Objective To investigate the diagnostic value of serum Cystatin C for early detection of renal damage in patients with liver cirrhosis. Methods 24-h creatinine clearance (CCr), serum level of cystatin C (CysC) and serum creatinine were measured in 76 patients with cirrhosis and t-test,Pearson's correlation test and ROC curve were used to evaluate the diagnostic significance of Cys C.Results The increase in Cys C level was associated with a decrease of CCr in the patients. Both Cys C and SCr were inversely correlated with CCr ( CysC: r =- 0. 763, P ＜ 0. 001; SCr: r=-0. 571,P＜0.01). Meanwhile, the area under the ROC curve was significantly higher in Cys C than in SCr (0. 830 vs. 0. 612). Conclusion Cystatin C is a more accurate and sensitive marker of renal diagnosis in liver cirrhosis. Detection of Cys C level in cirrhotic patients is of great significance for the prevention of liver-kidney syndrome.

Objective To determine levels of serum Leptin,insulin like growth factor-1(IGF-1),interleukin-6(IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-?) in newborn infants with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy(HIE).Methods The asphyxiated and normal term neonates were included.The HIE group contained 45 cases and control group 20 cases.Serum Leptin,IGF-1,IL-6 and TNF-? levels were measured by a sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results In asphyxiated term neonates,serum Leptin,IGF-1,IL-6 and TNF-? levels were significantly higher or lower than those in control group(all P

OBJECTIVETo study the durability of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene artificial heart valve (ePTFE AHV).

METHODSSix ePTFE AHVs were tested for 400 million times against accelerated fatigue using TH-2200 artificial heart valve exosomatic accelerated fatigue instrument. Hydromechanical parameters of fore-and-aft accelerated fatigue test of the 6 AHVs were obtained by TH-1200 artificial heart valve exosomatic pulsatile stream instrument.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONThe mean gradient pressure spanning the valve and the effective orific area of ePTFE AHVs did not undergo significant changes after fore-and-aft the fatigue test, but the regurgitation volume and regurgitation rate of ePTFE AHVs were reduced after the accelerated fatigue test, suggesting good durability of ePTFE AHV.

Biocompatible Materials ; chemistry ; Heart Valve Prosthesis ; standards ; Materials Testing ; methods ; Polytetrafluoroethylene ; chemistry ; Tensile Strength

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of combined use of implantation of (125)I seeds with regional arterial infusion chemotherapy on late-staged pancreatic carcinoma.

METHODSDuring operation, (125)I seeds were implanted into tumor parenchyma or operative beds for 7 patients with pathological diagnosis of late-staged pancreatic carcinoma, then chemotherapy pump was implanted into common hepatic artery or celiac artery through left gastric artery or right epigastric artery. Gemcitabine (1000 mg/m(2)) plus fluorouracil (500 mg/m(2)) was used for postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy once a week for 7 consecutive weeks.

RESULTSThe mean number of implanted (125)I seeds was 42 and the mean dose was 29.4 mCi. The mean follow-up time was 245 days. Rate of pain relief was 100%, metastasis foci was reduced in 2 cases. CA-19-9 Antigen level decreased to normal in all patients. Pancreatic fistula occurred in one case and was cured with conservative therapy.

CONCLUSIONSThe combination therapy is effective for late-staged pancreatic carcinoma, it brings symptom relief and improvement in quality of life.

Aged ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Brachytherapy ; adverse effects ; methods ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Infusions, Intra-Arterial ; Iodine Radioisotopes ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; therapy ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Analysis ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To investigate the relationship between white blood cell count,neutrophils ratio and erythrocyte sedimentation rate and short outcomes among patients with acute ischemic stroke at admission to the hospital.Methods A total of 2675 acute ischemic stroke patients were included in this study.Data on demographic characteristics,life style,history of disease,white blood cell count( WBC),neutrophils ratio(NEUR),erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR) and clinical outcomes were collected for all the participants.Poor clinical outcome was defined as neurologic deficiency (NIHSS≥5) at discharge or death during hospitalization.Results White blood cell count,neutrophils ratio and erythrocyte sedimentation rate were higher in patients with poor outcome than m those without clinical outcome.According to the quartile range,WBC,NEUR and ESR were divided into four levefs at admission.After adjustment for multivariate,compared with WBC≤5.6 × 109/L,the odds ratio (95％ confidence intervals) of poor outcome with ≥8.7 × 109/L was 1.883 (1.306-2.716).When compared with NEUR≤0.56,the odds ratio (95％ confidence intervals) of poor outcome with 0.57-0.64 and with ≥0.74 were 1.572 (1.002-2.466) and 2.577 ( 1.698-3.910),respectively.When compared with ESR≤4 mm/h,the odds ratio (95％ confidence intervals) of poor outcome with ≥17 mm/h was 2.426 (1.233-4776).Elevated WBC count and NEUR at admission were significantly and positively associated with poor clinical outcomes among patients with acute ischernic stroke (trend test P＜0.05).Elevated ESR was not significantly or positively associated with poor clinical outcomes among patients with acute ischemic stroke (trend test P＞0.05).Conclusion There appeared associations between WBC,NEUR,ESR and poor outcome among patients with acute ischemic stroke at admission to the hospital.Both elevated WBC count and NEUR showed significantly positive association with poor clinical outcomes among patients with acute ischemic stroke at admission.

