Objective To investigate the early diagnosis of vitiligo and its differential diagnosis from other depigmentated diseases using polarized light dermoscopy(PD)imaging analysis.Methods Patients with localized depigmented macules were enrolled into this study.PD was used to observe the micromorphology,feature and color of skin lesions.Histopathology was performed to confirm the diagnosis of all cases except for those of pityriasis versicolor which were confirmed by clinical and laboratory examination.Results Of the 176 patients.97 were diagnosed as vitiligo.Residual perifollicular pigmentation Was observed in 91.94%(57/62)of patients with progressing vitiligo and 62.86%(22/35)of those with stable vitiligo,with significant difference between the two groups of patients(P<0.05).However.residual perifollicular pigmentation was absent in the 79 non-vitiligo depigrnented cases.The presence of telangiectasia,early reservoirs of pigmentation and perilesional hyperpigmentation were related to the stage of vitiligo and treatment history of patients.Conclusions PD,which efficiently eliminates the interference of reflected light on skin lesions of vililigo,is an imaging technique that allows for the visualization of minor structures and features of the skin lesions that are indiscernible to naked eyes.In a nutshell,the application of PD has offered references to the early diagnosis of vitiligo and its differential diagnosis from other depigmentation diseases.

Objective To investigate the value of image analysis technology of polari-light dermoscopy (PD) in diagnosing head and face tumors. Methods We randomly collected the head and face tumors from the patients in this hospital, and then diagnosed them with naked eyes and PD, respectively. After making sure the diagnosis by histopathology, we analyzed the results retrospectively. Results We summarized the diagnostic signs of 211 head and face tumors on dermoscopy, which shown a great specificity. Its diagnosis rate reached to 92.89 %, obviously higher than that (69.67 %)with naked eyes. Due to clinical misdiagnosis and erroneous treatment, the recurrence rate of skin lesions was 19.91 %. The top 3 of head and face tumors, in turn, was seborrheic keratosis, melanocytic tumor and basal cell carcinoma. Conclusions PD is a non-invasive image analysis technology, which is especially applicable to the early diagnosis of head and face tumors. It can make sense in decreasing blind biopsy, directing surgical excision areas effectively, and selecting reasonable remedy. It also has great significance in the recovery and beauty of skin lesions.

Objective: To explore the effect and specific mechanism of lung-tonifying and expectorant decoction on lung cancer rats with Qi deficiency and blood stasis, and aim to provide a new idea on treating the disease with traditional Chinese medicine based on syndrome differentiation. Methods: A total of 60 C57BL/6J male rats were included in the study. The model of Qi deficiency and blood stasis was established in 60 rats by using multiple-factor stimulation. About 10 rats were randomly taken to verify whether the model establishment was successful and the rest of 50 rats were divided into 5 groups with 10 rats each: blank control group, cisplatin group, low dose group, medium dose group and high dose group. The blank control group was treated with normal saline, and cisplatin group was treated with cisplatin while the other three groups were treated with lung-tonifying and expectorant decoction at different doses. The volume change in transplanted tumor, tumor inhibition rate, apoptosis rate, and expression of Bcl-2, Bax, cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved caspase-9 in 5 groups were compared. Results: The rapidest growth rate of transplanted tumor volume was observed in blank control group and the slowest in cisplatin group. The growth rate was gradually decreased with the increasing dose of lung-tonifying and expectorant decoction, and the difference in growth of tumor volume among groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The cisplatin group showed the highest tumor inhibition rate, with dose-dependent increase (P < 0.05). The apoptosis rate in low dose group was higher than blank control group but lower than high dose group (P < 0.05). The apoptosis rate in medium dose group was significantly higher than blank control group (P < 0.05). The apoptosis rate in high dose group was significantly higher than control group (P < 0.05). The positive expression rates of Bcl-2 and Bax in all groups showed statistically significant difference (P < 0.05), while expression of cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved caspase-9 in 5 groups was significantly different, with dose-dependent increase (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The lung-tonifying and expectorant decoction inhibits the proliferation of tumor cells by inducing and activating the cell apoptosis in treatment of lung cancer with Qi deficiency and blood stasis, probably with good clinical therapeutic effect.

OBJECTIVETo explore mechanisms, operating principle, indications and contraindications of cupping therapy.

METHODSAnalyze some examples of clinically erroneous application of cupping therapy.

