OBJECTIVETo study the effect of multiglycosides of Tripterygium wilfordii (MTW) for treatment of proteinuria in kidney transplant recipients.

METHODForty-five kidney transplant recipients with proternuria were randomized into 3 groups (n=15) and received full daily dose (1 mg/kg) MTW, half dose (0.5 mg/kg) MTW or no MTW (control) in addition to immunosuppressant therapy. The 24-hour urinary protein (24 h Upro), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (Scr), dose of ciclosporin and the adverse effects of MTW were recorded.

RESULTSMTW at both the full dose and half dose significantly reduced the 24 h Upro as compared to exclusive immunosuppressant therapy (P<0.05). The therapeutic dose of ciclosporin in patients with full and half dose of MTW was significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.05), and the patients receiving full dose MTW showed greater adverse effects than those having half dose MTW (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSMTW can significantly ameliorate proteinuria, reduce the therapeutic dose of ciclosporin and protect the renal function in kidney transplant recipients. While producing similar therapeutic effect to routine full dose, long-term use of half dose MTW may reduce the adverse effect associated with MTW.

Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Glycosides ; therapeutic use ; Graft Survival ; immunology ; Humans ; Kidney Transplantation ; adverse effects ; immunology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Proteinuria ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Tripterygium ; chemistry ; Young Adult

Objective:To provide a preliminary theoretical basis for gout and hyperuricemia of Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) methylation.Methods:Breast cancer anti-resistance 1(BCAR1), phospho-diesterase 1C (PDE1C), opioid receptor delta 1(OPRD1) and neurexin 1(NRXN1) methylation levels were measured by bisulfite pyrosequencing in 50 gout patients, 30 hyperuricemia patients and 50 matched healthy controls. Comparisons between groups were evaluated by F-test and Nonparametric tests. Results:Receiver operating characteristic showed that the methylation of PDE1C(pos4, pos5, pos6)(AUC: 0.712, 0.772, 0.775; all P values<0.05) had higher accuracy for diagnosis of gout, and OPRD1 pos4 (AUC=0.733, P<0.05) had higher accuracy for hyperuricemia. Conclusion:DNA methylation may play a role in the development of gout and hyperuricemia, however, further studies are needed.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effectiveness of psychosocial services provided by social workers in reducing dropout rate and increasing treatment dosage in methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) users.

METHODSFrom May in 2009 to April in 2010, 300 MMT users were recruited from three MMT clinics in Guangzhou, and were randomly allocated into the intervention group and the control groups. The control group (152 cases) received standard MMT services while the intervention group (148 cases) received additional services provided by social workers. Methadone dosage, dropout rate, perceptions toward MMT etc. were compared between the two groups.

RESULTSThe 1-month dropout rate of the control and intervention groups were 19.7% (30/152) and 6.8% (10/148) (P < 0.05) respectively; the 6-month dropout rate of the control and intervention groups were 75.5% (115/152) and 50.7% (75/148) (P < 0.05) respectively. The intervention group had higher average treatment dosage than the control group ((56.0 ± 21.2) vs (64.4 ± 23.1) ml/d, (58.0 ± 24.0) vs (66.1 ± 26.6) ml/d, P < 0.05). At 1-month and 6-month, the intervention group had higher scores of MMT-related perception ((1.26 ± 0.68) vs (1.84 ± 0.95), (1.55 ± 0.83) vs (2.44 ± 1.23), P < 0.05), self-efficacy of maintenance ((3.68 ± 1.33) vs (4.20 ± 1.05), (3.80 ± 1.38) vs (4.43 ± 0.79), P < 0.05) and satisfaction toward MMT((4.08 ± 0.54) vs (4.15 ± 0.60), (4.01 ± 0.67) vs (4.31 ± 0.64), P < 0.05) as compared to the control group. The reverse was true for the score of negative experiences ((1.05 ± 0.86) vs (0.96 ± 0.92), (1.46 ± 0.87) vs (1.11 ± 1.07), P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe psychosocial interventions provided by social workers were effective in reducing dropout rate, increasing treatment dosage and improving cognitions of MMT users.

Adult ; Female ; Heroin Dependence ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Methadone ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Opiate Substitution Treatment ; Patient Compliance ; Social Work ; Substance Abuse Treatment Centers ; Treatment Outcome

