OBJECTIVE: To explore clinical efficacy of percutaneous endoscopic discectomy with a lateral approach and dual-channel method in treating highly free lumbar disc herniation(LDH). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 54 patients with highly free LDH who were treated with spinal endoscopic techniques from January 2021 to December 2022. Twenty-seven patients were treated with lateral approach dual-channel(lateral approach dual-channel group), including 16 males and 11 females, with an average age of (54.6±10.5) years old. Twenty-seven patients were treated with unilateral biportal endoscopic (UBE group), including 17 males and 10 females, with an average age of (52.9±12.3) years old. The number of intraoperative fluoroscopy, operation time and hospital stay, as well as visual analogue scale (VAS) and Oswestry diability index (ODI) of low back and leg pain between two patients before operation, 1 day, 1, 3, and 12 months after operation, and the efficacy was evaluated by the modified MacNab criteria at 12 mohths after operation. RESULTS: All patients were successfully completed surgical and were followed up, the time raged from 12 to 22 months with an average of (13.57±4.12) months. There was no statistically significant difference in operation time between two groups (P>0.05). The hospital stay of lateral approach dual-channel group was (3.9±1.1) days, which was shorter than that of UBE group (6.5±1.4) days, the number of intraoperative fluoroscopy in lateral approach dual-channel group was (12.7±2.1) times, which was more than that in UBE group (6.6±1.3) times, the differences were statistically significant (t=5.197, -7.532;P<0.05). VAS and ODI for low back pain at 1 day and 1 month after operation, and VAS for leg pain at 1 day after operation of lateral approach dual-channel group were superior to those of UBE group, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). However, there were no statistically significant differences in VAS and ODI for low back and leg pain between two groups before operation and 3 and 12 months after operation (P>0.05). VAS and ODI of low back and leg pain were significantly improved at each time point before and after operation in both groups, and the difference were statistically significant (P<0.05). At 12 months after operation, according to the modified MacNab criteria, the excellent and good rates of therapeutic effects between lateral approach dual-channel group and UBE group were 92.6% (25/27) and 88.9% (24/27), respectively, and the difference was not statistically significant (χ²=0.22, P>0.05). CONCLUSION For patients with highly free lumbar intervertebral disc protrusion, both of lateral approach dual-channel method and UBE endoscopic surgery are safe and effective. Endoscopic surgery with lateral approach and dual-channel method could be performed under local anesthesia, allowing for the removal of the nucleus pulposus under direct vision. It is simpler, more efficient.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement/surgery* ; Middle Aged ; Diskectomy, Percutaneous/methods* ; Lumbar Vertebrae/surgery* ; Endoscopy/methods* ; Adult ; Retrospective Studies ; Aged

Humans ; Spine ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy and safety of Bushen Huoxue Formula (BSHXF) for the treatment of discogenic low-back pain (DLBP). METHODS: This was a parallel, double-blind, randomized, clinical trial performed between May 2019 and June 2020. Seventy patients were assigned by computerized random number table to the treatment group (lumbar traction and BSHXF, 35 cases) or the control group (lumbar traction and placebo, 35 cases). The patients received intervention for 3 weeks. Assessment was conducted before treatment and at week 1, 2, 3 during treatment. Primary outcome was the self-reported score of Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). Secondary outcomes included Visual Analog Scale (VAS), clinical efficacy rate by minimal clinically important difference (MCID) as well as lumbar tenderness, muscle tone and lumbar spine mobility. Adverse reactions were recorded. Follow-up was performed at 1 and 3 months after the end of treatment. RESULTS: In the treatment group, ODI score was significantly decreased compared with baseline (P<0.05) and the control group at 2- and 3- week treatment. Similarly, VAS score decreased compared with the baseline (P<0.05) and was lower than that in the control group at 2- and 3- week treatment (P<0.05). The clinical efficacy rate of the treatment group was higher than that of the control group after treatment [32.35% (11/34) vs. 3.13% (1/32), P<0.05). Moreover, the tenderness, and muscle tone, as well as the back extension and left flexion in lumbar spine mobility in the treatment group at 3-week treatment were significantly improved compared with the control group (P<0.05). Follow-up showed that at 1-month after treatment, the treatment group had better outcomes than the control group with regard to a total score of ODI and VAS scores, as well as clinical efficacy rate (all P<0.05). Moreover, VAS score was still significantly lower than the control group at 3-month follow-up (P<0.05). No adverse reactions were reported during the study. CONCLUSION BSXHF combined with lumbar traction can significantly improve the clinical symptoms including pain intensity, functionality, muscle tone, and lumbar spine mobility in DLBP patients. (Registration No. ChiCTR1900027777).
Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Degeneration/therapy* ; Low Back Pain/drug therapy* ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Pain Measurement ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUND: Shenyankangfu Tablet (SYKFT) is a Chinese patent medicine that has been used widely to decrease proteinuria and the progression of chronic kidney disease. OBJECTIVE: This trial compared the efficacy and safety of SYKFT, for the control of proteinuria in primary glomerulonephritis patients, against the standard drug, losartan potassium. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTION: This was a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial. Primary glomerulonephritis patients, aged 18-70 years, with blood pressure ≤ 140/90 mmHg, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥ 45 mL/min per 1.73 m MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was change in the 24-hour proteinuria level, after 48 weeks of treatment. RESULTS: A total of 735 participants were enrolled. The percent decline of urine protein quantification in the SYKFT group after 48 weeks was 8.78% ± 2.56% (P = 0.006) more than that in the losartan 50 mg group, which was 0.51% ± 2.54% (P = 1.000) less than that in the losartan 100 mg group. Compared with the losartan potassium 50 mg group, the SYKFT plus losartan potassium 50 mg group had a 13.39% ± 2.49% (P < 0.001) greater reduction in urine protein level. Compared with the losartan potassium 100 mg group, the SYKFT plus losartan potassium 100 mg group had a 9.77% ± 2.52% (P = 0.001) greater reduction in urine protein. With a superiority threshold of 15%, neither was statistically significant. eGFR, serum creatinine and serum albumin from the baseline did not change statistically significant. The average change in TCM syndrome score between the patients who took SYKFT (-3.00 [-6.00, -2.00]) and who did not take SYKFT (-2.00 [-5.00, 0]) was statistically significant (P = 0.003). No obvious adverse reactions were observed in any group. CONCLUSION: SYKFT decreased the proteinuria and improved the TCM syndrome scores of primary glomerulonephritis patients, with no change in the rate of decrease in the eGFR. SYKFT plus losartan potassium therapy decreased proteinuria more than losartan potassium therapy alone. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT02063100 on ClinicalTrials.gov.

