OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy and safety of mulberry twig alkaloids (Sangzhi alkaloids, SZ-A) for treatment of type 2 diabetes in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicenter clinical trial. METHODS: A total of 200 patients were randomized to receive SZ-A (n=100) or placebo (n=100) for 16 weeks. The data analysis system for electronic data capture clinical trial central randomization system was used for randomization and dispensing of drugs. The primary outcome was the change in glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level. The secondary outcome included the proportions of cases with HbA1c <7.0% and HbA1c <6.5%, fasting blood glucose (FBG), postprandial blood glucose (PBG), area under curve for the PBG (AUC_0-2h), body weight, and body mass index (BMI). Adverse events (AEs), severe adverse events (SAEs), treatment-related adverse events (TAEs), gastrointestinal disorders (GDs), blood pressure, routine blood tests, and liver and kidney function were monitored. RESULTS: Compared with baseline, the change of HbA1c at week 16 was -0.80% (95% CI: -0.98% to -0.62%) and -0.09% (95% CI: -0.27% to 0.09%) in SZ-A group and placebo group, respectively. The proportion of patients with HbA1c <7% and <6.5% was higher in the SZ-A group than in the placebo group (46.8% vs. 21.6% and 29.9% vs. 10.8%). The observed values and changes in FBG, 1 h-PBG, 2 h-PBG, and AUC_0-2h differed significantly between groups (P<0.001), but differences were not significant in body weight and BMI (P>0.05). The incidence rates of AEs, TAEs, and GDs differed significantly between groups (P=0.010, P=0.005, and P=0.006, respectively), whereas the incidence rates of SAEs showed no significant differences between groups (P=1.000). CONCLUSION SZ-A are effective and safe for treatment of type 2 diabetes. The protocol was registered in http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=60117 (ChiCTR2000038550).
Alkaloids ; Blood Glucose ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/drug therapy* ; Double-Blind Method ; Glycated Hemoglobin A ; Humans ; Hypoglycemic Agents/therapeutic use* ; Morus ; Tablets/therapeutic use* ; Treatment Outcome

Objective: Prior pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) on chest X-ray (CXR) was commonly found in infertile patients receiving examinations before Method: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 14,254 infertile patients who had received IVF-ET at Peking University Third Hospital in 2017. Prior PTB was defined as the presence of signs suggestive of old or inactive PTB on CXR, with or without a clinical TB history. Patients who had prior PTB on CXR but had not received a clinical diagnosis and anti-TB therapy were included for analysis. Live birth, clinical pregnancy, and miscarriage rates were compared between the untreated PTB and non-PTB groups. Results: The untreated PTB group had significantly lower clinical pregnancy (31.7% Conclusions Untreated PTB was associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes after IVF-ET, especially in patients with unexplained infertility, highlighting the clinical significance of PTB in this specific patient population.
Abortion, Spontaneous/epidemiology* ; Adult ; China/epidemiology* ; Embryo Transfer/statistics & numerical data* ; Female ; Fertilization in Vitro/statistics & numerical data* ; Humans ; Infertility, Female/etiology* ; Live Birth/epidemiology* ; Middle Aged ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/epidemiology* ; Pregnancy Outcome/epidemiology* ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Retrospective Studies ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary/epidemiology* ; Young Adult

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility and potential value of comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) in elderly (≥60 years) patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in China. Methods: The CGA results of 83 newly diagnosed AML (non-APL) patients from 16 hospitals in Beijing and Tianjin between March 2016 and December 2017 were prospectively collected and analyzed. The clinical data, treatment and follow-up information were also collected. Results: Of 83 newly diagnosed elderly AML patients, 81 patients (97.6%) completed all designated CGA assessment. The median number of impaired scales of the CGA assessment in the studied population was 2(0-6). Sixteen patients (19.3%) showed no impairments according to the geriatric assessment scales implem ented by this study. The distributions of impaired scales were as follows: impairment in ADL, 55.4%; IADL impairment, 42.2%; MNA-SF impairment, 48.2%; cognitive impairment, 15.7%; GDS impairment, 31.7%; HCT-CI impairment, 19.5%, respectively. In patients with "good" ECOG (n=46), the proportion of impairment for each CGA scale ranged from 6.5% to 37.0% and 32 patients (68.9%) had at least one impaired CGA scale. Survival analysis showed that the number of impaired scales of the CGA was significantly correlated with median overall survival (P=0.050). Conclusions: CGA was a tool with feasibility for the comprehensive evaluation in elderly AML patients in China. Combined with age and ECOG, CGA may be more comprehensive in assessing patients' physical condition.
Activities of Daily Living ; Aged ; China ; Geriatric Assessment ; Humans ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; Prospective Studies

