Adult ; Aged ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Electroacupuncture ; Female ; Humans ; Injections ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Spinal Canal ; Spinal Stenosis ; therapy

Bone Cysts, Aneurysmal ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; surgery ; Cartilage Diseases ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; surgery ; Female ; Hamartoma ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; surgery ; Humans ; Infant ; Mesoderm ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; surgery ; Nasal Cavity ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; surgery ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Nose Diseases ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; surgery ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVETo probe into effect of scalp acupuncture combined with sports therapy on movement function of limbs in the patient of poststroke hemiplegia.

METHODSOne hundred and twenty cases of poststroke hemiplegia were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 60 cases in each group. The observation group were treated by scalp acupuncture and the control group by simple sports therapy. The movement function of limbs were assessed by Fugl-Meyer rating method and Barthel index.

RESULTSThe movement function of limbs and ability of daily life after treatment in the observation group improved very significantly as compared with the control group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONScalp acupuncture combined with sports therapy can promote recovery of the movement function of limbs in the patient of poststroke hemiplegia.

Acupuncture Therapy ; Hemiplegia ; therapy ; Humans ; Scalp ; Sports ; Stroke ; therapy

OBJECTIVETo establish a RP-HPLC method for simultaneous determination of total quercetin, kaempferol and isorhamnetin in rat plasma after oral administration of Folium Mori extract (FME).

METHODSAfter a single dose of FME (110 mg/kg) was taken, rat plasma samples were collected. The samples were hydrolyzed with hydrochloric acid (c=3.0 mol/L), the mixed solution was extracted with ether acetone mixture. The total quercetin, kaempferol and isorhamnetin in plasma samples were determined by HPLC, pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by DAS 3.0 software.

RESULTSThe method was linear over the concentration ranges of 0.0545-8.70, 0.0954-14.7 and 0.0545-8.55 μg/ml for quercetin, kaempferol and isorhamnetin, respectively (r=0.9979, 0.9993, 0.9981). The absolute recoveries were 85.3%-86.1%, 79.4%-86.7% and 62.8%-89.7%, respectively and the assay recoveries were all from 94.7% to 107%. The relative standard deviation (RSD) of intra-and inter-day were less than 9.5% and 9.8%, respectively. The main pharmacokinetic parameters were as follows: T(1/2z) was 92.7, 67.9 and 54.2 h; Tmax was 0.400, 0.400 and 3.87 h; AUC(0-∞) was 68.0, 67.5 and 32.8 mg/h/L; MRT(0-∞) was 128, 85.2 and 72.0 h for quercetin, kaempferol and isorhamnetin, respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe method established in this study is accurate, reliable and reproducible, and can be applied for determination of total quercetin, kaempferol and isorhamnetin in rat plasma after oral administration of FME; the pharmacokinetic studies showed that the distribution of drugs is rapid and elimination is very slow.

Administration, Oral ; Animals ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Flavonols ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; Kaempferols ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; Male ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacokinetics ; Quercetin ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy and investigate the influencing factors of the interferon (IFN) retreatment for patients with chronic hepatitis C relapsed after a previous IFN treatment.

METHODSA retrospective study was designed to analyze the retreatment with IFN of 60 relapsed chronic hepatitis C patients. All patients were from a randomized, opened and multi-center clinical trial about the efficacy and security of PEG-IFNalpha-2a compared to CIFNalpha-2a in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C in China. There were 35 patients treated with PEG-IFNalpha-2a and 25 with CIFNalpha-2a. The main parameter to evaluate the efficacy was sustained viral response (SVR) rate. The influence of viral concentration in serum, genotype and drug categories on the responses to IFN were analyzed.

RESULTSFor all the patients, the end of treatment virus response (ETVR) and SVR rates were 55.00% and 35.00% respectively. ETVR rate of PEG-IFNalpha-2a was significantly higher than that of CIFNalpha-2a (74.29% and 28.00% respectively, P < 0.01). SVR rate of PEG-IFNalpha-2a was also markedly higher than that of CIFNalpha-2a (45.71% and 20.00% respectively, P < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference between the high and low viral load groups. Among the patients with genotype 1, ETVR and SVR rates of PEG-IFNalpha-2a (75.00%, 45.83%) were significantly higher than those of CIFNalpha-2a (22.22%, 11.11%), (P < 0.01, P < 0.05 respectively), but in patients with genotype non-1, there were no such differences between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONSome relapsed patients were not responsive to the IFN retreatment. The efficacy of PEG-IFNalpha-2a was superior to CIFNalpha-2a. The conventional IFN was not suggested to be used in the relapsed cases with genotype 1. The viral load was not associated with the efficacy of IFN retreatment.

