A review of the clinical progress on helminths and their derivative products in autoimmune disease / 细胞与分子免疫学杂志

Traditional medications used for treating autoimmune diseases often come with a wide range of adverse effects. Current treatments focus mainly on symptom management, resulting in significant health issues and financial burdens for patients. Recently, clinical research has demonstrated the potential of helminths and their derivatives as effective therapies for autoimmune disorders. Helminths, being a near-natural immunomodulator, exhibit milder effects than broad-spectrum immunosuppressants and corticosteroids, thereby presenting a promising alternative for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. However, different helminths' therapeutic efficacy and mechanisms and their derivatives in treating autoimmune diseases may vary. Therefore, we aim to review recent clinical advancements in the use of helminths and their derivatives for treating inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, and autism spectrum disorder, with a view to offering novel clinical treatment approaches.

Effects of Nutritional Intervention on Nutritional Status and Quality of Life of Patients with Colorectal Cancer Treated with Postoperative Adjuvant Chemotherapy / 肿瘤防治研究

Objective To explore the effects of nutritional intervention on the quality of life and nutritional status of patients with colorectal cancer treated with postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. Methods Fifty-six patients with colorectal cancer subjected to postoperative chemotherapy were selected. They were divided into nutritional intervention group (n=20) and control group (n=36). Blood test indices, PG-SGA scores, and 36-Item Short Form Health Survey scores were compared 4 weeks after the surgery. Results No significant difference in PG-SGA score was found between the nutritional group and the control group at admission (t=-0.347, P=0.730), but statistically significant difference was detected after 4 weeks (t=-2.708, P=0.009). At 4 weeks after the surgery, the serum levels of prealbumin, albumin, and hemoglobin were not significantly different between the two groups (P > 0.05). Other indices of quality of life assessment (P < 0.05), except for the index of emotional function (P=0.083), were significantly different between the two groups, and the scores of the nutritional intervention group were higher than those of the control group. Conclusion Nutritional intervention can effectively improve the nutritional status and quality of life of patients with colorectal cancer treated with postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy.

Clinicopathologic characteristics and prognostic factors of gastric cancer in the elderly patients over 75 years / 中华胃肠外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the features of clinicopathology and prognosis of gastric cancer in elderly patients over 75 years old.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 193 elderly gastric cancer patients(≥75 years old) were treated in the Tumour Hospital of Harbin Medical University from January 2007 to December 2010, accounting for 5.6%, 6.5%, 6.9%, 7.9% of gastric cancer patients in each year from 2007 to 2010, respectively. Among them, 99(51.3%) patients received radical operations (radical group), 35(18.1%) patients received palliative operations (palliative group), 11(5.7%) patients received simple gastrojejunal anastomosis or gastrostomosis (anastomosis and stomy group), and 48(24.9%) patients received non-operation treatments such as chemotherapy, biology or immunology and so on (non-operation group). Clinicopathological and follow-up data of these 193 elderly patients were retrospectively analyzed. Survival time was compared among different treatment groups by Log-rank test and risk factors affecting the survival time of patients undergoing radical operation were analyzed by multivariate regression analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The median age of these 193 elderly gastric cancer patients was 79 (75-98) years old. There were 140(72.5%) males and 53(27.5%) females. Among them, 79(40.9%) patients were complicated with anemia, 71(36.8%) with hypoproteinemia, 19(9.8%) had comorbid diabetes mellitus, 21(10.9%) had comorbid pneumonia, 54(28.0%) had history of smoking and alcohol, 14(7.3%) had genetic family history of cancer. The median overall survival time was 27.9 months. The median survival time was 38.2 months in the radical group, 17.4 months in the palliative group, 7.7 months in the anastomosis and stomy group, and 10.1 months in the non-operation group respectively, and the difference was statistically significant(P=0.000). The univariate analysis of survival time in radical group revealed that depth of invation(T stage, P=0.046), lymph node metastasis (N stage, P=0.000), tumor diameter (P=0.049), TNM staging (P=0.004), and CEA level (P=0.029) were associated with survival time. Gender, age, Borrmann type, tumor differentiation, surgical procedures, CA199 level anemia and hypoalbuminemia were not associated with the survival time(all P>0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed that lymph node metastasis was the independent prognostic factor associated with shorter survival time in the elderly patients who underwent radical resection[N1 stage: P=0.005, OR=3.481, 95% CI:1.468-8.254; N2 stage: P=0.006, OR=2.848, 95% CI:1.341-6.050; N3 stage: P=0.000, OR=4.798, 95% CI:2.207-10.432].</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>In gastric cancer patients, more and more elderly patients are being diagnosed. Radical resection can prolong their postoperative survival time, but if lymph node metastasis is present, the risk of shorter postoperative survival time elevates.</p>

The application of problem-based learning combined with case based learning in clinical oncology teaching / 中华医学教育探索杂志

Objective To explore the value of an innovative teaching model which combined problem based learning (PBL) method with case based learning (CBL) method in clinical oncology Teaching.Methods 68 students were divided into the combinational teaching group (30 cases) and the LBL group (38 cases).The combinational teaching group was taught by PBL method combined with CBL method, and this dual track teaching was based on cases and problems.The traditional teaching group was taught by LBL method.The teaching effect was evaluated by students' questionnaire survey and test score.SPSS 13.0 was used to two groups to do t test for statistical analysis in test score and x2 test for degree of satisfaction.Results In the final examination, the score of non-case test of combinational teaching group was similar to that of traditional teaching group (50.30 ± 7.19 vs.52.04 ± 8.01, P=0.358).The combinational teaching group had significant improvement in case analysis test (35.76 ± 5.28 vs.31.80 ± 5.16), and the difference was statistically significant (P=-0.003).In the course of teaching satisfaction survey, the dual track teaching group, compared with the conventional teaching group, has a better effect on self study ability, communication skills, communication skills, and higher satisfaction for teaching, and more willing to continue to carry out teaching (P＜0.05).Conclusion The PBL+CBL combinational teaching model can make a great contribution to improving the teaching quality and satisfaction, and worthy of being popularized and applied.