OBJECTIVETo perform a retrospective cohort study in order to determine the differences in short-term curative effect of ribavirin in combination with interferon alfa (IFNa)-2a vs. pegylated (Peg)-IFNa-2a in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC).

METHODSOne-hundred-and-eighty-eight treatment of the CHC patients who were administered combination therapy of ribavirin with IFNa from 2010 to 2012. One-hundred-and-thirty-three of the patients received the therapy with IFNa-2a and the remaining 55 received Peg-IFNa-2a. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) load and levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were measured at treatment weeks 4, 12, 24, and 48. Adverse reactions were recorded. Differences between the groups were assessed by statistical analysis.

RESULTSThe patients in the Peg-IFNa-2a group and the IFNa-2a group showed no significant difference in sex distribution, age, smoking habits, or drinking habits at baseline (all P more than 0.05). Both antiviral therapies significantly reduced the HCV load and levels of ALT and AST (baseline levels vs. all treatment weeks examined, P less than 0.05); however, the reduction in the HCV load at week 4 was significantly more robust with the Peg-IFNa-2a therapy (2.96 ± 0.66) log10 IU/ ml vs. (3.47 ± 1.42)1og10 IU/ml; F =4.14, P=0.04). The Peg-IFNa-2a group also showed a significant higher rate of rapid virological response (RVR) than the IFNa-2a group (72.72% vs .57.14%; x²=4.37, P=0.04), but there were no statistically significant differences found between the two groups for early virological response rate (EVR), endpoint antiviral treatment virologic response rate (ETR), biochemical response rate, or rate of adverse reactions (all P more than 0.05).

CONCLUSIONRibavirin in combination with Peg-IFNa-2a produces a better RVR than in combination with IFNa-2a .Yet, the EVR, ETR, biochemical response rate, and rate of adverse reactions is similar for the two forms of IFNa-2a. Further studies are required to determine the potential superiority of Peg-IFNa-2a for a long-term curative effect.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Female ; Hepatitis C, Chronic ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Interferon-alpha ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polyethylene Glycols ; therapeutic use ; Recombinant Proteins ; therapeutic use ; Retrospective Studies ; Ribavirin ; therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

