Combined Modality Therapy ; Humans ; Treatment Outcome ; Tuberculosis, Spinal ; drug therapy ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo analyze the clinical characteristics of elderly patients with spinal tuberculosis and explore its clinical effects with anti-TB drugs alone.

METHODSFrom January 2008 to July 2010, the data of 36 patients with spinal tuberculosis underwent conservative treatment of anti-TB drugs alone were analyzed. There were 19 males and 17 females with an average age of 73.5 years (ranged, 60 to 85). All patients were in the active phase with high ESR and CRP levels and were treated with 3HRZE/6-9HRE (course from 9 to 12 months). According to clinical symptoms, chemical examination, radiological image to adjust drug and depending on VAS score to evaluate pain.

RESULTSAll the patients were followed up from 8 to 24 months with an average of 15 months. Tuberculose of 31 patients healed after chemotherapy from 9 to 12 months and ESR and CRP recovered normally. Levofloxacin and para-amino salicylic acid were used in 4 cases because of 4 cases occurred drug fast for RFP or INH, after 15 months, their obtained healing. Symptom of 1 case got worse during chemotherapy, and surgical treatment were performed, after 3 months, ESR and CRP recovered normally, X-ray and CT showed spinal osteosclerosis and fusion without significant kyphosis and internal fixation loosening. Cobb angle was respectively(17.6+/-2.3) degrees, (18.1+/-2.7) degrees before treatment and last follow-up (P>0.05). MRI showed abscess was absorbed and spinal inflammation subsidised. VAS score was respectively 6.5+/-1.7, 1.4+/-0.5 before treatment and last follow-up (P<0.05). Seven patients had complications relating with drug adverse reaction,after discontinuation and treated with clinical symptom,the patients recovered normally.

CONCLUSIONAnti-TB drugs alone can obtain satisfactory effects in treating early senile spinal tuberculosis, but strict supervision and individual administration should not be disregardful.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Antitubercular Agents ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tuberculosis, Spinal ; diagnosis ; drug therapy

Objective To investigate the characters of morphology change and protein expres-sion in progressed renal cell carcinoma after the treatment of sorafinib. Methods Clinical data of 2 cases with progressed renal cell carcinoma treated with sorafenib were collected. The HE slices were reviewed. Immunochemistry was used to detect the expression of Vimentin, AE1/AE3, CK7, CK8, CK18, CD10, VEGF, VEGFR2, p53 and Ki-67 levels. Results There was no difference in patho-logic type between before and after the therapy of sorafenib. Both of the 2 cases were showed degener-ation in tumor cell in different degree with fibrosis and necrosis. The expression of renal cell carcinoma related antigens (Vimentin, AE1/AE3, CK7, CK8, CK18 and CD10) had no difference before and af-ter the treatment of sorafinib. The expressions of VEGF, VEGFR2, p53 and Ki-67 were increased, and the expression of Bcl-2 was decreased after the therapy of sorafinib. Conclusions There may be some morphologie differences between the metastatic tumor or the recurrent tumor and primary tumor because of the treatment of sorafenib. However the pathologic type is the same before and after the treatment of sorafenib. The main differences are the degeneration of the tumor cell and fibrosis after the treatment of sorafenib. The expression changes of VEGF and VEGFR2 may be related to the sor-afenib application.

OBJECTIVETo compare two kinds of method for treating lumbar tuberculosis with psoas abscess, to provide reference for clinical reasonable select of therapy treatment.

METHODSFrom January 2010 to January 2013,42 patients with lumbar tuberculosis combined with psoas abscess with obvious surgical indications were enrolled, including 24 males and 18 females with an average age of (38.5 ± 10.2) years old ranging from 21 to 63 years old. All patients were followed up for 18 to 24 months with an average of 20.9 months. Twenty-two patients underwent posterior vertebral body lesions cleared, bone graft fusion and internal fixation and percutaneous puncture catheter drainage for treatment of psoas major abscess as group A, and twenty patients underwent one-stage extraperitoneal approach to remove abscess, posterior vertebral body lesions cleared, bone graft fusion and internal fixation as group B. The operative time, loss of blood, length of hospital stay, clinical cure rate and other clinical results for the two groups were analyzed and compared.

RESULTSThe loss of blood was (452.3 ± 137.6) ml in group A and (603.5 ± 99.6) ml in group B, there was significant statistical difference (P < 0.05). The time of operation was (193.6 ± 91.2) min in group A and (230.5 ± 56.6) min in group B, there was significant statistical difference (P < 0.05). The time of operation and the loss of blood in group A were obviously less than which in group B. In group A 20 cases were cured and 2 cases relapsed, 19 cases were cured and 1 case relapsed in group B, there was no significant statistical differences between two groups regarding cure rate with chi-square test (χ² = 0.000, P = 1.000). All patients in two groups obtained good clinical curative effect. There were no significant statistical difference between two groups regarding for length of hospital stay with t-test (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONLumbar spinal tuberculosis with psoas abscess is not absolute indications for anterior open operation. Compared with the combined anterior and posterior surgical procedure, the percutaneous puncture catheter drainage combined with posterior debridement, interbody fusion and internal fixation can achieve the same clinical effect but less trauma for the patients.

Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; Debridement ; Female ; Humans ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Psoas Abscess ; etiology ; surgery ; Spinal Fusion ; Tuberculosis, Spinal ; complications ; surgery ; Young Adult

Objective To evaluate the methods of carrying out radiotherapy quality control (QC) and quality assurance (QA) in the whole province. Methods From 1995, radiotherapy quality control center of Zhejiang province (the guiding team consists of specialists in radiation oncology of the province) has carried out a QC and QA program including evaluation of administration, departmental infrastructure, equipment, staff and treatment for 28 centers in the whole province. The regulation and scoring system were designed and first informed to every center, with the 28 centers checked and examined by the guiding team from 1999 to 2000. Results Great variations in equipment and staff were observed among participating centers. Equipment condition was not very satisfactory. Most of the treatment protocols were reasonable except that the indication for radiotherapy was not strict enough in some centers. Conclusions It is feasible for the radiotherapy quality control center to check and examine the department of radiation oncology in the whole province. Good QC and QA is invaluable to standardize the treatment protocol and ensure the radiotherapy quality and also helpful to carry out multi center study in the future.

One hundred cases of vocal nodules and vocal polypswere treated with the Powder with an effective rate of36%.mitigated rate of 27%.the total effective ratebeing 63%.The effective rate was related to the TCMtyping of syndromes,types,sizes and colors of vocalpolyps and has nothing to do with the locations of thelesion.After 3 months of treatment,the abnormalhemorhe ologicaal changes in vocal noddules an sessilevocal polyps were markedly improved.

Objective: To explore the relationship between family intergenerational contact, depressive symptoms and self-rated health status in the elderly, so as to provide insights into promoting health of the elderly and actively coping with population aging. Methods: Demographic information, intergenerational contact frequency, self-rated health status and depressive symptoms in the elderly at ages of 65 years and older were collected through the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). Structural equation model was established to analyze the effects of intergenerational contact on self-rated health and the mediating role of depressive symptoms between family intergenerational contact and self-rated health in the elderly. Results: Totally 15 497 elderly participants were enrolled, with 6 727 males (43.41%) and 8 770 females (56.59%), and there 12 583 individuals lived with family members (81.19%). The median age was 85.00 (interquartile range, 16.00) years. The scores of self-rated health and depressive symptoms were (3.39±0.87) and (2.22±0.56), respectively. The results of structural equation model analysis showed that after adjusting for age, gender and residence, frequent intergenerational contact had a direct positive effect on self-rated health (effect size=0.038, P<0.001), and could improve the depressive symptoms (effect size=0.089, P<0.001) in the elderly. In addition, depressive symptoms had a negative effect on self-rated health in the elderly (effect size=-0.422, P<0.001). Conclusions Frequent intergenerational contact can improve the self-rated health status in the elderly, and indirectly improve the self-rated health level by alleviating depressive symptoms.

ObjectiveFollow-up of the clinical outcome of prosthetic disc nucleus replacement on patients with lumbar intervertebral disc herniation. Methods16 patients with lumar intervertebral disc herniation were implanted prosthetic disc nucleus from June to August 2003, including 10 males and 6 females. The operation levels were at L4-5 in 10 patients and L5～S1 in 6 patients. All patients were followed up from 28 to 32 months (averaged 30 months). The contents include pain, physical examination, Short-form of McGill Pain Questionnaire investigation, Visual Analogue Scales(VAS) and Present Pain Intensity(PPI), X-ray and MRI examination, etc. ResultsAfter surgery, 16 patients experienced clinical symptom relief, the displacement of PDN in 1 case and dislocation in 1case, the height of intervertebral space becoming narrower in 5 cases and endplate subsiding in 1 case. ConclusionProsthetic disc nucleus replacement acquired satisfactory after operation, but some complication may occurre in long-term.

Dengzhan Shengmai capsule, as a compound Chinese patent medicine, consists of four herbs: Herba Erigerontis, Ginseng, Ophiopogon, and Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus, and contains significant components of flavonoids, lignans, saponins, and organic acids. It is widely used clinically to treat cerebrovascular diseases such as chronic cerebral hypoperfusion and dementia with remarkable efficacy. This study proposes a research strategy for multi-component traditional Chinese medicine metabolites based on prediction databases and unfolds the analysis using Dengzhan Shengmai capsule as an example. Using the UPLC-Q-TOF/MS method, the analytical method was established and detected biological samples such as urine, feces, and bile of rats before and after administration based on the prediction of theoretical metabolites of Dengzhan Shengmai capsule. The possible secondary fragment ion information of metabolites was identified by comparing the detected results with prediction databases. The metabolites were identified based on the archetypal component mass spectrometric cleavage law and multistage mass spectrometric data. 51 metabolites, mainly flavonoid, organic acid, and lignan constituents, were finally identified from rat biosamples based on 306 theoretical metabolites of Dengzhan Shengmai capsule. This study provides a new strategy for the identification of metabolites in vivo and the analysis of metabolic pathways of TCM. The study complied with the procedures established by the Animal Experiment Ethics Committee of the Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and passed the animal experiment ethics examine (No. 00003645).

Humans ; Internal Fixators ; Spine ; surgery ; Tuberculosis, Spinal ; surgery