Application of limbal stem cell transplantation fixed by corneal bandage lens in primary pterygium excision / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

@#AIM: To evaluate the application effect of limbal stem cell transplantation fixed by corneal bandage lens with no suture method in primary pterygium excision surgery.<p>METHODS:Selected 25 patients of 50 eyes with bilateral primary pterygium who were admitted into our hospital from January 2019 to December 2019 for prospective clinical study. Group A(25 eyes)were randomly chosen with one eye of a patient fixed with corneal bandage lens with no suture; and Group B(25 eyes)were chosen with the other eye of a patient using traditional suture method. The incision healing, patient comfort, surgical complications, and postoperative recurrence were observed in both groups after postoperative follow-up for 6mo.<p>RESULTS: The average operating time for Group A(13.5±2.1min)was significantly less than that of Group B(26.6±7.2min). The results of postoperative follow-up in 1d, 1, 2wk, 1, 3 to 6mo showed that the discomfort such as pain, photophobia, lacrimation, foreign body sensation and itching were lower in Group A than in Group B. The discomfort disappeared in both groups after 6mo. The stability of postoperative corneal rim stem cell transplants was favorable in Group A, and the complications one and three months after surgery were less than those in Group B.<p>CONCLUSION: The method of banded corneal rim stem cell conjunctival transplantation combined with corneal bandage lens is an effective procedure for the treatment of primary pterygium. It is simple, convenient, safe and effective, the postoperative comfort is good, the recurrence rate is low, compared with the traditional suture method, it can shorten the operation time and effectively reduce the patient's pains.

Population pharmacokinetics of tacrolimus in idiopathic membranous nephropathy patients / 药学学报

The goal of this work was to establish a population pharmacokinetics (PPK) model of tacrolimus in idiopathic membranous nephropathy (IMN) patients and to identify potential covariates that influence pharmacokinetic of tacrolimus. A total of 610 data points on the blood concentration of tacrolimus were collected from 96 IMN patients in routine clinical settings. Nonlinear mixed-effect modeling (NONMEM) was used to investigate the effects of CYP3A5 genotype, age, gender, weight, laboratory tests and co-therapy medications on the pharmacokinetic of tacrolimus. The PPK model was evaluated by the goodness-of-fit (GOT), bootstrap and prediction corrected visual predictive check (pc-VPC). The pharmacokinetic of tacrolimus was described by a one-compartment model. The apparent clearance (CL/F) of CYP3A5*1/*3 and *1/*1 were 1.57 and 1.86 times of that of *3/*3, respectively. The CL/F of tacrolimus was 73.6% in patients undergoing co-therapy with Wuzhi capsules, and 1.2 times than that of the patients undergoing co-therapy with Jinshuibao capsules. The evaluation of the model shows that the model is stable and has satisfactory predictive performance. The clinical trial was approved by the Society of Ethics and conducted in Binzhou Medical University Hospital. The established PPK model can describe the pharmacokinetic characteristics of tacrolimus in Chinese patients with IMN, and can facilitate individualized therapy with tacrolimus.

An animal experimental study of a new portable endoscopic system for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy / 中华消化内镜杂志

Objective:To evaluate the operating performance, effectiveness and safety of a new portable endoscopic system for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in an animal model.Methods:A parallel control, non-inferiority study was designed. Ten healthy Bana pigs were selected as the study subjects, and underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy using portable endoscope followed by Olympus GIF-Q260 endoscope. The instrument quality, image quality and safety of the new system were evaluated by means of quantitative scores.Results:The time for deployment and installing of the new portable endoscopic system during single operation was 110.24±8.93 s and 91.33±11.59 s, respectively, and the time for the endoscope with disposable protective cover was 233.48±17.06 s. The time of attracting 400 mL normal saline of the portable endoscope and Olympus endoscope was 56.44±5.18 s and 33.71±3.56 s, respectively. The water vapor attraction performance of the portable endoscope was not as good as the Olympus endoscope, but still met the technical requirements of medical devices (attraction capacity >400 mL/min). While in terms of the seal property, biopsy channel, softness and curvature of gastroscopy body, knob operation, and field of view, the two endoscopic systems were equivalent. In terms of image quality evaluation, including clarity, distortion, color resolution, illumination and quality comprehensive evaluation, the performance of the new portable endoscopic system was similar to that of the Olympus endoscopic system. One pig developed nausea during operation with the Olympus endoscope. No adverse events occurred during operation with the new portable endoscope.Conclusion:The new portable endoscopic system is easy to assemble. In terms of device quality, image quality and safety, the new portable endoscopic system is similar to the clinically used Olympus endoscopic system. Therefore, the new portable endoscope system is safe and effective for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy.

Changes in body mass index of postural tachycardia syndrome in children and adolescents / 中国实用儿科杂志

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the relationship between body mass index and postural tachycardia syndrome in children and adolescents. METHODS: The clinical data of 127 children and adolescents were retrospectively analyzed,who were diagnosed with postural tachycardia syndrome(POTS)in the Department of Pediatric Cardiovasology,Children's Medical Center,the Second Xiangya Hospital,Central South University,from August 2009 to June 2018,which included63 males and 64 females and their ages were from 4 to 17 years old(mean age 11.31±2.53)(POTS group). A total of 107 healthy children and adolescents including 64 males and 63 females were included as the control group,who had a health examination in the health care clinic in the hospital during the same period(aged 7 to 17,with a mean age of11.60±3.27). Body length and body mass were measured and body mass index(BMI)calculated. Statistical analysis was conducted with SPSS 22.0 software. RESULTS:(1)Duration and frequency of syncope:the duration of syncope was(8.13±13.76)months in POTS group and the frequency of syncope was(1.45±4.43)times.(2)BMI intergroup comparison:comparing POTS group with control group,there was no difference in age,length or body mass(P>0.05),and BMI was significantly lower[(17.32 ± 2.65)kg/m~2 vs.(18.17 ± 2.42)kg/m~2,t=2.655,P<0.01]in POTS group.(3)BMI classification:low body mass was higher in POTS group(69.29%,88/127)than in control group(56.69%,72/127);normal body mass was lower in POTS group(29.13%,37/127)than in control group(41.73%,53/127）,χ~2=4.444,P<0.05. CONCLUSION: BMI of POTS group decreases significantly in children and adolescents,and it is lower in girls than in boys.

Value of CD, MPO, Ki-67 and C-MYC Positive Rate in the Pathological Tissues and C-MYC Gene of Patients with T-LBL/ALL for Predicting Prognosis / 中国实验血液学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the value of of CD, MPO, Ki-67, C-MYC positive rates in the pathological tissues and C-MYC gene of patients with T-LBL/ALL for predicting Prognosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Ninty cases of T-LBL/ALL patients in our hospital were selected and included in the T-LBL/ALL group, and 30 cases of lymphnode reactive hyperplasia were selected as control group. Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the changes of CD, MPO, Ki-67 and C-MYC positive rate in 2 groups, and the changes of C-MYC gene were detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In 90 patients with T-LBL/ALL, there were CD1a34 cases (37.8%), CD367 cases (74.4%), epsilon CD347 cases (52.2%), CD785 cases (94.4%), CD1033 cases (36.7%), CD3422 cases (24.4%), CD4348 cases (53.3%), CD45RO46 cases (51.1%), CD9988 cases (97.8%), TDT85 cases (94.4%); and CD23, CD20, and MPO all were negative; Ki-67>80% 47 cases (52.2% cases), Ki-67≤80%, 43 cases (47.8%). In 90 T-LBL/ALL patients, the positive rate of C-MYC (66.7%) was significantly higher than the control group (positive rate 0.0%) (P< 0.05); the Ki-67 index, mediastinal widening of T-LBL/ALL patients and the positive rate of C-MYC positively were correlated (P< 0.05). The overall survival rate (44.0%) of C-MYC negative patients was significantly higher than that of C-MYC positive patients (0.0%). The overall survival rate of C-MYC negative patients was significantly higher than that of C-MYC positive patients (P< 0.05).Ann Arbor staging, LDH, bone marrow involvement, mediastinal widening, Ki-67 positive index, and C-MYC protein expression of patients with T-LBL/ALL did not correlated with increased C-MYC gene breakage and copy number (P> 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The overall survival rate of C-MYC positive patients decreases, which positively correlates with Ki-67 positive index and mediastinal width, suggesting that the prognosis of the patients with C-MYC protein expression is poorer.</p>

Progress in research of natural products targeting VEGF/VEGFR for cancer therapy / 中草药

