OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of catgut implantation at acupoint on the content of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), and to explore its mechanism for treatment of ankylosing spondylitis (AS).

METHODSSeventy-four AS patients were randomly assigned to the observation group and the control group by digit random table, 37 in each group. Patients in the control group took Sulfasalazine Enteric-coated Tablet (SECT), 0.5 g each time, three times daily for 3 months. Those in the observation group additionally received catgut implantation at acupoint for 3 months. Changes of visual analogue scale (VAS), Schober test, pillow wall distance, thoracic activity, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C reactive protein (CRP), and TNF-alpha were compared after 3 months of treatment.

RESULTSThere was obvious change in VAS, Schober test, pillow wall distance, thoracic activity, ESR, CRP, and TNF-alpha after treatment in the both groups, showing statistical difference when compared with before treatment (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The aforesaid indices were obviously improved after treatment in the observation group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONCatgut implantation at acupoint, as an assistant therapy, could significantly improve clinical symptoms and signs, decrease the level of TNF-alpha, and its effect was superior to that of oral SECT administration alone.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing ; blood ; therapy ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; blood ; Young Adult

Cell Differentiation ; Cytodiagnosis ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms ; genetics ; immunology ; pathology ; Humans ; Immunophenotyping ; Stromal Cells ; pathology

Objective To investigate the effects of Huaier Granule combined with TAC chemotherapy on immunologic function and prognosis in triple negative breast cancer patients after operation.Methods Ninty-two cases of Ⅰ-ⅢA stage triple negative breast cancer patients entered the study.They were randomly divided into control group and research group.Only TAC chemotherapy was affected in control group of 42 cases, while Huaier Granule combined with TAC chemotherapy was applied in research group of 50 cases.And we gave Huaier Granule to patients in the first day of chemotherapy.The changes of T cell subset, NK cell were detected in the patients respectively in the first day before therapy and after therapy.The five-year disease-free survival rate and overall survival rate were also observed in two groups.Results Compared with control group, the changes of T cell subset, NK cell had no significant differences in research group in the first day before therapy(P ＞0.05).In the first day after therapy, the level of CD4 + (38.16 ± 5.71) ％ in control group was significantly lower than that (44.67 ± 6.47) ％ in research group(P ＜ 0.05).However, the percentage of CD8 + T cells (28.68 ± 4.06) ％ in control group was markedly higher than that (22.85 ± 3.22) ％ in research group (P ＜ 0.05).The level of NK cell (15.75 ± 3.47) ％ in control group was obviously lower than that (19.46 ± 4.22) ％ in research group(P ＜ 0.05).The five-year disease-free survival rate is 28.6％ in control group, however the five-year disease-free survival rate is 42.0％ in research group, there were significant differences between two groups(P ＜ 0.05).Furthermore, the five-year overall survival rate in research group was obviously higher than that in control group(P ＜ 0.01).Conclusions Huaier Granule combined with TAC chemotherapy not only enhances immune function but also improves prognosis and quality of life in triple negative breast cancer patients after operation.It provides a positive exploration for anti-cancer research by integration of traditional and western medicine.

Carcinoma, Small Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors ; metabolism ; pathology ; Humans ; Mastocytosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; Melanoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Neuroblastoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit ; biosynthesis ; Seminoma ; metabolism ; pathology

ObjectiveTo investigate the association between nucleotide polymorphisms ofGRIN3A gene and clinical characteristic of Kawasaki disease (KD) in children in Han population in central Chinese.MethodsA case-control study was performed. A total of 191 children with KD were recruited and 217 healthy children were served as controls. The distribution of SNP was determined by PCR-RFLP. Arterial lesions were detected by echocardiographic.ResultsThe distribution of three genotypes (CC, CG, GG) in SNP (rs7849782) was statistically difference between KD and control groups (P=0.034), and C allele was associated with KD susceptibility (OR=1.46, 95%CI: 1.10-1.92,P=0.007). In children with KD, the polymorphism of SNP loci was signiifcantly associated with oral mucosa lesions and coronary artery lesion (P<0.05), but not associated with conjuncti-val hyperemia, hand-foot edema, rash, and lymphadenopathy (P>0.05). The polymorphism of SNP loci was also associated with the levels of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) (P<0.05).ConclusionThe ploymorphism of SNP loci ofGRIN3A gene (rs7849782) was associated with the susceptibility of KD. The C allele was the risk factors. The poly-morphism of SNP was associated with oral mucosa lesions and coronary artery lesion, and may affect the levels of ESR and CRP.

