Female ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha ; administration & dosage ; Lymphomatoid Papulosis ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Mechlorethamine ; administration & dosage ; Middle Aged ; Recombinant Proteins ; administration & dosage ; Solutions

A 24-year-old male suffered from acute nephritic syndrome, liver dysfunction, and mesenteric mass. Laboratory examination showed a variety of autoantibodies (ANA, SM, and A-β2-GP1) were positive. The biopsies of the kidney and the mesenteric mass were performed. The diagnosis was typeⅤ + Ⅲ lupus nephritis accompanied with Castleman's disease. Then the patient was given induction therapy of glucocorticoids and cyclophosphamide for the first 3 months, followed by rituximab as maintenance therapy. The patient was followed up after 0, 3, and 9 months. After 3-month treatment, lupus nephritis was partially remitted, and systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index (SLEDAI) decreased to 4 scores in an inactivity phase from 20 scores in a serious activity phase at baseline. Nine months later, lupus nephritis was completely remitted and 50％ mesenteric mass was regressed through CT scanning. Lupus nephritis can accompany with multicentric Castleman's disease. Due to lack of clinical specificity and effective therapy, patients may have a high misdiagnosis rate and poor prognosis. The most reliable way to establish a definitive diagnosis relays on histopathologic confirmation. The management of induction therapy of glucocorticoids and cyclophosphamide, followed maintenance therapy of rituximab may become a beneficial treatment.

BACKGROUNDTreponema pallidum (T. pallidum) subsp. pallidum is the causative agent of syphilis. Analysis of recombinant antigens of T. pallidum led to the identification of potential candidate antigens for vaccine development and syphilis serodiagnosis. Tp0965 was predicted to be a membrane fusion protein and was found to be reactive with infected human sera in previous studies, but the results were controversial. In this research, the antigenicity and immunoreactivity of recombinant protein Tp0965 were assessed.

METHODST. pallidum subsp. pallidum (Nichols strain) was propagated and isolated and the genomic DNA was extracted. The Tp0965 gene was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Then the recombinant protein Tp0965 was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified by nickel-nitrilotriacetic acid (Ni-NTA) purification system. The reactivities of protein Tp0965 were examined by immunoblot analysis and indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The antisera against protein Tp0965 were obtained by immune rabbits and the immunogenicity of antisera were detected by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

RESULTSRecombinant protein Tp0965 was expressed successfully in vitro. Immunoblot assay showed that the recombinant protein Tp0965 could be recognized by human syphilitic sera of all stages. Indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay showed there were only 4 of 74 human syphilitic sera that failed to show reactivity to recombinant antigen Tp0965, and lack of reactivity of Tp0965 to all 28 uninfected sera. A low titer of antiserum against Tp0965 in immune rabbits could be detected after the third time of immunization.

CONCLUSIONSThe recombinant antigen Tp0965 shows excellent sensitivity for the reactivity with sera from syphilitic individuals at all stages. The results also demonstrate a potential application for the serodiagnosis of syphilis.

Animals ; Antigens, Bacterial ; genetics ; immunology ; Bacterial Proteins ; genetics ; immunology ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Membrane Proteins ; genetics ; immunology ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Rabbits ; Syphilis ; immunology ; microbiology ; Treponema pallidum ; immunology ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo discuss the efficacy of Qingkailing soft capsules in treating acute fever, and the relationship between symptoms-effect and time effect.

METHODQingkailing soft capsules was taken orally, 4 times a day, 1.6 g each time. Shuanghuanglian kou fu liquid was taken as control. 129 patients with acute upper respiratory tract infection were recruited.

RESULTThere were 73.34% of patients cured by Qingkailing soft capsules and 43.59% cured by Shuanghuanglian kou fu liquid. The efficacy of the former was better than that of the latter (P < 0.05). The efficacy of Qingkailing soft capsules in treating Fengrexing was better than that in Fenghanxing (P < 0.05). The efficacy of Qingkailing soft capsules in reducing rapid pulse and adding moderate pulse was more remarkable than Shuanghuanglian kou fu liquid (P < 0.05). Taking Qingkailing soft capsules seldom induced mild gastrointestinal disturbance.

CONCLUSIONQingkailing soft capsules showed good result in the treatment of acute upper respiratory tract infection with less adverse effect.

Adult ; Capsules ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Leukocyte Count ; Male ; Materia Medica ; isolation & purification ; therapeutic use ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; drug therapy

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the anginal attack-relieving efficacy and safety of Kuanxiong Aerosol (KA) in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD).

METHODSA total of 780 patients confirmatively diagnosed as CHD angina from November 2011 to December 2012 in 13 medical centers in the mainland area were assigned to 2 groups by blocked randomization, the treatment group (376 cases) and the control group (374 cases). When the angina attacked, patients in the treatment group received sublingual spray three times, 0.6 mL each time, while those in the control group sublingually dissolved Nitroglycerin Tablet (NT), 0.5 mg each tablet. The effective rate of angina relief, efficacy of electrocardiogram (ECG), and the incidence of adverse reactions were observed.

