Acupuncture Therapy ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Neurocirculatory Asthenia ; therapy

Objective To investigate the infection sites,the offending species,diagnosis and prognosis of deep fungal infections (DFI) in patients with systemic lupus erythcmatosus (SLE).Methods Fifty-one patients with fungal infections in 1466 SLE patients admitted to Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) Hospital from 2000 to 2006 were reviewed retrospectively.Results Candida albicans was ranked the first pathogen,followed by ncoformans and Aspergillus species.The infection sites were lungs,cerebral meninges and blood in the order of prevalence.The overall mortality was 20%(10/51).Aspergillasis carried the highest mortality which couht be as high as 80%.Hypoproteinemia,multiple focus of fungal infections,Aspergillasis and fungemia might he the independent risk factor for mortality.Conclusion Candida albicans is the most frequent species of fungal infections in SLE patients.Iungs are the most prevalent location of infection.Earlier diagnosis is important.Special attention should be paid to aspergillasis.

Objective: To investigate the resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to first-line anti-tuberculosis drugs in Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province from 2017 to 2019, so as to provide insights into improvements of the therapeutic effect of pulmonary tuberculosis. Methods: Data pertaining to pulmonary tuberculosis in Jiaxing City from 2017 to 2019 were collected from the Tuberculosis Surveillance System of Chinese Disease Prevention and Control Information System, including demographics, treatment classification, sputum culture and drug resistance. The spectrum, types and prevalence of drug resistance in M. tuberculosis to four first-line tuberculosis drugs, including isoniazid (INH), rifampicin (RFP), streptomycin (SM) and ethambutol (EMB), was analyzed using a descriptive epidemiological method. Results: A total of 1 310 M. tuberculosis isolates were cultured from pulmonary tuberculosis patients in Jiaxing City from 2017 to 2019, and there were 259 M. tuberculosis isolates that were resistant to anti-tuberculosis drugs, with an overall drug resistance rate of 19.77%. The prevalence rates of drug resistance to INH, SM, RFP and EMB were 13.36%, 11.83%, 5.50% and 3.59%, respectively. The prevalence of drug resistance was lower in M. tuberculosis isolates from treatment-naïve patients than from retreated patients (18.45% vs. 34.58%, P<0.05). M. tuberculosis isolates presented high resistance to SM (4.50%) and INH alone (4.35%), the highest resistance to INH-SM combinations (3.28%), and the highest resistance to INH+RFP+SM combinations (1.83%). Sixteen isolates were resistant to all the four drugs, with a drug resistance rate of 1.22%. The proportions of resistance to a single drug, RFP resistance, multidrug resistance and resistance to two and more drugs were 10.31%, 5.50%, 4.73% and 4.73%, respectively. In addition, the prevalence of RFP resistance among all patients and treatment-naïve patients both showed a tendency towards a rise from 2017 to 2019 (P<0.05). The prevalence of RFP resistance (7.01% vs. 3.76%) and resistance to two and more drugs (6.01% vs. 3.25%) was both higher among interprovincial mobile tuberculosis patients than among local non-mobile patients (P<0.05). Conclusions The overall prevalence of drug resistance was lower in M. tuberculosis isolates in Jiaxing City from 2017 to 2019 than in Zhejiang Province, with INH and RFP resistance as predominant types.

Acupuncture Therapy ; Aged ; Atrial Fibrillation ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Humans ; Male

