Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Ischemic Attack, Transient ; drug therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy

Objective: To investigate the relationship between the prevalence of anemia and New York Heart Association (NYHA) class in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF), and to assess the influence of hemoglobin (Hb) on patients' mortality. Methods: Totally 1 415 patients with CHF were retrospectively analyzed and the patients with secondary anemia or other serious conditions were excluded. Multivariable logistic analysis was used to assess the effect of Hb level on hospital mortality. Results: Among 1 415 patients, 413 (29.2%) were found to have anemia (Hb<120 g/L). The prevalence of anemia was positively correlated with the NYHA-class of patients (NYHA-class I 17.9% [5/28], class II 24.7% [125/507], class III 26.3% [151/574], and class IV 43.1% [132/306]. Patients with severe heart failure (NYHA-class III and IV [32.2%]) had a significantly higher prevalence of anemia than patients with slight heart failure (class I and II [24.3%], P<0.01). Patients with a Hb level of (140-159) g/L had the lowest hospital mortality, and those with Hb levels <80 g/L, (80-99) g/L, (100-119) g/L, (120-139) g/L, and ≥160 g/L had higher hospital mortalities. The relationship between mortality and Hb level was in a U-shaped manner. For patients with Hb level <160 g/L, multivariable logistic analysis showed that Hb remained as an independent predictor of the hospital mortality when the influences of the age, gender, basic cause of the disease, diabetes, cardiac function classification, serum creatinine, etc. were adjusted. Conclusion: Anemia is a common condition in hospitalized CHF patients and the degree of anemia is closely correlated with the severity of CHF. Hb level significantly influences the patients' hospital mortality. Hb level (<160 g/L) is an independent predictor of hospital mortality in the patients with CHF.

Furbenicillin is a broad-spectrum semisynthetic penicillin with strong antibacterial activity against Gram-negative bacteria. Furbenicillin sodium is determined by volumetric method in current criteria. However, the criteria does not contain an assay of related substances of furbenicillin sodium. In this study, we established a method for detection and analysis of furbenicillin sodium and its related substances by HPLC. The analysis was performed with a C18 column under a gradient elution, the detection wavelength was 225 nm, and the column temperature was 35 degrees C. The reliability and accuracy of established method was validated in this study. Pure samples of furbenicillin sodium and its related substances were prepared. The structures, biological activities, and chromatographic retention behaviors of furbenicillin sodium and its related substances were identified using NMR, CLSI agar dilution method, and HPLC. All results in the current study provide ample evidence that this method is able to determine the reasonable limits in the quality-control protocol for furbenicillin sodium.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; chemistry ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Penicillins ; Quality Control ; Reproducibility of Results

Objective To compare the 96-week efficacy of de novo combination therapy with lamivudine ( LAM ) and adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) to that of optimization monotherapy for chronic hepatitis B (CHB).Methods A total of 155 CHB patients were collected from the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University during 2007 and 2009.All patients were randomly assigned to LAM monotherapy group ( n =53 ),ADV monotherapy group ( n =50 ) or LAM with ADV combination group ( n =52 ) according to randomized digital table.The liver and kidney functions,HBV serum markers,and HBV DNA loads were tested every 24 weeks.If patients in LAM or ADV group had poor response or virological breakthrough,they were given optimized therapy with ADV or LAM at week 24,48 or 72.One-way ANOVA (normal distribution and homoscedasticity ) and non-parametric test (non-normal distribution ) were performed to compare measurement data among groups.The impact factors of early virological response were analyzed by binary Logistic regression method.Results At week 24,the complete virological responses in LAM group,ADV group,and LAM + ADV group were 66.0％ ( 35/53 ),34.0％ ( 17/50 ) and 90.4％ ( 47/52 ),respectively (x2 =35.282,P ＜ 0.01 ) ; while,at week 96 the complete virological responses in three groups were96.2％ (51/53),86.0％ (43/50) and 100.0％ (52/52),respectively (x2 =19.115,P＞0.05).At week 96,the cumulative recover rates of ALT in LAM group,ADV group,and LAM + ADV group were 86.8％ (46/53),82.0％ (41/50)and 94.2％ (49/52),respectively (x2 =3.613,P ＞0.05);however,the ALT levels in three groups were statistically different (x2 =11.195,P ＜ 0.01 ).At week 96,the HBeAg seroconversion rates in LAM group,ADV group,and LAM + ADV group were 31.3％ ( 10/32),20.7％ ( 6/29 ) and 38.7％ ( 12/31 ),respectively (x2 =2.313,P ＞ 0.05 ).Early virological response was not found in I patient in LAM group and 19 patients in ADV group; virological breakthrough occurred in 11 patients in LAM group and 1 patient in ADV group.All patients in LAM + ADV group had early virological responses and had no virological breakthrough.Logistic regression showed that complete virological response at week 24 was correlated with the baseline HBeAg,the initial treatment and HBV DNA load.Layered evaluation showed that there were significant differences in early complete virological responses among three groups for patients with positive HBeAg,HBV DNA ＞ 6.28 × 106 copies/mL and ALT ≤5 ×ULN (x2 =7.726,10.921 and6.100,P＜0.05 or ＜0.01) ; for those with HBV DNA ＞6.28 × 106copies/mL,complete virological response was not observed in ADV group treated for 24 weeks.Conclusion LAM combined with ADV has stronger antiviral activity,lower resistance rate and can improve liver function and virological response,especially for the patients with HBeAg-positive,high HBV DNA loads and ALT ≤5 × ULN.

