Mechanism of oxymatrine in preventing hepatic fibrosis formation in patients with chronic hepatitis B / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the mechanism of oxymatrine in preventing hepatic fibrosis formation in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 80 CHB patients receiving routine therapies for liver protection and support were divided into two groups. Oxymatrine at the daily dose of 150 mg was injected intravenously in the therapeutic group (n=40), and gluthion (1.2 g daily) was injected in the control group (n=40) for 8 weeks. The liver functions, indexes of hepatic fibrosis and the levels of transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) were measured in these patients before and after the therapy.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Liver functions was obviously improved after therapy in both groups, showing no significant difference between them (P>0.05). The indexes of hepatic fibrosis such as HA, LN, PCIII and C-IV were significantly lower in the therapeutic group than in the control group (P<0.01). The serum levels of TGF-beta1 and TNF-alpha decreased while IL-10 increased significantly after the treatment in the therapeutic group (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The effect of oxymatrine against hepatic fibrosis is mediated by lowering the levels of TGF-beta1 and TNF-alpha and increasing the level of IL-10 in CHB patients.</p>

Effects of Danqi Huogan Capsule in protecting the liver, promoting circulation and removing clots in patients with chronic hepatitis B / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To assess the effect of Danqi Huogan Capsule in protecting the liver, promoting the circulation and removing blood clots in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 104 CHB patients were randomized into two groups. Routine therapies for liver protection were given in the control group (n=50), and Danqi Huogan Capsule was administered in the therapeutic group (n=54) in addition to the routine therapies. The changes in the clinical symptoms, physical signs, liver functions, and hemorrheology were observed after the 3-month therapies.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Danqi Huogan Capsule treatment obvious improved the clinical symptoms, physical signs and liver functions of the patients (P<0.01), and significantly decreased the hematocrit, low-shear blood viscosity, plasma viscosity and index of red blood cell aggregation (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Danqi Huogan Capsule is effective in protecting the liver, improving hemorrheology, promoting the blood circulation and removing clots in patients with chronic hepatitis B.</p>

Surgical treatment and etiological analysis of polyotia / 中华整形外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the surgical treatment and pathologic mechanism of polyotia.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The operative methods for polyotia were flexible. The main procedures were aimed at the remodeling of tragus with the redundant tissue. Tissue transplantation was used to correct the depression deformity. Compound auricular tissue transplantation and Z-plasty were used for correction of the malformation at the posterior part of polyotia.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>From 2003 to 2008, 9 patients with polyotia were treated. The tragus was reconstructed after resection of redundant tissue. The depression deformity was corrected with tissue infilling in 6 cases. The compound auricular tissue transplantation was performed in 4 cases. Z-plasty at the lower ear lobe was performed in 2 cases. The appearance and the location of the reconstructed ears looked symmetric to the healthy ear.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Natural and symmetric appearance of reconstructed ear can be achieved in polyotia. The abnormal migration of neural crest cell might be the pathologic mechanism of polyotia.</p>

Surveillance of coal-burning endemic fluorosis prevailing status in Henan Province / 中国地方病学杂志

Objective To understand the prevailing status of coal-burning endemic fluorosis in Henan, and to provide scientific grounds for endemic fluorosis prevention. Methods Undertook general surveillance on factors such as coal using, living habit, main foods, the structure of the houses and the fluoride content in drinking-water among 1832 historical coal-burning endemic fluorosis villages within 13 counties in 2006 and 2007, and conducted focal point sampling survey on 216 villages which still using local high-fluoride. For all children aged 8-12 years of each village, conducted dental fluorosis examination and collected 30 immediate urinary samples for fluoride content determination. Results The fluoride content in drinking-water of all historical fluorosis villages was below 1.0 mg/L. Households having individual kitchens accounted for 93.7%(241 281/257 393), those with stoves having smoke evacuation devices accounted for 41.9% (107 917/257 393), those using local high-fluoride coal for cooking accounted for 28.6%(73 686/257 393), those using local high-fluoride coal for heating accounted for 24.1%(61 924/257 393). Villages with serf-supply of main foods accounted for 95.7%(1753/1832) of all fluorosis villages. Solar drying food was used in all households. Villages with dental fluorosis detection rate for children aged 8 to 12 years above 30.0% accounted for 16.2%(35/216), which axe all in Luoyang City. Among 77.8%(168/216) of fluorosis villages, children' s urinary fluoride concentrations were no higher than 1.50 mg/L. Conclusions Coal-burning endemic fluorosis areas in Henan Province were decreased greatly and the extent of the health hazard was becoming slightly. The detection rate of dental fluorosis for children aged 8 to 12 years of 8 counties had reached the standard for fluorosis control, whereas the other 5 counties had not yet, all located in Luoyang City.

Investigation of the prevention and cure of human brucellosis in Zhengzhou from 2002 to 2007 / 中国地方病学杂志

Objective To understand the epidemicological condition of human brucellosis in Zhengzhou city to provide scientific evidence for future preventive and control measures. Methods Surveillance on high risk populations were done in the designated monitoring Gongyi City and other randomized monitoring cities or counties (4 or 5 towns or farms were selected in each city or county) during the year from 2002 to 2007. The intradermic allergy test with brucellin were carried out among high risk populations who had been in close touch of domestic animals or their products in those cities, and standard tube agglutination test(SAT) were used for those who had suspected clinic symptom or positive result of intradermie allergy test during 2002 to 2005. The SAT investigations for enterprises of livestock breeding were performed in non-designated monitoring cities. All manipulation methods and judging standards were according to the manual of prevention and treatment for human brucellosis. Results In the designated monitoring city Gongyi from 2002 to 2007, a total of 13 831 people were investigated, among whom 3744 peoples were tested by intradermic allergy test and the positive rate was 1.01%(38/3744). Fifty-four cases were positive in SAT among 2693, and the positive rate of SAT was 2.01%(54/2693). Forty-four new cases were diagnosed. In the 11 non-designated monitoring city from 2002 to 2005, 13 136 persons were treated by intradermic allergy test, the positive rate was 0.62% (82/13 136), among these 1316 persons were treated by SAT and 66 patients were positive. The positive rate was 5.02% (66/1316) from 2002 to 2007. Fifty one new cases were diagnosed. In the enterprises of domestic animals breeding, among 242 and 688 employees were treated by SAT, 17 and 16 patients were positive, the positive rate were 7.02%(17/242) and 5.02%(16/688) in 2006 and 2007, respectively. Conclusions The infection of human brucellosis in Zhengzhou is rising up. The governments at all levels must put large amounts of funds for the monitoring, investigating and disinfecting to prevent the disease from increasing and outspreading.