Objective: To investigate the relationship between V-raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homologue B1 (BRAF)^V600E mutation and metastasis after thyroidectomy in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) with different recurrence risk stratification. Methods: From March 2014 to September 2017, 134 PTC patients (45 males, 89 females; age: 16-72 years) who underwent ¹³¹I treatment in the Department of Nuclear Medicine of Liaocheng People′s Hospital and had undergone BRAF^V600E mutation detection were retrospectively analyzed. The recurrence risk during surgery was divided into 3 levels: low-, medium- and high-risk. Each recurrence risk group was divided into 3 subgroups according to the postoperative follow-up results: non-metastasis group, cervical lymph node metastasis group and pulmonary metastasis group. BRAF^V600E mutation rates in different groups were compared (χ² test). Results: The BRAF^V600E mutation rate was 55.22%(74/134) in 134 PTC patients. The mutation rates were not significantly different in the 3 metastasis subgroups for low-risk patients (n=46; χ²=2.39, P>0.05). In medium-risk patients (n=47), the mutation rate in neck lymph node metastasis group (16/19) was higher than that in pulmonary metastasis group (3/8) and non-metastasis group (25.00%, 5/20; χ² values: 5.89 and 13.75, both P<0.05), while there was no difference between pulmonary metastasis group and non-metastasis group (χ²=0.44, P>0.05). In high risk patients (n=41), the mutation rate in neck lymph node metastasis group (85.00%, 17/20) was higher than that in the pulmonary metastasis group (5/13) and non-metastasis group (1/8; χ² values: 7.68 and 13.08, both P<0.01), while there was no difference between pulmonary metastasis group and non-metastasis group (χ²=1.64, P>0.05). Conclusion The BRAF^V600E mutation is closely related to neck lymph node metastasis after operation in middle- and high-risk patients with PTC, but it does not significantly increase the probabilities of neck lymph node metastasis in low-risk patients and pulmonary metastasis in low-, medium- and high-risk patients.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinical effectiveness and safety of Fangfeng Tongsheng Granule (FTG) in the treatment of upper respiratory infection (superficial cold and interior heat syndrome, exterior and interior excess syndrome).

METHODSA randomized, double-blinded, multi-centered, placebo-parallel-controlled clinical trial was adopted. Totally 324 patients were enrolled and assigned to two groups, 216 patients in the treatment group and 108 patients in the control group. Those in the treatment group took FTG at the daily dose of 3 g, twice per day, the therapeutic course being 3 days. Those with axillary temperature more than 37 degrees C took one more time before medication. Those in the control group took simulated agent granules the same dose and dosage as the treatment group. The effect of Chinese medical syndrome (ECMS), the rate of temperature-dropping-to-normal (RT), the time of temperature-dropping-to-normal (TT), the curative effect of single symptom (CESS) and adverse reactions were observed.

RESULTSTotally 203 completed the trial in the treatment group and 101 in the control group. In the treatment group, the cured-effective rate was 55.67% (113/ 101), the total effective rate was 93.10% (189/101), the ECMS score decreased by 9.24 +/- 4.46, while they were 5.94% (6/101), 36.63% (37/101), and 3.27 +/- 3.29, respectively in the control group (P < 0.01). The RT was 87.50% (98/112) in the treatment group and 58.49% (31/53) in the control group (P < 0.01). The TT in the treatment group was superior to that of the control group (P < 0.01). As for CESS, all of the three primary symptoms and nine secondary symptoms were improved more obviously in the treatment group than in the control group. The integral decreased obviously, showing statistical difference (P < 0.01). The decrease was more obvious in the treatment group than in the control group (P < 0.01). There was no adverse event related to FTG.

CONCLUSIONFTG was effective and safe in treating upper respiratory infection (superficial cold and interior heat syndrome, exterior and interior excess syndrome).

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Apiaceae ; Double-Blind Method ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; drug therapy ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult