OBJECTIVETo compare the difference in the clinical efficacy on posterior circulation ischemia between acupuncture at stellate ganglion and conventional acupuncture as well as the impacts on blood pressure.

METHODSEighty cases of posterior circulation ischemia were randomized into an observation group (40 cases) and a control group (40 cases). In the observation group, acupuncture was applied to the bilateral stellate ganglions on the neck, stimulated with reinforcing technique by rotating the needles. In the control group, the acupuncture of reducing technique was applied to Fengchi (GB 20), Baihui (GV 20), Neiguan (PC 6) and Taichong (LR 3) in the excess syndrome. The even needling or reinforcing technique was applied to Fengchi (GB 20), Baihui (GV 20), Ganshu (BL 18), Shenshu (BL 23) and Zusanli (ST 36) for the deficiency syndrome. The treatment was given once every 3 days and 4 treatments were required totally in the two groups. The changes in total syndrome score, peak Systolic blood flow velocity (Vp) of vertebral artery and basilar artery, systolic and diastolic blood pressures were compared before and after treatment in the two groups. The clinical efficacy was compared between the two groups.

RESULTSThe total syndrome score was reduced apparently after treatment compared with that before treatment in the two groups (P < 0.01), and the reducing was more obvious in the observation group as compared with that in the control group (P < 0.01). The total effective rate was 87.5% (35/40) in the observation group, higher than 67.5% (27/40, P < 0.05) in the control group. After treatment, the reduced Vp of vertebral artery was not improved apparently as compared with that before treatment in the control group, Vp in blood velocity abnormality (including vascular spasm, stenosis or reduced velocity) of vertebral artery and basilar artery was all improved as compared with that before treatment in the two groups (P < 0.01), and the improvements in the observation group were more obvious than those in the control group (P < 0.01). After treatment, the systolic and diastolic pressures were reduced as compared with those before treatment in the two groups, and the reduced systolic and diastolic pressures in the observation group were more apparent than those in the control group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONAcupuncture at stellate ganglion achieves the satisfactory efficacy in the treatment of posterior circulation ischemia and the significant efficacy of reducing blood pressure, more advanced than the conventional acupuncture.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Aged ; Blood Pressure ; Brain Infarction ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Stellate Ganglion ; physiopathology ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVEThe aim of this study was to investigate the association between preoperative C-reactive protein (CRP) level and pathologic features in patients with stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and also to analyze if CRP provides prognostic information for NSCLC patients.

METHODSThe clinicopathological data of 105 patients with stage I NSCLC, who underwent pulmonary resection in Shanghai Chest hospital from Mar 1999 to Jul 2004, were retrospectively reviewed. The association between preoperative CRP levels and several clinical variables was analyzed by chi square test. Logistic regression analysis was used for multivariate analysis. Kaplan-Meier method and Cox multivariate regression model was used to examine the prognostic significance of the covariates on survival.

RESULTSAmong the 105 cases, 69 had CRP at normal level (≤ 5 mg/L) and 36 at increased level (> 5 mg/L). The patients who were male (P < 0.001), smoking (P = 0.002), with squamous cell carcinoma (P < 0.001), poor differentiation (P < 0.001), tumor size larger than 3 cm (P < 0.001) had a higher serum CRP level. The maxmal tumor diameter (P = 0.037) was an independent risk factor for preoperative serum CRP level elevation. The five-year survival rate and five-year disease free survival rate of the higher CRP group were lower than that in the normal CRP group (55.6% vs. 79.7%, P < 0.05, and 41.7%vs. 68.1%, P < 0.05, respectively). Cox regression analysis demonstrated that the CRP level had effect on overall survival (P = 0.009) and disease free survival (P = 0.019).

CONCLUSIONSOur findings indicate that the maximal tumor diameter is an independent risk factor for preoperative serum CRP level elevation. The overall survival, disease free survival, five-year survival rate and five-year disease free survival rate of the higher CRP group are lower than that in the normal CRP group.

Aged ; C-Reactive Protein ; metabolism ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; blood ; pathology ; surgery ; Disease-Free Survival ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Lung Neoplasms ; blood ; pathology ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Pneumonectomy ; methods ; Preoperative Period ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Retrospective Studies ; Smoking ; Survival Rate ; Tumor Burden

Animals ; Antihypertensive Agents ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Antioxidants ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Antiviral Agents ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Benzofurans ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Chromones ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Flavonoids ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Mass Spectrometry ; Molecular Structure ; Morus ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Resorcinols ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Spectrum Analysis ; methods

This paper reported that the activation of oncogenes in human fetal esopha geal epithelium treated by alternariol (AOH). It was found that NIH/3T3 cells were transformed via transfeetion of DNA extracted from human fetal esophageal epithelium which was cultured and treated by 10?g/ml AOH in a short term in vitro. The efficiency of primary loci was 0.17 focus per ?g of DNA. In the secondary transfection, the efficiency was 0.58 focus per ?g of DNA (P

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a new infectious disease rapidly spreading around the world, raising global public health concerns. Radiological examinations play a crucial role in the early diagnosis and follow-up of COVID-19. Cross infection among patients and radiographers can occur in radiology departments due to the close and frequent contact of radiographers with confirmed or potentially infected patients in a relatively confined room during radiological workflow. This article outlines our experience in the emergency management procedure and infection control of the radiology department during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Carcinoma, Adenosquamous ; complications ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Cystectomy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prostatectomy ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; complications ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; secondary ; surgery

OBJECTIVESTo establish a Chinese national standard for a nucleic acid test (NAT) for HBV DNA.

