Fibrosis is a pathological process of abnormal hyperplasia and excessive deposition of extracellular matrix during the process of repair after tissue and organ damage. Injury/inflammation caused by variously chronic diseases is a major trigger for fibrogenesis. Fibrosis of the liver and kidney is a common organ fibrosis. Recently, the intestinal microbiota has been shown to be extensively involved in the development of liver and kidney diseases, which may follow from changes in the intestinal microbial composition and intestinal integrity. This promotes the development of liver and/or kidney fibrosis through endocrine, cell signaling and other pathways. This paper reviews the research progress in understanding liver fibrosis and kidney fibrosis based on the gut-liver-kidney axis, which may be helpful for providing new strategies and theoretical basis for the diagnosis and treatment of hepatic and renal fibrosis.

Objective Based on the theory of biomechanics, the finite element method was used to study the injury characteristics of different parts of brain hit by fist with different force and to predict the risk of craniocerebral injury, in order to provide reference for actual medical protection and forensic identification. Methods The finite element model of fist was constructed by using DICOM data modeling method and related software, and the effective mass and speed of fist were used to represent the kinetic energy of fist, and combined with human finite element model THUMS 4.02, the characteristics of craniocerebral injury caused by frontal and lateral blows were parametrically simulated. Results The probability of direct death from a blow to the head was low, but as fist power increased, so did the risk of craniocerebral injury. The characteristics of craniocerebral injury were also significantly different with the different fist hitting head locations. When the frontal area was attacked, the maximum equivalent stress of skull was 122.40 MPa, while that of brain tissue was 4.31 kPa. When the temporal area was attacked, the maximum equivalent stress of skull was 71.53 MPa, while that of brain tissue was 7.09 kPa. Conclusion The characteristics and risks of skull fracture and brain tissue injury are different when different parts of the brain are hit by fist. When the frontal area is hit, the risk of skull fracture is significantly higher than when the temporal area is hit. The risk of brain tissue injury is the opposite. The position with the highest probability of skull fracture is generally the place where the skull is directly impacted, and with the conduction of stress waves, it will spread to other parts of the skull, while the position with the highest risk of brain tissue injury is not the place where the brain is directly impacted.
Biomechanical Phenomena ; Craniocerebral Trauma/etiology* ; Finite Element Analysis ; Head ; Humans ; Skull ; Skull Fractures/etiology*

Objective To explore the clinical characteristics of relapsing polychondritis(RP)patients presented with arthropathy. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 201 RP patients who were hospitalized in our center between December 2005 and February 2019.After 16 patients with co-existing other autoimmune diseases and malignancies were ruled out,185 RP patients entered the final analysis,among whom 16 RP patients were presented with arthropathy and 169 without arthropathy.The demographic data,clinical manifestations,laboratory findings,and prognosis were compared between these two groups. Results Five of the 16 RP patients with arthropathy at presentation were misdiagnosed as rheumatoid arthritis.Compared with RP patients without arthropathy at presentation,RP patients with arthropathy at presentation had a longer disease course[(37.50±66.50)months
Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Delayed Diagnosis ; Diagnostic Errors ; Humans ; Joint Diseases/diagnosis* ; Polychondritis, Relapsing/diagnosis* ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of a 48-week course of adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) plus Chinese medicine (CM) therapy, namely Tiaogan Jianpi Hexue () and Tiaogan Jiedu Huashi () fomulae, in hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive Chinese patients. METHODS: A total of 605 HBeAg-positive Chinese CHB patients were screened and 590 eligible participants were randomly assigned to 2 groups in 1:1 ratio including experimental group (EG, received ADV plus CM) and control group (CG, received ADV plus CM-placebo) for 48 weeks. The major study outcomes were the rates of HBeAg and HBV-DNA loss on week 12, 24, 36, 48, respectively. Secondary endpoints including liver functions (enzymes and bilirubin readings) were evaluated every 4 weeks at the beginning of week 24, 36, and 48. Routine blood, urine, and stool analyses in addition to electrocardiogram and abdominal B scan were monitored as safety evaluations. Adverse events (AEs) were documented. RESULTS: The combination therapy demonstrated superior HBeAg loss at 48 weeks, without additional AEs. The full analysis population was 560 and 280 in each group. In the EG, population achieved HBeAg loss on week 12, 24, 36, and 48 were 25 (8.90%), 34 (12.14%), 52 (18.57%), and 83 (29.64%), respectively; the equivalent numbers in the CG were 20 (7.14%), 41 (14.64%), 54 (19.29%), and 50 (17.86%), respectively. There was a statistically significant difference between these group values on week 48 (P<0.01). No additional AEs were found in EG. Subgroup analysis suggested different outcomes among treatment patterns. CONCLUSION Combination of CM and ADV therapy demonstrated superior HBeAg clearance compared with ADV monotherapy. The finding indicates that this combination therapy may provide an improved therapeutic effect and safety profile (ChiCTR-TRC-11001263).
Adenine ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use ; Adult ; Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; Double-Blind Method ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; immunology ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; drug therapy ; immunology ; Humans ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Organophosphonates ; therapeutic use ; Young Adult

