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Objective:To evaluate the correlation between brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and inflammatory markers in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with depressive symptoms.Methods:This study was a cross-sectional study. RA patients' medical history were recorded and disease activity was evaluated. Serum BDNF, interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α were tested and clinical inflammatory indicators such as C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), fibrinogen (FIB), serum amyloid A (SAA) were recorded. RA patients were instructed to fill in the patient health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scale by themselves. Patients with a score greater than or equal to 5 were included in the RA with depressive symptoms group, and patients with a score of 4 or less were included in the RA without depressive symptoms group. The changes in BDNF and inflammatory indexes were compared between the two groups. Correlation analysis of PHQ-9, BDNF, inflammatory markers and DAS28 was performed. Logistic regression analysis was performed to find the risk factors of depression in RA.Results:A total of 140 RA patients were enrolled in this study, and 66 patients (47.1%) with a PHQ-9 score greater than or equal to 5 were included in the RA with depressive symptoms group. Compared with the RA without depressive symptoms group, RA patients with high disease activity, single and living alone, poor economic self-awareness and unemployed were more likely to have depressive symptoms. The serum level of BDNF[(2 276±333) pg/ml vs (1 367±431) pg/ml, t=13.91, P<0.001], IL-6[(39±28) pg/ml vs (27±8) pg/ml, t=3.66, P<0.001], TNF-α[(9.0±7.2) pg/ml vs (6.6±3.9)pg/ml, t=2.43, P=0.035], CRP[(25±13) mg/L vs (17±11) mg/L, t=3.94, P<0.001], ESR[(48±18) mm/1 h vs (34±21) mm/1 h, t=4.14, P=0.024], Fib[(3.8±1.1) g/L vs (3.0±0.5) g/L, t=5.92, P=0.023], SAA[(64±39) mg/L vs (37±19) mg/L, t=5.32, P<0.001] in RA with depressive symptoms group were significantly higher than those in RA without depressive symptoms group. Serum BDNF was significantly positively correlated with PHQ-9 score ( r=0.66, P<0.001), IL-6( r=0.20, P=0.019), TNF-α ( r=0.14, P=0.090), CRP ( r=0.32, P<0.001), ESR ( r=0.20, P= 0.001), Fib ( r=0.28, P=0.001), SAA( r=0.28, P=0.001) and DAS28 ( r=0.37, P<0.001) . BDNF [ OR (95% CI) =1.578(1.257, 2.354), P=0.001], IL-6[ OR (95% CI) =1.073(1.012, 1.075), P=0.006], CRP[ OR(95% CI)=1.085(1.045, 1.178), P=0.001], SAA[ OR(95% CI)=1.125(1.004, 1.198), P=0.018] and unemployment were risk factors for depressive symptoms in RA. Conclusion:Serum BDNF is positively correlated with PHQ-9 scores, inflammatory markers and disease activity in RA patients. BDNF, IL-6, CRP, SAA and unemployment are risk factors for depressive symptoms in RA. Effective treatment of RA can reduce the occurrence of depression symptoms.
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Objective To investigate the risk factors of disease progression and adverse pregnancy outcome in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) during pregnancy.Methods Clinical data of 118 pregnant women with SLE admitted from June 2004 to October 2015 were retrospectively analyzed.The patients were divided into selective pregnant group (group A,n =72 cases) and non-selective pregnant group (group B,n =46) according to the disease activity of SLE.The disease progression and pregnancy outcomes were compared between two groups.Results The various system damages occurred in group B,including hematological damage in 16 cases,kidney damage in 19 cases,erythra in 10 cases,arthritis in 10 and serositis in 12 cases;while the corresponding cases in group A were 10,14,6,4 and 4(x2 =7.133,P=0.008;x2 =6.658,P =0.010;x2 =4.304,P =0.038;x2 =7.030,P =0.008;x2 =10.095,P =0.001).SLE exacerbation occurred in 28 cases (74％) of group B and 12 cases (17％) of group A (x2 =34.944,P =0.000).The logistic regression analysis showed that hypocomplementemia,proteinuria,SLEDAI score before pregnancy and positive anti-dsDNA antibody were the risk factors of SLE disease exacerbation during pregnancy.The maternal complications occurred in group B,including pregnancyinduced hypertension in 7 cases,preeclampsia in 10 cases and infections in 11 cases/times;while the corresponding cases (case/time) in group A were 2,6 and 4 (x2 =4.526,P =0.033;x2 =4.304,P =0.038;x2 =8.525,P =0.004).There were 14 cases of therapeutic induced labor,7 case of stillbirth and 27 cases of total fetal loss in group B,while the corresponding cases in group A were 2,0 and 4 (x2=18.317,P =0.000;x2 =9.080,P =0.003;x2 =40.920,P =0.0300).The logistic regression analysis showed that positive anticardiolipin antibody,proteinuria,SLEDAI score before pregnancy and renal dysfunction during pregnancy were risk factors of fetal loss.There were 87 cases of successful delivery (73.7％),the successful delivery rates were 41.3％ (19/46) in group B and 94.4％ (68/72) from group A,respectively.The infant complications occurred in group B,including premature birth in 15 cases,low birth weight in 13 cases,neonatal jaundice in 5 cases and mild asphyxia in 5 cases;while the corresponding cases in group A were 24,18,4 and 2 (x2 =11.442,P =0.001;x2 =11.395,P =0.001;x2 =4.664,P =0.031;x2 =8.035,P =0.005).Conclusion SLE patients whose disease conditions are not well controlled would lead to higher percentage of disease deterioration during pregnancy and worse pregnancy outcomes.
