Objective To systematically evaluate the safety of high dose atorvastatin (80 mg daily) in Chinese patients. Methods Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating 80 mg/ d atorvastatin vs. low-dose atorvastatin or placebo or blank were electionically retrieved in date bases of EMbase, PubMed, the Cochrane Library, WanFang, CNKI and WeiPu. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5. 2 and Stata 11. 0 software. Results A total of 20 RCTs involving 2282 cases were included. The results of meta-analysis showed no significant differences betweent the 80 mg/ d atorvastatin group and the control group in the incidence of gastrointestinal adverse events (RR 1. 53, 95% CI 0. 85-2. 76, P = 0. 16), hepatic adverse events (RR 1. 53, 95% CI 0. 99 - 2. 36, P = 0. 05), muscular adverse events (RR 1. 51, 95% CI 0. 92 -2. 49, P = 0. 10), serious hepatic injuries ( RR 2. 33,95% CI 0. 88 - 6. 20, P = 0. 09) and serious muscular myopathies (RR 1. 40, 95% CI 0. 46 - 4. 30, P = 0. 56). Subgroup analysis by type of cotrast media used and durations of taking 80 mg/ d atorvastatin showed there were higher risks of gastrointestinal adverse events in the 80 mg/ d group when compared to blank control ( RR 4. 22, 95% CI 1. 11 - 16. 04, P = 0. 03). Conclusions The current evidence shows that 80 mg / d atorvastatin may be relatively safe in terms of adverse events in gastrointestinal tract, liver and muscular system, and relatively has risk in causing severe liver injuries and myopathies. With limited quantity and quality from the RCTs available, more high quality RCTs are needed to verify the above conclusion.

Background Anti-VEGF drugs are generally applied in the treatment of ocular neovascular diseases.However,the therapy effect is unsatisfactory in some patients.Studing the effect of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1),a upstream regulatory gene of VEGF,and its limiting enzyme prolyl-4-hydroxylase domain proteins (PHDs) is of important clinical significance.Objective This study was to investigate the negtive regulation of exogeneous PHDs on HIF-1 pathway in human RPE cells.Methods pFLAG-PHD1,pFLAG-PHD2 and pFLAG-PHD3 plasmids were constructed by extracting RNA from Hela cell line and coloning PHD1,PHD2 and PHD3 using reverse transcription PCR with restriction enzyme.The plasmids were identified by gene sequencing.ARPE-19 cells were cultured at 21％ O2 (normoxia group),1％ O2 (hypoxia group),or in hypoxia-mimicking agents (CoCl2,anoxia group),respectively,and then were transfected with plasmids encoding FLAG-tagged PHD1,PHD2,PHD3 and pFLAGCMV2 transfected cells served as blank control.The expressional intensities of PHD1,PHD2 and PHD3 in the cells were detected and compared among different groups by using Western blot assay.The transcriptional activity of HIF-1 in the cells was evaluated with dual luciierase reporter assay.Results Western blot assay showed that PHD1,PHD2 and PHD3 all were expressed in ARPE-19 cells in the normoxia group,hypoxia group and anoxia group.The expression was strong in PHD2 protein and was weak in PHD3 protein,a statistically significant difference was found between PHD2 protein expression and PHD1 or PHD3 expressions (all at P＜0.05).Endogenous HIF-1 activity was elevated in pFLAG-CMX transfected cells in the hypoxia group and anoxia group than that in the normoxia group.Compared with pFLAG-CMX transfected cells,no obvious change was seen in the endogenous HIF-1 activity in the normoxia group,however,HIF-1 activity was declined in the hypoxia group and anoxia group after pFLAG-PHD1,pFLAG-PHD2 or pFLAG-PHD3 transfection.Under the same oxygen environment,HIF-1 activity was lower in the pFLAG-PHD2 transfected cells than that in the pFLAG-PHD1 or pFLAG-PHD3 transfected cells (both at P＜0.05).Conclusions PHDs play a negative regulation to HIF-1 activating pathway in human RPE cells,especially in hypoxia and anoxia cells.Among PHDs proteins,PHD2 presents the strongest inhibition on HIF-1 activating pathway.

To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of Qinghouyan lozenge in the treatment of acute pharyngitis due to Lung-heat and Yin-deficiency, and compare with Qinghouyan oral Liquid. Totally 144 subjects were enrolled and randomly divided into two groups (72 in the test group and 72 in the control group). The participants in the test group were given Qinghouyan lozenge for 5 days, and those in the control group were given Qinghouyan oral Liquid for 5 days. The effectiveness evaluation indexes were pharyngalgia/odynophagia disappearance rate, overall efficacy of TCM syndromes, TCM syndrome scores, and single syndrome and sign disappearance rate. During the test, the safety was evaluated by vital sign, lab examination indexes and adverse events. The results for the full analysis set showed that the couth disappearance rate, the incidence rate of TCM syndromes, and the throat/uvula congestion disappearance rate of the test group were higher than that of the control group (P < 0.05), with significant differences in the changes in syndrome scores between the two groups (P < 0.05). Altogether 3 adverse events were observed in the test group while 6 adverse events in the control group, without significant differences in the adverse event rate between the two groups (P < 0.05), serious abnormal laboratory examinations and vital signs. In conclusion, Qinghouyan lozenge has better efficacy in treatment of acute pharyngitis due to Lung-heat and Yin-deficiency than Qinghouyan oral liquid, with good safety.
Acute Disease ; Double-Blind Method ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Pharyngitis ; drug therapy

Purpose To investigate the occurrence of echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4 (EML4) gene and the anaplas-tic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene rearrangements in lung squamous cell carcinomas (SCC), and to provide with a test for targeted therapy of SCC. Methods In this study, we analyzed ALK protein expression with a specific rabbit monoclonal Ig antibody ( D5F3 clone) in 219 cases of lung SCC. The positive cases were confirmed with ALK fluorescence in situ hybridization ( FISH) . Results 4 out of 219 (1. 8%) cases of lung SCC were ALK positive detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining, which were confirmed by ALK FISH. Conclusions There are SCC having EML4-ALK gene rearrangement. The response of SCC patients with ALK expression to targeted therapy of Crizotinib should be explored. Strong positive expression of ALK protein can be interpreted as EML4-ALK gene rearrangement.

Objective To study the role and clinical significance of chemokine receptor-4 (CXCR4) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the occurrence and development of renal cell carcinoma. Methods Expression of CXCR4 and VEGF were detected by SP immunohistochemical technique in 56 cases of kidney carcinoma tissues (including 20 cases of lymph node metastasis), 10 normal tissues nearby kidney cancer. Results The positive rates of CXCR4 and VEGF were 66. 1% (37/56) and 73. 2% (41/56),which were significantly higher than those in normal tissues( 20. 0% (2/10) and 30. 0% (3/10), respectively) (P ＜ 0. 05 ＝. The expression of CXCR4 protein was significantly positively correlated with that of VEGF protein (r = 0. 315 ,P ＜ 0.05 ＝ in renal cell carcinoma. The expression of CXCR4 and VEGF was closely related to stages of tumor ( χ2 = 9. 520, P = 0. 023; χ2 = 9. 072, P = 0. 027 ), lymphatic metastasis, degree of invasion ( χ2 =4. 972, P = 0. 026; χ2 = 3.910, P = 0. 034 ), and microvessel density ( MVD) ( P ＜ 0. 05 ＝. However, they were not related to sex ( χ2 = 0. 020, P= 0. 887; χ2 = 0. 001, P = 0. 716 ), tumor size ( χ2 = 0. 003, P = 0. 995; χ2 =0. 108, P = 0. 990) and pathologic types ( χ2 = 1. 960, P = 0. 900; χ2 = 0. 112, P = 0. 994). Conclusion There is a significant positive correlation between high expressions of CXCR4 and VEGF proteins in renal cell carcinoma,the high expressions of CXCR4 and VEGF proteins may be related to the metastasis and prognosis of renal cell carcinoma,thus they could be used as important indicators in judging the metastasis prognosis of renal cell carcinoma,and offer prospects for the treatment of renal cell carcinona.