Ginger, one of worldwide consumed dietary spice, is not only famous as food supplements, but also believed to exert a variety of remarkable pharmacological activity as herbal remedies. In this study, a ginger constituent, 12-dehydrogingerdione (DHGD) was proven that has comparable anti-inflammatory activity with positive control 6-shogaol in inhibiting LPS-induced interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, prostaglandin (PG) E₂, nitric oxide (NO), inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, without interfering with COX-1 in cultured microglial cells. Subsequent mechanistic studies indicate that 12-DHGD may inhibit neuro-inflammation through suppressing the LPS-activated Akt/IKK/NF-κB pathway. Furthermore, 12-DHGD markedly promoted the activation of NF-E2-related factor (Nrf)-2 and heme oxygenase (HO)-1, and we demonstrated that the involvement of HO-1 on the production of pro-inflammatory mediators such as NO and TNF-α by using a HO-1 inhibitor, Zinc protoporphyrin (Znpp). These results indicate that 12-DHGD may protect against neuro-inflammation by inhibiting Akt/IKK/IκB/NF-κB pathway and promoting Nrf-2/HO-1 pathway.
Dietary Supplements ; Ginger ; Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing) ; Interleukins ; Microglia* ; Nitric Oxide ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases ; Spices ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; Zinc

Objective To research the location,composition,zoning,flow and combination form of medical system of Model 920 hospital ship, and to provide theoretical support for the design of the hospital ship. Methods The layout of medical system of the hospital ship was constructed based on the theories of ship engineering design,hospital architecture design and naval health service as well as the requirements for height and internal environment of medical system.Results The mode combining multi corridor and single column was used to design 8 operating rooms and accessories in the midship of No.01 deck.Conclusion The multi-corridor single-column combination operating area occupies less ship space resources and the surgical treatment of wounded and sick patients is efficient, which is suitable for the platform of the ship and is worthy of reference for the design of the medical system of the large-scale rescue platform on the sea. [Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2018,39(5):39-43]

Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; genetics ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; genetics ; Male ; Nerve Tissue Proteins ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide

Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy of oxaliplatin or tegafur combined with paclitaxel in the treatment of advanced gastric car-cinoma.Methods Fifty-eight patients with advanced gastric carcino-ma were enrolled in our hospital and divided in two groups .Thirty pa-tients in OP group received the chemotherapy regimen of oxaliplatin 130 mg? m-2 on day 1, and paclitaxel 135 mg? m -2 on day 1 and 8 through intravenous drip and the other 28 subjects in SP group received chemo-therapy regimen of oral tegafur 80 mg? m-2? d-1 on day 1 to day 14 plus paclitaxel 135 mg? m-2 on day 1 and 8 through intravenous drip . The data of clinical efficacy and adverse reactions of the two groups were compared after more than 2 cycles of chemotherapy , twenty-eight days was a cycle.Results The data of objective response rate were 33.3% and 35.7%in OP and SP group , respectively , which indicated that there was no statistical difference between the two groups ( P >0.05 ); but the risk of gradeⅢtoⅣdiarrhea patients in the OP group was much higher than that in SP group (P<0.05).Conclusion The clinical efficacy of oxaliplatin or tegafur combined with paclitaxel in the treatment of advanced gastric carci-noma were both confirmed , but patients who received tegafur combined with paclitaxel will have lower risk of developing adverse reactions .

