Adolescent ; Asthma ; drug therapy ; genetics ; immunology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation ; drug effects ; Glucocorticoids ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; blood ; Infant ; Interleukin-12 ; genetics ; Interleukin-13 ; genetics ; Male ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

OBJECTIVETo observe the clinical effect of Dihuang Zhixue Capsule (DZC, a Chinese preparation for cooling blood and dispelling toxic substances) in the treatment of childhood refractory idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (RITP), with cyclosporin A (CsA) used as the control.

METHODSForty-one children of RITP were randomized into the treated group and the control group. The 21 patients in the treated group were orally given 2 to 3 DZC capsules each time, thrice a day and the 20 in the control group were given 3 mg/kg CsA per day, with 3 months as one therapeutic course. The therapeutic efficacy, platelet count and adverse reaction in the two groups were compared at the end of the course.

RESULTS(1) In the treated group, 1 (4.8%) patient was evaluated as cured, 3 (14.3%) as markedly effective, 5 (23.8%) as effective, 5 (23.8%) as improved, 7 (33.3%) as ineffective, with the total effective rate being 66.7%; while in the control group, the corresponding numbers were 0, 2 (10.0%), 2 (10.0%), 3 (15.0%), 13 (65.0%) and 35.0%, respectively, showing statistical significance in difference between the total effective rates of the two groups (xi(2)=4.11, P=0.0426). (2) As compared with the baseline, the platelet count increased in both groups after 2 months' treatment (P<0.05). After 3 months' treatment, the platelet count was higher in the treated group than in the control group (P<0.05). (3) The improvement of hemorrhage in the treated group after 8 weeks' treatment was better than that in the control group (P<0.05). (4) No apparent adverse reaction was observed in the treated group, while in the control group, hirsutism was shown in 15 cases; gingival hyperplasia in 10; digestive reaction in 5, liver function impairment in 5, hypertension in 2 and renal impairment in 2.

CONCLUSIONThe therapeutic efficacy of DZC is better than that of CsA, and DZC shows good compliance but brings no obvious adverse reaction.

Adolescent ; Capsules ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Platelet Count ; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic ; drug therapy ; Treatment Outcome

Moyamoya disease is a chronic progressive occlusive cerebrovascular disease characterized by progressive occlusion of the terminal internal carotid artery with formation of an abnormal vascular network at the skull base. The pathogenesis of the disease is not fully understood and is mainly thought to be associated with genetic factors, environmental factors and immune inflammatory response. The discovery of relevant biomarkers may provide hope for elucidation of pathogenesis of moyamoya disease and the early diagnosis and treatment of it. From the perspectives of coding gene, non-coding RNA and protein related to moyamoya disease, the possible molecular mechanisms involved in the occurrence and development of moyamoya disease are elaborated to further clarify their value as biomarkers of moyamoya disease.