Drug resistance is a major obstacle in the development of effective colorectal cancer (CRC) therapy. Our study aimed to explore the reversal abilities of Jiedu Sangen decoction (JSD) on the 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) resistance and its underlying molecular mechanisms. Expression changes in HIF-1 of CRC tissues were firstly revealed by bioinformatics analysis. Afterwards, cell viabilities of JSD and 5-FU treatments on 5-FU resistant human colon cancer cells (HCT-8/5-FU) were determined. Expressions of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), protein kinase B (AKT)/p-AKT, hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1α), as well as glycolysis related proteins such as L-lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA), Glucose transporter type 1 (Glut1), Hexokinase 2 (HKII), and cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase (Caspase) family members in HCT-8/5-FU cells, HIF-1α silenced HCT-8/5-FU cells and tumor tissues were detected by western blotting. HIF-1α was found over expressed in CRC tissues according to public available datasets in Oncomine. Growth inhibition rates of HCT-8/5-FU cells were increased along with the increase of JSD concentrations. JSD caused down-regulated HIF-1α, PI3K, AKT/p-AKT, HKII and Glut1, as well as up-regulated Caspase3 and Caspase9 in HCT-8/5-FU cells and tumor tissues. In HIF-1α silenced HCT-8/5-FU cells, synergistic group showed significantly reduced expression levels of PI3K, AKT, p-AKT. Additionally, up-regulated expressions of Caspase6 and Caspase7 were observed. JSD combined with 5-FU also exhibited obvious inhibitory efficiency on tumor growth in vivo. JSD may reverse 5-FU resistance by suppressing glycolysis via PI3K/AKT/HIF-1α signaling pathway, thereby inhibiting glycolysis and induce apoptosis to enhance anti-tumor activity.

Objective: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to present a major challenge to public health. Vaccine development requires an understanding of the kinetics of neutralizing antibody (NAb) responses to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Methods: In total, 605 serum samples from 125 COVID-19 patients (from January 1 to March 14, 2020) varying in age, sex, severity of symptoms, and presence of underlying diseases were collected, and antibody titers were measured using a micro-neutralization assay with wild-type SARS-CoV-2. Results: NAbs were detectable approximately 10 days post-onset (dpo) of symptoms and peaked at approximately 20 dpo. The NAb levels were slightly higher in young males and severe cases, while no significant difference was observed for the other classifications. In follow-up cases, the NAb titer had increased or stabilized in 18 cases, whereas it had decreased in 26 cases, and in one case NAbs were undetectable at the end of our observation. Although a decreasing trend in NAb titer was observed in many cases, the NAb level was generally still protective. Conclusion We demonstrated that NAb levels vary among all categories of COVID-19 patients. Long-term studies are needed to determine the longevity and protective efficiency of NAbs induced by SARS-CoV-2.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Antibodies, Neutralizing/immunology* ; Antibodies, Viral/immunology* ; COVID-19/immunology* ; Female ; Humans ; Kinetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neutralization Tests ; SARS-CoV-2

