Objective To investigate and analyze the health care seeking behavior,financial burden and relative factors of patients with rheumatic diseases in Fujian Province.Methods Patients diagnosed with rheumatic diseases were investigated in Fujian Provincial Hospital from December 2013 to February 2014,including demographic data,health care seeking behavior and financial burden.Relevant factors were analyzed by Logistic regression.Results ① In this study,474 patients were enrolled.The ratio of male to female was 1∶2.38.② At the onset of symptoms,51.9％(246 cases) of patients visited a doctor as soon as possible,and 36.1％(171 cases) of them went to hospital within a month after disease onset.③ 74.1％(351 cases) of patients could adhere to medication regimen prescribed by doctors,and the most common reason for stopping medication was symptoms relieved (33.3％,41 cases).④ 63.1％(299 cases) of patients learned about the knowledge of rheumatic diseases from hospitals and doctors.⑤ 34.2％(162 cases) of patients spent 1 000-5 000 yuan every month on treatment.⑥ Insurance type could affect the time of first visit to hospital (P=0.004),while income and cost of therapy might impact patients' compliance (P=0.013,P=0.004).Conclusion Most patients will go to hospital as soon as possible and adhere to treatment.Economic situation is the main factor influencing health care seeking behavior of patients with rheumatic diseases.

BACKGROUND:Bone mesenchymal stem cells(BMSCs) can accelerate vascularization of myocardial cell,relieve myocardial remodeling,and improve heart function.However,whether its paracrine action can facilitate the differentiation of CD117+ cardiac stem cells(CSCs) by effecting transforming growth factor-? Ⅲ(TGF-? Ⅲ) receptor expression is still unknown.OBJECTIVE:To study the influence of BMSCs on the expression of TGF-? Ⅲ receptor in the process of differentiation of CD117+ CSCs.DESIGN,TIME AND SETTING:In vitro cytology contract observation.The experiment was performed at the Xinhua Hospital from February 2008 to February 2009.MATERIALS:Neonatal rats,weighing 5-8 g,were used to prepare CSCs.Sprague Dawley rats,4 weeks old,weighing 200-250 g,were prepared for BMSCs.METHODS:CD117+CSCs were obtained from neonatal rats by explant cultures and magnetic bead cell sorting.Immunohistochemical experiment was performed to identify specificity of CSCs.CD117+CSCs suspension were synchronization without serum for 24 hours,washed by PBS for 3 times,and then cultured with DMEM/F12,followed by inoculation into 6-well plate.The cells were divided into the control and co-culture groups.In the control group,CSCs were induced differentiation by cardiac spheres,and Transwell chamber were used in the co-culture group.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:The growth of CSCs was observed by inverted microscope.The changes of cardiac Troponin T(cTnT),connexin43,TGF-? Ⅲ receptor,smad2 and phospho-smad2 expressions were detected by western blot at days 1,3,5 and 7 after culture.RESULTS:①CSCs isolated by explants cultures and MACS expressed CD117,which grew in disperse with smaller body.② The expression of cTnT and connexin43 were significantly higher in the co-culture group than that of the control group at days 5 and 7(P

Jin's three-needle technique is named after Professor JIN Rui. The connotation of Jin's three-needle technique is summarized by his followers through long-term teaching and clinical practice. His principle and method of point combination are based on syndrome differentiation of acupuncture. And his unique needling technique and treating principle of mental tranquilization also play an important role in his clinical practice.
Acupuncture Therapy ; instrumentation ; methods ; Humans ; Needles

Objective To investigate the influence of factors related to metabolic syndrome(MS)on the outcome in subjects without diabetes mellitus in a community.Methods A two-year follow-up study was conducted in 885 subjects who were enrolled in the epidemiologic survey carried out in Pingliang Community, Shanghai in 2002.Oral glucose tolerance test,lipid prefde,blood pressure(BP),body mass index(BMI),waist and hip circumferences were measured.Results (1)The baseline of BMI,fasting plasma glucose(FPG),2h plasma glucose after glucose loading(2hPG),BP,triglyceride(TG)in the subjects with impaired glucose regulation(IGR)increased significantly as compared to those with normal glucose regulation(NGR)(all P

