Acupuncture Therapy ; California ; International Cooperation ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; trends ; United States

OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of Dahuang Zhechong Pill (DZP) on the gene expression of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) in rats' hepatic stellate cells (HSC) and activity of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) that secreted into the culture base.

METHODSHSC were isolated from the liver of normal rats and incubated with DZP-contained drug serum. The expression of MMP-1 in the HSC was detected by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The activity of MMP-2 was examined by zymography.

RESULTSDZP-contained drug serum could obviously promote the gene expression of MMP-1 in HSC. In the meantime, it could obviously increase the content and activity of MMP-2 synthesized by HSC (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe anti-fibrosis action of DZP was correlated to the promotion of HSC's gene expression of MMP-1 and increasing of the contents and activity of MMP-2.

Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Hepatocytes ; cytology ; metabolism ; Male ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 1 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

BACKGROUNDPrevious prognosis analyses of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients with stage II and III disease were done as separate categories. The purpose of this study was to analyze prognostic factors associated with survival in a group of patients who underwent radical resection of stages II and III CRC.

METHODSA retrospective review was performed for 141 consecutive stages II and III patients who had undergone radical resection of colorectal adenocarcinoma between May 2003 and November 2003. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to assess the effect of record variables on disease free survival and overall survival.

RESULTSThe median follow-up time was 59 months, and the 3- and 5-year survival rates were 76% and 68%, respectively. Four factors were independently associated with a worse disease-free survival: diabetes (hazard ratio (HR) 2.338; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.011 - 5.407), expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2) (HR 0.335; 95%CI 0.126 - 0.888), expression of matrix metalloproteinases 2 (MMP-2) (HR 0.233; 95%CI 0.101 - 0.541), expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) (HR 0.295; 95%CI 0.088 - 0.996). Four factors were independently associated with a worse overall survival: lymph nodes metastasis (HR 1.67; 95%CI 1.29 - 2.14), Cox-2 positive (HR 0.056; 95%CI 0.247 - 0.731), MMP-2 positive (HR 0.398; 95%CI 0.190 - 0.836), VEGF (HR 0.364; 95%CI 0.090 - 0.716).

CONCLUSIONSDiabetes, expression of Cox-2, MMP-2 and VEGF were independently associated with a worse disease- free survival. Lymph nodes metastasis, expression of Cox-2, MMP-2 and high level of VEGF predicted a poor overall survival.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Child ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; metabolism ; Disease-Free Survival ; Female ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; pathology ; Male ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 ; metabolism ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; metabolism ; Young Adult

Adult ; Glomerulonephritis, IGA ; etiology ; Hepatitis C ; complications ; Humans ; Male

The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility and clinical outcome of granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF)-mobilized haploidentical bone marrow transplantation combined with peripheral blood stem cells (hiBM+PBSCT) for therapy of leukemia. 125 leukemia patients underwent G-CSF primed haploidentical stem cell transplantation without ex-vivo T cell depletion. All haploidentical donors were injected with G-CSF at dose of 5 microg/(kg.d) for 7 days. The patients were divided into groups A and B. 29 patients in group A underwent hiBM+PBSCT at 7th and 8th days of mobilization in donors with G-CSF respectively; 96 patients in group B underwent hiBMT. All patients received the same GVHD prophylaxis regimen, the clinical outcomes were investigated. The results showed that all patients except one CML-myelofibrosis patient achieved trilineage engraftment. Engraftment median times were 15 and 19 days for neutrophil and platelet in group A respectively, while engraftment median times were 18 and 23 days for neutrophil and platelet in group B respectively. The incidences of grade II-IV aGVHD were 31.03% in group A and 12.5% in group B respectively (p<0.05). The incidences of grade III-IV aGVHD was 13.79% and 10.41% in group A and group B (p>0.05). The aGVHD-related death incidence was 3.45% and 5.21% in group A and group B (p>0.05). The incidence of grade II-IV cGVHD was 48.2% and 35.4% in group A and group B respectively (p>0.05). The incidence of extensive cGVHD was 23.3% and 15.6% in group A and group B respectively (p>0.05). The disease relapse rate was 6.8% (2/29) and 18.75% (18/96) in group A and group B respectively (p<0.05). It is concluded that the G-CSF-mobilized allogeneic haploidentical BM plus peripheral blood HSCT without T cell depletion provides a rapid and sustained engraftment without increase of severe GVHD, furthermore, the relapse rate of disease is reduced remarkably, thus this method can be used in clinic.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Bone Marrow Transplantation ; methods ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Graft Survival ; Graft vs Host Disease ; prevention & control ; Haploidy ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Mobilization ; methods ; Humans ; Leukemia ; surgery ; Middle Aged ; Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation ; methods ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the influence of Chinese drug Dahuang Zhechong pill on the hepatocellular function.

