OBJECTIVETo investigate the quality of life of cleft lip and/or palate children's parents and discuss the factors to provide the oretical basis for improving the quality of life of these parents and promoting the healthy growth of children with cleft lip and/or palate.

METHODSA total of 115 parents whose children had cleft lip and/or palate surgery treatment were selected as the experiment group, and another 198 parents (with healthy children having a similar age with those in the experiment group) as the control group. The experiment group was divided into three subgroups according to different types of cleft lip and/or palate: cleft Lip (CL), cleft palate (CP), cleft lip and palate (CLP). The experiment group and the control group were both divided into four subgroups according to age: 0-1, 1-3, 3-6 years old, and more than 6 years old. The experiment group and the control group were both divided into three subgroups according to education: junior middle school and the following, high school and technical secondary school, junior college degree or above. The GQOLI-74 scale was selected to assess the experiment group and the control group. SPSS 16.0 software was used to analyze data.

RESULTS1) The experiment group had no significant difference with the control group in terms of the overall score and the scores of various children ages. 2) The scores of every item had no significant difference in CL, CP, CLP subgroup (P > 0.05). 3) The quality of life scores and scores of psychological function dimension and social function dimension of parents with 3-6 years old patients were obviously lower than those of parents with more than 6 years old patients (P<0.05). The scores of social function dimension of parents with 0-1, 1-3, 3-6 years old patients were obviously lower than those of parents with more than 6 years old patients (P < 0.05). The other items had no significant difference. 4) The scores of material life dimension and social function dimension of parents with junior college degree or above were higher than those of parents with junior middle school degree and the following (P < 0.05). The scores of social function dimension of parents with high school and technical secondary school degree were higher than those of parents with junior middle school degree and the following (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONNo difference was observed in the quality of life between cleft lip and/or palate children's parents and normal group. The parents with the low age children with cleft lip and/or palate and low-levels of education need more help and support to improve quality of life.

Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cleft Lip ; psychology ; Cleft Palate ; psychology ; Humans ; Infant ; Quality of Life ; Social Adjustment ; Software

Objective To observe the meshed capillary pattern(CP)on the surface of colorectal lesions by narrow-band imaging system with magnifying endoscopy(NBI-ME),and to distinguish neoplasm from non-neoplasm by the change of capillary patterns.Methods A total of 144 colorectal lesions in 102 patients detected by conventional colonoscopy were evaluated by NBI-ME to observe the CP on surface,and by staining magnifying colonoscopy to observe the pit pattern.Results All lesions were resected endoscopically (129/144)or by surgery(15/144),and the pathological evaluation diagnosed 30 cases of non-neoplasm (including 20 cases of hyperproliferative polyps and 10 of inflammatory polyps)and 1 14 cases of neoplasm (including 95 cases of adenoma and 19 cases of adenocarcinoma).The diagnostic accuracy rate,sensitivity and specificity of conventional colonoscopy were 75.7%,85.1%and 40.O%,respectively,which were significantly lower than those of NBI-ME and staining magnifying colonoscopy(P＜0.005),while there was no significant difference between NBI-ME and staining magnifying colonoscopy.The CP of type Ⅰ,Ⅱ,Ⅳ and Ⅵa were totally correspondent with pit pattern of type Ⅰ,Ⅱ,Ⅳ and ⅤI. Conclusion NBI-ME findings of colorectal lesions correlated with those of staining magnifying colonoscopy.These two techniques are both helpful in differentiating colorectal neoplasms from non-neoplasms.

OBJECTIVETo determine the lamivudine response of HBV genotypes in patients with HBV DNA positive chronic hepatitis.

METHODSClinical data from 235 patients in the original trial were analyzed.

RESULTS135 patients received lamivudine and 100 patients as controls. Almost all patients had HBV genotypes B or C. Antiviral response were 92.9% and 75.9% in lamivudine-treated patients (chi-square = 6.628, P < 0.05) and 9.8% and 8.5% in untreated controls (P > 0.05) with HBV genotype B and C, respectively. The incidences of lamivudine-induced mutation in YMDD motif were 3.6% and 16.5% in HBV genotype B and C, respectively (chi-square = 5.508, P < 0.01). We identified HBV genotype B, elevated pretreatment alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, and low pretreatment HBV DNA levels as independent factors associated with antiviral response.