Adult ; Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Hepatitis C, Chronic ; therapy ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha ; therapeutic use ; Interferon-beta ; Interferons ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polyethylene Glycols ; therapeutic use ; Recombinant Proteins ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype, serum viral load and ALT levels, and the factors associated with the viral relapse after IFN treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

METHODSThe HCV RNA levels were determined with Cobas Amplicor Monitor Test, version 2.0, and HCV genotypes were examined by means of PCR products of 5' NTR digested with restriction endonucleases. The patients with chronic hepatitis C were treated with PEG-IFN alpha -2a and Roferon-A for 24 weeks. Those with a viral response after 24 week treatment were followed for an additional 24 weeks. The association of clinical characteristics, such as sex, age, the way of the HCV infection, IFN treatment history and platelet counts, and the HCV genotype, virus load and medicine used for the viral relapse after IFN treatment were analyzed.

RESULTSOf the 208 chronic hepatitis C patients, the ALT levels were not related to HCV RNA levels (r = 0.093, P > 0.05). No difference of ALT levels between HCV genotypes was found, and the HCV RNA load was also of no difference between HCV genotype 1 patients and non 1 patients. Of the 119 patients with viral response after 24 week treatment, 58 cases (48.7%) relapsed after another 24 week's follow-up. Relapse was not significantly related to the clinical characteristics, such as sex, age, mode of the infection, treatment history of IFN, AST/ALT ratio, platelet counts and the baseline viral load. Among patients with genotype 1 virus, the relapse rate was significantly higher than those patients with non-genotype 1 virus (54.5% vs 32.1%, P=0.039). The relapse rate after PEG-IFN alpha -2a treatment was lower than that of Roferon-A treatment (47.0% vs. 52.8%), but not significantly.

CONCLUSIONThe viral relapse of chronic hepatitis C patients after IFN treatment was significantly associated with the genotypes of the HCV.

Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Genotype ; Hepacivirus ; genetics ; Hepatitis C, Chronic ; drug therapy ; virology ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; RNA, Viral ; blood ; Recombinant Proteins ; Recurrence ; Treatment Outcome ; Viral Load

Objective To explore the correlation of serum matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and tissue metalloproteinase inhibitor-2 (TIMP-2) levels to carotid atherosclerosis plaque vulnerability in patients with anterior circulation infarction. Methods Sixty patients with anterior circulation infarction and 38 healthy volunteers were enrolled in this study. Color Doppler ultrasonography of the carotid artery was performed to determine the carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), Crouse plaque integral (CPI) score, and the total carotid plaque area (CPA). According to the nature of the carotid atherosclerosis plaque defined by ultrasonography, the patients were divided into vulnerable plaque (VP) group (33 cases), stable plaque (SP) group (27 cases), and no plaque (NP) group (38 cases). Serum MMP-2 and TIMP-2 levels were detected in these subjects using enzyme-linked immnosorbent assay (ELISA). Results Ultrasonography showed significantly greater/MT, CPI and CPA in VP group than in SP and NP groups (P<0.05). Serum MMP-2 level was significantly elevated in VP group as compared with that in SP and NP groups (P<0.05). Serum TIMP-2 level was significantly lower in VP group than in SP and NP groups (P<0.05). In VP group, serum MMP-2 level and MMP-2/TIMP-2 ratio were found to positively correlate to IMT, CPl and CPA (r=0.961, 0.966, and 0.804 for MMP-2, respectively, P<0.05;r=0.625, 0.709, and 0.651 for MMP-2/TIMP-2 ratio, respectively, P<0.05), while TIMP-2 was inversely correlated to IMT, CPI and CPA (r=-0.944, -0.996, and -0.859, respectively, P<0.05). Conclusion Serum MMP-2 and TIMP-2 levels and MMP-2/TIMP-2 ratio are closely correlated to carotid atherosclerosis plaque vulnerability.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the predictors of IFN therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C through making the multivariate logistic regression analysis.

METHODSThe patients in the opened, randomized and controlled trial were enrolled into two group, pegasys and Roferon-A group, and were given 24 weeks of pegasys (injection of 180 microg a week), and Roferon-A (injection three times of Roferon-A 3 MU a week) therapy, and followed 24 weeks. The HCV RNA content was determined at the time before, end of treatment and at the followed-up. The association of the response to the treatment with the clinical characteristics including age, gender, way of HCV infection, history of IFN treatment, planet count, AST/ALT ratio, HCV RNA level, HCV genotype and treatment drugs was made trough multivariate logistic regression analysis.

