- SAF- TSS analysis, PMF patients showed highest burden of symptoms (28.9 ± 19.1), followed by PV patients (19.2 ± 16.8), and finally ET patients (17.1 ± 15.3). Instinct differences were observed between PMF and PV patients (χ(2)=6.371,P=0.021), PMF and ET patients (χ(2)= 14.020,P<0.001). No significant difference was found between PV and ET patients (χ(2)=2.281,P=0.191).

CONCLUSIONMPN- SAF- TSS was effective in evaluating the symptomatic burden among Ph/BCRABL negative MPN patients and could be used for serial assessment in this clinical setting.

Humans ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Chronic, Atypical, BCR-ABL Negative ; diagnosis ; physiopathology ; Polycythemia Vera ; complications ; Primary Myelofibrosis ; complications ; Thrombocythemia, Essential ; complications

Objective:To investigate the diagnostic accuracy of serological indicators and evaluate the diagnostic value of a new established combined serological model on identifying the minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) in patients with compensated cirrhosis.Methods:This prospective multicenter study enrolled 263 compensated cirrhotic patients from 23 hospitals in 15 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities of China between October 2021 and August 2022. Clinical data and laboratory test results were collected, and the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score was calculated. Ammonia level was corrected to the upper limit of normal (AMM-ULN) by the baseline blood ammonia measurements/upper limit of the normal reference value. MHE was diagnosed by combined abnormal number connection test-A and abnormal digit symbol test as suggested by Guidelines on the management of hepatic encephalopathy in cirrhosis. The patients were randomly divided (7∶3) into training set ( n=185) and validation set ( n=78) based on caret package of R language. Logistic regression was used to establish a combined model of MHE diagnosis. The diagnostic performance was evaluated by the area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic curve, Hosmer-Lemeshow test and calibration curve. The internal verification was carried out by the Bootstrap method ( n=200). AUC comparisons were achieved using the Delong test. Results:In the training set, prevalence of MHE was 37.8% (70/185). There were statistically significant differences in AMM-ULN, albumin, platelet, alkaline phosphatase, international normalized ratio, MELD score and education between non-MHE group and MHE group (all P<0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that AMM-ULN [odds ratio ( OR)=1.78, 95% confidence interval ( CI) 1.05-3.14, P=0.038] and MELD score ( OR=1.11, 95% CI 1.04-1.20, P=0.002) were independent risk factors for MHE, and the AUC for predicting MHE were 0.663, 0.625, respectively. Compared with the use of blood AMM-ULN and MELD score alone, the AUC of the combined model of AMM-ULN, MELD score and education exhibited better predictive performance in determining the presence of MHE was 0.755, the specificity and sensitivity was 85.2% and 55.7%, respectively. Hosmer-Lemeshow test and calibration curve showed that the model had good calibration ( P=0.733). The AUC for internal validation of the combined model for diagnosing MHE was 0.752. In the validation set, the AUC of the combined model for diagnosing MHE was 0.794, and Hosmer-Lemeshow test showed good calibration ( P=0.841). Conclusion:Use of the combined model including AMM-ULN, MELD score and education could improve the predictive efficiency of MHE among patients with compensated cirrhosis.

