Clinical observation on acupoint sticking therapy plus electroacupuncture for treating peripheral facial paralysis / 针灸推拿医学（英文版）

Objective: To observe the clinical effect of acupoint sticking therapy with Mian Tan Gao (facial paralysis paste) plus electroacupuncture (EA) for treating peripheral facial paralysis and its influence on patients' facial nerve functions, facial disability index and clinical symptoms and signs. Methods: A total of 96 peripheral facial paralysis patients were allocated into an observation group, a medicine group and an EA group by simple randomization, with 32 cases in each group. Patients in the medicine group were treated with oral mecobalamine and prednisone acetate; patients in the EA group were treated with EA on the basis of the medicine treatment; while patients in the observation group were treated with acupoint sticking therapy with Mian Tan Gao (facial paralysis paste) plus EA. After 4-week treatment, the clinical efficacy, the adverse events, and the scores of House-Brackmann (H-B) facial nerve function grading scale, visual analog scale (VAS), clinical symptoms and signs, and facial disability index (FDI) were compared. Results: After 4-week treatment, the total effective rate was 96.9％ in the observation group, higher than 68.7％ in the medicine group and 75.0％ in the EA group (both P<0.05). After 4-week treatment, the scores of H-B grading scale, VAS and clinical symptoms and signs in the three groups dropped significantly compared with those before treatment, and the scores in the observation group were lower than those in the medicine group and EA group (all P<0.05). After 4-week treatment, the facial disability index-physical function (FDIP) in the FDI in the three groups increased significantly, with a higher value in the observation group compared with that in the medicine group and EA group (both P<0.05). The facial disability index-social function (FDIS) in the FDI dropped significantly, with a lower score in the observation group compared with that in the medicine group and EA group (both P<0.05). However, the comparisons of the items above between the medicine group and the EA group showed no statistical significance (all P>0.05). The between-group comparison of the adverse event across the three groups showed no statistical significance (P>0.05). Conclusion: Acupoint sticking therapy with Mian Tan Gao (facial paralysis paste) plus EA can decrease H-B grade, reduce pain severity and improve clinical symptoms and signs as well as the facial disability condition in peripheral facial paralysis patients. This method produced more significant efficacy compared with oral medicine and medicine plus EA.

Electroacupuncture intervention increases testosterone level of aged rats by activating ERK/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling of Leydig cells / 针刺研究

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on anti-oxidant function of Leydig cells in aged rats with low testosterone, so as to reveal its underlying mechanism of anti-aging of male reproduction. METHODS: Eighteen 20 months old SD rats were divided into aged control, medication and EA groups(n=6 in each group), and other 6 young male SD rats (2 months of age) were used as the youth control group. The rats of the youth and the aged control groups received subcutaneous injection of 0.9% normal saline (7 mg·kg-1·3 d-1) for 8 weeks, and those of the medication group received abdominal subcutaneous injection of Testosterone Propionate (7 mg·kg-1·3 d-1) for 8 weeks. EA (2 Hz/100 Hz, 1 mA) was applied to bilateral "Shenshu" (BL23) and "Guanyuan" (CV4) for 15 min, once daily for 8 weeks except the weekends. The levels of serum total testosterone (TT) and free testosterone (FT) were determined by enzyme linked immune sorbent assay (ELISA), the immunoactivity of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (p-ERK) was detected by immunohistochemistry, and the expression levels of ERK, p-ERK, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) proteins in the testis tissues were determined by Western blot. RESULTS: Before and after the treatment, the levels of serum TT and FT in the aged control group were significantly lower than those of the youth control group (P0.05). CONCLUSION: EA intervention may increase testosterone level of the aged rats, which may be related to its effects in triggering ERK /Nrf2 /HO-1 signaling (anti-oxidative stress signal pathway) in the testis.

