1.Abnormalities of efficiency in resting state functional brain network in first-episode paranoid schizophrenia
Xiaoyue WANG ; Hongxing ZHANG ; Bi WANG ; Qingjiang ZHAO ; Yajing SI ; Xiaoran WU ; Tianjun NI ; Haisan ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Behavioral Medicine and Brain Science 2021;30(3):219-225
Objective:To explore the abnormalities of efficiency in resting state functional brain network in patients with paranoid schizophrenia and the correlations between efficiencies and clinical symptoms.Methods:A total of 73 patients with schizophrenia (SZ group) met with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-Ⅳ) criteria for schizophrenia and 70 healthy controls (HC group) were included .All subjects were checked by using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and positive and negative syndrome scale(PANSS) were used to assess the symptoms.Abnormalities of global and local efficiency of brain regions in brain functional network were analyzed by graph theory.Pearson correlation was used to analyze the correlation between the abnormal global efficiency and local efficiency of brain regions of SZ group and PANSS.SPSS 20.0 software was used for dependent-sample t-test, ANOVA test and Pearson correlation analysis. Results:Compared with the HC group, SZ group showed increased global efficiency in bilateral thalamus(left: 0.26±0.06, 0.28±0.04, t=2.03, P=0.044.right: 0.26±0.06, 0.28±0.05, t=2.08, P=0.040), right orbital part of middle frontal gyrus(0.21±0.04, 0.23±0.05, t=2.25, P=0.026), cerebellar lobule Ⅸ(0.19±0.06, 0.21±0.05, t=2.56, P=0.011) and vermis Ⅲ(0.15±0.08, 0.19±0.07, t=3.27, P=0.001), while decreased global efficiency in bilateral parahippocampal gyrus(left: 0.25±0.05, 0.22±0.05, t=-3.34, P=0.001.right: 0.27±0.04, 0.23±0.05, t=-4.96, P=0.000), superior occipital gyrus(left: 0.27±0.03, 0.26±0.03, t=-2.70, P=0.008.right: 0.27±0.02, 0.26±0.03, t=-2.73, P=0.007), superior parietal gyrus(left: 0.27±0.03, 0.26±0.05, t=-2.63, P=0.010.right: 0.27±0.03, 0.25±0.05, t=-2.76, P=0.007), paracentral lobule(left: 0.28±0.03, 0.26±0.07, t=-2.47, P=0.015.right: 0.28±0.04, 0.25±0.07, t=-3.06, P=0.003), left precental gyrus(0.28±0.04, 0.27±0.04, t=-1.98, P=0.049), left cuneus(0.26±0.04, 0.25±0.04, t=-2.08, P=0.039), left lingual gyrus(0.29±0.03, 0.28±0.03, t=-2.28, P=0.024), left middle occipital gyrus(0.29±0.03, 0.28±0.03; t=-2.74, P=0.007), left middle temporal gyrus(0.28±0.03, 0.26±0.03, t=-2.73, P=0.007), temporal pole in left middle temporal gyrus(0.20±0.06, 0.18±0.06, t=-2.59, P=0.011) and right hippocampus(0.27±0.04, 0.26±0.06, t=-2.05, P=0.042).Compared with the HC group, SZ group showed increased local efficiency in bilateral caudate nucleus(left: 0.33±0.06, 0.35±0.05, t=2.54, P=0.012.right: 0.33±0.07, 0.35±0.04, t=2.77, P=0.007) and left superior occipital gyrus(0.39±0.03, 0.40±0.02, t=2.17, P=0.031), while decreased local efficiency in bilateral parahippocampal gyrus(left: 0.35±0.04, 0.32±0.07, t=-3.16, P=0.002.right: 0.34±0.04, 0.32±0.07, t=-2.91, P=0.004), left supplementary motor area(0.36±0.02, 0.35±0.05, t=-2.01, P=0.047), left inferior parietal but supramarginal and angular gyrus(0.35±0.03, 0.34±0.05, t=-2.65, P=0.009), left cerebellar crus Ⅱ(0.37±0.03, 0.36±0.04, t=-2.01, P=0.046), lobule ⅦB(0.37±0.03, 0.35±0.07, t=-1.98, P=0.049), right posterior cingulate gyrus(0.36±0.04, 0.34±0.07, t=-2.07, P=0.041), right superior parietal gyrus(0.37±0.03, 0.36±0.05, t=-2.19, P=0.031), right