Objective To explore the pathologic changes in the brain areas corresponding to specific cognitive function and underlying mechanism of cognitive impairment in patients with epilepsy by DTI study.Methods Forty-four Patients and 20 control subjects received the test of Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale and the Diffusion-Tensor Imaging examination.Mean diffusivity (MD) and fractional anisotropy (FA) in the normal appearing white matter of interested area were measured.T test was employed to compare the MD and FA between patients and healthy controls,patients with normal and impaired FIQ respectively.The relationships between FIQ and DTI value were analyzed by Bivariate correlations.Results VIQ (100.52?17.63),PIQ (95.10?16.72) and FIQ (98.19?17.76) of the patients with epilepsy were significantly lower than those of health controls (VIQ,PIQ and FIQ were 109.77?13.54,108.11? 12.17 and 109.81?10.57,respectively).Significant reduction of FA in both side of posterior limb of internal capsule (P

Objective To explore the relationship between osteoporosis and serum total type Ⅰ amino terminal extension of the peptide,vitamin D3 and smoking index in the patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).Methods One hundred and fifty patients with COPD (test group) and 150 healthy people (control group) were selected.The total type Ⅰ amino terminal extension of the peptide was measured by electrochemical luminescence,and enzyme-linked immunoassay was adopted to determine the vitamin D3.The 150 patients with COPD were divided into slight group (45 cases),moderate group (52 cases) and severe group (53 cases) according to the severity of COPD.In 150 patients with COPD,120 patients with smoking were divided into 3 groups according to smoking index:A group smoking index ＜ 360,36 cases;B group smoking index 360-400,34 cases;and C group smoking index 401-560,50 cases.The levels of serum total type Ⅰ amino terminal extension of the peptide and vitamin D3 were compared and correlation was analyzed.Results The vitamin D3 and the total type Ⅰ amino terminal extension of the peptide levels in test group were significandy lower than those in control group:(35.37 ± 12.11) mg/L vs.(45.88 ± 12.55) mg/L and (38.16 ± 11.12) mg/L vs.(45.23 ± 12.33) mg/L,and there were statistical differences (t =2.74 and 4.64,P＜ 0.01).The levels of vitamin D3 and the total type Ⅰ amino terminal extension of the peptide in slight,moderate and severe group were decreased in turn,and the levels of total type Ⅰ amino terminal extension of the peptide and the vitamin D3 were positively associated with the severity of COPD (r =0.185 and 0.257,P ＜ 0.05).The levels of vitamin D3 and total type Ⅰ amino terminal extension of the peptide in A,B and C group were decreased in turn,and the levels of total type Ⅰ amino terminal extension of the peptide and the vitamin D3 were positively associated with smoking index (r =0.159 and 0.172,P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion COPD patients are easier to suffer from osteoporosis compared with healthy population,and the serum vitamin D3 and total type Ⅰ amino terminal extension of the peptide can forecast the osteoporosis in COPD patients.

Objective To develop the scale of volume-management for peritoneal dialysis(PD) patients.Methods The item pool was formulated based on literature review and in-depth interviews.An initial scale was constructed through two rounds of Delphi expert consultation and preliminary test.Totally 125 PD patients from Jiangsu-Zhejiang-Shanghai area were investigated to test the reliability and validity of the scale.Results 2 factors were extracted by exploratory factor analysis,which contained 8 items and could explain 66.07％ of the total variance.The content validity index was 1.0,the Cronbach α was 0.870,and test-retest reliability was 0.930.Conclusions The scale is proved to be a reliable and valid tool for the volume-management assessment of PD patients.

