ObjectiveTo observe the efficacy of thread embedding at tender points on the Governor Vessel in treating intractable insomnia.MethodEighty eligible subjects were randomized into two groups. The thread embedding group was intervened by thread embedding at tender points on the Governor Vessel, while the acupuncture was by ordinary acupuncture.ResultThe recovery and markedly effective rate in the thread embedding group (72.5%) was markedly higher than that in the acupuncture group (45.0%). The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores were significantly lower after intervention in both groups (P<0.05); the PSQI score in the thread embedding group was significantly lower than that in the acupuncture group after intervention (P<0.05). ConclusionThread embedding at tender points on the Governor Vessel can produce a more significant efficacy than ordinary acupuncture in treating intractable insomnia, and it can more effectively improve sleep quality.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of CO-2 laser treatment for patients with precancerous laryngeal lesions.Methods Ninety-four patients with precancerous laryngeal lesions were treated by endoscopic CO-2 laser operation from 2001 to 2006.87 males and 7 females patients had ages between 18 and 85.Results For a follow up ranging from 6 month to 5 years,the outcomes of 81 patients(81/94,86.2%) were successful only through one operation while 10 cases(10/94,10.6%)received more than two operations.The lesions for 3 patients(3/94,3.2%) were found to have turned out malignant at a later stage.Conclusion The carbon dioxide laser has proved valuable in treating patients with precancerous laryngeal lesions.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; instrumentation ; methods ; Humans ; Needles ; Pelvic Bones ; anatomy & histology

OBJECTIVETo explore the expressions of trefoil factor 1 (TFF1) and trefoil factor 3 (TFF3) in prostate cancer (PCa) and prostate intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) and their clinical significance.

METHODSUsing immunohistochemistry, we detected the expressions of TFF1 and TFF3 in the prostatic tissues of 89 cases of PCa, 50 cases of PIN, and 65 cases of benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), and evaluated their clinical significance.

RESULTSThe positive rates of TFF1 and TFF3 expressions were 77. 53% and 48. 31% in PCa and 66.00% and 30.00% in PIN, significantly higher than 49.23% and 13. 85% in BPH (P <0. 05). The expression of TFF1 was not correlated with Gleason score (P >0. 05), while that of TFF3 was significantly higher in the PCa cases with Gleason score ≤7 than in those with Gleason score > 7 (70. 00% vs 42. 03%, P <0. 05). No significant correlation was observed between TFF1 and TFF3 expressions in PCa (P >0. 05).

CONCLUSIONThe expressions of TFF1 and TFF3 may contribute to the occurrence and progression of PCa, and therefore could be used as laboratory indexes in the diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and prognosis of PCa.

Disease Progression ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Peptides ; metabolism ; Prognosis ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; metabolism ; Prostatic Intraepithelial Neoplasia ; metabolism ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; Trefoil Factor-1 ; Trefoil Factor-3 ; Tumor Suppressor Proteins ; metabolism

Acupuncture Therapy ; Humans ; Meridians ; Muscles ; physiopathology ; Nervous System Diseases ; physiopathology ; therapy

Allergens ; immunology ; Animals ; Asthma ; etiology ; Enzyme Activation ; Lung ; pathology ; Matrix Metalloproteinases ; physiology ; Mice ; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections ; enzymology ; pathology