RESULTSThe PP population containing 197 cases was analyzed. After controlling for age, gender, way of HCV infection, history of IFN treatment, planet count, AST/ALT ratio, HCV RNA level and treatment, the HCV genotype was not predictor of the end of treatment viral response (ETVR) to IFN therapy (OR 0.604, 95% CI 0.271-1.349, P = 0.219), but was the independent predictor of sustained viral response (SVR) (OR 0.408, 95% CI 0.189-0.881, P = 0.023). After controlling for other characteristics, the treatment drug was the predictors of ETVR (OR 0.105, 95% CI 0.052-0.212, P < 0.001) and SVR (OR 0.255, 95% CI 0.123-0.529, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONThe pegasys using and HCV genotype were the independent predictors of the response to antiviral therapy in chronic hepatitis C.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Antiviral Agents ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Genotype ; Hepacivirus ; drug effects ; genetics ; Hepatitis C, Chronic ; drug therapy ; virology ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha ; administration & dosage ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polyethylene Glycols ; administration & dosage ; RNA, Viral ; blood ; Recombinant Proteins

OBJECTIVETo investigate the influence of HCV genotype on the IFN treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C.

METHODSThe genotypes of HCV virus were determined in the patients enrolled into the Randomized, opened and controlled trial of Peg-IFN alpha-2a (Pegasys) treatment, controlled with IFN-alpha-2a (Roferon-A), on chronic hepatitis C patients in China. The serum ALT levels and HCV RNA concentration of the patients were detected in the time of before treatment, the end of therapy and follow-up. The influence of HCV genotype on the IFN treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C was analyzed in intention to treat (ITT) population.

RESULTSThe HCV genotypes of 202 cases were determined. 158 (78.2%) cases infected with genotype 1 HCV and 44 (21.8%) cases with genotype non-1. For overall patients, the viral response at the end of treatment (ETVR) and sustained viral response (SVR) rates were 53.8% and 25.3% respectively in patients with genotype 1 HCV, but in genotype non-1 patients those was 61.4% and 43.2%, and the difference of SVR between genotype 1 and non-1 was significant (P=0.021). After grouped by the used drugs, in the patients given Pegasys treatment, the ETVR rates of patients with genotype 1 and non-1 HCV infection were 76.8% and 81.0%, the difference was not significant (P=0.686), but the difference of SVR rates, which were 35.4% and 66.7%, of the patients was significant (P=0.01). The viral relapse rate of genotype 1 was 55.6%; it was significant higher than that of genotype non-1 (23.5%) (P=0.02). In Roferon-A group, the ETVR and SVR rates of patients with genotype 1 HCV were 29.0% and 14.5%, which were lower, but not significant, than those of patients with genotype non-1 (43.5% and 21.7%). The viral relapse rate of genotype 1 was 72.7% and higher, but not significant, than that of genotype non-1 also (50.0%) (P=0.21).

CONCLUSIONHCV genotype could affects the efficacies, mainly the sustained responses, of IFN treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C, and the effects of IFN were related to the kinds of drugs and therapeutic course.

Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; Genotype ; Hepacivirus ; classification ; genetics ; Hepatitis C, Chronic ; drug therapy ; virology ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha ; therapeutic use ; Polyethylene Glycols ; therapeutic use ; Recombinant Proteins ; Recurrence

OBJECTIVETo observe therapeutic effect of electroacupuncture (EA) at Jiaji (EX-B 2) combined with laser needle-knife on lumbar disc herniation.

METHODSOne hundred and twenty cases of lumbar disc herniation were divided into an Jiaji EA group, a laser needle-knife group and a combination group (Jiaji EA plus laser needle-knife) according to random number table. Changes of symptoms at different stages before and after treatment were investigated with SF-MPQ cumulative scores.

RESULTSAll the 115 cases completed all of the study, SF-MPQ score in the combination group was significantly lower than those in the Jiaji EA group and the laser needle-knife group (P<0. 01, P<0.05), with a significant difference at the end of treatment of 2 weeks (P<0.01) between the laser needle-knife group and the Jiaji EA group, and with no significant difference at treatment of 1 week and 3 weeks (P>0.05). The recurrence rate at a half year later in the combination group was significantly lower than those in laser needle-knife group and the Jiaji EA group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONEA at Jiaji (EX-B 2) combined with laser needle-knife can significantly increase clinical therapeutic effect, alleviate pain of the patient and reduce recurrence.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; methods ; Adult ; Aged ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Electroacupuncture ; Female ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; therapy ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Male ; Middle Aged