BACKGROUNDDespite its widespread use in the management of HIV-related cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, there have been surprisingly few reports of the use of valganciclovir (VGC) in the post-allotransplant setting. So far, no multi-center, non-crossover trial data have been available with the use of this drug as the primary pre-emptive. The present study evaluated the efficacy and safety of VGC for preemptive therapy of CMV infection after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).

METHODSFrom January to April 2007, VGC was adopted in eleven centers in mainland China for pre-emptive therapy of CMV infection in consecutive patients undergoing allogeneic HSCT. Allogeneic HSCT recipients were followed weekly via CMV pp65 antigenemia assay or real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for detection of CMV-DNA. Patients with a positive assay were treated with VGC, 900 mg P.O. twice a day for 14 days followed by 900 mg P.O. once a day for 14 days after a negative result or the CMV-DNA load was lower.

RESULTSA total of 54 patients (15 siblings, 28 mismatched related donors, 11 unrelated donors) had a positive assay treated with oral VGC. The seroconversion rate was 89% (48/54) as confirmed by a negative assay; six patients failed oral VGC. No significant toxicity was encountered. No case of CMV disease was diagnosed in the responding patients with a median follow-up of 5.3 months after the drug administration.

CONCLUSIONPre-emptive therapy of CMV viraemia with oral VGC is safe and effective in allogeneic HSCT.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; China ; Cytomegalovirus Infections ; drug therapy ; Female ; Ganciclovir ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Viremia ; drug therapy ; virology ; Young Adult

To further explore the role of rituximab when added to the CHOP-like regimen in the treatment of immunohistochemically defined non-germinal center B-cell subtype (non-GCB) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma(DLBCL), 159 newly diagnosed DLBCL patients were studied retrospectively based on the immunohistochemical evaluation of CD10, Bcl-6, MUM-1, and Bcl-2. Altogether, 110 patients underwent the CHOP-like regimen, and rituximab was added for the other 49 patients. Cox regression analysis showed that compared with the CHOP-like regimen, the rituximab-based regimen(R-CHOP regimen) significantly decreased the risk of disease relapse and progression in CD10-negative patients (P=0.001), Bcl-6-negative patients (P=0.01), and MUM-1-positive patients (P=0.003). The risk of disease relapse in patients with non-GCB subtype (P=0.002) also decreased. In contrast, patients with the opposite immunohistochemical marker expression profile and GCB subtype did not benefit from treatment with the R-CHOP regimen. In addition, non-GCB subtype patients had a significantly higher expression rate of Bcl-2 than GCB subtype patients (P=0.042). Although univariate analysis found that both Bcl-2-positive and -negative patients had significantly higher event-free survival rates with the R-CHOP regimen, only Bcl-2 positivity (P=0.004) maintained significance in the Cox regression analysis. We conclude that the addition of rituximab can significantly improve the prognosis of patients with non-GCB subtype DLBCL, which is closely related to the expression of CD10, Bcl-6, MUM-1, and Bcl-2.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived ; therapeutic use ; Antineoplastic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Cyclophosphamide ; therapeutic use ; Disease Progression ; Disease-Free Survival ; Doxorubicin ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Germinal Center ; pathology ; Humans ; Interferon Regulatory Factors ; metabolism ; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neprilysin ; metabolism ; Prednisone ; therapeutic use ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; metabolism ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-6 ; metabolism ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Rituximab ; Survival Rate ; Vincristine ; therapeutic use ; Young Adult