RESULTSErroneous application of cupping therapy for the patient of deficiency syndrome has a poor therapeutic effect, even exacerbates.

CONCLUSIONClinically, application ranges of cupping therapy should be definited.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Health Personnel ; Humans ; Syndrome

Diagnostic Errors ; Humans ; Pneumoconiosis ; diagnosis

OBJECTIVETo analyze the differences in the Chinese medicine (CM) etiology and pathogenesis of AIDS.

METHODSA cross-sectional investigation study of AIDS patients and non-infected people was carried out in Henan, Guangdong and Xinjiang provinces respectively by questionnaire of clinical epidemiology and analyzed with frequencies of symptoms and signs combined with syndrome factors. The distribution differences of syndrome factors in the 3 provinces were compared.

RESULTSTotally 321 cases were investigated in the 3 provinces. As for the syndrome factors of AIDS, qi deficiency, blood deficiency, yin deficiency, yang deficiency, dampness evil, phlegm, qi stagnation, essence deficiency, and so on were dominated in the 3 provinces, but with their own features. For example, the scores of dampness evil were higher in Guangdong Province. Yin deficiency was dominated in Xinjiang Province. The scores of Henan Province were generally higher. As for the location of syndrome factors, Shen, Fei, Pi, and Gan were dominated in the 3 provinces. The score of Pi was the highest in Guangdong Province, while the score of Shen was the highest in Henan and Xinjiang provinces.

CONCLUSIONSAIDS has regional features in the nature and the syndrome factors of location in different provinces. It is necessary to take into consideration the regional factors when analyzing the pathogenesis of AIDS.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; China ; epidemiology ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Yang Deficiency ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; Yin Deficiency ; diagnosis ; epidemiology

OBJECTIVETo compare the effects of moxibustion combined with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and simple HAART for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients.

METHODSA total of 100 patients with HIV receiving HAART were randomized into an observation group and a control group, 50 cases in each one. In the observation group, moxibustion was used at Zusanli (ST 36), Guanyuan (CV 4) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6), etc. combined with HAART of zidovudine, lamivudine, nevirapine and efavirenzone, etc. Simple HAART was used in the control group. The patients were observed for 18 months. The indexes were CD, CD/CD, interleukin 2 (IL-2), interleukin 7 (IL-7), the incidence of side effects and the score of quality of life.

RESULTSAfter treatment, CD, CD/CD, serum IL-2 and the scores of quality of life (physiological, psychological, social relation fields and comprehensive score) increased and serum IL-7 decreased compared with those before treatment in the two groups (<0.01,<0.05), with better results except CDin the observation group (<0.01,<0.05). The incidences of gastrointestinal side effects and total side effects in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (14% (7/50) vs 32% (16/50), 58% (29/50) vs 80% (40/50), both<0.05).

CONCLUSIONMoxibustion combined with HAART for HIV infected patients could reduce the incidence of side effects, improve medication compliance, CD/CD, IL-2, IL-7 and the quality of life.

OBJECTIVETo search for the best program increasing clinical therapeutic effect on vertebrobasilar insufficiency (VBI) and to study the mechanism.

METHODSThe patients were randomly divided into an acupuncture plus massage group, an acupuncture group and a massage group. Their therapeutic effects were observed and compared. And transcranial Doppler (TCD) was used for detection of systolic flow velocity (Vs), enddiastolic peak flow velocity (Vd), mean peak flow (Vm) and pulsatility index (PI) before and after treatment.

RESULTSThe cured rate and the total effective rate in the acupuncture plus massage group were significantly higher than the acupuncture group and the massage group (P < 0.05). And there were significant differences in Vm, PI and DI in the left vertebral artery (LVA), the right vertebral artery (RVA) and the basilar artery (BA) before and after treatment (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONAcupuncture combined with massage can improve Vm, PI, DI of VA-BA and the clinical therapeutic effect on VBI as well. It is superior to the simple acupuncture therapy and simple massage therapy. At present, it is one of the best therapy for VBI.

Acupuncture Therapy ; Basilar Artery ; Humans ; Massage ; Vertebral Artery ; Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency ; therapy

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of resolving phlegm method (RPM) on fibrinolytic status in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) patients of phlegm blood-stasis (PBS) syndrome type.

