Based on the differentiation of deficiency (hyporeactivity) and excess (hyperreactivity) syndromes according to the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) logic, 65 labyrinthine tinnitus cases of the example was classified into three groups, the excess constitutional type (18 cases), the deficiency constitutional type (37 cases) and the intermediate type (10 cases). Acupuncture treatment was carried out under the guidance of the basic principles of "seeking the fundamental of a disease in treatment"based on TCM.
The effect was evaluated using two parameters of subjective tinnitus assessment score in a special questionnaire (STS) and objective tinnitus loudness level in dB SL (OTL). Based on the changes in STS and OTL before and after the end of all therapeutic courses, the gross effective rate (GER) of 65 cases containing effective STS or OTL was 72.3%, while the strict effective rate where both STS and OTL showed effective (BER) was 47.7%. Among the three TCM syndromes differentiation groups, the excess constitutional type had the best therapeutic effect (66.7%of BER), fellows the deficiency constitutional type (48.7%of BER), and the intermediate type was the worst (only 10%of BER). Statistically, there was a significant difference among each syndrome differentiation group (p<0.05).
Meanwhile, the entire GER and BER went down to 55.4%and 38.5%respectively 2 months after the end of treatment to show a decreasing tendency of therapeutic effectiveness compared with those treatment rates immediately after the end of treatment. Especially, GER of the deficiency constitutional type showed a significant decrease (P<0.05).
We concluded that the TCM differentiation of deficiency and excess syndromes is a prerequisite for the determination of a correct acupuncture treatment for labyrinthine tinnitus. Through a thorough analysis and treatment on 65 clinical cases, the tinnitus of the excess constitutional type showed a higher reactivity for the treatment comparing to the other two types, the deficiency and the intermediate.

Traditional Chinese acupuncture was used in four cases of intractable tinnitus associated with presbyacusis, showing greater losses at higher frequencies while lower frequencies were only slightly below the normal threshold on a pure tone audiogram. Further audiologic evaluation by means of a speech discrimination test and short-increment sensitivity index (SISI) showed that cases 1 and 2 were the labyrinthine impairment type, case 3 was the mixed type, and case 4 was the retrolabyrinthine type. However, the etiology and pathogenesis of all patients were diagnosed as constitutional deficiency of kidney essence failing to nourish both the ear and brain, the so-called “sea of marrow” based on TCM differentiation. Following the principle of invigorating kidney essence and nourishing “Kidney Qi, ” acupuncture treatment was given around the ear as well as at distal points on the extremities once a week, with 10 sessions constituting one therapeutic course.
In cases 1, 2 and 3, a temporary minor reduction effect of tinnitus lasting half a day to a few days could usually be achieved by each acupuncture session, and long-term effects, with significant improvement of subjective intensity and loudness of tinnitus (which always dropped to 1/2-1/3 of the pretreatment levels) was possibly obtained after 3-4 treatment sessions. Acupuncture was less effective in case 4, in which some fluctuation of tinnitus loudness values was reported within the period of treatment, but there was no remarkable stable improvement, either in terms of loudness or disturbance of the tinnitus after 10 treatment sessions.
The results indicate that traditional Chinese acupuncture is a recommendable therapy in treating age-related tinnitus, especially the labyrinthine type or mixed type rather than the retrolabyrinthine type.

OBJECTIVETo study the prevalent status of HIV-1 in population of non-remunerated blood donors in Shenzhen.

METHODS46,095 non-remunerated blood donors were tested for anti-HIV-1/2 by ELISA. The donors of anti-HIV positive were further detected for HIV DNA from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PMBCs) by nested-PCR and HIV RNA from plasma by RT-PCR. The partial genome of env of 2 blood donors were sequenced.

RESULTSThe anti-HIV-1 was tested positive in 7 of 46 095 voluntary blood donors and the positive rate was 0.015%. In these 7 non-remunerated blood donors of anti-HIV-1 positive,7 were positive for HIV DNA in PMBCs and 5 positive for HIV RNA in plasma. The sequence analysis showed that 2 donors were infected by HIV-1 subtype E strains.

CONCLUSIONSThere exists HIV-1 subtype E infection in population of non-remunerated blood donors in Shenzhen. It is essential to detect and monitor strictly the population of non-remunerated blood donors.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Base Sequence ; Blood Donors ; China ; epidemiology ; DNA, Viral ; analysis ; genetics ; Female ; HIV ; genetics ; immunology ; HIV Antibodies ; blood ; HIV Infections ; epidemiology ; immunology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA, Viral ; blood ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid

AIM: Combine disproportionality analysis with dynamically interactive graphics to understand spontaneously-reported adverse events in pharmacovigilance. METHODS: Four statistical methods, including Reporting Odds Ratio, Proportional Reporting Ratio, Multi-Item Gamma Poisson Shrinker and Bayesian Confidence Propagation Neural Network that are used for computing disproportionality are described. Tree maps and other graphical techniques are used to display the disproportionality results. RESULTS: Spontaneously-reported adverse events in pharmacovigilance are collected from physicians, patients, or the medical literature by regulatory agencies, pharmaceutical companies and device manufacturers to monitor the safety of a product once it reaches the market. In order to identify potential safety-signals, disproportionality analysis methods compare the rate at which a particular event of interest co-occurs with a given drug with the rate this event occurs without the drug in the event database. Tree maps are employed to interactively display the adverse events for particular drugs and compare the adverse events among the drugs. CONCLUSION Interactive graphical displays of disproportionality allow the analyst to quickly identify safety signals and perform additional follow-up analyses. Combining statistical methods with dynamically interactive graphics affords insights into the data inaccessible by traditional analysis methods.
Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting Systems ; statistics & numerical data ; Bayes Theorem ; Data Interpretation, Statistical ; Databases, Factual ; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions ; Humans ; Odds Ratio ; Pharmacovigilance ; Product Surveillance, Postmarketing ; statistics & numerical data