RESULTSThe 3 min and 5 min remission rates of angina attack were 53.72% (202/376) and 94.41% (355/376) in the treatment group, and 47.86% (179/374) and 90.64% (339/374) in the control group. The 95% confidence interval (CI) of the difference between the 2 groups of 3 min and 5 min remission rates of angina attacks were [(-1.84%, 12.32%) and (-1.33%, 6.85%) respectively, P > 0.05]. The total improvement rates of ST-T changes in the treatment group and the control group after treatment were 74.07% and 73.13% respectively (P > 0.05). The adverse reaction rate was 9.31 (35/376 cases) in the treatment group and 22.46% (84/374 cases) in the control group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONKA was not inferior to NT in relieving anginal attacks and improving ischemic ECG changes, and had obviously less adverse reaction.

Aged ; Angina Pectoris ; drug therapy ; Coronary Disease ; drug therapy ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Oils, Volatile ; therapeutic use ; Phytotherapy

BACKGROUNDRandomized studies have shown beneficial effects of drug-eluting stent (DES) in reducing the risk of repeated revascularization. Other studies have shown higher proportion of death, myocardial infarction (MI) and increased cost concerning DES. However the long term safety and effectiveness of DES have been questioned recently.

METHODSTo compare long term clinical outcomes, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and cost-utility after sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) and bare metal stent (BMS) implantation in angina patients in China, 1241 patients undergoing percutaneous coronary revascularization (PCI) with either SES (n = 632) or BMS (n = 609) were enrolled continuously in this prospective, nonrandomized, multi-center registry study.

RESULTSTotally 1570 stents were implanted for 1334 lesions. Follow-up was completed in 1205 (97.1%) patients at 12 months. Rates of MI, all causes of death were similar between the two groups. Significant differences were found at rate of cardiovascular re-hospitalization (136 (22.4%) in BMS group vs. 68 (10.8%) in SES group, P = 0.001) and recurrent angina (149 (24.5%) vs. 71 (11.3%), P = 0.001). Dramatic difference was observed when compared the baseline and 9-month HRQOL scores intra-group (P < 0.001). However no significant difference was found inter-group either in baseline or follow-up HRQOL. Compared with SES, the total cost in BMS was significantly lower on discharge (62 546.0 vs. 78 245.0 Yuan, P = 0.001). And follow-up expenditure was remarkably higher in the BMS group than that in the SES group (13 412.0 vs. 8 812.0 Yuan, P = 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONSThere were no significant differences on death, in-stent thrombosis, MI irrespective of stent type. SES was superior to BMS on improvement of life quality. SES was with higher cost-utility compared to BMS.

Adult ; Aged ; Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary ; economics ; mortality ; Coronary Angiography ; Drug-Eluting Stents ; economics ; Female ; Health Care Costs ; Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; administration & dosage ; Male ; Metals ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Quality of Life ; Sirolimus ; administration & dosage ; Stents ; economics ; Treatment Outcome

To minimize the predatory harvest of Heterosmilax yunnanensis and maintain the sustainable utilization of its resources, a study on the tending technology of wild H. yunnanensis was carried out. The results showed that the tuber tending model had a higher seed emergence rate, shorter growth period and easier control of male and female ratios than other tending models; by removing shrubs, topping, bending pruning, controlling insects and pests and other effective technical measures, the growth period of H. yunnanensis was shortened; the average annual net income of the tending area was 1 086 yuan/mu (1 mu≈666.67 m²), which was 86.9% higher than before. This study was conducive to increasing the yield and quality of H. yunnanensis in Karst landform area, and instructive for the tending of other wild traditional Chinese medicinal herbs in this area.
Female ; Humans ; Male ; Smilacaceae

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect and safety of Kuanxiong Aerosol (, KA) on patients with angina pectoris.

METHODSBlock randomization was performed to randomly allocate 750 patients into KA (376 cases) and control groups (374 cases). During an angina attack, the KA group received 3 consecutive sublingual sprays of KA (0.6 mL per spray). The control group received 1 sublingual nitroglycerin tablet (NT, 0.5 mg/tablet). Log-rank tests and Kaplan-Meier estimations were used to estimate the angina remission rates at 6 time-points after treatment (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and >5 min). Logistic regression analysis was performed to observe the factors inflfluencing the rate of effective angina remission, and the remission rates and incidences of adverse reactions were compared for different Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) classes of angina.

RESULTSThe 5-min remission rates in the KA and control groups were not signifificantly different (94.41% vs. 90.64%, P>0.05). The angina CCS class signifificantly inflfluenced the rate of remission (95% confidence interval = 0.483-0.740, P<0.01). In the CCS subgroup analysis, the 3-and 5-min remission rates for KA and NT were similar in the CCSII and III subgroups (P>0.05), while they were signifificantly better for KA in the CCSI and II subgroups (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Furthermore, the incidence of adverse reactions was signifificantly lower in the KA group than in the control group for the CCSII and III subgroups (9.29% vs. 26.22%, 10.13% vs. 20.88%, P<0.05 or P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONSKA is not inferior to NT in the remission of angina. Furthermore, in CCSII and III patients, KA is superior to NT, with a lower incidence of adverse reactions. (Registration No. ChiCTRIPR-15007204).

Aerosols ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Angina Pectoris ; drug therapy ; Case-Control Studies ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Remission Induction ; Treatment Outcome