Significance of serum IgG4 and CA19-9 in diagnosis and antidiastole of IgG4 related cholangitis / 中国免疫学杂志

Objective:To investigate the value of autoantibodies and serum levels of IgG4 and CA19-9 in the diagnosis of IgG4 associated cholangitis (IgG4-SC).Methods:Detect the serum IgG4 and CA19-9 of 41 clinical cases of IgG4-SC patients,162 clinical cases of non IgG4-SC patients and 40 healthy human serum samples by immunoassay and direct chemiluminescence methods, also detect the antinuclear antibodies (ANA),anti neutrophil antibody (ANCA),anti smooth muscle antibody (SMA) and anti mitochondrial antibody (AMA) of the above serum samples by indirect immunofluorescence and analyze the detection results.Results:①The positive rates of ANA,ANCA,SMA and AMA in patients with IgG4-SC were 41.46%,7.32%,0 and 2.44%.Among them,the positive rate of ANA was significantly different from that of the normal control group(P<0.01),and the positive rate of SMA and AMA was significantly different from that of non IgG4-SC group(P<0.01),and so as the positive rate of ANCA do with that of PSC group.②The number of serum IgG4 and CA19-9 increased samples were significantly compared with the normal control group (P<0.01);the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.979 and 0.646,respectively,and P<0.05.Conclusion:The high level of serum IgG4 and CA19-9 and autoantibody detection are of great accuracy and important clinical value in the differential diagnosis of IgG4-SC.

Clinical significance of serum 14-3-3η protein and auto-antibodies detection in rheumatoid arthritis / 中国免疫学杂志

Objective:To explore the clinical value of detecting serum 14-3-3η and auto-antibodies in rheumatoid arthritis (RA),and compare their performance in RA diagnosis.Methods: Serum samples of 134 RA patients,90 non-RA inflammatory arthropathy patients,70 of whom with osteoarthritis(OA)and 20 with ankylosing spondylitis(AS),and 40 healthy controls from the second affiliated hospital of Nanchang University were collected.Concentrations of 14-3-3η,anti-CCP,anti-RA33,anti-Sa were detected with enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA),with RF detected by immunonephelometry.Diagnostic utilities of them for RA were evaluated and compared then.Results:① Serum levels of 14-3-3η,anti-CCP,anti-RA33,anti-Sa and RF were significantly higher in patients with RA than non-RA inflammatory arthropathy patients and healthy controls,the differences between groups were statistically significant;② ROC curves were conducted according to the serum levels detected.The AUC of 14-3-3η,anti-CCP,anti-RA33,anti-Sa and RF were 0.831(95% CI:0.782-0.881),0.852(95% CI:0.802-0.901),0.615(95% CI:0.546-0.684),0.706(95% CI:0.643-0.770)and 0.739(95% CI:0.676-0.802)respectively,with P values<0.01.Among all index,only anti-CCP and 14-3-3η were of moderate diagnostic value,at the threshold of 24.10 U/ml and 2.59 ng/ml individually;③anti-Sa was of highest specificity and RF was of highest sensitivity among all indexes detected;the specificity of 14-3-3η was merely moderately inferior to anti-Sa and anti-RA33,but its sensitivity was superior to them both.Conclusion:Serume14-3-3η,anti-CCP,anti-RA33,anti-Sa and RF levels increased remarkably in patients with RA,and contributed to RA diagnosis.Meanwhile,14-3-3η was advantageous,to some extent,in the sensitivity and specificity over auto-antibodies,and can be utilized as a reference index in diagnosing RA.

Ratio balance of Th17 and Treg cells in peripheral blood of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia / 中国实验血液学杂志

This study was purposed to investigate the ratio of Th17 cells and CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) regulatory T (Treg) cells in peripheral blood of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and to explore their roles in the pathogenesis and clinical diagnosis. Based on the number of peripheral lymphocytes and treatment condition, the CLL patients were divided into 2 groups: untreated group (n = 30) and remission group (n = 15), the healthy control group (n = 20) was set up as well. The frequencies of Th17 and Treg cells of all cases were detected by flow cytometry (FCM). The results showed that frequencies of CD3(+)CD4(+)T cells and Th17 cells were significantly higher in untreated group than that in healthy control group (P < 0.05), the frequencies of CD3(+)CD8(+)T cells and Treg cells were significantly lower in untreated group than that in healthy control group (P < 0.05), the ratio of Th17/Treg was significantly higher in untreated group than that in healthy control group (P < 0.05). The frequencies of Th17 were not statistically different between remission and healthy control groups, the frequencies of Treg cells were significantly lower in remission group than that in healthy control group (P < 0.05), the ratio of Th17/Treg was significantly higher in remission group than that in healthy control group (P < 0.05), frequencies of Th17 cells were markedly lower in remission group than that in untreated group (P < 0.05). It is concluded that Th17/Treg imbalance exists in patients with CLL, which may play a key role in pathogenesis and development of CLL.