Objective:To investigate the diagnostic value of independent and combined subtests of the psychometric hepatic encephalopathy score (PHES) in mild hepatic encephalopathy(MHE) of patients with liver cirrhosis, so as to optimize the PHES.Methods:This was a prospective, multicenter and real-world study which was sponsored by the National Clinical Research Center of Infectious Diseases and the Portal Hypertension Consortium. Twenty-six hospitals from 13 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities countrywide participated in this study, induding Tianjin Third Central Hospital, the Fourth People′s Hospital of Qinghai Province, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Baotou Medical College, the Third People′s Hospital of Taiyuan, the Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital and so on. From October 2021 to February 2022, outpatients and hospitalized patients with liver cirrhosis and no obvious hepatic encephalopathy were consecutively enrolled. All patients received 5 PHES subjects in the same order: number connection test(NCT)-A, NCT-B, digit symbol test(DST), line tracing test(LTT) and serial dotting test(SDT), and the scores were calculated. The total score of PHES <-4 was taken as the cut-off value for diagnosing MHE. Compare the differences in each subtest between MHE group and non-MHE group. Receiver operating characteristic curve(ROC) and area under the curve(AUC) was performed to assess the diagnostic value of independent and combined subtests in MHE. Mann-Whitney U test and DeLong test were used for statistical analysis. Results:A total of 581 patients with liver cirrhosis were enrolled, 457 were diagnosed as MHE, and the incidence of MHE was 78.7%. The results of NCT-A, NCT-B, SDT, LTT, DST of MHE group were 60.00 s(47.01 s, 88.00 s), 90.45 s(69.32 s, 125.35 s), 74.00 s(57.65 s, 96.60 s), 74.72(60.00, 98.61) and 27.00(20.00, 36.00), respectively. Compared those of non-MHE group(34.00 s(29.15 s, 44.48 s), 50.00 s(40.98 s, 60.77 s), 50.00 s(41.07 s, 63.03 s), 46.23(38.55, 59.42) and 42.00(34.00, 50.75)), the differences were statistically significant( Z=12.37, 12.98, 9.83, 11.56, 10.66; all P<0.001). The AUC(95% confidence interval(95% CI)) of subtests of PHES NCT-B, NCT-A, LTT, DST and SDT alone in MHE diagnosis were 0.880(0.849 to 0.910), 0.862(0.828 to 0.896), 0.838(0.799 to 0.877), 0.812(0.772 to 0.851) and 0.788(0.743 to 0.832), respectively. The combination of 2 PHES subtests significantly increased the diagnostic efficacy. Among them the diagnostic efficacy of the combination of NCT-B and LTT was the best, the AUC(95% CI) was 0.924(0.902 to 0.947), the specificity was 91.9% and the sensitivity was 79.2%, which was better than a single PHES subtest (NCT-A, NCT-B, SDT, LTT and DST) and the combination of NCT-A and DST(AUC was 0.879, 95% CI0.847 to 0.910) which was recommended by guidelines on the management of hepatic encephalopathy in cirrhosis, the differences were statistically significant ( Z=3.78, 3.83, 5.57, 5.51, 5.38, 2.93; all P<0.01). Furthermore, compared between the combination of NCT-B and LTT and the combination of 3 subests of PHES, only the diagnostic efficacy of combination of NCT-B, LTT and SDT (AUC was 0.936, 95% CI 0.916 to 0.956) was better than that of the combination of NCT-B and LTT, the difference was statistically significant( Z=2.32, P=0.020). Conclusion:Based on the diagnostic efficacy and clinical feasibility of PHES subtests and their combinations, the combination of NCT-B and LTT is recommended for the diagnosis of MHE.

Objective:To compare the differences in the prevalence of mild micro-hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) among patients with cirrhosis by using the psychometric hepatic encephalopathy score (PHES) and the Stroop smartphone application (Encephal App) test.Methods:This prospective, multi-center, real-world study was initiated by the National Clinical Medical Research Center for Infectious Diseases and the Portal Hypertension Alliance and registered with International ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05140837). 354 cases of cirrhosis were enrolled in 19 hospitals across the country. PHES (including digital connection tests A and B, digital symbol tests, trajectory drawing tests, and serial management tests) and the Stroop test were conducted in all of them. PHES was differentiated using standard diagnostic criteria established by the two studies in China and South Korea. The Stroop test was evaluated based on the criteria of the research and development team. The impact of different diagnostic standards or methods on the incidence of MHE in patients with cirrhosis was analyzed. Data between groups were differentiated using the t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, and χ2 test. A kappa test was used to compare the consistency between groups. Results:After PHES, the prevalence of MHE among 354 cases of cirrhosis was 78.53% and 15.25%, respectively, based on Chinese research standards and Korean research normal value standards. However, the prevalence of MHE was 56.78% based on the Stroop test, and the differences in pairwise comparisons among the three groups were statistically significant (kappa = -0.064, P < 0.001). Stratified analysis revealed that the MHE prevalence in three groups of patients with Child-Pugh classes A, B, and C was 74.14%, 83.33%, and 88.24%, respectively, according to the normal value standards of Chinese researchers, while the MHE prevalence rates in three groups of patients with Child-Pugh classes A, B, and C were 8.29%, 23.53%, and 38.24%, respectively, according to the normal value standards of Korean researchers. Furthermore, the prevalence rates of MHE in the three groups of patients with Child-Pugh grades A, B, and C were 52.68%, 58.82%, and 73.53%, respectively, according to the Stroop test standard. However, among the results of each diagnostic standard, the prevalence of MHE showed an increasing trend with an increasing Child-Pugh grade. Further comparison demonstrated that the scores obtained by the number connection test A and the number symbol test were consistent according to the normal value standards of the two studies in China and South Korea ( Z = -0.982, -1.702; P = 0.326, 0.089), while the other three sub-tests had significant differences ( P < 0.001). Conclusion:The prevalence rate of MHE in the cirrhotic population is high, but the prevalence of MHE obtained by using different diagnostic criteria or methods varies greatly. Therefore, in line with the current changes in demographics and disease spectrum, it is necessary to enroll a larger sample size of a healthy population as a control. Moreover, the establishment of more reliable diagnostic scoring criteria will serve as a basis for obtaining accurate MHE incidence and formulating diagnosis and treatment strategies in cirrhotic populations.