Objective:To investigate the correlation between plasma concentration and effective dose of tacrolimus in the treatment of membranous nephropathy. Methods: Totally 41 patients with membranous nephropathy were given tacrolimus combined with hor-mone at low dose. The valley plasma concentration of tacrolimus was detected using a homogeneous enzyme multiplied immunoassay method. According to the changes of 24-hour urine protein,serum albumin and kidney function, the clinical efficacy was evaluated. The correlation between curative effect and plasma concentration and dosage of tacrolimus in the treatment of membranous nephropathy was analyzed. Results:The plasma concentration of tacrolimus was (7. 47 ± 2. 74) ng·ml-1 and the dosage of administration was (0.047 ±0.007)mg·kg-1·d-1 in complete remission group, that in partial remission group respectively was (5.72 ±1.19)ng· ml-1 and(0.049 ±0.008)mg·kg-1·d-1, and that in non-remission group was respectively (3.30 ±1.08 )ng·ml-1 and (0.052 ± 0. 01)mg·kg-1·d-1. Conclusion: The clinical efficacy of tacrolimus in the treatment of membranous nephropathy has close rela-tionship with the plasma concentration,and that is promising when the plasma concentration within the range of (5. 10-9. 32) ng· ml-1 . The plasma concentration of tacrolimus isn't increased with the dosage increase in some patients.

Background Myopia is an important risk factor of glaucoma.Investigation of the characteristics of retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT) and optical head morphology in myopia patients was helpful for differentiating myopic change and glaucomatous change in myopic eye.Objective This study was to investigate the peripapillary RNFLT and papillary parameters in different degrees of myopic eyes.Methods A 5-year case series study was retrospectively analyzed.Total 168 eyes of 168 myopic patients without visual field defect were recruited and divided into three age matched groups according to spherical equivalent (SE):low myopia group (SE:-0.25 ～-0.75 D) (57 eyes),moderate myopia group (SE:-3.0 ～-5.75 D) (57 eyes) and high myopia group (SE:-6.0～-12.0 D) (54 eyes).The RNFLT was measured with scanning laser polarmetry (GDxVCC) and papillary parameters measured with confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope (HRT Ⅱ).Intergroup difference of parameters from GDxVCC and HRT Ⅱ were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance and SNK-q test.The correlations between spherical equivalent and RNFLT or papillary parameters was evaluated with multiple linear regression analysis.Results The global average,superior and inferior average,standard deviation,inter-eye symmetry of RNFLT were gradually reduced as the increase of SE with significant differences among the three groups (F=6.193,7.127,3.874,4.098,3.128,P ＜ 0.05).Global average,superior average,standard deviation,inter-eye symmetry of RNFLT were significantly lower in the high myopia group than those in the low myopia group (q =5.334,4.526,4.586,20.679,P＜0.05).An statistically significant reduce in inter-eye symmetry was seen between the high myopia group and the moderate myopia group (q =6.225,P＜0.05) as well as between the moderate myopia group and the low myopia group (q =10.035,P＜0.05).The multiple regression analysis showed that global average,superior average,inferior average,standard deviation,inter-eye symmetry of the R NFLT decreased with the increase of SE (β=0.441,t=6.329,P=0.000;β=0.471,t=6.880,P=0.000;β=0.339,t=4.641,P=0.000;β=0.389,t=5.445,P =0.000 ; β =0.338,t =4.621,P =0.000).Cup volume,linear cup/disk ratio,mean cup depth and maximum cup depth in the high myopia group were significantly lower than those of the moderate myopia groups (q =2.603,P =0.0l 1 ;q =2.105,P =0.037 ; q =2.825,P =0.006 ; q =2.495,P =0.014).Mean cup depth and height variation contour were significantly decreased in the high myopia group compared with the low myopia group (q =2.562,P =0.013 ;q =2.203,P =0.030).Rim area,rim volume,height variation contour were positively correlated with the degree of myopia (β=0.195,t=-2.565,P=0.011 ;β=0.199,t=-2.611,P=0.010;β=0.177,t =-2.311,P=0.022) ; while mean cup depth were negatively correlated with the degree of myopia (β =0.153,t =1.997,P =0.047).Conclusions As the increase of myopia degree,superior and inferior quadrants of RNFLT and cup depth are declined,but rim volume is elevated.Myopia is a confounding factor when RNFL data is interpreted by GDxVCC and papillary parameter by HRT Ⅱ.