Carcinoma ; diagnostic imaging ; secondary ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; pathology ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; secondary ; Ultrasonography

Hemangioblastomas are World Health Organization (WHO) Grade I neoplasms of the hindbrain and spinal cord, whose management can be complicated by preoperative hemorrhage. We report on a case of a young female in extremis with posterior fossa hemorrhage following rupture of a fusiform posterior meningeal artery aneurysm embedded within a medullary hemangioblastoma. We discuss management options, including operative staging and embolization, and review similar cases of hemangioblastoma associated with aneurysm.
Aneurysm* ; Female ; Hemangioblastoma* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Intracranial Hemorrhages ; Meningeal Arteries* ; Rhombencephalon ; Rupture ; Spinal Cord ; World Health Organization

Minocycline, a tetracycline antibiotic, is now known to protect cells via an anti-inflammatory mechanism. We further explored this effect using an in vitro model of ischemia-like injury to neurons. Coculturing neurons with microglia, the brain's resident immune cell, modestly increased cell death due to oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD), compared to neurons alone. Treatment of cocultures with minocycline decreased cell death to a level significantly lower than that of neurons alone. Treatment of cocultures with minocycline or inhibitors of various immune mediators, also led to decreased cell death. Importantly, treatment of neuron cultures without added microglia with these same inhibitors of tissue plasminogen activator, matrix metalloproteinases, TNF-alpha and inducible nitric oxide synthase as well as minocycline also led to decreased cell death. Thus, anti-inflammatory treatments appear to be directly protective of neurons from in vitro ischemia.
Cell Death ; Coculture Techniques ; Glucose ; Ischemia ; Matrix Metalloproteinases ; Microglia ; Minocycline ; Neurons ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II ; Oxygen ; Tetracycline ; Tissue Plasminogen Activator ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

Rupture of isolated posterior spinal artery (PSA) aneurysms is a rare cause of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) that presents unique diagnostic challenges owing to a nuanced clinical presentation. Here, we report on the diagnosis and management of the first known case of an isolated PSA aneurysm in the context of leukocytoclastic vasculitis. A 53-year-old male presented to an outside institution with acute bilateral lower extremity paralysis 9 days after admission for recurrent cellulitis. Early magnetic resonance imaging was read as negative and repeat imaging 15 days after presentation revealed SAH and a compressive spinal subdural hematoma. Angiography identified a PSA aneurysm at T9, as well as other areas suspicious for inflammatory or post-hemorrhagic reactive changes. The patient underwent a multilevel laminectomy for clot evacuation and aneurysm resection to prevent future hemorrhage and to establish a diagnosis. The postoperative course was complicated by medical issues and led to the diagnosis of leukocytoclastic vasculitis that may have predisposed the patient to aneurysm development. Literature review reveals greater mortality for cervical lesions than thoracolumbar lesions and that the presence of meningitic symptoms portents better functional outcome than symptoms of cord compression. The outcome obtained in this case is consistent with outcomes reported in the literature.
Aneurysm* ; Angiography ; Arteries* ; Cellulitis ; Diagnosis ; Hematoma, Subdural, Spinal ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Laminectomy ; Lower Extremity ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mortality ; Paralysis ; Rupture ; Spinal Cord Vascular Diseases ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ; Vasculitis* ; Vasculitis, Leukocytoclastic, Cutaneous

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect and molecular mechanism of Tiantai No.1, a compound Chinese herbal preparation, for the prevention and reduction of neurotoxicity induced by beta-amyloid peptides (Abeta) in vitro and its effects on nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappa B) and cAMP responsive element-binding protein (CREB) pathways using the gene transfection technique.

METHODSB104 neuronal cells were used to examine the effects of Tiantai No.1 on lowering the neurotoxicity induced by Abeta. The cells were pre-treated with Tiantai No.1 at doses of 50, 100, 150, or 200 micro g/mL respectively for 3 days and co-treated with Tiantai No.1 and beta-amyloid peptide1-40 (A beta 1-40, 10 micro mol/L) for 48 h or post-treated with Tiantai No.1 for 48 h after the cells were exposed to beta-amyloid peptides25-35 (A beta 25-35) for 8 h. In gene transfection assays, cells were treated with Tiantai No.1 at 50 micro g/mL and 150 micro g/mL for 5 days or co-treated with Tiantai No.1 and A beta 1-40 (5 micro mo/L) for 3 days after electroporation for the evaluation of NF-kappa B and CREB expression.

RESULTSPre-treating and co-treating B104 neuronal cells with Tiantai No.1 lowered the neurotoxicity induced by Abeta, and post-treating with Tiantai No.1 reduced or blocked B104 neuronal apoptotic death induced by Abeta (P<0.05, P<0.01). With a dose-dependent relationship, the same treatments increased the expression of NF-kappa B or CREB in B104 neuronal cells (P<0.05, P<0.01). Meanwhile, Tiantai No.1 reduced A beta -40 induced inhibition on NF-kappa B expression (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONSTiantai No.1 can protect neurons against the neurotoxicity induced by Abeta. The neuroprotective mechanisms may be associated with the activation of NF-kappa B and cAMP cellular signal pathways.

Amyloid beta-Peptides ; Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein ; analysis ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Electroporation ; Luciferases ; Microscopy, Fluorescence ; NF-kappa B ; analysis ; Neurons ; drug effects ; Rats ; Transfection