Objective To review the clinical and histopathological features,management and outcomes in 67 patients with seba- ceous carcinoma of the eyelid.Design Retrospective case series.Participants Sixty-seven cases of the sebaceous gland carcinoma were retrieved from the ophthalmology archives of Tongren Hospital between 1996 and 2005.Methods Clinical data of all patients were re- viewed from the charts.Pathology specimens were reviewed in all cases.Main Outcome Measure Presenting features,sites of origin, location,differentiation,management,histopathologic findings,and incidence of recurrence in 67 patients.Results A total of 36 female and 31 male patients were identified.The mean age at diagnosis was 59 years (range from 35 to 84).Initial clinical diagnoses elsewhere were sebaceous carcinoma (43.28%),chalazion (25.37%),basal cell carcinoma(7.46%).Initial histopathologic diagnoses were sebaceous carcinoma(79.10%),basal cell carcinoma(5.97%),squamous cell carcinoma(1.49%) and other or not available(4.48%).The initial treat- ment involved excisional techniques with reconstruction in 42 cases,anti-inflammatory in 12 cases,without any treatment in 10 cases. 61.19% cases presented the pagetoid invasion.Local recurrence developed in 58.21% and two died from metastatic sebaceous carcino- ma (8.70%).Regional lymph node excision was performed in 13.04% because of local metastases.Five year survival rate was 94.87%. Conclusions About 1/3 cases had not receive the right treatment at initial diagnosis eyelid.The recurrence rate of patients was still high.

BACKGROUNDDiabetic macrovascular complications are important causes of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and also one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Phlorizin has been reported to be effective in reducing the blood glucose level in diabetic mellitus, while little is known about its effects on vascular complications. This study aimed to observe the effects of phlorizin on the aorta of diabetes db/db mice and explore its mechanism.

METHODSDiabetic db/db mice (n = 16) and age-matched db/m mice (n = 8) were divided into three groups: normal control group (CC group, db/m mice, n = 8), untreated diabetic group (DM group, db/db mice, n = 8) and diabetic group treated by phlorizin (DMT group, db/db mice, n = 8). Phlorizin (20 mg/kg body weight) was given in normal saline solution intragastrically for 10 weeks. Animals were weighed weekly. At the 10th weekend, all mice were fasted overnight and then sacrificed. Fasting blood was collected, and the aortas were dissected. The blood samples were analyzed for fasting blood glucose (FBG), serum advanced glycation end products (AGEs), malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, the aortic ultrastructure was studied.

RESULTSThe weight and serum concentration of FBG, AGEs, and MDA in the DM group were higher than that in the CC group (P < 0.01), and they were significantly lower in the DMT group (P < 0.05). Serum SOD activity was lower than that in the CC group (P < 0.01), and it is significantly higher in the DMT group (P < 0.05). The severity of aorta damage in the DMT group was less than that in the DM group.

CONCLUSIONSPhlorizin protected the db/db mice from diabetic macrovascular complications, attributed to the decreasing of blood glucose and AGEs level, and its antioxidant potential. This study may provide a new natural medicine for treating diabetic macrovascular complications.

Animals ; Aorta, Thoracic ; pathology ; Blood Glucose ; analysis ; Diabetic Angiopathies ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Glycation End Products, Advanced ; metabolism ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Phlorhizin ; therapeutic use ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo explore the antitumoral effect of indirubin on androgen-independent prostate cancer PC-3 cells and its possible mechanisms.

METHODSWe measured the inhibitory effect of indirubin on the proliferation of prostate cancer PC-3 cells using MTT assay, detected their cell cycles by flow cytometry, and determined the expressions of the cell cycle regulatory protein cyclin D1 and its related downstream gene c-myc by Western blot.

RESULTSThe viability of the PC-3 cells was significantly decreased by indirubin in a concentration-dependent manner, reduced to 52. 2% and 13. 6% at 5 and 10 µmol/L, respectively. The cell cycle of the PC-3 cells was markedly inhibited by indirubin at 5 µmol/L, with the cells remarkably increased in the G0 and G1 phases and decreased in the S and G2/M phases. Meanwhile, indirubin also inhibited the expressions of cyclin D1 and c-myc in the Wnt signaling pathway.

CONCLUSIONIndirubin can suppress the proliferation of androgen-independent prostate cancer PC-3 cells, which may be associated with its inhibitory effect on the cell cycle and Wnt signaling pathway.

Antibiotics, Antineoplastic ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Cell Cycle ; drug effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Coloring Agents ; Cyclin D1 ; metabolism ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Genes, myc ; Humans ; Indoles ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Male ; Prostatic Neoplasms, Castration-Resistant ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc ; metabolism ; Tetrazolium Salts ; Thiazoles