METHODSThe candidate sample of HBV DNA positive plasma was diluted with HBV-negative human plasma. The sample was lyophilised with a concentration of approximately 300,000 copies/ml. The measurement methods used included Roche Amplicor assay (version 2.0) and real-time PCR. The lyophilised preparation was calibrated by the international standard (NIBSC code: 97/746) from NIBSC.

RESULTSThe quantity of this lyophilised preparation was (1.29+/-0.24) x 10(5)IU/ml in comparison with the international standard for HBV DNA 97/746. The stability test indicated that the sample was stable at room temperature (20 to 25 degrees C) for 2 weeks and at 37 degrees C for at least 1 week. Long-term stability was observed at 2 to 8 degrees C for 6 months and at -20 degrees C for more than 2 years with no significant changes. The vial-to-vial imprecision rate was 3.53%.

CONCLUSIONBased on the results of this study, our lyophilized sample can be used as a standard in China for the nucleic acid test (NAT) for HBV DNA.

DNA, Viral ; blood ; Hepatitis B virus ; genetics ; Humans ; Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques ; standards ; Plasma ; chemistry

BACKGROUNDAs with many studies carried out in European countries, a quality assurance program has been established by the National Center for Clinical Laboratories in China (NCCL). The results showed that the external quality assessment significantly improves laboratory performance for quantitative evaluation of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA.

METHODSSerum panels were delivered twice annually to the clinical laboratories which performed HCV RNA detection in China. Each panel made up of 5 coded samples. All laboratories were requested to carry out the detection within the required time period and report on testing results which contained qualitative and/or quantitative test findings, reagents used and relevant information about apparatus. All the positive samples were calibrated against the first International Standard for HCV RNA in a collaborative study and the range of comparison target value (TG) designated as +/- 0.5 log.

RESULTSThe numbers of laboratories reporting on qualitative testing results for the first and second time external quality assessment were 168 and 167 in the year of 2003 and increased to 209 and 233 in 2007; the numbers of laboratories reporting on quantitative testing results were 134 and 147 in 2003 and rose to 340 and 339 in 2007. Deviation between the mean value for quantitative results at home in 2003 and the target value was above 0.5 log, which was comparatively high. By 2007, the target value was close to the national average except for the low concentrated specimens (10(3) IU/ml). The percentage of results within the range of GM +/- 0.5 log(10) varied from 8.2% to 93.5%. Some laboratories had some difficulties in the exact quantification of the lowest (3.00 log IU/ml) as well as of the highest viral levels (6.37 log IU/ml) values, very near to the limits of the dynamic range of the assays.

CONCLUSIONSThe comparison of these results with the previous study confirms that a regular participation in external quality assessment (EQA) assures the achievement of a high proficiency level in the diagnosis of HCV infection. During the 5-year external quality assessment, sensitivity and accuracy of detection in most of the clinical laboratories have been evidently improved and the quality of kits has also been substantially improved.

Hepacivirus ; genetics ; Humans ; Laboratories ; standards ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Quality Control ; RNA, Viral ; analysis ; Reagent Kits, Diagnostic

Aged ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prostatectomy ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; surgery ; Retrospective Studies

The objective of this study was to elucidate the correlation of killer immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) gene diversity with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in the Chinese southern Han population. KIR genotyping of peripheral blood samples from 67 patients with NPC and 77 randomly-selected healthy controls was performed by PCR-SSP, the relative risk (RR) value was calculated by means of Wolf method. The results showed that the KIR2DL3 gene frequency in NPC patient group was significantly lower than that in healthy controls (χ²>3.84, p < 0.05, RR = 0.08), whereas the KIR2DS5 and KIR2DL5B gene frequencies in patient group were significantly higher than those in healthy controls (χ²>3.84, p < 0.05, RR > 1), the other KIR gene frequencies were no statistically different between two groups. It is concluded that the KIR2DL3, KIR2DS5 and KIR2DL5B genes may be correlated with pathogenesis of NPC in the Chinese southern Han population.
Adult ; Aged ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; genetics ; Receptors, KIR ; genetics ; Receptors, KIR2DL3 ; genetics ; Receptors, KIR2DL5 ; genetics