CONCLUSIONHBV genotype B was associated with a higher rate of lamivudine-induced HBV DNA clearance and lower rate of lamivudine-induced YMDD mutation compared with genotype C. HBV genotypes may be an important determinant of lamivudine therapy of chronic hepatitis B.

Adult ; Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; DNA, Viral ; blood ; Female ; Gene Products, pol ; genetics ; Genotype ; Hepatitis B virus ; classification ; genetics ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Lamivudine ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Mutation

OBJECTIVETo summarize the clinical data in preventing HBV recurrence after liver transplantation and explore a optimal individual protocol in prophylaxis of HBV recurrence.

METHODSWe retrospected outcomes in 195 recipients who underwent a liver transplantation for HBV-related liver disease between June 2004 and July 2008. According to the anti-virus protocol these recipients are divided into two groups as following: group A received a protocol of combination treatment of lamivudine with HBIG, and group B with combination treatment of adefovir with HBIG. With mean follow-up of 23.7 months, HBV recurrent rate was observed in overall and each group separately.

RESULTSA total of 195 liver transplant recipients were identified that met the study criteria. At the sixth and eleventh month after operation, HBV recurrence appeared in 2 recipients, each in two groups, which were due to LAM cessation and HBV mutation respectively. Recurrent rate was 0.6% in group A, 3.7% in group B and 1% in total. There was no significant difference in HBV recurrent rate between group A and B.

CONCLUSIONLamivudine combined with HBIg should be considered as a reliable method in preventing HBV recurrence after liver transplantation. Better outcomes can be achieved by individual anti-virus protocol and HBIg administration according to HBV status in recipient.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Antibiotic Prophylaxis ; Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Hepatitis B ; prevention & control ; surgery ; Hepatitis B virus ; drug effects ; physiology ; Humans ; Lamivudine ; therapeutic use ; Liver Transplantation ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Recurrence ; Young Adult

Objective:To construct HIV-1 pseudovirus containing enhanced green fluorescent protein ( EGFP ) gene. To understand the interaction between the virus and the cells. Methods: HIV-1 pseudovirus containing EGFP gene was constructed by lentiviral packaging systems, and its EGFP gene was amplified using RT-PCR. The level of genomic integration and transcription of HIV-1 pseudovirus containing EGFP gene were detected on iDCs infected with HIV-1 pseudovirus. At the same time, research on expression of the EGFP gene in iDCs infected with HIV-1 pseudovirus was performed. Results:The EGFP gene of HIV-1 pseudovirus was detected through RT-PCR. The EGFP gene was identified in iDCs infected with HIV-1 pseudovirus through PCR and RT-PCR. The EGFP was observed in iDCs infected with HIV-1 pseudovirus under fluorescence microscopy. Conclusion: HIV-1 pseudovirus containing EGFP gene has been successfully produced. The HIV-1 pseudovirus that we constructed can infect iDCs,then its RNA can integrate into the genome of iDCs in the way of reverse transcription,and the EGFP gene could express in the iDCs after infected with HIV-1 pseudovirus.