Cancer is a major public health issue that seriously endangers the public health and social development of China. Future initiatives for cancer prevention and control should continue to adhere to the principle of prioritizing prevention, and comprehensively implement related prevention activities nationwide. This is critical to reducing cancer burden in Chinese residents, especially in the low- and middle-income populations and those living in areas that are less economically developed. In the past several decades, the international community has significantly reduced the incidence of related cancers through primary prevention measures such as tobacco control, improved occupational hygiene, and vaccination. China has also implemented a series of exploratory primary prevention measures among high-risk groups of cancer in specific areas including Xuanwei, Qidong, and Linxian, and achieved encouraging results. However, due to the low level of systematic awareness of cancer risk factors and the lack of awareness and ability of self-health management in Chinese residents, it is urgent to develop novel research tools and methods to further reveal the causes of cancer, and establish innovative mechanisms and systems of primary prevention of cancer at population and individual levels. Based on current status of the transformation of cancer spectrum and the development of digital intelligence, it would be beneficial to establish a smart digital system for primary cancer prevention service that can cover the entire population, integrating authoritative popular science education on primary prevention of cancer, individualized cancer risk assessment, and personalized health management assistant. This will improve primary cancer prevention among the Chinese general population and can help the sustainable development of cancer prevention and control in China.
China/epidemiology* ; Delivery of Health Care ; Humans ; Neoplasms/prevention & control* ; Primary Prevention ; Risk Factors

The paper explores the evolution of "bone-approaching" acupuncture, its effect target and mechanism. The concrete operation procedure of "bone-approaching" method is recorded originally in Huangdi Neijing (Inner Canon of Yellow Emperor) as short needling and Shu needling (referring to the category of the five needling technique). The periosteum is the most effective stimulation target of "bone-approaching" acupuncture for analgesia, regaining consciousness and regulating spirit. The "bone-approaching" acupuncture is not only prominently effective on bone bi syndrome, but also has the unique effect on painful, encephalogenic and emotional diseases. The paper summarizes and improves "bone-approaching" acupuncture, i.e. "touching bone surface" with needle tip by slow insertion, "touching bone surface" without pain by swift insertion and "touching bone" with needle body by oblique insertion. It contributes to the inheritance, development and supplementation to the bone needling techniques in Huangdi Neijing and is significant for broadening the clinical application range of acupuncture.
Humans ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Periosteum ; Analgesia ; Pain Management ; Consciousness ; Pain

INTRODUCTIONHepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation has been reported in B-cell lymphoma patients with resolved hepatitis B (hepatitis B surface antigen [HBsAg]-negative and hepatitis B core antibody [HBcAb]-positive). This study aimed to assess HBV reactivation and hepatitis occurrence in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients with resolved hepatitis B receiving rituximab-containing chemotherapy compared with HBsAg-negative/HBcAb-negative patients to identify risk factors for HBV reactivation and hepatitis occurrence and to analyze whether HBV reactivation and hepatitis affect the survival of DLBCL patients with resolved hepatitis B.

METHODSWe reviewed the clinical data of 278 patients with DLBCL treated with rituximab-containing therapy between January 2004 and May 2008 at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, China. Predictive factors for HBV reactivation, hepatitis development, and survival were examined by univariate analysis using the chi-square or Fisher's exact test and by multivariate analysis using the Cox regression model.

RESULTSAmong the 278 patients, 165 were HBsAg-negative. Among these 165 patients, 6 (10.9%) of 55 HBcAb-positive (resolved HBV infection) patients experienced HBV reactivation compared with none (0%) of 110 HBcAb-negative patients (P = 0.001). Patients with resolved hepatitis B had a higher hepatitis occurrence rate than HBsAg-negative/HBcAb-negative patients (21.8% vs. 8.2%, P = 0.013). HBcAb positivity and elevated baseline alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were independent risk factors for hepatitis. Among the 55 patients with resolved hepatitis B, patients with elevated baseline serum ALT or aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were more likely to develop hepatitis than those with normal serum ALT or AST levels (P = 0.037, P = 0.005, respectively). An elevated baseline AST level was an independent risk factor for hepatitis in these patients. Six patients with HBV reactivation recovered after immediate antiviral therapy, and chemotherapy was continued. HBcAb positivity, HBV reactivation, or hepatitis did not negatively affect the survival of DLBCL patients.

CONCLUSIONSDLBCL patients with resolved hepatitis B may have a higher risk of developing HBV reactivation and hepatitis than HBsAg-negative/HBcAb-negative patients. Close monitoring and prompt antiviral therapy are required in these patients.

China ; Hepatitis B ; Hepatitis B Antibodies ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis B virus ; Humans ; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse ; Mortality ; Prognosis ; Risk Factors ; Rituximab ; Virus Activation