Objective Cysteinyl leukotrienes are potent inflammatory mediators. Their actions are mediated by specific receptors,the CysLT receptors(CysLT1R and CysLT2R),which have been cloned and characterized. In this stud-y,we investigated the protective effects of the CysLTR antagonist Pranlukast and HAMI 3379 on global cerebral ischemia/reperfusion(CI/R)injury in gerbils and its underlying mechanisms. Methods The gerbil model of CI/R was established by bilateral common carotid artery occlusion for 10 min followed by 24 h reperfusion. Then the animals were equally ran-domized into four groups: sham, model, Pranlukast(0.1 mg/kg)and HAMI 3379(0.1 mg/kg)groups. The later two groups were treated with intraperitoneal injection of Pranlukast and HAMI 3379,respectively,once daily for 4 days before carotid artery occlusion,while the former two groups with saline only,all at 10 mL/kg. After 24 h reperfusion,neurologi-cal deficit scores were observed and the behavioral dysfunction was assessed. The neuron morphology of cerebral cortex and CA1 subregion of hippocampus were observed in brain sections stained with cresyl violet. The expression of autophagy-relat-ed proteins beclin-1 and LC3 in the homogenate of cerebral cortex and hippocampus were determined using western blotting analysis. The ultrastructure of autophagosomes in the CA1 subregion of hippocampus was observed by electron microscopy. Results Compared with the model group, Pranlukast and HAMI 3379 attenuated neurological deficits, improved the be-havioral dysfunction,inhibited the neuron injury and loss, decreased the expression of autophagy-related protein beclin-1 and LC3 and the number of autophagosomes. Conclusions cysteinyl Leukotriene receptor antagonist Pranlukast and HAMI 3379 can alleviate global cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury in gerbils. The protective effects of Pranlukast and HAMI 3379 appear to be associated with the inhibition of autophagy.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diagnostic value of color Doppler flow image (CDFI) for the diagnosis of Budd-Chiari syndrome (B-CS). METHODS: CDFI findings of 35 patients with B-CS were retrospectively analyzed and compared with the findings of venography of inferior vena cava (IVC). RESULTS: Thirty-four patients were diagnosed as B-CS by CDFI, while one patient with local tunica stenosis was misdiagnosed. The correct diagnostic rate was 97.1%. In the 34 patients, CDFI displayed stenosis or occlusion in the hepatic vein and IVC in 24 patients, IVC only in 8,and hepatic vein only in 2. CONCLUSION CDFI may be a principal non-invasive technique to diagnose B-CS.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Budd-Chiari Syndrome ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; Female ; Hepatic Veins ; diagnostic imaging ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color ; methods ; Vena Cava, Inferior ; diagnostic imaging

Objective: To evaluate the impact of bleomycin/etoposide/cisplatin (BEP) and paclitaxel/carboplatin (PC) chemotherapy regimens on the fertility and prognostic outcomes in malignant ovarian germ cell tumor (MOGCT) patients who underwent fertility-sparing surgery (FSS). Methods: A propensity score matching algorithm was performed between the BEP and PC groups. The χ2 test and the Kaplan-Meier method were used to compare the fertility outcome, disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). The Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to identify risk factor of DFS. Results: We included 213 patients, 185 (86.9%) underwent BEP chemotherapy, and 28 (13.1%) underwent PC chemotherapy. The median age was 22 years (range, 8–44 years), and the median follow-up period was 63 months (range, 2–191 months). Fifty-one (29.3%) patients had a pregnancy plan, and 35 (85.4%) delivered successfully. In the before and after propensity score matching cohorts, there were no significant differences in spontaneous abortion, selective termination of pregnancy, during-pregnancy status, and live birth between the BEP and PC groups (p>0.05). Fourteen (6.6%) patients experienced recurrence, including 11 (5.9%) in the BEP group and 3 (10.7%) in the PC group. Four (1.9%) patients in the BEP group died. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed no significant differences in DFS (p=0.328) and OS (p=0.446) between the BEP and PC groups, and the same survival results were observed in the after matching cohort. Conclusion The PC regimen is as safe as the BEP regimen for MOGCT patients with fertility preservation treatment, and no differences were observed in fertility and clinical prognosis.

OBJECTIVETo analyze pupils' neglect status aged 6-11 years in China's rural.

METHODSAccording to the principle of multi-stage stratified cluster sampling, to extract 7,943 pupils aged 6-11 years for the survey from 56 primary schools in 28 counties in nine provinces, from December 2012 to March 2013. Proceed questionnaire survey by the scale from "Neglect Evaluation Norms for pupils aged 6-8 years in Rural Areas of China" and "Neglect Evaluation Norms for pupils aged 9-11 years in Rural Areas of China". And analyze neglect rates and neglect degrees of the different grades, gender, family types and different levels of neglect.