Objective:To compare the efficacy of pericapsular nerve group (PENG) block combined with lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (LFCN) block versus fascia iliaca compartment block (FICB) in elderly patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty under general anesthesia.Methods:Fifty-eight patients of both sexes, aged 65-85 yr, with body mass index of 18-30 kg/m 2, of American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status Ⅰ-Ⅲ, scheduled for elective direct anterior approach to total hip arthroplasty, were divided into 2 groups ( n=29 each) using a random number table method: PENG block plus LFCN block group (PL group) and FICB group (F group). In group PL, the mixture (20 ml) of 0.375% ropivacaine hydrochloride and dexamethasone 3.3 mg was injected around the nerve innervating the hip joint capsule under ultrasound guidance.In group F, the mixture (30 ml) of 0.375% ropivacaine hydrochloride and dexamethasone 5 mg was injected around the nerve innervating the fascia iliaca compartment under ultrasound guidance.All the patients received patient-controlled intravenous analgesia with oxycodone after surgery.When visual analogue scale scores≥4 points, oxycodone 1 mg was intravenously injected as rescue analgesic.The intraoperative consumption of remifentanil was recorded.First time to ambulation, discharge destination, length of hospital stay, and effective pressing times of analgesic pump, requirement for rescue analgesia and the incidence of quadriceps weakness, nausea and vomiting and nerve block related complications within 48 h after surgery were recorded. Results:Compared with F group, intraoperative consumption of remifentanil was significantly decreased, effective pressing times of analgesic pump and incidence of quadriceps weakness were decreased, first time to ambulation and length of hospital stay were shortened, and first discharge destination was prolonged ( P<0.05), and no significant change was found in the requirement for rescue analgesia and the incidence of nausea ( P>0.05) in group PL. Conclusion:PENG block combined with LFCN block can reduce intraoperative consumption of opioids, be helpful for inhibiting postoperative pain sensitivity, and improve early recovery than FICB when used for total hip arthroplasty under general anesthesia.

Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy of ginger-partitioned moxibustion plus pediatric massage (tuina) in treating infantile diarrhea due to spleen deficiency. Methods: Ninety infants were randomly divided into a massage plus moxibustion group, a massage group and a drug group by the random number table method, with 30 cases in each group. The intervention was conducted for two consecutive courses. The infants in the massage plus moxibustion group were treated with pediatric massage and ginger-partitioned moxibustion at Shenque (CV 8). The infants in the massage group were treated with pediatric massage alone, while those in the drug group were treated with smecta. The primary and secondary symptom scales were assessed before and after treatment and at the follow-ups, and the total effective rate was evaluated after treatment. Results: The total effective rate in the massage plus moxibustion group was significantly different from that in the massage group and drug group (both P<0.05). After treatment, the scores of primary and secondary symptoms decreased in all three groups, with statistically significant intra-group differences (all P<0.05); the scores of primary symptoms were significantly different between the massage plus moxibustion group and the drug group (P<0.05); the scores of secondary symptoms in the massage plus moxibustion group and the massage group were significantly different from that in the drug group (both P<0.05). The differences in the time to recover normal bowel movement frequency among the three groups were not statistically significant (P>0.05). Conclusion: Ginger-partitioned moxibustion plus pediatric massage compared with pediatric massage or smecta monotherapy shows superior clinical efficacy in treating infantile diarrhea due to spleen deficiency, and has the advantages of appetite improvement, physique strengthening and short course.

Objective To characterize a species of the genus Tricula and parasitized trematodes in schistosomiasis-endemic areas of Yunnan Province using a molecular analysis, so as to understand their taxonomic positions. Methods Tricula spp. and Oncomelania snails were collected from Xiangyun County, Yunnan Province, and cercaria parasitizing snails were observed using crushing followed by microscopy. Cercaria parasitizing Tricula snails at various morphologies were sampled using a shedding method. Genomic DNA was extracted from snail soft tissues and cercariae, and the 16S rRNA, COI, 28S rDNA genes in snails and the ND1 and 28S rDNA genes in cercariae were amplified using a PCR assay and sequenced. The species of Tricula snails and their parasitized trematodes was characterized using sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis. Results Among 382 Tricula snails detected, there were three types of trematode cercariae found, including the non-forked (20.94%, 80/382), double-forked (3.40%, 13/382) and swallow shapes (7.07%, 27/382). Sequence and phylogenetic analyses showed that the 16S rRNA, COI and 28S rDNA gene sequences of this species of Tricula had high homology to those in Delavaya dianchiensis, and were clustered in a branch. Sequencing analysis of the ND1 and 28S rDNA genes revealed that the non-forked cercariae belonged to the family Pleu- rogenidae, the swallow-shaped cercariae belonged to the family Opecoelidae, and the double-forked cercariae belonged to another species of the genus Schistosoma that was different from S. sinensium and S. ovuncatum. Conclusion The species and taxonomy of Triculla spp. and their parasitized trematodes are preliminarily determined in schistosomiasis-endemic areas of Yunnan Province; however, further studies are required to investigate the more definite taxonomy and pathogenicity.