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to illustrate the magnetic resonance venography (MRV) manifestations of obstructed hepatic veins (HVs), the inferior vena cava (IVC), and accessory hepatic veins (AHVs) in patients with Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) and to evaluate the visualization capacity of MRV in the diagnosis of BCS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-two patients with chronic BCS were included in this study. All patients were examined via MRV performed with a 3T system following injections of gadolinium-diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA) or Gd-ethoxibenzyl-DTPA. HV and IVC lesions were classified, and their characteristics were described. HV cord-like occlusions detected via MRV were compared using ultrasonography (US). Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) was performed as a contrast in the MRV detection of IVC lesions. The HVs draining collaterals, mainly AHVs, were carefully observed. HV lesions were classified as segmental stenosis, segmental occlusion, membranous stenosis, membranous occlusion, cord-like occlusion, or non-visualized. Except for patent IVCs, IVC lesions were classified as segmental occlusion, segmental stenosis, membranous occlusion, membranous stenosis, and hepatomegaly-induced stenosis. RESULTS: All patients (52/52, 100%) showed HV lesions of different degrees. MRV was inferior to US in detecting cord-like occlusions (6 vs. 19, χ2 = 11.077, p < 0.001). Dilated AHVs, including 50 (50/52, 96.2%) caudate lobe veins and 37 (37/52, 71.2%) inferior HV and AHV lesions, were well-detected. There were no significant differences in detecting segmental lesions and thrombosis between MRV and DSA (χ2 = 0.000, p1 = 1.000, p2 = 1.000). The capacity of MRV to detect membranous lesions was inferior to that of DSA (7 vs. 15, χ2 = 6.125, p = 0.013). CONCLUSION: In patients with BCS, MRV can clearly display the lesions in HVs and the IVC, as well as in AHVs, and it has diagnostic and therapeutic value.
Angiography ; Angiography, Digital Subtraction ; Budd-Chiari Syndrome* ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Diagnosis ; Hepatic Veins* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Phlebography* ; Thrombosis ; Ultrasonography ; Veins ; Vena Cava, Inferior*

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of premature rupture of the membrane (PROM) on neonatal complications in premature infants.

METHODSThe registration information of 7684 preterm infants with gestational age <37 weeks were collected from the cooperative units in the task group between January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2014. Specially trained personnel from each cooperative units filled in the unified form in a standardized format to record the gender, gestational age, birth weight, PROM, placental abruption, antenatal corticosteroid, Apgar score, amniotic fluid pollution, and complications of the infants. The data were analyzed comparatively between the cases with PROM and those without (control).

RESULTSThe preterm mortality rate was significantly lower but the incidences of ICH, NEC, ROP and BPD were significantly higher in PROM group than in the control group (P<0.05). The 95% confidence interval of the OR value was <1 for mortality, and was >1 for ICH, NEC, ROP and BPD. After adjustment for gestational age, birth weight, gender, mode of delivery, placental abruption, placenta previa, prenatal hormones, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), gestational period hypertension and 5-min Apgar score <7, the incidences of NEC, ROP and BPD were significantly different between the two groups (P<0.05) with 95% confidence interval of OR value >1, but the mortality rate and incidence of ICH were not significantly different between the two groups (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONPROM is a risk factor for NEC, ROP and BPD in preterm infants, and adequate intervention of PROM can reduce the incidences of such complications as NEC, ROP and BPD in the infants.

Apgar Score ; Birth Weight ; Female ; Fetal Membranes, Premature Rupture ; pathology ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Newborn, Diseases ; etiology ; Infant, Premature ; Pregnancy ; Risk Factors

· Vascular endothelial growth factor is indispensable inducing factor in retinalangiogenesis. After the retinal neovascularization of proliferative diabetic retinopathy ( PDR ) patients, it can cause fibrovascular membrane formation, epiretinal membrane fibrosis increased, resulting in traction retinal detachment with further aggravate the condition. The recent research suggests that cytokines promote fibroblast proliferation, movement, adhesion, and secretion of extracellular matrix functions in the diabetic state of the environment changes to profibrogenic state, resulting in the accumulation and fibrosis of extracellular matrix. This paper reviewed the status quo of the correlation between vascular endothelial growth factor and fibrosis-related cytokine.