OBJECTIVETo observe the clinical effects of low-dose thalidomide (THAL) and prednisone (PRED) with or without danazol (DANA) in patients with primary myelofibrosis (PMF) associated anemia.

METHODSA cohort of 58 PMF patients with anemia (Hb<100 g/L) were retrospectively studied. Of them, 28 patients were treated with THAL and PRED (THAL-PRED group), and the rest with THAL, PRED and DANA (THAL-PRED-DANA group). The hematological response was assessed according to the modified criteria of the International Working Group in 2006, and the myelofibrosis degree was evaluated at 3 and 12 month after treatment.

RESULTSThe total response rate was 56.9%(33/58) including 1.7% (1/58) partial remission (PR) and 55.2% (32/58) clinical improvement (CI). There was no statistical difference in the response rate between THAL-PRED and THAL-PREDDANA groups (50.0% vs 63.3%, P=0.306). However, the median response duration of clinical improvement, erythroid response (CI-E) and total response prolonged in THAL-PRED-DANA than THALPRED group (61.5w vs 22w, P=0.015; 75w vs 30w, P=0.007, respectively). Myelofibrosis degree at 3 and 12 months after treatment decreased significantly than before treatment (P=0.000 and 0.005, respectively). Side-effects in both groups were only grade 1-2.

CONCLUSIONLow-dose THAL together with PRED appeared to be effective in the treatment of PMF-associated anemia, and the response duration would prolong significantly if combined with DANA.

Adult ; Aged ; Anemia ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Danazol ; therapeutic use ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prednisone ; therapeutic use ; Primary Myelofibrosis ; complications ; Retrospective Studies ; Thalidomide ; therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the prognostic value of cytogenetics in Chinese with primary myelofibrosis (PMF).

METHODSFour hundred and thirty-nine Chinese patients with PMF were retrospectively analyzed. The Kaplan-Meier method, the Log-rank test, the likelihood ratio test and the COX proportional hazards regression model were used to evaluate the prognostic scoring systems.

RESULTSFour hundred and thirty-nine Chinese patients with PMF were analyzed with a median age of 56 years (range: 8-83), including 298 males and 141 females. The DIPSS-plus system could effectively evaluate prognosis in Chinese patients with PMF. There was significantly higher predictive power for survival for the DIPSS-plus group compared with the DIPSS group (P=0.006, -2 log-likelihood ratios of 989.5 and 1001.9 for the DIPSS-plus and DIPSS systems, respectively). Univariate analysis indicated that the patients with a normal karyotype, a complex karyotype that was not a monosomal karyotype, +8 only or a balanced translocation only had better survival. Following two cytogenetic risk categories were constructed: favorable karyotype including subjects with a normal karyotype, a complex karyotype that was not a monosomal karyotype, +8 only or a balanced translocation only and unfavorable karyotype included all others. The modified DIPSS-Chinese prognostic model was proposed by adopting cytogenetic categories and DIPSS- Chinese risk group. The median survival of patients classified in low risk (163 subjects), intermediate-1 risk (187 subjects), intermediate-2 risk (82 subjects) and high risk (7 subjects) were not reached, 74 (95% CI 42-106), 39 (95% CI 26-52) and 12(95% CI 1-25)months, respectively, and there was a statistically significant difference in overall survival among the four risk groups (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe DIPSS-plus had significantly higher predictive power than the DIPSS group in Chinese patients with PMF and the modified DIPSS-Chinese system based on the cytogenetic features of Chinese patients was proposed and worked well for prognostic indication.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Karyotyping ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Primary Myelofibrosis ; diagnosis ; Prognosis ; Young Adult