METHODThirty-seven patients with hepatocirrhosis and twelve normal controls were performed the hepatobiliary scintgraphy with Tc-99m labeled ethylene hepatobiliary iminodiacetic acid (99 mTc-EHIDA), and the biochemical examination of hepatic function. There was 19 cases repeated the imaging after 6 months treated with chineses drug. By the three compartmental model configurations, the function parameters of hepatocellular extraction and excretion were calculated.

RESULTIn the hepatocirrhosis groups, the hepatocellular uptake peak time and mean residence index were higher than those in normal controls (P < 0.01). Compared to normal controls, the uptake index, uptake speed index and descendent speed index were decreased markedly (P < 0.05). After treatment for 6 months with Chinese drug, the level of serum transaminase, globulin and bilirubin was lower than that before treatment. The uptake peak time and mean residence index decreased notably after treatment for 6 months (P < 0.01), and the uptake index increased, (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONChinese drug Dahuang Zhechong pill may improve the hepatocellular function and liver function status in patients with hepatocirrhosis.

Adult ; Bilirubin ; blood ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Globulins ; metabolism ; Hepatocytes ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; blood ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Liver Function Tests ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Transaminases ; blood

OBJECTIVETo detect the RNA of severe acute respiratory syndrome virus (SARS-CoV) by using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) targeted for a two loci and a modified nested real-time RT-PCR as to improving the reliability and sensitivity of tests.

METHODSA nested RT-PCR was used for detecting one fragment of SARS-CoV RNA in oropharyngeal swabs from 3 SARS probable patients, 4 SARS suspect patients and other 27 patients with fever in Hangzhou, and the nested RT-PCR product from one SARS probable patient was sequenced. Meanwhile in these 3 SARS probable patients, other three RT-PCR methods, including a hemi-nested RT-PCR targeted for another fragment of SARS-CoV RNA, a real-time RT-PCR and a modified nested real-time RT-PCR, were employed to detect SARS-CoV RNA.

RESULTSTwo positives were found in the 3 SARS probable patients, and none positive in 4 SARS suspect patients and other 27 patients with fever, using the nested RT-PCR. The sequence of the nested RT-PCR product from one SARS probable patient was identified with the counterpart of SARS-CoV genomes published in public database. The results of the hemi-nested RT-PCR, the real-time RT-PCR and the modified nested real-time RT-PCR in the 3 SARS patients were consistent with the one of the nested RT-PCR. During detecting specimen with low copies of RNA, a weak positive signal was produced after about 35 cycles in the real-time RT-PCR, but a strong positive signal was found only after 10 cycles in the modified nested real-time RT-PCR.

CONCLUSIONIt might improve the reliability of test by employing RT-PCR targeted for two or more fragments in SARS-CoV genome. The modified nested real-time RT-PCR might have higher sensitivity than the routine real-time RT-PCR.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Base Sequence ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; RNA, Viral ; genetics ; metabolism ; Reproducibility of Results ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; SARS Virus ; genetics ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ; diagnosis ; virology ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of Panax notoginsenoside (PNS) on tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and matrix metalloproteinases-2 (MMP-2) expressions in rats with post-myocardial infarction ventricular remodeling and explore the mechanism.

