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Objective:To evaluate the clinical efficacy of Bupi Qingfei decoction in the treatment of bronchiectasis colonized by<italic> Pseudomonas aeruginosa</italic> （PA） （lung-spleen Qi deficiency syndrome and phlegm heat accumulating in lung syndrome）. Method:A total of 72 bronchiectasis patients colonized with PA （ lung-spleen Qi deficiency syndrome and phlegm heat accumulating in lung syndrome ） were randomly divided into the observation group （36 cases， two cases were lost to follow-up and three dropped out） and control group （36 cases， three cases were lost to follow-up and four dropped out）. There were 31 cases in the observation group and 29 cases in the control group completing the trial. Patients in the observation group were treated with Bupi Qingfei decoction orally，once in the morning and again in the evening， one bag every other day， and simulated azithromycin tablet at the dose of 0.5 g，once every other day， while those in the control group with azithromycin tablet at 0.5 g，once every other day， and simulated Bupi Qingfei decoction， once in the morning and again in the evening， one bag every other day. Patients in both groups received health education and postural expectoration. The treatment lasted for 24 weeks，followed by a 24-week follow-up. The frequency of acute exacerbation，quality of life （St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire） score，traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome score，lung function ［forced expiratory volume in one second percentage of predicted（FEV<sub>1</sub>%pred） and FEV<sub>1</sub>/forced vital capacity（FVC）］， and serum immunoglobulin （Ig）A，IgE，IgG，and IgM levels of the two groups were evaluated after treatment. Result:The frequencies of acute exacerbation after 24 weeks of treatment and during the 24-week follow-up in the observation group were lower than those in the control group （<italic>P</italic><0.05）. The total quality of life （St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire） score and symptom scores in the observation group after 24 weeks of treatment were significantly decreased as compared with those before treatment （<italic>P</italic><0.05）. There was no significant improvement in the quality of life in the control group either after 24 weeks of treatment or during the 24-week follow-up. The effective rate against TCM syndrome in the observation group was 64.52%（20/31） after 12 weeks of treatment，which was obviously higher than 31.03%（9/29） in the control group （<italic>χ</italic><sup>2</sup>=6.726，<italic>P</italic><0.05）. After 24 weeks of treatment，the effective rate in the observation group was 83.87%， slightly higher than 68.97% in the control group. After 12 and 24 weeks of treatment，the scores of cough，expectoration，fatigue，anorexia，spontaneous sweating，abdominal distension， and loose stool in the observation group were better than those in the control group （<italic>P</italic><0.05）. There were no significant changes in lung function and serum immunoglobulin classes in the two groups. Conclusion:Bupi Qingfei decoction is effective in reducing the frequency of acute exacerbation， alleviating the symptoms， and improving the quality of life of bronchiectasis patients colonized by PA （lung-spleen Qi deficiency syndrome and phlegm heat accumulating in lung syndrome）.
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Objective: To compare and analyze the patient perceived quality of care in primary health institutions within medical groups from the experience of Zhenjiang city in Jiangsu Province. Methods : Random selection was used picking the districts and community health centers. In this paper, one district was randomly selected from each medical group,and then one community health center (CHC) was randomly selected in the sample district. The Primary Care Assessment Tool survey (PCAT) was conducted in the sample primary health institutions. Thereafter, data analysis was conducted using the ddescriptive statistics and multi-linear regression methods. Results : Research results showed that the PCAT total score of CHC in Rehabilitation Medical Group (25. 21 ) was significantly higher than that in Jiangbin Medical Group (23.06) with the variation coefficient of β =2. 191. Except for the "extent of affiliation with a place" and " coordination (information systems),,,PCAT scores in all the other core domains were significantly higher in Rehabilitation Medical Group than those in Jiangbin Medical Group. Conclusion : Given the PCAT results, patients perception on quality of care in primary health institutions figuring in Rehabilitation Medical Group was better than those in Jiangbin Medical Group. The close relationship in management and technical skills, and the formation of interest allocation mechanism probably probably contributed into the way towards the results.
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Background:Irritable bowel syndrome( IBS)patients are often accompanied by anxiety,depression and other psychological abnormalities,but the effects of psychological abnormalities on daily life have not yet been fully clarified. Aims:To investigate the effects of psychological abnormalities on life quality,sleep quality and symptom severity in IBS patients. Methods:A total of 101 IBS patients admitted from Nov. 2014 to May 2015 at Anhui Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Anhui Medical University were enrolled in this study. Zung self-rating anxiety scale(SAS)and Zung self-rating depression scale(SDS)were used to evaluate the mental state;IBS-quality of life(IBS-QOL)was used to evaluate the life quality;Pittsburgh sleep quality index(PSQI)was used to evaluate the sleep quality;IBS symptom severity score (IBS-SSS)was used to evaluate the symptom severity. Correlations between psychological factors,life quality,sleep quality and symptom severity were analyzed. Results:57. 4%(58 / 101)of IBS patients were accompanied by varying degrees of anxiety and/ or depression. The IBS-QOL score of 101 patients was 73. 28 ± 12. 79,in which anxiety,loss of appetite and health concerns were the most severely affected. 73. 3%(74 / 101)of IBS patients were accompanied by varying degrees of sleep disorders,in which daytime dysfunction,sleep quality and sleep efficiency were the most severely affected. Of the 101 IBS patients,the symptom of 13 cases was mild,63 cases was moderate and 25 cases was severe. IBS-SSS score was 253. 00 ± 72. 58. Correlation analysis showed that anxiety,depression were negatively correlated with life quality(r = - 0. 426,P < 0. 001;r = - 0. 501,P < 0. 001)and positively correlated with sleep quality(r = 0. 556, P = 0. 000;r = 0. 513,P = 0. 000)and symptom severity(r = 0. 231,P = 0. 020;r = 0. 357,P < 0. 001). Life quality was negatively correlated with symptom severity(r = - 0. 417,P < 0. 001). Conclusions:IBS patients have psychological abnormalities and their life and sleep qualities are decreased,the more serious the psychological abnormalities,the more damage on life and sleep qualities and the more severe the IBS symptoms.