Individualized leukemia cell-population profiles in common B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients / 癌症

Immunophenotype is critical for diagnosing common B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (common ALL) and detecting minimal residual disease. We developed a protocol to explore the immunophenotypic profiles of common ALL based on the expression levels of the antigens associated with B lymphoid development, including IL-7Rα (CD127), cytoplasmic CD79a (cCD79a), CD19, VpreB (CD179a), and sIgM, which are successive and essential for progression of B cells along their developmental pathway. Analysis of the immunophenotypes of 48 common ALL cases showed that the immunophenotypic patterns were highly heterogeneous, with the leukemic cell population differing from case to case. Through the comprehensive analysis of immunophenotypic patterns, the profiles of patient-specific composite leukemia cell populations could provide detailed information helpful for the diagnosis, therapeutic monitoring, and individualized therapies for common ALL.

Influence of immunosuppressive therapy on expression of TNF-α/IFN-γ in cytoplasm of peripheral blood lymphocytes of patients with aplastic anemia / 中国实验血液学杂志

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of immunosuppressive therapy on the expression of TNF-α/IFN-γ in cytoplasm of peripheral blood lymphocytes of patients with aplastic anemia (AA). The expression of TNF-α and IFN-γ in cytoplasm of peripheral CD3(+) lymphocytes were measured by flow cytometry in 25 cases of de novo AA patients and 20 cases of AA after immunosuppressive therapy. The results showed that the positive rates of CD3(+)/TNF-α(+) and CD3(+)/IFN-γ(+) in de novo AA patients were (5.97 ± 6.78)% and (15.20 ± 11.28)% respectively, and (1.56 ± 0.87)% and (1.76 ± 0.87)% in normal controls respectively. There was significant difference between de novo AA patients and normal controls (p < 0.05). The positive rates of CD3(+)/TNF-α(+) and CD3(+)/IFN-γ(+) in immunosuppressive therapy group were (1.67 ± 1.26)% and (4.35 ± 4.33)% respectively. The difference between immunosuppressive therapy group and de novo AA group was statistically significant (p < 0.05). It is concluded that the levels of intracellular TNF-α and IFN-γ in AA patients are higher than those in normal controls. Immunosuppressive therapy significantly reduces the expression of intracellular TNF-α and IFN-γ. Its relationship with the clinical treatment is worth further observing.

Correspondence analysis on the types of social support and the role of the supporters towards people living with HIV/AIDS in rural areas,Henan province / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective To explore the relationship between types of social support and roles of supporters,on people living with HIV/AIDS,in rural areas of Henan province.Methods A rural area from Henan province where the main route of HIV transmission was through blood collection was selected as the research site.Survivors registered in that area were randomly selected as subjects.Questionnaire on social support related to social network analysis paradigm was designed and face-to-face interview was used to collect information.Correspondence analysis method was adopted to analyze the relationship between types of social support and roles of social supporters.Results 204 questionnaires were sorted out with 2227 pairs of bind between types of social support and roles of social supporters analyzed.According to scatter plot of row and column points,our data showed that support from the spouses was mainly associated with caring for daily life and companionship for medical treatment on the patients.The research subjects stated that they would primarily discuss over the major issues or chat with their parents and children as they were the ones that they could trust the most.However,they would turn to their brothers,sisters or other relatives to borrow money or asking for other kinds of help.Non-relatives were the resources on social interaction,like going-out together or borrowing life necessities.Conclusion Supporters with different social roles on HIV/AIDS issues,appeared to be corresponded to specific types of social support in rural areas of Henan province.