METHODSSixty-two patients were randomly assigned to 2 groups, namely the treated group (n = 34) treated with Chinese herbs for resolving phlegm and dampness, smoothing liver and gallbladder, promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis (composition: Indigo Naturalis 10 g, Alumen 3 g, Semen Cassiae 15 g, Fructus Crataegi 15 g, vinegar prepared Radix Bupleuri 10 g, Radix Curcumae 10 g, Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae 12 g, Herba Lycopi 12 g, talc 12 g and Radix Glycyrrhizae 2 g), one dose twice per day orally, and the control group (n = 28) with ursodeoxycholic acid tablet (UAT) 150 mg three times per day. The treatment course for both groups was 12 weeks. Liver function (ALT, AST, ALP), insulin resistance (IR) index represented by homeostasis model-IR (HOMA-IR) and insulin (Ins), levels of tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), as well as main symptoms and physical signs were assessed before and after treatment.

RESULTS(1) Compared with those before treatment, levels of ALT, AST, HOMA-IR, t-PA, PAl-1 and main symptoms were all improved in the treated group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01); (2) There was significant difference in ALP, HOMA-IR, t-PA and PAI-1 between the treated group and the control group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01); (3) The improvement in liver function related indexes in the control group was mainly the level of ALT, t-PA (P < 0.01), and also shown on HOMA-IR, Ins and PAI-1.

CONCLUSIONRPM could effectively improve liver function and fibrinolytic status. Its effect was better than that of UAT.

Adult ; Aged ; Blood Glucose ; metabolism ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Fatty Liver ; blood ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Insulin ; blood ; Liver ; drug effects ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 ; metabolism ; Syndrome ; Tissue Plasminogen Activator ; metabolism

Objective:To observe the improving effect of Danggui Shaoyaosan on diminished ovarian reserve （DOR） in rats triggered by Tripterygia wilfordii polyglycoside tablet combined with stress， and to explore the role of transforming growth factor-β₁ （TGF-β₁）/Smads signaling pathway in such improvement. Method:Forty-eight female SD rats with normal sexual cycle were selected and randomly divided into a normal group （n=8） and a modeling group （n=40）， and the ones in the modeling group were given Tripterygium wilfordii polyglycoside tablets （50 mg·kg^-1） combined with random stress for 15 d. After successful modeling， the rats were randomized into the model group， low-， medium-， and high-dose （3.96， 7.92， 15.84 g·kg^-1） Danggui Shaoyaosan groups， and estradiol valerate group （0.09 mg·kg^-1）， with eight in each group. Under the premise of stress exposure， they were separately gavaged with the normal saline， low-， medium- and high-dose Danggui Shaoyaosan， and estradiol valerate for 15 successive days. The estrous cycle of rats in each group was observed daily. After intervention， the rats were sacrificed and the ovarian visceral index was calculated. The pathological changes in ovarian tissues were observed by hematoxylin eosin （HE） staining. The protein expression levels of TGF-β₁ and TGF-β₁ receptor （TGF-β₁R） in the ovarian tissues of rats were measured by immunohistochemistry （IHC）， and the mRNA expression levels of Smad2， Smad3， and Smad7 in the ovarian tissues by real-time polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. Result:Compared with the normal group， the model group exhibited disordered estrus cycle （P<0.05）， reduced visceral index （P<0.01）， and down-regulated TGF-β₁ and TGF-β₁R protein and Smad2 and Smad3 mRNA expression in the ovarian tissues （P<0.01）， and up-regulated Smad7 mRNA expression （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， Danggui Shaoyaosan at the low， medium， and high doses and estradiol valerate improved the estrus cycle of rats to varying degrees （P<0.05） and increased the visceral index， with better effects observed in the medium-group and high-dose Danggui Shaoyaosan groups （P<0.05，P<0.01）. Besides， the protein expression levels of TGF-β₁ and TGF-β₁R and the mRNA expression levels of Smad2 and Smad3 in the ovarian tissues were elevated to varying degrees （P<0.01）， and the Smad7 mRNA expression declined （P<0.01）. The improvements in TGF-β₁ and TGF-β₁R protein expression of the medium-dose Danggui Shaoyaosan group and estradiol valerate group were more obvious. Conclusion:Danggui Shaoyaosan significantly improves ovarian reserve in DOR rats， which is closely related to the regulation of TGF-β₁/Smads signaling pathway.