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Till now,the etiology of inflammatory bowel disease( IBD)is still not very clear. Some genetic risk loci have been identified that predispose people to IBD,however,they increase the risk of IBD by only a small magnitude. Therefore,environmental risk factors have been the focus of recent researches. This article reviewed the association of environmental factors( hygiene and dietary factors etc. ),especially childhood hygiene with IBD,and concluded that rural environment,higher number of siblings and having pets decreased the risk of IBD,while urban environment and small household size/sibship were risk factors for IBD. Currently,population-based study focusing on hygiene and IBD is deficient domestically,further epidemiological surveys are warranted to confirm their associations.
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<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effect of interleukin (IL)-27 on INF and IL-4 activities in children with asthma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The levels of IFN-gamma and IL-4 in culture supernatants of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 23 asthmatic children were measured using ELISA. PBMCs were cultured with recombinant IL-27 (5 ng/mL or 0.5 ng/mL) for 12 hrs in vitro.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>IFN-gamma levels in both 5 ng/mL and 0.5 ng/mL IL-27 treatment groups (85.9+/-12.2 and 8.9+/-2.3 microg/L, respectively) increased compared with those in the cytokine stimulated control group (P<0.01, P<0.05 respectively). The group treated with 5 ng/mL IL-27 had decreased significantly IL-4 levels compared with the cytokine stimulated control group (15.0+/-1.9 microg/L vs 77.0+/-15.6 microg/L; P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>IL-27 may be involved in the pathogenesis of asthma. It may affect Th1/Th2 cell activities and might be a new option for the treatment of asthma.</p>
Subject(s)
Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Infant , Male , Asthma , Allergy and Immunology , Cells, Cultured , Interferon-gamma , Interleukin-17 , Pharmacology , Interleukin-4 , Leukocytes, Mononuclear , Allergy and Immunology , Recombinant Proteins , PharmacologyABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Nephrotic syndrome (NS) is characterized by marked urinary excretion of albumin and other intermediated-size plasma proteins such as transferrin. The aim of this study was to determine the changes of serum iron and transferrin and the relationship between the serum and urinary transferrin.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The indexes related to iron metabolism, including serum iron, ferritin, transferrin, total iron-binding capacity, transferrin saturation and hematological parameters (Hb, MCV, MCH), and urinary transferrin were measured in 37 children with NS before treatment and at the remission stage. Thirty-five age-matched healthy children served as controls.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Serum iron levels (18.8 +/- 3.8 micromol/L) in NS patients before treatment were significantly lower than in the healthy controls (22.2 +/-3.8 micromol/L) and those measured at the remission stage (21.0 +/- 3.5 micromol/L) (P < 0.01). Serum transferrin levels in NS patients before therapy (1.9 +/- 0.3 g/L) also decreased compared with those in the healthy controls (3.1 +/- 0.5 g/L) and those measured at the remission stage (2.9 +/- 0.6 g/L) (P < 0.01). In contrast, serum total iron-binding capacity and transferrin saturation were noticeably higher in NS patients before treatment than those in the healthy controls (total iron-binding capacity 56.4 +/- 9.2 micromol/L vs 50.7 +/- 6.8 micromol, P < 0.01; transferrin saturation 55.7 +/- 9.2 % vs 46.4 +/- 8.2%, P < 0.01) and were also higher than those measured at the remission stage (51.9 +/-7.7 micromol/L and 47.4 +/- 13.3%) (P < 0.01). Serum transferrin positively correlated to serum albumin (r = 0.609, P < 0.01) and negatively correlated to urinary transferrin (r = -0.550, P < 0.01) in NS patients before treatment.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Serum iron and transferrin levels markedly decreased in NS patients, which may be partially related to the urinary loss of transferrin.</p>
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Male , Iron , Blood , Nephrotic Syndrome , Blood , Transferrin , UrineABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the relationship between the steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome(SSNS) and interleukin-18(IL-18) and to approach the inhibitive role of dexamethasone(DEX) on expression of IL-18 of peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMC) in children with SSNS in vitro.Methods IL-18 levels of serum, urine and supernatants of PBMC cultured in vitro were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) in 23 children with SSNS who were either before or after treatment. Fifteen age-matched healthy children served as normal control group, and another 18 children with respiratory infections as infectious control group.Results There were signi-ficant differences of IL-18 in serum and urine before and after treatment in children with SSNS (t=15.072,16.149 Pa