METHODSRat models of acute infarction ventricular (AMI) were established by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery. Twenty-four hours after the operation, the rats were randomized into control and experimental groups for intragastric administration of normal saline (control), fosinopril and PNS at the low, medium and high doses for 4 consecutive weeks. The effects of PNS on the cardiac function index including the left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVIDd), left ventricular end-systolic diameter (LVIDs), ejection fraction (EF), percentage of left ventricular systole (FS), mitral early diastolic flow velocity mouth (MV), and heart rate (HR) were observed, and the changes in TNF-alpha and MMP-2 expression were detected after post-myocardial infarction ventricular remodeling.

RESULTSCompared with the control group, PNS at the medium and high doses produced significant improvements in the EF, FS and MV of the rats (P<0.01 or 0.05). TNF-alpha and MMP-2 expressions were significantly decreased by PNS treatment at low, medium and high doses (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONPNS can inhibit or reduce the expression of TNF-alpha and MMP-2, thereby enhancing left ventricular systolic and diastolic functions, decreasing peripheral resistance, and improving the cardiac function of rats with post-myocardial infarction left ventricular remodeling.

Animals ; Female ; Male ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 ; metabolism ; Myocardial Infarction ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Panax notoginseng ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Saponins ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; metabolism ; Ventricular Remodeling ; drug effects

Objective To investigate and analyze the prevalence, patterns and associated factors of domestic violence against married women in Wenzhou area. Methods a total of 705 married women took part in this cross-sectional study conducted in 2018. Conflict Tactics Scales and several short demographic questions were used in this study to collect basic information and the occurence of domestic violence within 12 months. Results Nearly 40% of married women experienced at least one incident of domestic violence during the past 12 months. 33.8% of respondents experiencing one episode of psychological violence in the past 12 months, followed by 19.5% experienced physical violence and 14.9%of sexual violence. The joint occurrence of multiple forms of violence was the most commonly reported features experiencing domestic violence. Some individual (education and Hukou), marital relationship (marital satisfaction, duration of marriage, marital autonomy marital models) and family (family model and sex roles) factors of the respondents, were negatively or positively associated with domestic violence against married women. Conclusion The results indicated that there was a high rate of domestic violence among married women in Wenzhou area. Accordingly, there is an obvious need of intervention and treatment activities to prevent and reduce the occurrence of domestic violence among the married women.

OBJECTIVETo analyze the effects of surgical treatment for gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) and influential factors of survival.

METHODSThe clinical data and the tissue slices including immunohistochemical staining of 153 cases of GISTs from January 1990 to March 2006 were rechecked retrospectively. All patients were followed up carefully. More attention was paid to the surgical effects and the influential factors of survival.

RESULTSThe overall survival rates at 1-, 2-, 3-, 4- and 5-year were 94.9%, 83.3%, 73.3%, 70.5% and 64.3%, respectively. The median survival time for patients with tumor resected completely was 66.0 months, and the 2- and 5-year survival rate were 89.4% and 70.9% respectively. The median survival time was 23.8 months for the patients with tumor resected partly, and only two of these patients survived over 2 years. Gender, tumor sites, preoperative metastasis, tumor size, pathological type, karyokinesis and recurrence and metastasis were related with survival rates for the patients with tumor resected completely on univariate analysis, but tumor size, pathology type, recurrence and metastasis were related with survival rates on Cox regression multivariate analysis (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSSurgery should still be the main therapy for GISTs. Local complete resection is the principal treatment. The survival cannot be improved by extensive resection and lymph nodes clearance.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Antigens, CD34 ; analysis ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors ; metabolism ; mortality ; surgery ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit ; analysis ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Treatment Outcome