BACKGROUNDData on the epidemiology of hypertension in Chinese non-dialysis chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients are limited. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension in the non-dialysis CKD patients through a nationwide, multicenter study in China.

METHODSThe survey was performed in 61 tertiary hospitals in 31 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions in China (except Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan). Trained physicians collected demographic and clinical data and measured blood pressure (BP) using a standardized protocol. Hypertension was defined as systolic BP ≥ 140 mmHg and/or diastolic BP ≥ 90 mmHg, and/or use of antihypertensive medications. BP < 140/90 mmHg and < 130/80 mmHg were used as the 2 thresholds of hypertension control. In multivariate logistic regression with adjustment for sex and age, we analyzed the association between CKD stages and uncontrolled hypertension in non-dialysis CKD patients.

RESULTSThe analysis included 8927 non-dialysis CKD patients. The prevalence, awareness, and treatment of hypertension in non-dialysis CKD patients were 67.3%, 85.8%, and 81.0%, respectively. Of hypertensive CKD patients, 33.1% and 14.1% had controlled BP to < 140/90 mmHg and < 130/80 mmHg, respectively. With successive CKD stages, the prevalence of hypertension in non-dialysis CKD patients increased, but the control of hypertension decreased (P < 0.001). When the threshold of BP < 130/80 mmHg was considered, the risk of uncontrolled hypertension in CKD 2, 3a, 3b, 4, and 5 stages increased 1.3, 1.4, 1.4, 2.5, and 4.0 times compared with CKD 1 stage, respectively (P < 0.05). Using the threshold of < 140/90 mmHg, the risk of uncontrolled hypertension increased in advanced stages (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe prevalence of hypertension Chinese non-dialysis CKD patients was high, and the hypertension control was suboptimal. With successive CKD stages, the risk of uncontrolled hypertension increased.

Adult ; Aged ; Awareness ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; complications ; epidemiology ; therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prevalence ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic ; complications

OBJECTIVETo summarize the prevention and treatment experience of deep vein thrombosis in patients with abdominal tumors after standardized resection and lymph node dissection, and to investigate a standard therapeutic measure of thrombosis prevention in these patients.

METHODSThe clinical data of 548 patients who received radical operation and standardized lymph node dissection for abdominal tumors from January 2007 to April 2010 were analyzed retrospectively. According to different therapeutic scheme and time, the patients were divided into three groups: Group 1 included 163 cases from January 2007 to March 2008 were treated with compound Danshen injection 0.2 g and low molecular weight dextran 500 ml on the same day of surgery for 7 days; Group 2 included 149 cases from April 2008 to March 2009 were treated with the same regimen as that in Group 1 plus low molecular heparin 40 mg on the same day of surgery for 7 days; Group 3 included 236 cases from April 2009 to April 2010 were treated with the same regimen as that in Group 1 plus low molecular heparin on the third day of surgery for 7 days. The treatment effects and the complications in the three groups were analyzed and compared.

RESULTSSixty-four (39.3%) cases were D-Dimer positive and 15 (9.2%) cases were DVT positive under color Doppler ultrasound examination in Group 1; and those were 38 (25.5%) and 3 (2.0%) in Group 2; and 62 (26.3%) and 6(2.5%) in Group 3. Overall observation, the incidences of thrombosis in Group 2 and 3 were obviously lower than that of Group 1, but there was no significant difference between Group 2 and 3. Earlier use of low molecular heparin would lead to some complications.

CONCLUSIONSIt brings better effects in thrombosis prevention by using compound Danshen injection and low molecular weight dextran on the day of surgery, with low molecular heparin on the third day of surgery.

Abdominal Neoplasms ; surgery ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Complications ; prevention & control ; Retrospective Studies ; Venous Thrombosis ; etiology ; prevention & control ; therapy