OBJECTIVE To discuss the preventive methods of hepatitis B virus reinfection after liver transplantation. METHODS Eighty eight liver transplantation recipients with HBV-related end-stage liver diseases including chronic fulminant hepatitis B,end-stage liver cirrhosis and liver carcinoma were analyzed retrospectively,and were given lamivudine pre-transplantation to prevent hepatitis B virus reinfection.Post-transplantation medicines of lamivudine were administered in 3 cases;lamivudine and hepatitis B immunoglobulin(HBIg) in 85 cases.The follow-up criteria included serum HBV,HBV-DNA,liver biopsy,immunohistochemical study of liver biopsy specimens and clinical manifestations.All of patients were followed-up 6 months at least.RESULTS Two of the three cases who taken lamivudine developed reinfection,the little time is 6 months following liver transplantation.There were three of eighty five cases taken lamicudine and HBIg(small dosage) developed reinfection.CONCLUSIONS Liver transplantation is an effective treatment for HBV-related end-stage liver diseases.Given lamivudine at the pre-transplantation could reduce the levels of the HBV virus copies.Lamivudine and HBIg post-transplantation offer effective prevention against hepatitis B virus reinfection.

Objective To study the changes and significance of serum beta 2-microglobulin(?2-MG),cytocine interleukin-2(IL-2) in the clinical progress of childhood idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura(ITP).Methods One hundred and ten patients of childhood ITP were chosen for the test group(70 cases of primary ITP and 40 cases of recurrent ITP),and 110 normal children for the control group.Levels of serum ?2-MG and IL-2 were determined by radioimmunoassay kit and analysed with two sample t-test.Results Among the patients,the serum IL-2 levels were significantly lower and serum ?2-MG levels were significantly higher than those in control group(P0.05).Conclusion Determining serum IL-2 and ?2-MG levels has important significance to reflect the progress of disease and direct treatment.

OBJECTIVEto investigate the corrosion behavior of Ti-Cu alloy in 0.9%NaCl solution and in acidified 0.9%NaCl solution.

METHODSthe microstructure of Ti-Cu alloys were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD). The electrochemical behavior of Ti-Cu alloy in two solutions (namely 0.9%NaCl solution and acidified 0.9%NaCl solution) was tested. Commercial pure Ti and 316L stainless steel were used as control.

RESULTSTi-Cu alloys were composed by α-Ti and Ti(2)Cu intermetallic compound. After 3500 s immersion, the open circuit potential (OCP) values of pure Ti, Ti-5Cu alloy and Ti-10Cu alloy in 0.9% NaCl solution were -188, -181 and -173 mV, respectively. In 0.9% NaCl solution with lactic acid added, the OCP values were -143, -158 and -109 mV, respectively. In potentiodynamic polarization tests, the passive current densities of pure Ti and Ti-5Cu alloys were about 20 µA/cm(2). However, 316L stainless steel experienced pitting corrosion.

CONCLUSIONSit was possible to establish the following relation for their corrosion resistances: pure Ti≈Ti-5Cu > Ti-10Cu > 316L stainless steel. The addition of lactic acid in the solution did not compromise the corrosion resistance of Ti-Cu alloys.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Fluorescence ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; isolation & purification ; Paraffin Embedding ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Retrospective Studies ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary ; diagnosis ; microbiology ; Young Adult

Astrocytoma ; genetics ; metabolism ; Brain Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; Frizzled Receptors ; genetics ; metabolism ; Glioblastoma ; genetics ; metabolism ; Glioma ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Paraffin Embedding ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled ; genetics ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction ; Wnt2 Protein ; genetics ; metabolism ; beta Catenin ; genetics ; metabolism