Immunophenotype characteristics and prognosis of acute leukemia patients with cross expressing lymphoid and myeloid lineage associated antigens / 中国实验血液学杂志

The aim of study was to investigate the immunophenotype characteristics and prognosis of acute leukemia patients with cross-expressing lymphoid and myeloid lineage-associated antigens. The immunophenotypes of leukemic cells were examined by using flow cytometry. All patients were classified into several groups according to FAB subtypes and immunophenotyping. The cross-expressed antigens analyzed for AML included CD2, CD7, CD19, CD56 and other co-expressed lymphoid antigens. The myeloid antigens analyzed for ALL included CD13 and co-expressed CD13/CD33. ALL and AML patients without expression of cross-expressing antigens were selected as control. Complete remission (CR) ratio and relapse-free survival (RFS) of patients in all groups were compared. The results indicated that among 161 patients analyzed, 91 cases of AML with cross-expressing lymphoid and myeloid antigens included that 24 cases of AML expressed lymphoid surface marker-CD7, namely CD7(+) AML, 14 cases of AML only expressed lymphoid surface marker-CD19, namely CD19(+) AML, 8 cases of AML expressed lymphoid surface marker-CD2 (including CD2/CD19 co-expressed), namely CD2(+) AML, 10 cases of AML expressed lymphoid surface marker-CD56 (including CD56/CD19 or CD56/CD2 co-expressed), namely CD56(+) AML, 16 cases of AML expressed two or more lymphoid surface markers, namely Ly ≥ 2(+) AML, 9 cases of ALL expressed myeloid surface markers CD13, namely CD13(+) ALL, 10 cases of ALL expressed myeloid surface markers CD13 and CD33, namely CD13/CD33(+) ALL. 29 cases of ALL did not expressed myeloid surface markers, namely My(-) ALL, and 41 case of AML did not expressed lymphoid surface markers, namely Ly(-) AML. CR ratio and RFS of Ly ≥ 2(+) AML patients were lower than those of Ly(-) AML patients. RFS of CD56(+) AML patients was lower, but CR ratio had no significant difference, when compared with Ly(-) AML patients. CR ratio and RFS of other AML patients with cross-expressing antigens had no significant difference when compared with Ly(-) AML patients. CR ratio and RFS of CD13(+) ALL and CD13/CD33(+) ALL patients had no significant difference when compared with My(-) ALL patients. It is concluded that the importance of cross-expressing antigens for prognosis of patients should be analyzed concretely. CD56(+) AML and Ly ≥ 2(+) AML have bad prognosis, while other cross-expressed lymphoid and myeloid lineage-associated antigens have no impact on prognosis of acute leukemia patients.

Establishment and evaluation of hematology review criteria for action following automated complete blood counts and leukocytes differential / 中华检验医学杂志

Objective To establish and evaluate criteria applied to review of complete blood counts (CBC)and differential results from automated hematology analyzers.Methods Temporary criteria were established by using alarm system of XE-2100 automated hematology analyzer and by consulting the 41 suggested rides of international consensus group.2 795 out-and in-patient samples were run as clinical samples.Stained blood films were prepared and manual differential with smear review were performed on all samples.Statistical analysis was done for each temporary rule and instrument flag which indicated abnormal cell quantity and morphology.Results Of all rules,instrument flags of ‘Immature Gran/Left Shift?’, ‘ Atypical Lympho?’and‘NRBC(nucleated red blood cell)?’showed most frequent false positive and false negative instrument flag.Evaluation on rnles about cell quantity change showed false positive and false negative rates were both low.Results of morphology evaluation showed that true positive rate was 17.44%, false positive rate was 15.82%,true negative rate was 63.49%,false negative rate was 3.25%.‘ Atypical Lymphocyte?’,‘Immature Gran?’and‘blast?’were the most frequent false positive flags.According to those results and clinicians opinions,our hematology review criteria for action following automated CBC and leukocytes differential was established.Conclusions The hematology review criteria have high true positive rate and low false negative rate.To clinical hematology laboratory using automated hematology analyzer,new criteria can reduce work load,bring lower false negative rate and higher work efficiency.