Objective To analyze the differences of coagulation parameters between patients with advanced schistosomiasis cirrhosis and hepatitis B cirrhosis under different degrees of liver function,so as to provide the evidence for further guidance of judging clinical condition and prognosis. Methods Sixty?three patients with advanced schistosomiasis cirrhosis and eighty pa?tients with hepatitis B induced cirrhosis hospitalized in Jingzhou Central Hospital from January 2014 to June 2016 were served as an advanced schistosomiasis cirrhosis group and a hepatitis B cirrhosis group,respectively,and ninety?six gastropathy pa?tients excluded from other diseases that might affect coagulation in the same period were served as a control group. The levels of PT,INR,Fib,TT,APTT,and PLT of the patients among the above 3 groups and the cirrhosis patients with different Child?Pugh classes were detected and compared. Results The differences of the levels of PT,INR,Fib,TT,APTT,and PLT among the 3 groups were statistically significant(F=84.512,81.672,37.612,104.475,52.497,102.233;all P<0.05). The further analysis showed that PT,INR,TT,and APTT of both the advanced schistosomiasis cirrhosis and hepatitis B induced cirrhosis groups were longer than those of the control group,and the PLT levels of both the former 2 groups were lower than that of the con?trol group(all P<0.05). Compared with the advanced schistosomiasis cirrhosis group,PT,INR,TT,and APTT of the hepati?tis B induced cirrhosis group were longer,and the levels of Fib and PLT were lower(all P<0.05). Among those with the liver function of Grade A,the reduced degree of PLT in the patients with hepatitis B induced cirrhosis was more serious,while for those with the liver function of Grade B and C,the difference between the patients with advanced schistosomiasis cirrhosis and hepatitis B induced cirrhosis was not statistically significant(both P > 0.05). Under all the grades of liver function,TT and APTT of the hepatitis B induced cirrhosis group was longer than those of the advanced schistosomiasis cirrhosis group ,and the Fib level of the former was lower than that of the latter. Among those with the liver function of Grade A and B ,PT and INR of the hepatitis B induced cirrhosis group were longer than those of the advanced schistosomiasis cirrhosis group;while for those with the liver function of Grade C,the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant(all P > 0.05). Conclu?sions There exist differences of the damage degrees of coagulation function between the patients with advanced schistosomiasis cirrhosis and hepatitis B cirrhosis. When the damage degree of the liver function is lighter,the coagulation function in the pa?tients with hepatitis B cirrhosis decreases more significantly;when the damage degree becomes more severe,APPT in the pa?tients with hepatitis B cirrhosis extends more significantly,while the differences of PLT and PT between them are little.

Objective To explore the effect of microRNA‐21(miR‐21) on the migration and invasion ability in human laryn‐geal squamous carcinoma cell Hep2 .Methods The MTT method was used to detect the viability of Hep2 cells at 48 h after miR‐21 inhibitor and miR‐21 NC transferring into Hep2 cells by LipofectamineTM 2000 .The cell migration ability was detected by using the scratch test .The cell invasion ability was detected by using the Transwell method .The activation of phosphatase and tensin homo‐logue deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN)/phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K) /protein kinase B(Akt) signal pathway and the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) ,MMP9 ,reversion inducing cysteine rich protein with kazal motif (RECK) was detected by using the Western blotting .Results Compared with miR‐21 NC ,miR‐21 inhibitor could significantly reduce the Hep2 cellviability[(0.688±0.043)vs.(0.375±0.012)],inhibitedthemigrationability[(6.57±0.02)μm vs.(20.49±2.18)μm]and invasion ability[(100 .7 ± 10 .2) vs .(46 .8 ± 4 .3)] ,and the differences were statistically significant (P<0 .01) ,meanwhile miR‐21 inhibitor could down‐regulate the expression of PI3K ,MMP2 and MMP9(P<0 .01) ,and reduced the phosphorylation level of Akt (P<0 .01) ,up‐regulated the expression of PTEN and RECK (P<0 .01) .Conclusion miR‐21 inhibitor can significantly suppress the migration and invasion ability of Hep2 ,which may be related with the PTEN/PI3K/Akt signal pathway .