precuneus(0.36±0.02, 0.35±0.04, t=-2.36, P=0.020), right paracentral lobule(0.37±0.02, 0.36±0.06, t=-2.07, P=0.041) and right temporal pole in middle temporal gyrus(0.33±0.08, 0.30±0.09, t=-2.09, P=0.038).The global efficiency of bilateral paracentral lobule and left temporal pole in middle temporal gyrus in SZ group were negatively correlated with the negative scale scores( r=-0.25, -0.25, -0.26, all P<0.05).The global efficiency of right hippocampus in SZ group was positively correlated with total scores of PANSS( r=0.23, P=0.049).The global efficiency of left middle temporal gyrus in SZ group was negatively correlated with total scores of PANSS( r=-0.23, P=0.049).The local efficiency of right paracentral lobule in SZ group was negatively correlated with the positive scale scores( r=-0.24, P=0.038). Conclusion:The brain networks of patients with first-episode paranoid schizophrenia may have regional dysfunction in the transmission efficiency and fault-tolerant ability of resting state brain functional network, and the abnormalities of efficiency may be associated with the severity of psychiatric symptoms in several brain regions.
2.Efficacy of low-dose leflunomide in lupus nephritis: A multi-center prospective study
Chaojun QI ; Minfang ZHANG ; Yan ZHA ; Jian CHEN ; Ping LUO ; Li WANG ; Zhuxing SUN ; Jianxin WAN ; Changying XING ; Song WANG ; Gengru JIANG ; Mindan SUN ; Qinkai CHEN ; Jianghua CHEN ; Detian LI ; Tianjun GUAN ; Zhaohui NI
Chinese Journal of Nephrology 2018;34(7):511-516
Objective To investigate the efficacy of leflunomide combined with prednisone in the induction therapy of proliferative lupus nephritis (LN).Methods A prospective,multicenter,randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted in patients with biopsy-proved proliferative lupus nephritis recruited from 15 renal centers from 2013 to 2015.Patients were randomized to two groups.Oral leflunomide or intravenous cyclophosphamide was given to patients in each group.Both groups received a tapering course of oral prednisone therapy.All patients were followed up for 24 weeks.The blood biochemistry,urine index,clinical curative effect and adverse reaction were recorded and analyzed statistically.Results A total of 100 patients were enrolled in this clinical trial,including 48 patients in leflunomide group and 52 patients in cyclophosphamide group.After 24 weeks,the overall response rate was 79% (95% CI 67%-90%) in the leflunomide group and 69% (95% CI 56%-82%) in the cyclophosphamide group.23% (95%CI 11%-35%) of patients in leflunomide group showed complete remission compared with 27% (95%CI 24%-30%) in cyclophosphamide group (P=0.35).The levels of 24-hr urine protein excretion,SLEDAI and anti-dsDNA antibody titers were decreased in patients treated with leflunomide group after 24-weeks treatment.And the levels of serum albumin and complement 3 after treatment were significantly higher compared with these before treatment.There was also no significant difference in changes of 24-hr urine protein excretion,SLEDAI score,anti-dsDNA antibody titers,serum albumin and complement C3 levels after treatment between two groups.Incidence of adverse events did not differ between the leflunomide and cyclophosphamide group.Conclusions Leflunomide combined with prednisone showed same efficacy compared with cyclophosphamide as induction therapy for lupus nephritis.Leflunomide might be an useful medicine in the induction therapy of lupus nephritis.