RESULTSThe total neglect rate of China's rural pupils aged 6-8 and 9-11 years was 40.2% (1,258/3,130) and 42.5% (1,498/3,526) respectively, which differences had no statistical significant (χ2=3.59, P=0.058); the total neglect degree was 46.04±8.87 and 44.78±10.43 respectively, which differences had statistical significant (t=5.01, P<0.001); the differences of neglect rates and neglect degrees between male (41.4% (657/1,587) and 46.28±8.76) and female (39.0% (601/1,543) and 45.78±8.97) of aged 6-8 were all no statistical significant (χ2=1.87, P=0.171; t=1.49, P=0.136); the neglect rates and neglect degrees of male (46.3% (816/1,763) and 45.53±10.11) were higher than female (38.7% (682/1,763) and 44.06±10.69) in the group of aged 9-11, which differences were all statistical significant (χ2=20.84, t=3.97, P<0.001); the male neglect rate in the group of aged 6-8 in social neglect (11.7% (198/1,691)) and the neglect degree in educational neglect (48.09±9.70) were higher than female (9.4% (155/1,648) and 47.37±9.89), which differences were all statistical significance (χ2=14.55, P<0.001, t=2.22, P=0.026), the male neglect rate in the group of aged 9-11 in physical neglect (20.4% (398/1,954)) was higher than female (16.7% (326/1 957)), which differences had statistical significance (χ2=8.92, P=0.003).

CONCLUSIONThe neglect status of Chinese pupils aged 6-11 years in rural was serious, and we should find out risk factors and provide efficient prevention measures.

Child ; Child Abuse ; China ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Physical Examination ; Pupil ; Risk Factors ; Rural Population ; Schools ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the most common inflammatory arthropathy word wild, is a systemic autoimmune disease that mainly affects the synovium of joints with a high disability rate. Metabolic mis-regulation has emerged as a fundamental pathogenesis of RA linked to immune cell dysfunction, while targeting immunometabolism provides a new and effective approach to regulate the immune responses and thus alleviate the symptom of RA. Recently, natural active compounds from traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) have potential therapeutic effects on RA and regulating immunometabolism. In this review, in addition to updating the connection between cellular metabolism and cell function in immune cells of RA, we summarized that the anti-inflammatory mechanisms of the potential natural compounds from TCM by targeting metabolic reprogramming of immune cells, and discusses them as a rich resource for providing the new potential paradigm for the treatment of RA.

The purpose of the study was to observe changes in endolymphatic hydrops by using intratympanic injection of gadolinium and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) before and after endolymphatic sac surgery in patients with unilateral Meniere's disease. Thirteen patients with unilateral Meniere's disease undergoing endolymphatic sac surgery were retrospectively and prospectively analyzed. Three-dimensional fluid-attenuated inversion recovery or three-dimensional real inversion recovery MRI was performed 24 h after an intratympanic injection of gadolinium to grade the presence of endolymphatic hydrops. Among the 13 patients with hydrops confirmed by preoperative MRI, vestibular hydrops had no significant change in all patients; cochlear hydrops became negative in 2 patients, and remained unchanged in the other 11 patients after surgery. Definite vertigo attacks were substantially controlled in one patient and completely controlled in 12 patients during a follow-up period of 8-34 months after surgery. The hearing levels were improved in 3 patients, remained unchanged in 7 patients, and decreased in 3 patients. In conclusion, endolymphatic sac surgery does not always alleviate endolymphatic hydrops in patients with Meniere's disease. Relief from vertigo cannot always be attributed to the remission of hydrops. A change in hearing levels cannot be explained by hydrops status alone.
Adult ; Aged ; Contrast Media ; administration & dosage ; Endolymphatic Hydrops ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; surgery ; Endolymphatic Sac ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; surgery ; Female ; Gadolinium ; administration & dosage ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Meniere Disease ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; surgery ; Middle Aged

BackgroundThe pathogenesis of postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS) remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the changes and significance of sulfur dioxide (SO) in patients with POTS.

MethodsThe study included 31 children with POTS and 27 healthy children from Peking University First Hospital between December 2013 and October 2015. A detailed medical history, physical examination results, and demographic characteristics were collected. Hemodynamics was recorded and the plasma SOwas determined.

ResultsThe plasma SOwas significantly higher in POTS children compared to healthy children (64.0 ± 20.8 μmol/L vs. 27.2 ± 9.6 μmol/L, respectively, P < 0.05). The symptom scores in POTS were positively correlated with plasma SOlevels (r = 0.398, P < 0.05). In all the study participants, the maximum heart rate (HR) was positively correlated with plasma levels of SO(r = 0.679, P < 0.01). The change in systolic blood pressure from the supine to upright (ΔSBP) in POTS group was smaller than that in the control group (P < 0.05). The ΔSBP was negatively correlated with baseline plasma SOlevels in all participants (r = -0.28, P < 0.05). In the control group, ΔSBP was positively correlated with the plasma levels of SO(r = 0.487, P < 0.01). The change in HR from the supine to upright in POTS was obvious compared to that of the control group. The area under curve was 0.967 (95% confidence interval: 0.928-1.000), and the cutoff value of plasma SOlevel >38.17 μmol/L yielded a sensitivity of 90.3% and a specificity of 92.6% for predicting the diagnosis of POTS.

ConclusionsIncreased endogenous SOlevels might be involved in the pathogenesis of POTS.