OBJECTIVETo select a safe, quick and effective method for terminating ectopic pregnancy (EP) with few adverse effects.

METHODSPatients were divided into 2 groups. The observed group was treated with methotrexate (MTX, 50 mg/m2 for single dose intramuscular injection) plus RU 486 (600 mg taken orally in the morning with empty stomach, followed with fasting for 2 hrs) and Waiyun Zhuyu decoction (WZD, one dose a day for 7-10 days). The control group was only treated with MTX, with the same regimen as used in the observed group.

RESULTSThe curative rate, time for blood beta-HCG recovering, lump absorption time, and tube recanalization rate in the observed group were better than those in the control group (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION; The key links for successfully treating EP with conservative drug therpy are to diagnose the disease early and clearly, and to select indicative subject strictly. The scheme of single dose administration of MTX plus RU486 combined with WZD, with its high efficacy and few adverse reaction, may be used as the first choice for referential clinical drugs administration.

Abortifacient Agents, Nonsteroidal ; administration & dosage ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Methotrexate ; administration & dosage ; Mifepristone ; administration & dosage ; Phytotherapy ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Ectopic ; drug therapy ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo observe therapeutic effect of acupoint embedding thread therapy on ulcerative colitis and to study the mechanism.

METHODSThe rat model of ulcerative colitis was developed with 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene method. The 20th day after the end of model development, they were randomly divided into a model group, a salicylazosulfapyridine (SASP) treatment group and an acupoint embedding thread therapy group. The SASP treatment group were treated with intragastrical perfusion of 4.5% SASP suspension, and the acupoint embedding thread therapy group were treated with embedding thread at "Zusanli" (ST 36) and "Shangjuxu" (ST 37). Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) was detected with indirect immunofluorescence, and the pathological changes were investigated with pathological tissue section technique.

RESULTSThe positive rate of ANCA reached to 62.5% in the rat with ulcerative colitis with significant differences among the 3 groups. After treatment, the positive rate of ANCA was decreased in the two treatment groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONAcupoint embedding thread therapy has definite therapeutic effect on ulcerative colitis and the mechanism is possibly related with the decrease of ANCA.

Acupuncture Points ; Animals ; Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic ; Colitis, Ulcerative ; therapy ; Rats

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 determine the role of Pre-S1 protein in diagnosing viral replication in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

METHODS104 consecutive patients with chronic hepatitis B were included in the study, liver biopsy were performed in all patients. Serial serum samples were studied with the quantitative determination of HBV-DNA by a quantitative PCR assay, determination of Pre-S1 protein by ELISA.

RESULTSThe positive rates of HBV-DNA and Pre-S1 protein in patients with HBsAg HBeAg anti-HBc (+) both were 96.5%. The positive rates of HBV-DNA and Pre-S1 protein in patients with HBsAg anti-HBe anti-HBc (+) were 81.5%, 72.3%, respectively. The positive rates of HBV-DNA and Pre-S1 protein in patients with HBsAg anti-HBc (+) were 87.5%, 75.0%, respectively. It represented some patients with HBeAg (-) anti-HBe (+/-) still had viral replication. HBV-DNA>10(3) copy/ml as positive criteria for diagnosing viral replication, the positive rate of HBeAg, Pre-S1 were 31.5% (28/89), 80.9% (72/89) in patients with HBV-DNA>10(3) copy/ml, respectively. The concordance rates of HBeAg, Pre-S1 with HBV-DNA were 40.0% (42/104), 82.0% (85/104), respectively.

CONCLUSIONIt showed that Pre-S1 was more sensitive than HBeAg in diagnosing viral replication in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Adult ; DNA, Viral ; blood ; Female ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B virus ; physiology ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; virology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Protein Precursors ; blood ; Virus Replication

OBJECTIVEIn order to explore the existence of SARS coronavirus (Co-V) and/or its RNA in sewage of hospitals administered SARS patients.

METHODSA novel electropositive filter was used to concentrate the SARS-CoV from the sewage of two hospitals administered SARS patients in Beijing, including twelve 2,500 ml sewage samples from the hospitals before disinfection, and ten 25,000 ml samples after disinfection; as well as cell culture, RT-PCR and sequencing of gene to detect and identify the viruses from sewage.

RESULTSThere was no live SARS-CoV detected in the sewage in this study. The nucleic acid of SARS-CoV had been found in the 12 sewage samples before disinfection from both hospitals by semi-nested PCR. After disinfection, SARS-CoV RNA could only be detected from the samples from the 309th Hospital, and the others were negative.

CONCLUSIONIt provides evidence that there is no live SARS-Cov in the sewage from hospitals with SARS patients though SARS-CoV RNA can be detected.

Hospitals ; Humans ; Nucleocapsid ; analysis ; RNA, Viral ; analysis ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; SARS Virus ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ; virology ; Sewage ; virology