Ecological surveys of the Cryptococcus species complex in China / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Despite recent reports on the molecular epidemiology of cryptococcal infections in China, clinical isolates have been mostly reported from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-negative patients, and environmental isolates from China have rarely been included. The aim of this study was to investigate the ecological profile of Cryptococcus (C.) neoformans and C. gattii in China.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A survey was performed in 10 cities from 20°N (North latitude) to 50°N and in a Eucalyptus (E.) camaldulensis forestry farm at the Guixi forestry center, China.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Six hundred and twenty samples of pigeon droppings from 10 cities and 819 E. camaldulensis tree samples were collected and inoculated on caffeic acid cornmeal agar (CACA). The brown-colored colonies were recultured to observe their morphology, growth on canavanine-glycine-bromothymol-blue (CGB) medium, phenol oxidase and urease activities, serotype and mating type. There were obvious differences in the positive sample rates of C. neoformans in pigeon droppings collected from the different cities, ranging from 50% in the cities located at latitudes from 30°N - 40°N, 29% at 20°N - 30°N and 13% at 40°N - 50°N.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>There were no differences in positive bevy rates (approximately 80%) among the three grouped cities. Mycological tests of 101 isolates purified from pigeon droppings revealed that they were C. neoformans var. grubii. We also observed variable capsular size around the C. neoformans cells in colonies with variable melanin production and the bio-adhesion of the natural C. neoformans cells with other microorganisms. One urease-negative C. neoformans isolate was isolated from pigeon droppings in Jinan city. No C. gattii was isolated in this study.</p>

Clinical observation on effect of triptolide tablet in treating patients with psoriasis vulgaris / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects of triptolide tablet in the treatment of patients with psoriasis vulgaris.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>By an open clinical study of 103 patients with psoriasis vulgaris. Psoriasis area severity index (PASI) was measured and recorded before and after treatment for efficacy evaluation.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of the 103 patients, markedly effective was got in 41 (39.7%), improved in 37 (35.8%) and ineffective in 25 (24.5%), the total effective rate being 75.7%, and the adverse reaction was shown only in few patients with decreased WBC during the treatment period.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Triptolide tablet is effective for the treatment of psoriasis vulgaris during the one-year follow-up.</p>