Objective To study the optimum component proportion of media and the best fermentation conditions for the flocculatnt-producing strain B5. Methods Through single factor experiment to seek the best carbon sources, nitrogen sources and inorganic salts. Furthermore, through orthogonal test to select the best conditions for producing flocculants by strain B5. Results The best carbon source, nitrogen source and inorganic salt were glucose, (NH4)2SO4 and CaCl2, the content of glucose was 2.0%, the initial pH value of medium was 7.0, the temperature was 30 ℃, agitation rate was 160 r/min and culture time was 24 hours in flakes, 50 ml liquids (250 ml triangular flask), the inoculation volume was 0.2 ml. The flocculants produced by strain B5 under the best fermentation conditions has been furnished for multifarious waste water, the flocculating activities were from 88.4% to 97.2% and reached to the highest on the waste water of dairy farming. Conclusion The flocculants produced by the strain B5 is applicable to the waste water treatment.

Objective To investigate the prevalence of sick building syndrome (SBS) and explore the related risk factors in the people working in office environment in Beijing. Methods A cross-sectional study design was made in the present paper in April 2009. One hundred and two employees in 16 small and moderate offices in three different buildings in Beijing were investigated with the questionnaire for their subjective symptoms, environmental perceptions, psychosocial information and health situation. The indoor environmental factors of the buildings were monitored based on the standardized procedures at the same time. Generalized linear model and multilevel model were used for the data analysis. Results The prevalence rate of symptoms for sick building syndrome was 67.4%. The prevalence rate of SBS symptoms was positively associated with the self-feelings of the subject to high temperature, insufficient ventilation indoors, work stress, satisfaction for job and health complains, as well as with using photocopier in office by ANOVA(P

Macrophages play an important role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Previously, studies have shown that changes in the metabolism of glucose, choline, amino acids and lipids in macrophages of patients with RA can lead to the accumulation of metabolic intermediates which can act as inflammatory signaling molecules to aggravate the inflammation and cause complications. Therefore, a full understanding of the metabolic process of macrophages in RA patients will lay the foundation for macrophage-targeted therapy of RA. In this review, not only the role of macrophage abnormal metabolism in the pathogenesis of RA but also the research progress on macrophage-targeted drugs in RA treatment will be discussed.

Objective To study the antitumor mechanisms of pirarubicin (THP) and its effect on preventing postoperative recurrence of superficial bladder cancer. Methods MTT assay, flow cytometry and transmission electron microscope were used to assess the effects of different concentration of THP on T24 cell line. THP 40 mg in 50 ml distil water was used intravesically in 60 patients with transitional cell carcinoma after TURBT to prevent tumor recurrence. Results T24 cells were suppressed significantly by THP in concentrations of 10 mg/L and 100 mg/L,the suppressive rates being 80% and 94% respectively. Apoptosis peak was evident before G1 phase. The characteristics of cell apoptosis, such as bubble formation in cytoplasm and condensed chromosome, were typically manifested. Cells became necrotic when the concentration of THP was 1 000 mg/L. One course of THP intravesical administration was completed in 58 cases. All patients were followed up for a mean of 18.8 months (range 6～24 months), and tumor recurred only in 5 cases (8.6%). Conclusions Suppression of tumor cell growth and inducing apoptosis, even necrosis, might be the main antitumor mechanisms of THP. Clinically, intravesical administration of THP after TURBT was effective and safe for preventing tumor recurrence.

The incidence and mortality of colorectal cancer (CRC) increased rapidly in recent decades and become enormous challenges in China.Lack of effective early warning of molecular markers and dynamic monitoring technology in term of early diagnosis,treatment evaluation,dynamic recurrence and metastasis monitoring are the clinical diagnosis and treatment bottlenecks of CRC.Traditional diagnosis and treatment of CRC rely on a single level of patient information with low accuracy.Based on the system of biology medical model,to carry out a joint diagnostic model,will overcome the traditional problems through a number of multi-level information integration of the joint diagnosis model,will significantly improve the sensitivity and specificity of diagnosis of CRC.The major challenge in patients with advanced and metastatic CRC is the instability of the tumor genome and the treatment-induced resistance during chemotherapy and targeted therapy.It is necessary to carry out continuous dynamic biopsy in order to accurately guide the development of treatment decisions.Compared with the pathological examination of traditional surgical specimen,liquid biopsy,such as circulating tumor cells,circulating tumor DNA detection technology,with noninvasive,real-time dynamic monitoring,could evaluate the efficacy of treatment,and guide the precise individual diagnosis and treatment.Today,the new strategy and new technology need to undergo clinical trials urgency,through technology optimization,reduction of costs and improvement of detection accuracy,would quickly extended to clinical applications in future.

[Summary] Extracellular calcium is essential for the regulation of a variety of biological processes. Calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) plays a central role in maintaining Ca2+ homeostasis, while G-protein α-11 (Gα11 ) subunit and adaptor-related protein complex 2 sigma (AP2σ) are also involved in CaSR signaling transduction. Loss- or gain-of-function mutations of these encoding genes cause different types of familial hypocalciuric hypercalcaemia (FHH) and autosomal dominant hypocalcaemia (ADH). Calcimimetic and calcilytic drugs are useful in treating these FHH and ADH disorders. The current paper is a Chinese translation of a review entitled as “Disorder of the calcium-sensing receptor and partner proteins: insights into the molecular basis of calcium homeostasis” published in 《 Journal of Molecular Endocrinology》(2016,57:R127-R142) with the permission from the author and the journal.