Objective To analyze the frequency of interleukin (IL)-22+CD161+CD4+ T cells in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients compared with healthy control subjects and investigate the relationship of IL-22+CD4+CD161+ T lymphocyte frequency changes with RA disease activity.In addition to explore the pathogenesis of RA,and to look for new treatment targets for RA.Methods Twenty-one RA cases were included in the Department of Rheumatology of Tangshan Gongren Hospital from 2017 to 2018.Fourteen patients were female and 7 were male with the age ranged from 36 to 74 years old.The average age of this group of patients was (55±10) years,the average disease course was (60±50) months.All patients fulfilled the classification criteria of American College of Rheumatology [American College of Rheumatology (ACR)].Twenty-one subjects were enrolled as the control group,all of them came to Tangshan Gongren Hospital for regular health check-up.Fifteen subjects in the control group were female and 6 were male.Their age ranged between 40-78 years old with the average age of (55±9) years.IL-22+CD4+CD161+ T cells in PBMCs were detected by flow cytometry.The frequency variation of different CD4+CD161 + T was compared between case and control groups.The correlation was studied between the frequency and RA disease activity score (DAS28),tender joints number,swollen joints number,red blood cell sedimentation rate,high sensitive C reactive protein and white blood cell counts,red blood cell counts,platelet counts,IgG,IgA,IgM,complement C3 level,complement C4 level.T-test or Mann-Whitney U test were used for single-factor analysis,Pearson's test was used for correlation analysis.Results The percentage of RA group secreted CD4+ T cells (0.33± 0.20)％ of INF-γand IL-22,CD4+ T cells (0.51±0.29)％ of IL-22,and CD4+CD161+ T cells of IL-22 simultaneously.The number (0.55 ±0.28)％ was.significantly higher than that of the healtby control group [(0.22±0.14)％,(0.25±0.18)％,(0.36±0.24)％],and the differences were statistically significant [P=0.002,P=-0.0.45,P=0.026].Conclusion The percentage of IL-22+CD4+CD161+ T lymphocytes in the peripheral blood monocytes in RA patients is significantly higher than that in the healthy controls.The results of this study suggest that IL-22+CD4+CD161+ T lymphocytes in RA patients maybe related to RA disease activity and joint lesions.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) for osteoporosis screening. Materials and Methods: Eligible patients who had and had not undergone DXA screening were identified from among those aged 50 years or older at Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan. Age, sex, screening year (index year), and Charlson comorbidity index of the DXA and non-DXA groups were matched using inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) for propensity score analysis. For cost-effectiveness analysis, a societal perspective, 1-year cycle length, 20-year time horizon, and discount rate of 2% per year for both effectiveness and costs were adopted in the incremental cost-effectiveness (ICER) model. Results: The outcome analysis included 10337 patients (female:male, 63.8%:36.2%) who were screened for osteoporosis in southern Taiwan between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2021. The DXA group had significantly better outcomes than the non-DXA group in terms of fragility fractures (7.6% vs. 12.5%, P < 0.001) and mortality (0.6% vs. 4.3%, P < 0.001). The DXA screening strategy gained an ICER of US$ -2794 per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) relative to the non-DXA at the willingness-to-pay threshold of US$ 33004 (Taiwan’s per capita gross domestic product). The ICER after stratifying by ages of 50–59, 60–69, 70–79, and ≥ 80 years were US$ -17815, US$ -26862, US$ -28981, and US$ -34816 per QALY, respectively. Conclusion Using DXA to screen adults aged 50 years or older for osteoporosis resulted in a reduced incidence of fragility fractures, lower mortality rate, and reduced total costs. Screening for osteoporosis is a cost-saving strategy and its effectiveness increases with age. However, caution is needed when generalizing these cost-effectiveness results to all older populations because the study population consisted mainly of women.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy and safety of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) plus prednisone on refractory nephrotic syndrome (RNS) in children.

METHODSOne hundred and forty-two children with RNS from ten clinical trial centers were divided into two groups: MMF (n=87) and control (n=55). The MMF group patients were administered with oral MMF (30-40 mg/kg daily) for at least 6 months. Afterwards the patients who responded to MMF received another 6 months MMF treatment at a dosage of 10-20 mg/kg daily. The controls were treated with pulse intravenous infusion of cyclophosphamide (CTX) (10 mg/kg daily) for 2 days every 2 weeks for 3 months. Then CTX was administered at a dosage of 500 mg/m2 once a month 4, 7 and 10 months after treatment. While the patients received MMF or CTX treatment, they were treated with oral prednisone (0.5-1 mg/kg daily) for 2 to 3 months, and then the dosage of prednisone was gradually reduced. Urinary protein, liver and renal functions, and side effects of drugs were examined at regular intervals for one year.