Cancer is one of the major harmful diseases threatening human health and life. Development of angiogenesis inhibitors targeting tumor angiogenesis has become an important topic in the field of antitumor. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a primary factor in growth and differentiation of vascular endothelial cell, plays an important role in angiogenesis. VEGF receptors include vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 (VEGFR1) and VEGFR2. VEGF/VEGFR2 signaling pathway is a critical pathway in regulating tumor angiogenesis. The amount of new blood vessels in tumor could be reduced and the proliferation, invasion, metastasis of tumor could be inhibited by treatment targeting VEGF/VEGFR. Traditional Chinese medicine possesses characteristic in the treatment of cancer, and it has huge potential in screening and developing tumor-angiogenesis inhibitors. Progress in research of natural products targeting VEGF/VEGFR was reviewed in this paper to provide reference for further study and development of these products.

Expression of IL-17 and Syndecan-1 in Nasal Polyps and Their Correlation with Nasal Polyps / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

Nasal polyp (NP) is a common chronic inflammatory disease of the nasal cavity and sinuses.Although some authors have suggested that NP is related to inflammatory factors such as interleukin (IL)-1β,IL-5,IL-8,granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF),tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α,and IL-17,the mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis and progression of NP remain obscure.This study investigated the expression and distribution of IL-17 and syndecan-1 in NP,and explored the roles of these two molecules in the pathogenesis of eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (Eos CRSwNP) and non-Eos CRSwNP.Real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the expression of IL-17 and syndecan-1 in samples [NP,unciform process (UP) from patients with CRS,and middle turbinate (MT) from healthy controls undergoing pituitary tumor surgery].The results showed that the expression levels of IL-17 and syndecan-1 were upregulated in both NP and UP tissues,but both factors were higher in NP tissues than in UP tissues.There was no significant difference in IL-17 levels between the Eos CRSwNP and non-Eos CRSwNP samples,and syndecan-1 levels were increased in the non-Eos CRSwNP tissues as compared with those in Eos CRSwNP tissues.In all of the groups,there was a close correlation between the expression of IL-17 and syndecan-1 in nasal mucosa epithelial cells,glandular epithelial cells,and inflammatory cells,suggesting that IL-17 and syndecan-1 may play a role,and interact with each other,in the pathogenesis ofnon-Eos CRSwNP.

Thalidomide-based Regimens for Elderly and/or Transplant Ineligible Patients with Multiple Myeloma: A Meta-analysis / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Thalidomide is an immunomodulatory and anti-angiogenic drug that has shown promise in patients with myeloma. Trials comparing efficacy of standard melphalan and prednisone (MP) therapy with MP plus thalidomide (MPT) in transplant-ineligible or elderly patients with multiple myeloma (MM) have provided conflicting evidence. This meta-analysis aimed to determine the efficacy and toxicity of thalidomide in previously untreated elderly patients with myeloma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Medline, the Cochrane Controlled Trials register, conference proceedings of the American Society of Hematology (1995-2014), the American Society of Clinical Oncology (1995-2014), and CBM, VIP, and CNKI databases were searched for randomized control trials with the use of the medical subject headings "MM " and "thalidomide ". Trials were assessed by two reviewers for eligibility. Meta-analysis was conducted using a fixed effects model. Sensitivity analysis was performed to test the robustness of the findings.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Overall, seven trials were identified, covering a total of 1821 subjects. The summary hazard ratio (thalidomide vs. control) was 0.82 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.72-0.94) for overall survival (OS), and 0.65 (95% CI: 0.58-0.73) for progression-free survival, in favor of thalidomide treated group. The risk ratio of complete response with induction thalidomide was 3.48 (95% CI: 2.24-5.41). A higher rate of III/IV adverse events were observed in MPT arm compared with the MP arm. However, analysis of sub-groups administering anticoagulation as venous thromboembolism prophylaxis suggested no difference in relative risk of thrombotic events between two arms (RR = 1.47, 95% CI: 0.43-5.07, P = 0.54). Further analysis of trials on the treatment effects of MPT versus MP on adverse events-related mortality showed no statistical difference between two arms (RR = 1.24, 95% CI: [0.95-1.63], P = 0.120).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Thalidomide appears to improve the OS of elderly and/or transplant-ineligible patients with MM when it is added to standard MP therapy.</p>

An approach for segmentation of X-ray angiographic image based on region-growing and structure inferring / 生物医学工程学杂志

We presented a new method for vessel segmentation and vascular structure recognition for coronary angiographic images. During vessel segmentation, a new vessel function was proposed to attain vessel feature map. Then the region growing algorithm was implemented with an automatic selection of seed point, extraction of main vessel branch, and vessel detail repairing. In the algorithm of vascular structure recognition, a fuzzy operator was used, which can detect the structures of vascular segments, bifurcations, crosses, and tips. The experimental results indicated that there was about 5 percent larger vessel region which was extracted by the proposed segmentation method than that by the simple region growing algorithm, and several thinner vessels were resumed from the lower gray region. The results also indicated that the fuzzy operator could correctly infer the simulative and real vessel structure with 100% and 90.59% correctness rate on the average, respectively.