Objective: To report the first case of lymphomatoid gastropathy in China, and to demonstrate the clinical characteristics, diagnostic approach, treatment and prognosis in this kind of patients. Methods: One patient was diagnosed as lymphomatoid gastropathy at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, and her clinical characteristics, lab data, treatment and follow-up outcomes were reviewed. Results: A case of a 51-year-old female was presented, who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) due to slight epigastric discomfort. EGD revealed multiple ulcers and erosions. Biopsies showed atypical lymphocytes infiltration with CD3(+), CD56(+), CD20(-), CD8(-), TIA(+), Granzyme B(-) and Ki-67 (75%). Epstein-Barr virus-encoded RNA in situ hybridization was negative. Four months later, repeated EGD examination showed regression of the lesions without specific treatment. Conclusion Lymphomatoid gastropathy was a unique disease entity mimicking NK/T-cell lymphomas in pathology, with the quite different profile of treatment and prognosis. It’s important to consider this issue during the differential diagnosis to avoid any excessive treatment.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of Compound danshen tablet s o n improving the blood lipid levels and the mechanism of protecting renal functions in hyperlipidemia model rats. METHODS Sixty male SD rats were divided into normal group，model group ，simvastatin combined with （2S）-N-[N-（3，5-difluorophenylacetyl）-L-alanyl]-2-phenylglycine tert butyl （DAPT）group and low-dose ，medium-dose and high-dose groups of Compound danshen tablets ，with 10 rats in each group. Rats in the normal group received routine diet. The other 5 groups were intraperitoneally injected with 75％ yolk emulsion 10 mL/kg， fasting and drinking freely. After 16 h，they were fed high-fat diet for 4 weeks. Simvastatin combined with DAPT group was given simvastatin 0.002 g/kg and DAPT 0.012 g/kg at the same time of modeling. The low-dose ，medium-dose and high-dose groups of Compound danshen tablets were given Compound danshen tablets 0.25，0.5 and 1 g/kg respectively at the same time of modeling ， the normal group and model group were given equal volume of distilled water ，once a day ，for 4 weeks. The serum levels of total cholesterol（TC），triglyceride（TG），creatinine（Cr）and urea nitrogen （BUN）in serum were detected by biochemical method ； kidney coefficient of rats was calculated ；histopathological changes of rat kidney were observed by HE staining ，and the renal injury was scored according to the degree of renal tubular injury and glomerular sclerosis in renal cortex ；expression levels of Notch signal receptor 1（Notch 1），Notch signal ligand 1（Jagged1）and hairy division associated enhancer 1（Hes1）in kidney were detected by immunohistochemistry ；mRNA expressions of Notch 1，Jagged1 and Hes 1 in renal tissue were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS Compared with normal group ，the serum levels of TG ， TC，Cr and BUN were increased significantly in model group （P＜0.05）；renal coefficient increased significantly （P＜0.05）； pathological changes occurred in renal tissue ，and the scores of renal tubular injury and glomerular sclerosis increased significantly （P＜0.05）；protein and mRNA expressions of Notch1， Jagged1， Hes1 in renal tissue were increased significantly（P＜0.05）. Compared with model group ，serum levels of TG ，TC，Cr and BUN ，renal coefficient ，the scores of renal tubular injury and glomerular sclerosis ，protein and mRNA expression of Notch 1，Jagged1 and Hes 1 in renal tissue were all decreased in low-dose ，medium-dose and high-dose groups of Compound danshen tablets （P＜0.05），and most indexes showed a dose-dependent trend ；the degree of renal lesions was reduced. CONCLUSIONS Compound danshen tablets possess obvious hypolipidemic effect ，and can protect the renal function of hyperlipidemia model rats by down-regulating Notch 1/Jagged1 signal pathway.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of total glucosides of paeony （TGP） on enhancing efficacy and reducing toxicity of Tripterygium wilfordii polyglycoside （TWP） in the treatment of eczema. METHODS Totally 50 SD male rats were collected to establish eczema model by sensitizing with 2，4-dinitrofluorobenzene-acetone olive oil solution （volume ratio was 4∶1） on the abdominal area and provoking on the back and ear. Model rats were randomly divided into model group， loratadine group （0.9 mg/kg）， TWP group （9.45 mg/kg）， TGP group （162 mg/kg） and compatibility group （TWP 9.45 mg/kg+TGP 162 mg/kg）， with 10 rats in each group. Other 10 rats were collected to set as normal group. Three days after the first sensitization， administration groups were given relevant medicine intragastrically， and normal group and model group were given constant volume of 0.1% CMC-Na solution intragastrically， once a day， for consecutive 21 d. Twenty-four hours later after the final administration， the general condition of rats in each group was observed， and the eczema area and severity index （EASI） were scored； ear swelling degree of rats was measured， and the skinhistomorphology observation and pathological score were performed； protein expressions of p38 mitogen-activated 13938427612@126.com protein kinase （p38 MAPK）， phosphorylated p38 MAPK （p- MAPK） and phosphorylation level of p38 MAPK in rat skin tissue were detected； the levels of inflammatory indexes （interleukin-4， interferon- γ）， liver and kidney function indexes [glutamic-pyruvic transaminase （GPT）， glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase （GOT）， serum creatinine （SCr） and blood urea nitrogen （BUN）] and oxidant stress indexes [total superoxide dismutase （T-SOD） and malondialdehyde （MDA）] were measured. RESULTS Compared with normal group， EASI score， ear swelling degree， pathological score， protein expressions of p38 MAPK and p-p38 MAPK， phosphorylation level of p38 MAPK， the levels of inflammatory indexes and BUN were all increased significantly in model group （P＜0.05）. Compared with model group， EASI scores， ear swelling degree， pathological scores， protein expressions of p38 MAPK and p-p38 MAPK， phosphorylation levels of p38 MAPK and levels of inflammatory indexes were all improved significantly in administration groups （P＜0.05）. The levels of GPT， GOT， SCr and BUN were increased significantly in TWP group， while the serum levels of GOT and SCr in TGP group and serum level of SCr in loratadine group were all decreased significantly （P＜0.05）. The levels of T-SOD in liver and kidney tissue were all decreased significantly in TWP group and compatibility group， while the levels of MDA were increased significantly （P＜0.05）. The compatibility group showed more obvious effect in improving the ear swelling degree， pathological score， p38 MAPK expression and its phosphorylation level and levels of inflammatory indexes， and could reverse the abnormality of liver and kidney indexes caused by TWP （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS The combination of TGP and TWP has the effects of anti-inflammatory， synergistic and hepatorenal detoxification in eczema model rats. Its mechanism may be associated with down-regulating the expression of serum proinflammatory indexes and inhibiting the activation of p38 MAPK pathway.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is characterized by the malfunction of pancreatic β cells. Susceptibility and pathogenesis of T2D can be affected by multiple factors, including sex differences. However, the mechanisms underlying sex differences in T2D susceptibility and pathogenesis remain unclear. Using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), we demonstrate the presence of sexually dimorphic transcriptomes in mouse β cells. Using a high-fat diet-induced T2D mouse model, we identified sex-dependent T2D altered genes, suggesting sex-based differences in the pathological mechanisms of T2D. Furthermore, based on islet transplantation experiments, we found that compared to mice with sex-matched islet transplants, sex-mismatched islet transplants in healthy mice showed down-regulation of genes involved in the longevity regulating pathway of β cells. Moreover, the diabetic mice with sex-mismatched islet transplants showed impaired glucose tolerance. These data suggest sexual dimorphism in T2D pathogenicity, indicating that sex should be considered when treating T2D. We hope that our findings could provide new insights for the development of precision medicine in T2D.