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Objective To explore the efficacy of ketogenic diet( KD) in the treatment of status epi-lepticus( SE) and whether KD could protect the brain,and propose a new thought on SE patients′reasonably individualized treatment, brain protection and prognosis improvement. Methods From Sep 2013 to Jan 2015,all the patients diagnosed as SE were advised to apply KD treatment; the patients who refused KD treatment were included in the control group,while the patients who accepted KD treatment were included in the treatment group. Based on the SE treatment principles,the control group applied traditional anti-convulsive therapy,while the treatment group applied traditional therapy combined with KD treatment. Before the treat-ment and after the epilepsy control,the patients′ serum was collected to test neuron specific enolase( NSE) and S100βlevels,and the duration of epilepsy control was recorded. Results The treatment group included a total of 10 patients; 3 patients had a good efficacy and obtained seizure-free after the treatment; clinical seizures declined significantly in 6 patients. The treatment group′s overall response rate was 9/10,which was higher than that of the control group(5/8)(P<0. 01). The treatment group′s duration to gain efficacy was shorter than that of the control group[(5. 2 ± 2. 9) d vs. (9. 8 ± 1. 5) d,P<0. 01]. After the treatment,the patients′NSE and S100β in both groups were significantly decreased than those before the treatment ( P<0. 001 or P<0. 05). After the treatment,the serum NSE and S100β of the patients in the treatment group were lower than those in the control group,with statistically significant difference(P<0. 05). Conclusion Frequent epileptic seizures and SE would impair the patient′s brain. Controlling the epileptic seizures actively could lower the severity of brain injury. KD could effectively control the epileptic seizure and had neuropro-tective effects.
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Objective To explore the influence of whole-course individualized nursing intervention on treatment compliance among intractable epilepsy children with ketogenic diet therapy.Methods 80 intractable epilepsy patients with ketogenic diet therapy were divided into the control group and the experimental group with 40 cases in each group.The routine nursing was given to the control group.On basis of routine nursing,whole-course individualized nursing intervention was given to the experimental group.The investigation was carried out before and after intervention in two groups by using self-designed questionnaire.The treatment compliance and therapeutic effect were compared between two groups.Results The treatment compliance and therapeutic effect were significantly alleviated in the experimental group compared with the control group in the third,sixth and twelfth months.Conclusions The whole-course individualized nursing intervention can improve the parental awareness of the disease,enhance their confidence and determination to adhere to the treatment,improve their treatment compliance,thereby improve the effect of treatment.
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ObjectiveTo investigate the expression and significance of Thl7 cells in peripheral blood of patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA).MethodsThirty-three active RA and 27 stable RA patients and 30 healthy individuals were enrolled in the study.Intracellular flow cytometry detection of TH17 cells in peripheral blood was established.The correlations between Th17 cells and RA disease activity (DAS28 scale) as well as bone erosion were analyzed.ResultsThe expressions of Th17 cells in the patients with RA were significantly higher than those of healthy controls [ ( 1.60 ± 0.51 ) ％ vs (0.81 ± 0.21 ) ％,t =10.30,P ＜ 0.001 ].The Th17 levels in active RA patients were also higher than that of stable RA patients and healthy subjects [ ( 1.94 ±0.38 ) ％ vs ( 1.19 ± 0.27) ％,t =8.85,14.60,P ＜ 0.01 ].And the Th1 7 levels in stable RA patients were also higher than that of healthy subjects (t =5.88,P ＜0.01 ).Active RA patients with bone erosion ( 19 cases) also had higher levels of Th17 cells than those without bone erosion ( 14 cases) [ ( 2.09 ± 0.39 ) ％ vs.( 1.74 ±0.29 ) ％,t =2.83,P ＜ 0.01 ].The expression of Th17 cells was positively correlated with the DAS28 score ( r =0.86,P ＜ 0.01 ).ConclusionThere is a high expression of Th17 cells in peripheral blood of RA patients,which is related to disease activity and bone erosion.Th17 cells might play an important role in the pathogenesis of RA.
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Objective To investigate the expression and significance of B lymphocyte stimulator (Blys) and its receptor BAFF (BAFF-R) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods The expression of Blys and BAFF-R was measured by flow cytometry in 90 pa-tients with SLE,which was compared with that of 45 healthy controls. The relationships between the expression of Blys, BAFF-R and other laboratory parameters as well as disease activity were analyzed. Results The expression of Blys and BAFF-R in PBMCs from patients with SLE was significantly elevated compared to healthy controls (P <0.001), so did the active group (P < 0.001) and inactive group (P < 0.001 and P < 0.01). The expression of Blys in PBMCs from active SLE patients was higher than that of inactive patients (P <0.05). However,there was no statisti-cal difference of BAFF-R between the two groups. The expression of Blys in PBMCs was positively related to SLEDAI (r =0.728,P <0.001) ,IgG and IgM(r=0.691,P<0.001 and r =0.453,P<0.01) ,but negatively related to C3 and CA (r = -0.510, P < 0.001 and r = -0.312, P < 0.05). The expression of Blys in dsDNA positive group was higher than those of dsDNA negative group (P < 0.01). The expression of Blys and BAFF-R in Cl qAb positive group was higher than those of ClqAb negative group as well (P <0.01). Conclusion The expression of Blys and its receptor BAFF-R in PBMCs from SLE is elevated ,which may reflect the disease activity and is related to the pro-duction of autoantibody. They might be involved in the pathogenesis of SLE.