Objective To study the effect of compound matrine injection combined with chemotherapy on the immune function and life quality of elderly patients with colorectal cancer. Methods Seventy patients with colorectal cancer treated in Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People′s Hospital South Campus from January 2010 to December 2013 were involved in this survey. They were divided into the control group and the observation group randomly,each group had 35 cases,the control group was treated with chemotherapy only, the observation group was treated with compound matrine injection combine with chemotherapy. The curative effect,life quality and immune function in the two groups were compared. Results The number of complete remission patients in the observation group was 8 cases ( 22. 86%) ,the number of partial remission cases was 16 cases ( 45. 71%) , the effective rate was 68. 57%, while the control group had 4 cases of complete remission (11. 43%),11 cases of partial remission (31. 43%),the effective rate was 42. 86% (Z=-2. 259,P=0. 024) . In the observation group,life quality was significantly improved in 10 cases (28. 57%),improved in 19 cases ( 54. 29%) ,the effective rate was 82. 86%,while in the control group,life quality was significantly improved in 4 cases ( 11. 43%) ,and improved in 10 cases ( 28. 57%) ,the effective rate was only 40%. The improvement rate of the two groups was statistically significant ( Z=-3. 497,P=0. 000) . Before treatment,the immune function indexes of patients in the two groups were close ( P>0. 05) ,after treatment,the immune function in both groups were significantly improved,CD3+,CD4+,CD4+/CD8+ levels of patients in the observation group were higher than those in the control group,while the CD8+ level in the observation group was lower than that of the control group ( t=-3. 968,P=0. 000;t=-5. 351,P=0. 000;t=-5. 474,P=0. 000;t=6. 407,P=0. 000) . The follow?up time of the two groups was 36 months. After 36 months,the survival rates of the observation group and the control group were 85. 7% (30/35) and 80. 0% (28/35) respectively,and the difference was not statistically significant (χ2=0. 402,P=0. 526) . Conclusion Compound matrine injection combined with chemotherapy can significantly improve the clinical efficacy of elderly patients with colorectal cancer,improve the immune function and quality of life,it is worthy of clinical application.

Circular RNA (circRNA) is a widely present endogenous noncoding RNA that is covalently bonded at the 3' and 5' ends via trans-splicing to form a closed-loop structure with high stability, biological evolutionary conservatism,and tissue expression specificity. CircRNA has important biological functions, such as playing the role of microRNA (miRNA) sponge, regulating the expression of a par-ent gene, and improving transcription and translation levels. In gastrointestinal tumor, circRNA mainly plays the role of miRNA sponge, which affects the proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and invasion of cancer cells. In addition, circRNA was specifically expressed in the tumor, and the expression level significantly differs from that of paracancer. Therefore, a highly conserved and stable circRNA se-quence is expected to be an early diagnosis and prognostic marker for gastrointestinal tumor. In this study, we review research advanc-es on circRNA and its relationship with gastrointestinal cancers (esophageal, gastric, colorectal, and liver cancers).

Objective To evaluate the relationship between carotid plaque instability and coronary heart disease by contrast-enhanced ultrasound. Methods Thirty-five patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and 32 patients with stable coronary artery disease(sCAD) were included. Inclusion criteria were at least 1 carotid atherosclerotic plaque with thickness larger than 2.0 mm. Contrast-agent enhancement in the plaque was evaluated by visual interpretation and quantitative analysis. Results The percentage of soft plaque in ACS group was significantly higher than that in sCAD group ( P ＜0.001 ). The proportion of contrast-agent enhancement in patients with ACS was significantly than that in patients with sCAD( P =0. 037). The enhanced intensity in the plaque and the ratio of enhanced intensity in the plaque to that in the carotid artery lumen in patients with ACS were significantly larger than those in patients with sCAD ( P ＜0.001, P = 0.026, respectively). Sensitivity and specificity of prediction ACS were 74% and 60%,respectively,for enhanced intensity in the plaque and 86% and 67%, respectively, for ratio of enhanced intensity in the plaque to that in the lumen of the carotid artery. Conclusions The subjects with ACS had more intense contrast-agent enhancement than the subjects with sCAD. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound can be used to evaluate the relationship between carotid plaque instability and coronary heart disease.

Objective To investigate the effects of rehabilitation training on the microenvironment for axon regeneration and the possible mechanisms promoting axon regeneration,reconstruction and functional compensation after spinal cord injury (SCI) in beagle dogs.Methods Fifteen beagles were divided into a sham operated group,an SCI model group and a rehabilitation training group.Spinal cord hemi-transection injury was carried out.From the 8th day after SCI,the rehabilitation training group was given treadmill training.All dogs were sacrificed 60 days postinjury and samples were harvested.Chondroitin sulphate proteoglycan (CSPG) expression of astroglial cells around the injured area was observed using an immunofluorescence technique.The expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and CSPG protein in each group were semi-quantified by Western blot analysis.Axon regeneration was observed by silver staining.Motor function was assessed using modified Tarlov scores.Results In the rehabilitation training group,compared with the model group astroglial production of CSPG was reduced remarkably.Both CSPG expression and axon regeneration were enhanced and functional deficits improved.Conclusions Rehabilitation training can inhibit astroglial production of CSPG,improve the microenvironment for injured axon regeneration,and promote reconstruction and functional compensation after traumatic SCI.

Objective: To assay the contents of the five heavy metals in 10 different kinds of herbal pieces. Methods: With reference to 《The Professional Import and Export Stands for Medicinal Herbs and Preparations》, and 《Handbook of Chinese Hygienic and Physiochemical Assaying for Food》 (1997), plumbum and cadmium with the help of graphitic furnace atomic absorption spectometry; niccolum with atomic absorption apparatus; hydragyrum with apparatus for determination of mercury and arsenium with the arsenic stain were measured, respectively. Results: It is showed that 18 of 35 Samples did not come up to standard of the heavy metals; 7 of 10 different kinds of herbal pieces did not come up to standard of the heavy metals according to the issued standards.