Objective To evaluate the efficacy of Xinma Granules(mainly composed of Asari Radix et Rhizoma,Belamcandae Rhizomas,Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus,honey-prepared Ephedrae Herba,Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium and Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum)combined with acupoint application in the treatment of chronic cough with phlegm and stasis obstructing the lung type.Methods A retrospective study was conducted in 72 outpatients from the Department of Respiratory Medicine,Guangdong Second Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital from April 2022 to April 2023,which suffered from chronic cough of phlegm and stasis obstructing the lung type.The patients were divided into the observation group and the control group according to the treatment method,with 36 patients in each group.The control group was treated with Compound Methoxyphenamine Capsules,and the observation group was treated with Xinma Granules combined with acupoint application on the basis of treatment for the control group.The treatment course for the two groups covered one week.Before and after the treatment,the changes of pulmonary function indicators of forced expiratory volume in one second(FEV1),traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome scores,and Leicester Cough Questionnaire(LCQ)scores for the quality of life in the two groups were observed.After treatment,the clinical efficacy and adverse reaction occurrence in the two groups of patients were evaluated.Results(1)After one week of treatment,the disease control rate and total effective rate in the observation group were 44.44%(16/36)and 97.22%(35/36),and those in the control group were 16.67%(6/36)and 94.44%(34/36),respectively;the intergroup comparison showed that the difference of the total effective rate(by chi-square test)in the two groups was not statistically significant(P＞0.05),but the disease control rate(by chi-square test)and the total efficacy(by rank sum test)of the observation group were significantly superior to those of the control group(P＜0.05).(2)After treatment,the lung function indicators of FEV1 in the two groups were higher when compared with those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the increase of FEV1 in the observation group tended to be superior to that in the control group,without statistically significant difference(P＞0.05).(3)After treatment,the LCQ scores for the quality of life in the two groups were increased compared with those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the increase of LCQ score in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.05).(4)After treatment,the TCM syndrome scores in the two groups were significantly lower when compared with those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the decrease of LCQ score in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.05).(5)The incidence of adverse reactions in the observation group and the control group was all 5.56%(2/36),and the intergroup comparison showed that the difference was not statistically significant(P＞0.05).Conclusion Xinma Granules combined with acupoint application is effective and safe in the treatment of chronic cough with phlegm and stasis obstructing the lung type by enhancing the clinical efficacy and significantly improving the quality of life of patients.

PURPOSE: Effective biomarkers and models are needed to improve the prognostic prospects of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). The purpose of this work was to identify DNA methylation biomarkers and to evaluate the utility of DNA methylation analysis for ccRCC prognosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An overview of genome-wide methylation of ccRCC tissues derived from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database was download for analysis. DNA methylation signatures were identified using Cox regression methods. The potential clinical significance of methylation biomarkers acting as a novel prognostic markers was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. RESULTS: This study analyzed data for 215 patients with information on 23171 DNA methylation sites and identified a two-DNA methylation signature (cg18034859, cg24199834) with the help of a step-wise multivariable Cox regression model. The area under the curve of ROCs for the two-DNA methylation signature was 0.819. The study samples were stratified into low- and high-risk classifications based on an optimal threshold, and the two groups showed markedly different survival rates. Moreover, the two-DNA methylation marker was suitable for patients of varying ages, sex, stages (I and IV), and histologic grade (G2). CONCLUSION: The two-DNA methylation signature was deemed to be a potential novel prognostic biomarker of use in increasing the accuracy of predicting overall survival of ccRCC patients.
Biomarkers ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; Classification ; DNA Methylation ; Genome ; Humans ; Methods ; Methylation ; Prognosis ; ROC Curve ; Survival Rate

Objective: To evaluate the clinical characteristics of T-cell acute leukemia/lymphoma (T-ALL) and explore the prognosis significance of early T-cell precursor leukemia/lymphoma. Methods: A cohort of 126 patients diagnosed with T-ALL from 2008 to 2014 in West China Hospital, Sichuan University were enrolled in this study. They were further categorized by immunophenotype according to the expression of T-cell lineage markers CD1a, CD8, CD5 and one or more stem cell or myeloid markers. The laboratory indicators and prognosis factors were also statistically analyzed. Results: Of all patients, the ratio of male to female was 2.5∶1, with the median age of 25 years old (range 14 to 77) . The percentage of ETP-ALL was up to 47.6%. T-ALL patients showed higher ratio in first clinical remission rate (CR(1)) than T-LBL ones (64.4% vs 30.8%, P=0.032) . Group with WBC count higher than 50×10(9)/L at presentation showed higher ration of achieving CR(1) than those lower than 50×10(9)/L (78.4% vs 50.9%, P=0.010) . In comparison with the non-ETP-ALL, ETP-ALL patients had older age of onset (P<0.001) , lower WBC count (P<0.001) , lower risk of CNS involvement (10.0% vs 30.2%, P=0.009) and slightly inferior overall survival (P=0.073) . T-cell lineage markers CD1a(-), CD8(-) and CD4(-) positive patients had higher CR(1) than their corresponding negative ones (P=0.002, P=0.000, P=0.001) , while CD33(-) and CD56(-) positive patients had lower ratio of achieving CR(1) than their negative ones, respectively (P=0.035, P=0.035) . Conclusion: Flow cytometry and associated markers for immunophenotyping was of significance in the diagnosis and prognosis monitoring of T-ALL/LBL. The percentage of ETP-ALL/LBL subtype was high in Chinese adolescent and adult T-ALL patients. ETP-ALL/LBL was a high risk subtype, which needs more precise standard for diagnosis and advanced therapies for better outcome.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; China ; Female ; Humans ; Immunophenotyping ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Precursor Cells, T-Lymphoid/cytology* ; Precursor T-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma/diagnosis* ; Prognosis ; Young Adult

Objective To investigate the MRI characteristics of different pathologic types of patients with focal cortical dysplasia (FCD). Methods The postoperative clinical data of 23 patients with FCD were retrospectively analyzed and they were divided into patient groups of 4 types according to Palmini' s classification. The MRI characteristics of different pathologic types of patients with FCD were concluded. Results Among these 23 patients, 2 were diagnosed as having FCD ⅠA, 6 as having FCD IB, 8 as having FCD ⅡA and 7 as having FCD IE. As compared with that in patients with FCD Ⅰ, obviously increased signal of Flair images in patients with FCD Ⅱ was more prevalent (2:11,P=0.039). Increased signal in T2 images and tapering of abnormal white matter signals to ventricles were more prevalent in patients with FCD Ⅱ as compared with those in patients with FCD Ⅰ, but no significant differences were noted (P= 0.074, 0.058). As compared with patients with other 3 types of FCD, blurring of the gray matter-white matter junction, increased signal in T2 images, deep sulcus, thickening of the cortex and tapering of abnormal white matter signals to ventricles in patients with FCD ⅡB were more prevalent (P<0.05). Conclusion Different MRI characteristics in each type of FCD are noted, especially in patients with FCDⅡB. These different MRI characteristics are helpful to make preoperative diagnosis and planning of FCD.