Objective To investigate the spatial distribution and clustering areas of Budd-Chiari syndrome in Heze City,Shandong Province,and to provide epidemiological information for further exploring the etiology and related risk factors of the disease.Methods Detailed residential addresses of 342 cases of patients (residents of Heze City) with diaphragm type Budd-Chiari syndrome diagnosed between 1995 and 2004 in Heze Municipal Hospital,Heze Shan County Central Hospital,Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical College,Shandong Provincial Hospital and Beijing Xuanwu Hospital were collected.Geographic information system (GIS) was used as a platform for data management and display.The nearest neighbor index,Ripley's K(d) function,Ripley's L(d) function and the nearest neighbor clustering method were applied to detect the spatial characters of Budd-Chiari syndrome in Heze City,Shandong Province.Crimestat 3.0 was used for spatial analysis.Results The nearest neighbor distance analysis showed that the nearest neighbor index was 0.6767 (Z =-11.4387,P ＜ 0.01).That was an aggregation at the first-order spatial scale.Within the study area,the first clustering radius of Budd-Chiari syndrome was 6.66 km,and the first clustering strength was 5.40; the average radius of the strongest clustering area was 126.61 km,and the clustering strength was 12.52,while the biggest clustering radius was larger than 222 km.After corrected by population,the gathering strength was slightly higher than that before the correction.Ten first-order hot spots were formed,and 95％ confidence interval aggregation number was 7,which meant the results were statistically significant(P ＜ 0.05),main clustering areas are in Mudan District,Shan County and Juancheng.One secondorder hot spot was gathered based on the first-order hot spot.Conclusions Spatial distribution of Budd-Chiari syndrome in Heze City,Shandong Province has showed spatial aggregation and heterogeneity.This study has a great epidemiological significance for further exploring the cause of Budd-Chiari syndrome.

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics and diagnosis and treatment of children with Kasabach-Merritt phenomenon (KMP).Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data and follow-up data of 8 patients diagnosed KMP in Beijing Children′s Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 2016 to January 2019.The clinical data included laboratory examination, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis.Results:Among the 8 children with KMP, 6 cases were male and 2 cases were female.The median onset age was 4 (0-17) months, 2 cases of neonatal onset.The median onset to the diagnosis time was 59 (34-140) days; 6 cases with bone destruction; 6 cases had misdiagnosis and mistreatment history, they were misdiagnosed as idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, Evans syndrome, abnormal bone and joint development; 4 cases were Kaposiform hemangioendothelioma; 8 cases were used alone or combined with the application of hormones, Sirolimus, and Vincristine, 7 patients underwent interventional therapy.All patients survived with a median follow-up period of 487 (112-1 033) days.Median time of platelet count returned to normal was 24.5 (7-60) days, and median time of fibrinogen returned to normal was 20 (7-30) days.Median time of D-dimer dropped to a normal was 105 (40-240) days.Conclusions:Children with concurrent platelet count and coagulation abnormalities should be considered with KMP.Doctors need to identify the potential visceral vascular lesions.Early diagnosis and treatment are important, which can improve the clinical prognosis of patients.

The clinical and laboratory data of a patient with chronic refractory immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) who had a significant increase in the proportion of inhibitory T cells in the hematological oncology center of Beijing Children′s Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University in February 2018 and regularly followed up in the outpatient department received a retrospective analysis.This 8-year-old patient′s clinical features were 6 years of skin and mucous membrane bleeding spots and petechiae recurring, with occasionally nasal epistaxis.Physical examination: cardiopulmonary abdomen and nervous system examinations are normal, and no superficial lymphadenopathy is touched.Blood routine indicated that the platelets were 2.00×10 9/L, and white blood cell count and hemoglobin level were normal.Bone marrow suggested that hyperplasia was significantly active, with more than 300 megakaryocytes.The patient was diagnosed with ITP, and he was treated with first-line treatment with gamma globulin and oral Corticosteroids.The first-line treatment with high-dose Dexamethasone therapy was repeated, and the second-line treatment was low-dose Rituximab combined with high-dose Dexamethasone.Evaluations had been conducted with every relapsed course, and Cyclosporine was administered orally on the basis of the highly suppressive T cells.After half a month, the child achieved partial remission and continued for 3 months, and then reached a complete remission of 6 months (till this paper). It is suggested that, with ITP as an immunological disease with high heterogeneity, the immune abnormality index is expected to become a breakthrough in the development of precise treatment.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy of Tooth Mousse in reducing enamel demineralization lesions adjacent to bonded orthodontic brackets and promoting remineralization in vitro.