Expression of aquaporin 3 and aquaporin 9 is regulated by oleic acid through the PI3K/Akt and p38 MAPK signaling pathways / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effect of oleic acid (OA) on expression of aquaglyceroporin genes, AQP3 and AQP9, in hepatocyte steatosis and to investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms using an in vitro system.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>HepG2 cells were treated with OA at different concentration to establish in vitro models of nonalcoholic hepatocyte steatosis. The corresponding extents of hepatic steatosis modeling were assessed by oil red O staining and optical density (OD) measurements of the intracellular fat content. The model lines were then treated with inhibitors of the PI3K/Akt and p38 MAPK signaling pathway factors and effects on AQP3/9 expression was measured by real time RT-PCR and western blotting.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The fat concentration, indicative of hepatic steatosis, increased in conjunction with increased concentrations of OA (0 less than 250 less than 500 mumol/L). OA exposure also down-regulated AQP3 mRNA and up-regulated AQP9 mRNA levels in a concentration-dependent manner. The most robust changes in expression occurred in response to the 500 mumol/L concentration of OA for both AQP3 (0.47+/-0.18; t = 4.5450, P less than 0.05) and AQP9 (1.57+/-0.21; t = 3.0306, P less than 0.05). Treatment with OA + PI3K pathway inhibitor (LY294004) significantly decreased AQP9 mRNA expression (4.55+/-0.62) as compared to the control group (1.00+/-0.10; t = 9.7909, P less than 0.01), that 500 mumol/L OA group (2.43+/-0.53; t = 4.5018, P less than 0.05), and the LY294002 group (1.90+/-0.16; t = 7.1683, P less than 0.01). Treatment with p38 MAPK pathway inhibitor (SB230580) significantly increased the OA-suppressed level of AQP3 mRNA to the level detected in the control group (1.27+/-0.11; t = 5.7455, P less than 0.01) and decreased the OA-stimulated AQP9 mRNA (0.38+/-0.09; t = 6.5727, P less than 0.01). No significant changes in mRNA expression of AQP3/9 were observed with inhibition of the ERK1/2 and JNK signal transduction pathways. The OA-induced changes in protein expression levels of AQR3 and AQP9 followed a similar trend of the genes. Finally, OA suppressed the level of phosphorylated Akt (from 0.21+/-0.02 to 0.13+/-0.03; t = 3.8431, P less than 0.05) but elevated the level of phosphorylated p38 (from 0.58+/-0.06 to 1.02+/-0.10; t = 12.5289, P less than 0.01). Again, OA treatment produced no significant affect on ERK1/2 and JNK phosphorylation.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>OA down-regulates AQP3 expression by stimulating the p38 MAPK signaling pathway, and up-regulates the AQP9 by blocking the PI3K/Akt pathway and activating the p38 MAPK signaling pathway.</p>

Anti-EPO receptor antibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus with anemia / 中华风湿病学杂志

Objective To investigate the presentationand significance of circulating autoantibodies to erythropoietin receptor (EPOR) in sera from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods One hundred and twenty-four consecutive patients with SLE, seven with autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA), 19 patients with iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and 45 normal individuals were involved in this study. In all patients with SLE, the disease activity was evaluated using the European consensus Lupus Activity Measurement scale. Antibodies to EPOR were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). All data were tested with Chi-squared or Student's t tests by SPSS software. Results A higher frequency of antibodies to EPOR were detected in SLE patients than healthy controls (20.2% vs 2.2%, P=0.004), however, they could not be detected in AIHA and IDA patients. Moreover, anti-EPOR antibodies were detected in 17 (33.3%) of 51 SLE patients with anemia, compared with that in 8 (11.0%, P=0.002) of 73 patients without anemia. Furthermore, patients with antibodies to EPOR had more severe anemia and often presented as microcytic anemia (P =0.005) than those without anti-EPOR antibodies. Finally, anti-EPOR antibodies seemed to be more likely to occur in patients with skin rash (P=0.014), low levels of C3 component of complement (P=0.01), positive anti-dsDNA antibodies (P=0.000) and higher disease activity scores (P= 0.024). Conclusion The higher incidence of antibodies to EPOR in SLE patients with anemia suggest that anti-EPOR antibodies might play a vital role in the development of anemia in SLE patients. Thus, detecting anti-EPOR antibodies in SLE patients with anemia may be helpful.