RESULTSOf the 87 patients, 58 achieved complete remission, 16 achieved partial remission, 9 achieved early remission and 4 had no response to treatment. In the control group, 35 achieved complete remission, 9 achieved partial remission, 1 achieved early remission and 10 had no response to treatment. The total remission rate in the MMF group (95.4%) was significantly higher than that in the control group (81.8%) (P<0.01). After treatment 67 patients (65.4%) in the MMF group had negative proteinuria compared with 36 patients (65.4%) in the control group (P>0.05). MMF was found to be more effective in reducing proteinuria, and improving hypoproteinemia, oliguria, hyperlipemia, and edema than CTX. MMF was better tolerated with lower incidences of adverse reactions than CTX.

CONCLUSIONSThe combined therapy of MMF and prednisone is more effective and tolerable than pulse intravenous infusion of CTX for treatment of RNS in children.

Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; therapeutic use ; Infant ; Male ; Mycophenolic Acid ; adverse effects ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use ; Nephrotic Syndrome ; drug therapy ; Prednisone ; therapeutic use ; Prospective Studies

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy and safety of capecitabine as first-line therapy in patients with advanced and recurrent colorectal cancer.

METHODSFrom December 2000 to November 2001, sixty patients with advanced and recurrent colorectal cancer received first-line capecitabine treatment given at a dose of 1250 mg/m(2) twice daily, on days 1 - 14 every 21 days. At least 2 cycles were administered.

RESULTSThe overall response rate was 23.3% with 14 PR, 24 SD (40.0%) and 15 PD. The median survival time was 14.7 months. The survival rate was 63.9% at 12-months and 33.4% at 24-months. Grade III-IV adverse effects were diarrhea in 4 patients (6.6%), anemia in 2 (3.3%) and hand-foot syndrome (HFS) in 1 (1.7%); Grade I-II adverse effects were hyperpigmentation in 20 (33.3%), HFS in 18 (30.0%) and diarrhea in 10 (16.7%).

CONCLUSIONCapecitabine is an efficacious and better-tolerated alternative treatment for the patients with advanced and recurrent colorectal cancer.

Adult ; Aged ; Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic ; therapeutic use ; Capecitabine ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; mortality ; Deoxycytidine ; adverse effects ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Fluorouracil ; analogs & derivatives ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Survival Rate

OBJECTIVE: To preliminarily explore the potential effect of β-glucan on Chinese medicine (CM) concept protective qi deficiency (PQD), and the methodology for future definitive studies. METHODS: To have a standardized assessment of PQD, a list of 13 potentially PQD-relevant parameters were firstly created, each with defined quantitative or categorial scales. Using the data from 37 participants with (21 cases) or without (16 cases) PQD, multivariate logistic modeling was conducted to create a preliminary diagnostic PQD risk score. Subsequently, 21 participants diagnosed with PQD were treated with β-glucan in a dose of 200 mg/day for 8 weeks. Data were collected for trial acceptability measures (rate of recruitment, withdrawal, and compliance), and the participants were assessed for PQD status at baseline and every 2 weeks thereafter. RESULTS: The preliminary logistic model consisted of 3 parameters (low voice and apathy, aversion to wind and cold, and Cun pulse). The resulting risk score demonstrated a degree of PQD-predicting accuracy that, as evaluated by statistical (discrimination and classification) methods, was higher than those obtained from any of the individual candidate parameters. The 21 PQD participants treated with β-glucan demonstrated good receptibility and a time-dependent improvement in PQD status as evidenced by the decrease of PQD participant to 9.5% at the end of study. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated the effect of proof-of-concept of β-glucan on improving PQD and the proof-of-concept of a multivariate-model-derived diagnostic PQD risk score. It also indicated feasibility for future definitive studies. Studies like this embody an innovative approach that uses therapies derived from the mainstream biomedicine to enrich therapeutics guided by CM principle. (Trial registration No. NCT03829228).