METHODS60 bovine teeth with bonded orthodontic brackets were randomly divided into three groups, negative control group, positive control group and experimental group, applied separately with distilled water, Duraphat fluoride varnish, Tooth Mousse. 3 groups were dipped into an artificial caries solution and an artificial saliva solution, cycling between them. All samples were detected by polarized light microscope, scanning electron microscope and electron probe micro-analysis.

RESULTSPolarized light microscope showed that the enamel surface of the experimental group were completed, the areas of positive birefringence were decreased obviously. Scanning electron microscope showed that a large number of deposits were found on the dental enamel surface of the experimental group, filled in the small local concave of enamel surface. Compared with the control group, electron probe micro-analysis showed that calcium and phosphate concentration of enamel surface was higher in experimental group than in negative control group (P<0.05), there was no significant differences between experimental group and positive control group (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONTooth Mousse can reduce enamel demineralization and promoting remineralization in vitro.

Animals ; Cariostatic Agents ; Caseins ; Cattle ; Dental Caries ; Dental Enamel ; Fluorides ; Fluorides, Topical ; Orthodontic Brackets ; Phosphates ; Sodium Fluoride ; Tooth Demineralization

OBJECTIVE Oxidative sress is one of the key factor responsible for occurrence and development of hepatic fibrosis, a common consequence of chronic liver injury of multiple etiology. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) serves as a major regulator of a celular defense system against oxidative stress. Xiaochaihutang (XCHT), a compound of seven botanical extracts used for liver diseases traditionally in East Asia. However, few studies have investigated its anti-hepatic fibrosis effects and pathophysiological mechanism of action. The present study was designed to confirm the anti-hepatic fibrosis effects and explore its potential mechanism of action by investigating the intervention of Nrf2 pathway. METHODS Liver fibrosis was induced by repeated injection of Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) over a period of 9 weeks. Starting from the 6th week, the animals in treatment groups were given the appropriate dose of XCHT granules and silybin. Biochemical parameters, histological changes of the liver and alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) were determined. The expressions of Nrf2, Keap1, Nqo1, HO-1, Gclc and Gclm were assessed by RT-PCR and Western blot. RESULTS CCl4 caused a significant fibrosis damage in the rat liver and the liver functions and fibrosis degree were significantly improved by XCHT (5 g·kg- 1 and 10 g·kg- 1). XCHT (5 g·kg- 1 and 10 g·kg- 1) treatment significantly decreased the number of cells labeled with α-SMA antibodies. Moreover, XCHT (5 g·kg-1 and 10 g·kg-1) significantly increase Nqo1, HO-1, Gclc and Gclm expressions in the liver. CONCLUSION These studies establish XCHT is a potentially useful therapeutic agent for treatment of hepatic fibrosis and it might be via regulation of Nrf2 pathway in rats against oxidative stress, making further efforts to inhibiting the activated HSCs. Activation or up-regulation of Nrf2 pathway may be an alternative treatment strategy for liver fibrosis.

The quality markers (Q-markers) of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) have become a topic of interest in TCM research in recent years. Nonetheless, there is still no consensus on how to scientifically characterize TCM Q-markers. Our study establishes an identification method for TCM Q-markers based on the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and the entropy weight comprehensive method. By constructing an evaluation system encompassing the target layer, the factor layer and the control layer, AHP can be used to analyze the weight of three core TCM quality attributes, including effectiveness, testability and specificity. Following that, the entropy weight method is employed to analyze the specific indicators for each attribute based on the literature and experimental data. Finally, the comprehensive weight of each index is obtained by combining the two weights, and the comprehensive weight and the specific value of each component is multiplied and summed to obtain the integrated score ranking, and thereby identify the TCM Q-markers. Taking Shaoyao Gancao decoction as an example, the analysis revealed that the top 8 components are as follows: paeoniflorin > quercetin > albiflorin > glycyrrhizic acid > naringenin > liquiritin > oxypaeoniflorin > benzoylpaeoniflorin, and can be identified as Q-markers of Shaoyao Gancao decoction. This study not only provides support for the establishment of quality standards and process quality control of TCM formulae, but also provides innovative ideas and methods for quantitative evaluation and accurate identification of TCM Q-markers.