Efficacy of endoscopic variceal ligation and its correlation with liver function / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the efficacy of endoscopic variceal ligation and its correlation with liver function.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>322 patients received EVL (endoscopic variceal ligation) and 34 patients with PDP (pericardial devascularization procedure) were retrospectively analyzed and divided into groups A, B and C. These patients were then subdivided into bleeding and non-bleeding subgroups according to Child-Pugh scores of liver function and history of upper gastrointestinal bleeding. The bleeding rate and mortality were contrasted between EVL and PDP. Liver function, Platelet count, leucocyte count and spleen thickness of before and after ligation were contrasted in EVL.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The bleeding rate and mortality were 1.7%, 3.4%, 7.0%; 0%, 5.1%, 8.1% in EVL group and 9.1%, 14.3%, 100.0%; 0%, 9.5%, 50.0% in PDP group, respectively. Variceal obliteration needed means of 2.1+/-0.7, 3.1+/-0.8 and 4.2+/-1.2 sessions in A, B and C ligation groups, respectively (F = 41.2, P is less than 0.01). On subgroup analysis, the numbers of ligation session were 2.6+/-0.7, 3.2+/-0.9 and 4.3+/-1.1 in A, B and C bleeding subgroup (F = 39.3, P value is less than 0.01) and 2.0+/-0.6, 2.7+/-0.6, and 2.9+/-0.4 in A, B and C non-bleeding subgroup, respectively (F = 17.0, P value is less than 0.01). ALT, AST, Platelet count and leucocyte count reduced significantly, spleen thickness increased remarkably in bleeding subgroup after ligation.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The efficacy of EVL was significantly negatively correlated with liver function and prior to pericardial devascularization procedure. EVL had no effect on liver function but might increase spleen thickness and aggravate hypersplenism. EVL was recommended especially for the bleeding liver cirrhosis patients with Child B and C scores.</p>

Effects of insulin and LY294002 inhibitors of PI3K on the regulations and expression of aquaporin 9 in normal liver cells / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVES</b>To explore the effects of insulin on the expression and the regulatory pathway of AQP9 in normal human liver cells.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Normal human liver cells L02 were cultured and treated with PI3K inhibitor LY294002, AKT inhibitor A-443654, MAPK inhibitors SB2030580 and insulin at different concentrations respectively. The AQP9 mRNA and protein expressions were detected with semi-quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The insulin (100 nmol/L approximately 500 nmol/L) treatment decreased the expression of AQP9 in normal human liver cells (P less than 0.05) concentration dependently, and the expression of AQP9 began to reduce from 3 hours of insulin stimulation (P less than 0.05), especially at insulin treatment for 12 hours (P less than 0.05); Incubated with the selective inhibitor of PI3K (LY294002) and AKT (A-443654), the inhibitory effects of insulin on AQP9 expression decreased (P less than 0.05); but it did not change significantly by blocking the MAPK signaling pathway.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The insulin treatment inhibited the expression of AQP9 and the PI3K/akt signal transduction pathway was involved in the mechanism.</p>

Expression of FLICE-inhibitory protein in synovial tissue and its association with synovial inflammation in juvenile idiopathic arthritis / 中国医学科学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To examine the expression of FLICE-inhibitory protein (FLIP) in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and analyze its correlation with synovial inflammation.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The expression of FLIP was assessed in 11 JIA and 3 normal synovial tissue samples by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry. The cell types expressing FLIP were further characterized, and the correlation of FLIP expression with the degree of synovial inflammation, as well as the activity of caspase 8 was then analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>RT-PCR revealed the expression of FLIP mRNA in all 11 JIA samples, but not in 3 normal synovial tissues. In JIA, FLIP expression could be found in both the lining and sublining layers, mainly in the macrophage-like cells. Moreover, the expression of FLIP in JIA synovial tissues was positively correlated with the degree of synovial inflammation (r = 0.563, P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The expression of antiapoptotic FLIP in JIA synovial tissue and its correlation to accumulation of inflammatory cells in synovial tissue suggests that FLIP potentially extends the lifespan of synovial cells and thus contributes to the progression of joint destruction.</p>