The cupping spot is considered as one kind of skin change due to cupping treatment. With literature regarding cupping spot, the influencing factors and value of cupping spot in clinical diagnosis and treatment were analyzed, which could make a further exploration on the action mechanism of cupping treatment. The literature showed that the formation of cupping spot was related with cupping temperature, pressure, cup-retaining time, cupping area, individual difference and health condition, etc; cupping spot had the ability to assist diagnosis, prevent disease, cure disease and evaluate clinical efficacy. Previous studies on cupping spot have already made some progress, and played a positive significance on finding cupping rule and studying its mechanism. However, the research for this area is still in the primary stage, which needed deeper study to reveal scientific connotations of cupping spot.
Acupuncture Therapy ; instrumentation ; Humans ; Skin ; anatomy & histology ; blood supply

AIM:To observe the situation of rat retinal tissue DNA damage at early diabetic period, discuss the role of the blood glucose fluctuations, and provide a new method for studying the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy ( DR) .
METHODS: SD rats were randomly divided into four groups:normal control group (NC), normal fluctuation group ( NF ) , diabetes group ( DM ) and diabetes fluctuation group ( DF ) . Diabetic models were established through intraperitoneal injection of STZ. A certain amount of glucose was injected in the rats of group NF and DF in an intraperitoneal mode three times a day after the model was established, thereby causing blood glucose fluctuations. Rats were killed and the retinal tissues were taken in the 8th week. Single cell gel electrophoresis ( SCGE ) technique was adopted for detecting DNA injury extent in the retina tissue.
RESULTS:Groups NF and DF showed significant and regular fluctuations. The curve of blood glucose fluctuations was relatively stable. All values of MBG, SDBG, LAGE and M were significantly increased compared with group NC. Group DF was increased more significantly. It was statistically significant (P<0. 01). SCGE showed that there were DNA damages in different levels in the cells of group NF, DM and DF. Indicators of cells such as TL, TDNA %, TM, OTM were higher than that in group NC. It was statistically significant ( P<0-01). The comparison difference between two groups was also significant (P<0. 01).
CONCLUSION: Rat retinal tissues have DNA injury during early diabetic period. DNA injury is gradually aggravated with blood glucose fluctuation. It indicates that high blood glucose and blood glucose fluctuation are involved in the mechanism of cell DNA injury, and they may be one of DR early event, have played a certain role in the incidence of DR.

BACKGROUNDThe risk of clinical deterioration still exists in the acute phase despite the fact that patients with minor stroke may display less severe symptoms. The impact of this clinical deterioration on long-term outcomes is unknown. We characterized the clinical features of neurological deterioration (ND) in the acute phase of minor ischemic stroke (MIS) and investigated its impact on mid- and long-term outcomes.

METHODSThis was a multi-centered, prospective clinical study involving patients with MIS (the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, NIHSS ≤3) recruited from the China National Stroke Registry. Patients were included who had been hospitalized within 24 hours of stroke onset. Baseline characteristics, complication rates during hospitalization, etiology of stroke, as well as 3-, 6-, and 12-month post-stroke outcomes were compared between patients with and without ND during the acute phase.

RESULTSA number of 368 (15.2%) out of 2424 patients included in the study exhibited ND in the acute phase. Compared to patients without ND, patients with ND had longer hospital stay, increased rate of baseline diabetes, and multiple complications. Multivariate Logistic regression indicated that ND in acute phase was an independent factor predictive of increased dependence (adjusted odds ratio = 5.20, 95% CI, 3.51-7.70, P < 0.001) at 12-month post-stroke.

CONCLUSIONSThe risk of ND in the acute phase is high in patients with MIS. ND in the acute phase is an independent predictor for poor outcomes at 12 months post-stroke onset.

Aged ; China ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nervous System Diseases ; etiology ; physiopathology ; Prognosis ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Stroke ; complications ; pathology

AIM: To analyze the clinical feature and treatment of endogenous endophthalmitis caused by liver abscess. METHODS: A total of 9 eyes (7 cases) with endogenous endophthalmitis caused by liver abscess in our hospital from 2005 to 2010 were analyzed retrospectively. Microorganism was cultivated with blood or vitreous in all patients.4 eyes were performed vitrectomy. 2 eyes were injected antibiotics in vitreous cavity. 3 eyes were only treated with antibiotics.RESULTS: Two cases (2 eyes) were diagnosed with endophthalmitis firstly, then found liver abscess; 4 eyes were with diabetes mellitus, and 1 eye with abnormal glucose tolerance. Cultivation of microorganism was positive in 6 eyes (67%), including Pneumonia cray-research, Candida albicans and Escherichia coli. 5 eyes had useful vision after treatment, 1 eye had light perception,3 eyes became blindness. CONCLUSION: As an ocular emergency, endogenous endophthalmitis caused by liver abscess can severely damage visual function. Timely consultation, early diagnosis, proper systemic and topical anti-infective and anti-inflammatory treatment are the most effective methods for controlling infection. Vitrectomy with intravitreal antibiotics plays an important role in preserving useful vision function in patients.