Diabetic Retinopathy ; complications ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Retinal Vein Occlusion ; complications ; Vitrectomy ; Vitreous Hemorrhage ; etiology ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo assess the efficacy and safety of Ganshao Capsule (GSC) in treating clomiphene (CC)-resistant hyperandrogenemic polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), and to explore the feasibility of using CC for improving ovulation induction after withdrawal of GSC.

METHODSTwenty-seven PCOS patients were given GSC for 8 weeks (2 cycles). Changes in serum reproductive hormone, body mass index (BMI), adverse reaction, as well as pelvic ultrasonographic feature were observed before treatment, at the end of 4 weeks and 8 weeks after treatment. After stopping GSC medication, CC was used to induce ovulation in patients whose serum testosterone (T) < (2.1+/-0.8) nmol/L but without ovulation. Condition of follicle growth and effect of GSC were monitored.

RESULTSAfter 4 weeks of treatment, serum reproductive hormones were significantly changed. At the end of 8 weeks, bilateral ovarian volume, number of follicles, and diameter of follicles were significantly reduced, and endometrium obviously thinned. Within 2 months after stopping medication, 6 in the 27 patients got natural ovulation, and 2 natural pregnancy. In the other 19 patients who received ovulation induction during the 37th cycles, 17 had ovulation in the 25th cycles, 7 got pregnancy, the ovulation rate being 89.5%, ovulation cycle rate 67.6%, pregnant rate 36.8%, and pregnant cycle rate 28.0%.

CONCLUSIONEndometrium, ovarian morphology and BMI got significant improvement in PCOS patients with CC- resistance and hyperandrogenemia. The sensitivity to ovulation induction with CC were also improved.

Adult ; Capsules ; Clomiphene ; therapeutic use ; Drug Resistance ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Fertility Agents, Female ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Infertility, Female ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Luteinizing Hormone ; blood ; Phytotherapy ; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome ; complications ; drug therapy ; Prolactin ; blood

The endophytic microorganisms found widely in many kinds of plants mediate various effects to theirs hosts. In this study, seven different dominant endophytes (SDE01 to 07) isolated from a Hy-peraccumulator-Solanum nigrum L. were resistant to Cd2+, and the strain SDE06 survived even in the medium containing 80 mg/L of Cd2+. Bacteria strain SDE06 was identified as Bacillus sp.. The removal of Cd2+ of SDE06 in different conditions were studied. Under the optimal conditions, the incubating time was 36 h, the solution pH 6.0, the temperature was 37?C and the Cd2+ concentration of medium was 20 mg/L, the highest removal rate was up to 80.2% at this condition.

Objective To evaluate the roles of magnetic resonance imaging and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy(1H-MRS) in the diagnosis of meningiomas. Methods 98 patients with meningiomas underwent conventional pre-contrast MR and contrast MR. Among them, 28 cases had two dimensional single voxel or multi voxel 1 H-MRS simultaneously both in the lesion's region and the contralateral side. Results On precontrast MR images of 98 cases, T1 WI showed 58.1% (61/105) isointensities, 31.4% (33/105) faintly low intensities and 10. 5% (11/105) mixed intensities; T2WI showed 40. 0% (42/105) isointensities, 41.0%(43/105) hyperintensities, 10.5% (11/105) faintly low intensities and 8.5% (9/105) mixed intensities. After administration of Gd-DTPA, the solid part of the tumors exhibited various enhancement in all the 98 cases.28 cases of MRS exhibited specific different spectral peaks, including increased of choline-containing compounds(Cho), absent or decreased of acetylaspartate(NAA), and the unchanged of creatine(Cr). The value of NAA, Cr, Cho, NAA/Cr, Cho/Cr, NAA/Cho in the tumor center of meningioma were 0. 09 ± 0.06,0.31 ± 0. 22, 0.46 ± 0. 16, 0.33 ± 0. 42, 1.50 ± 0. 68, 0. 15 ± 0.08, compared with the contralateral normal region, Cr has no significant difference (P ＞ 0. 05), NAA, Cho, NAA/Cr, Cho/Cr, NAA/Cho had significantly differences(P ＜ 0.05). Conclusion Conventional pre-contrast MR and contrast MR is the most important dignostic means for meningiomas, 1H-MRS combined with MRI can improve the diagnostic accuracy of meningiomas.

Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy of sinew-bone balancing manipulation in treating lumbar disc herniation (LDH) and offer clinical evidence to support the concept of paying equal attention to sinew and bone. Methods: Sixty LDH patients were randomized into an observation group and a control group, with 30 cases in each group. The observation group was treated with the sinew-bone balancing manipulation, and the control group received conventional Tuina (Chinese therapeutic massage) manipulation. The clinical efficacy and posterior muscle chain tone effect were compared between the two groups by observing the visual analog scale (VAS) score, Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score, and posture-associated indicators. Results: The total effective rate was 86.7％ in the observation group, higher than 76.7％ in the control group, but the between-group difference in efficacy was statistically insignificant (P>0.05). After treatment, the VAS and JOA scores, angle-dependent muscle tone indicator of the posterior muscle chain, and lumbar posture symmetry showed significant changes in both groups (P<0.05). The VAS and JOA scores, angle-dependent muscle tone indicator of the posterior muscle chain, and lumbar posture symmetry in the observation group were significantly different from those in the control group after treatment (P<0.05), but the between-group difference in the general posture symmetry was statistically insignificant (P>0.05). Conclusion: Both the sinew-bone balancing and conventional Tuina manipulations can reduce pain in LDH patients, improve lumbar function, and adjust the angle-dependent muscle tone coefficient of the posterior muscle chain and lumbar posture symmetry; except for the general posture symmetry of the posterior muscle chain, the sinew-bone balancing manipulation wins out over the conventional Tuina manipulation.

Objective To study the effects of erythrecyte on brain edema after traumatic intrace- rebral hemorrhage(TICH)and explore the mechanisms of erythrocyte in brain edema development follow- ing TICH.Methods Firstly,the brain injury model of SD rat was established by applying a free-fall- ing device,then whole blood(WB),lysed RBC(LRBC)or parked RBC(PRBC)were infused with ste- reotactic guidance into injured cortex to produce the model of TICH.All rats were killed at 1,3,and 5 days after injury.The brain water content was measured,immunohistochomistry(SABC)was applied to test HO-1 and TNF-?expressions.Results 1.In WB group,PRBC group and TBI group,the brain water content was the highest on the third day.The brain water content of LRBC group was markedly higher on the first day than on the third and fifth days.Comparison among the four groups showed the wa- ter content was the highest on the 1st day in LRBC group,and on the 3rd day in WB and PRBC groups; there was no significant difference among the four groups on 5th day.2.The positive expression of HO-1 and TNF-?coincided with the change of the water content in groups of WB,PRBC and LRBC.Conclu- sions In rat model of TICH,RBC plays an important role in delayed brain edema formation(3 days after injury),but has no influence at early stage(1 day after injury).The mechanisms of delayed brain edema involves RBC breakdown and inflammation reaction.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of immunoadsorption therapy in patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) and explore the mechanism.

METHODSThis investigation involved 20 patients with MG treated with immunoadsorption combined with hormonal therapy and another 20 with only hormonal therapy, and 15 healthy subjects served as the control group. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure the changes in serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-18 (IL-18) after the treatments, and the therapeutic effect of the treatments was evaluated using clinical scores.

RESULTSThe clinical scores were significantly decreased after immunoadsorption therapy, showing a significant difference from that in the hormonal treatment group (P<0.05). The serum TNF-a and IL-18 levels were significantly higher in the two patient groups than in the control group (P<0.05), but in the former two groups, their levels were significantly lower in immunoadsorption therapy group (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONImmunoadsorption therapy eliminates the inflammatory cytokines and free radicals as well as the circulating autoantibodies to improve the clinical symptoms of MG.

Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Hormones ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Immunosorbent Techniques ; Interleukin-18 ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myasthenia Gravis ; blood ; therapy ; Treatment Outcome ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; blood ; Young Adult

?AIM:To analyze the clinical features of Terrien marginal degeneration ( TMD) .?METHODS:Fifty-six patients(90 eyes) admitted in our hospital from January 2013 to January 2015 were selected as observation group.At the same period, 56 healthy (88 eyes) for corneal examination were as control group to analyze the clinical features of TMD. With immunohistochemistry and enzyme linked immunoassay method ( ELISA), the levels of HLA-DR, HLA-DQ and tumor necrosis factor-α( TNF-α) in blood samples of TMD patients were tested.?RESULTS:The transparent degree of the eye, lipid deposition in TMD patients with early, advanced, swelling and hole-wearing period were significantly different (χ2=10.85,χ2=65.32, P<0.05).Astigmatism in TMD patients with early and advanced, swelling and hole -wearing period were significantly different (P<0.05).The levels of HLA-DR, HLA-DQ and TNF-αin blood samples between the two groups were significantly different ( t=45.326, t=23.564, t=19.86, P<0.05).?CONCLUSION: Terrien's marginal degenerative is an inflammatory disease characterized by increased levels of TNF-α, HLA-DQ, and HLA-DR in peripheral blood, decreased corneal transparency, astigmatism and lipid deposition.This research provides experiment evidence for the mechanism of TMD.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the factors influencing the compliance, discontinuation and switching of finasteride medication in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

METHODSWe retrospectively analyzed the electronic clinical data of 655 outpatients with BPH treated with finasteride from January 2008 to June 2010. Using the medication possession ratio (MPR), we measured their medication compliance and the rates of discontinuation and switching after an average observation of 12 months. We identified and evaluated the influencing factors by multivariate logistic regression analysis.

RESULTSThe crude rates of medication compliance, discontinuation and switching were 32.4%, 58.0% and 9.6%, respectively. In those aged > or = 60 years, combination therapy of finasteride with alpha-receptor blockers and chronic comorbidities were positively associated with good compliance, while younger age was significantly associated with drug discontinuation or switching. Finasteride monotherapy was significantly associated with discontinuation of the drug.

CONCLUSIONPatients aged < 60 years and those receiving monotherapy were less likely to be compliant with newly initiated finasteride medication, and therefore more efforts should be made to increase their medication adherence.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Finasteride ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Male ; Medication Adherence ; Middle Aged ; Outpatients ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; drug therapy ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To investigate the flexibility of both the covered stents specially designed for use in intracranial vasculature and the delivering system in passing through the bone tube and the physiological curves of the cranial internal carotid artery(CICA)to reach the targeted area,the performance (adherence)of the covered stents in occluding vascular wall diseases and the impact on the vascular branches of the covered segment.Methods The covered stents specially designed for use in intracranial vaseulature were used to treat 13 patients with CICA diseases using endovascular techniques.There were 4 huge pseudoaneurysms,4 giant aneurysms,3 small wide-necked aneurysms,1 giant pseudoaneurysm with concurrent internal carotid cavernous fistula(CCF),and 1 CCF.Prior to the detachment of the covered stents,balloon occlusion test(BOT)of the internal carotid artery on the diseased side and whole-brain digital subtraction angiography(DSA)were performed in all the patients.Three to 16 months following procedure,DSA and clinical follow-ups were performed.Results Thirteen patients all tolerated the BOT well with the DSA demonstrating well-opened anterior and posterior communicating arteries.The covered stents and the delivering systems all successfully passed CICA to reach the targeted diseased area,with the diseased segments of the internal carotid artery including C3—C4 in 4 cases,C4—C5 in 4 and C6—C7 in 5.Immediately following the detachment of the covered stents,DSA demonstrated that 7 aneurysms were completely occluded,4 aneurysms had slight endoleak,and 1 CCF had markedly-decreased blood flow through the fistula.In the patient with concurrent pseudoaneurysm and CCF,the pseudoaneurysm disappeared and the blood flow through the fistula was markedly-reduced immediately following the stenting procedure.Apart from one patient with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage who died due to extensive vascular spasm on the 9th day following the stenting procedure,all the other 12 patients had unobstructed stented vessels on the follow-up DSA images,with 2 demonstrating slight stenosis.In the 6 patients with post-procedure endoleak,DSA showed that the endoleak in 4 patients had disappeared,one endoleak disappeared following the second stenting,and one CCF remained low-flow fistula.There was no sequela related to the occlusion of branches in the covered arterial segment.Conclusion The covered stents specially designed for use in the intracranial vasculature and the delivering system are both flexible enough to pass the tortuous CICA to reach the intracranial diseased artery,and are effective in managing CICA diseases.Further follow-up is still needed to determine the long-term effect of the covered stents,and the adherence of the covered stents needs further investigation.