Expression of CC chemokine ligand 5 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and its correlation with disease activity and medication / 中国医学科学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To determine the levels of CC chemokine ligand 5 (CCL5) in serum and synovial fluid (SF) from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and their relations with disease activity and medication.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>CCL5 in serum and SF was quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 28 RA patients and 21 osteoarthritis (OA) patients. In RA patients, the correlations of CCL5 levels in serum and SF with disease activity were analyzed. Meanwhile, the serum CCL5 levels among RA patients treated with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), Tripterygium Glucosides, and other Chinese herbs without disease-modifying effects were also compared.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>CCL5 levels in both serum and SF of RA patients were significantly higher than those of OA patients (P < 0.05). Moreover, the level of CCL5 was higher in SF than that in serum of RA patients (P < 0.01). Serum CCL5 level was correlated significantly with the number of swollen joints (r = 0.3329, P < 0.05), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (r = 0.4001, P < 0.05), and C reactive protein (r = 0.3735, P < 0.01). In addition, the level of CCL5 had a trend of lower in patients treated with DMARDs or Tripterygium Glucosides than those treated with other Chinese herbs, although the difference was not significant among those patients due to the small number of patients in each group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>In RA patients, the expression of CCL5 increases and correlates with some clinical and laboratory parameters of RA, which indicate that CCL5 plays an important role in RA and may serve as a useful marker of disease activity. DMARDs and Tripterygium Glucosides might exert their clinical effects through reducing CCL5 production in RA.</p>

The effectiveness of endoscopic variceal ligation in patients with different grades of liver function / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the effectiveness of endoscopic variceal ligation (EVL) in patients with different grades of liver function.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>MELD scores were determined for 156 patients before their EVL operations. After the EVL these patients were followed-up and their survival rates were analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Fifty percent of the patients whose MELDs were less than or equal to 7 survived longer than 45 months after the EVL; in those with MELDs between 7 and 9, 50% of the patients survived 47.34 months; however, the figure for those whose MELD were more than 9 survived only 24.89 months. In the first two groups, 50% of the patient' survival duration was significantly longer than that of the third group. The difference was statistically significant.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>EVL becomes an effective clinical way to treat hemorrhage of esophagus varicose veins. The survival rate for this procedure is directly correlated with the liver function of the patient before the EVL.</p>

Evaluation of the effects of dense endoscopic ligation for bleeding esophageal varices / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the short-term and long-term effects of dense endoscopic variceal ligation (DEVL) for bleeding esophageal varices.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Patients with acute or with a history of esophageal variceal bleeding underwent regular DEVLs with a 2-3 week interval between 2 sessions until their varices disappeared at the lower 5-6 cm part of the esophagus. Follow-up study and gastroscopy were performed at 3, 6 and 12 months after the final DEVL in all patients. The results at 3 months were classified as short-term effects and those after 6 months as long-term ones.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>126 patients underwent DEVLs with 403 sessions and 3641 ligations; each patient was ligated with a mean of 3.2 sessions and at 28.9 points. The cure rate of acute variceal bleeding was 100.0%; short-term rate of variceal eradication was 94.4% and variceal rebleeding occurred in 3.9% patients. After a mean of 22.3 months follow-up period, the recurrence of esophageal varices was observed in 11.9% patients, but the variceal rebleeding rate was only 3.2% and no patients died from it.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>DEVL was very useful and effective in both short-term and long-term variceal eradication and prevention of variceal rebleeding.</p>

Expressions of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 in systemic sclerosis / 中华风湿病学杂志

Objective To study the expression of MCP-1 and its correlation with SSc.Methods Twenty-seven patients with SSe and 21 healthy control subjects were examined for MCP-1 expressions by ELISA.mRNA and protein of MCP-1 in fibroblast cells from 5 SSc patients and 3 healthy subjects were also measured by RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry.At the same time,the correlation between the expression levels of MCP-1 and SSc was analyzed.Results The plasma level of MCP-1 was significantly higher in pa- tients with SSc than in healthy control subjects(787?393)pg/ml versus(426?266)pg/ml,P