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Objective:To investigate the relationship of antinuclear antibody (ANA) status with clinical features and malignancy risk in adult patients with dermatomyositis.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed to analyze clinical data from 101 inpatients with dermatomyositis in Department of Dermatology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from April 2008 to April 2018. These patients were divided into ANA-positive group and ANA-negative group, and differences in myopathy and malignancy risks as well as other clinical features were analyzed between the 2 groups. A 2-year follow-up was undertaken among 92 patients. Chi-square test was used to analyze and compare clinical features between the 2 groups, and a multivariate regression model was used to analyze the relationship of ANA status with amyopathic dermatomyositis and malignancies.Results:Among the 101 patients with dermatomyositis, there were 42 males and 59 females, aged 55.13 ± 14.63 years; 14 patients had amyopathic dermatomyositis, 6 patients had hypomyopathic dermatomyositis, and 81 patients had myopathic dermatomyositis; 42 (41.58%) cases were positive for ANA, and 59 (58.41%) were negative for ANA. Compared with the ANA-negative group, the ANA-positive group showed significantly decreased incidence of cervical erythema (33.33% vs. 59.32%, P=0.010) and shawl sign (14.28% vs. 35.59%, P=0.017) . Twenty-eight (27.72%) patients with dermatomyositis were complicated by malignancies. Malignancies were found in 5 (11.9%) of ANA-positive patients, and in 23 (38.98%) of ANA-negative patients. Univariate analysis showed that ANA-negative patients with dermatomyositis had a higher risk of malignancies compared with ANA-positive patients with dermatomyositis, with an odds ratio of 7.52 (95% CI: 1.62-13.78, P=0.003) . In the multivariate regression model, the absence of ANA ( OR=4.34, 95% CI: 1.37-13.72, P=0.012) and cervical erythema ( OR=3.27, 95% CI: 1.20-8.91, P=0.020) were associated with high incidence of malignancies, while the absence of ANA was not significantly correlated with the occurrence of amyopathic dermatomyositis ( OR=0.99, 95% CI: 0.32-2.99, P=0.980) . Conclusions:ANA-negative adult dermatomyositis patients with cervical erythema had an increased risk of malignancies. Thus, close follow-up and regular tumor screening are necessary in these patients.
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<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the law of the meridian abnormal changes and the correlation with acupuncture efficacy based on the effectiveness study of electroacupuncture (EA) in treatment of severe functional constipation.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Seventy patients of severe functional constipation were randomized into an EA group and a sham-EA group, 35 cases in each one. In the EA group, Tianshu (ST 25) and Fujie (SP 14) were punctured deeply and stimulated with EA (dense-disperse wave, 2Hz/15 Hz, 0. 1 to 1. 0 mA), and Shangjuxu (ST 37) was needled. In the sham-EA group, the sites lateral to Tianshu (ST 25) and Fujie (SP 14) were punctured shallowly and stimulated with electricity. The site lateral to Shangjuxu (ST 37) was punctured shallowly. The treatment was given continuously for 8 weeks in the two groups, 5 times weekly in the first 2 weeks and 3 times weekly in the rest 6 weeks. WANG Juyi's meridian examination method was applied to detect the abnormalities of the spleen, stomach and large intestine meridians before treatment, and in 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks among 70 patients separately. The frequency of complete spontaneous bowel movement (CSBM) every two weeks, meridian abnormal value and the relativity with CSBM change rate were compared in the patients between two groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Regarding the increase of CSBM frequency, the effect started since the 2nd week in the EA group, with the treatment going on, CSBM frequency was increased apparently (all P<0. 05). In the sham-EA group, after 6 and 8-weeks of treatment, CSBM frequency was increased apparently as compared with that before treatment (all P<0. 05). The increase of CSBM frequency in the EA group was remarkably as compared with the sham-EA group at every time point (all P<0. 05). The abnormal value of the large intestine meridian in 2 weeks of treatment and the values of the stomach and spleen meridians and the relevant meridians in 4 weeks of treatment were all reduced apparently as compared with those in the baseline in the EA group (all P<0. 05). With the treatment time going on, the abnormal reflections on the large intestine and stomach meridians were reduced gradually (all P<0. 05), and the total change rate of abnormalities on the large intestine, stomach and spleen meridians presented the negative correlation with the total change rate of CSBM frequency (P<0. 01, P<0. 05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>In the EA group, the efficacy on CSBM frequency in severe functional constipation is advantageous and stable as compared with the sham-EA group. Acupuncture at the relevant acupoints of the spleen, stomach and large intestine meridians achieves the definite regulation to the meridian abnormalities. It is discovered that the abnormal changes in the spleen, stomach</p>
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Adult , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Young Adult , Acupuncture Points , Constipation , Therapeutics , Defecation , Electroacupuncture , Meridians , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
Objective To evaluate the protective effect of astragaloside Ⅳ against ultraviolet B (UVB)-induced photodamage to human HaCaT keratinocytes,and to investigate its mechanisms.Methods Culturedimmortalized human HaCaT keratinocytes were divided into four groups:blank control group receiving untreated,UVB group irradiated with 50 mJ/cm2 UVB,astragaloside Ⅳ group treated with astragaloside Ⅳ,UVB + astragalosideⅣ group treated with astragaloside Ⅳ for 24 hours before and after 50 mJ/cm2 of UVB radiation.The concentration ofastragaloside Ⅳ ranged from 10 to 200 mg/L in cell proliferation assay,and according to the results of proliferationassay,20 mg/L was determined as the optimal concentration in the other assays.At 24 hours after UVB radiation,cellcounting kit-8 (CCK8) assay was performed to evaluate cellular proliferative activity,flow cytometry to determineintracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels,and Western blot to measure the expression levels of p53,p38,matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and high mobility group Al (HMGA-1) protein in HaCaT cells.ResultsCompared with the control group,astragaloside Ⅳ at 10 and 20 mg/L had no inhibitory effect (F =1.32,P ＞ 0.05),while astragaloside Ⅳ at 50,100 and 200 mg/L showed significantly inhibitory effect (F =20.20,P ＜ 0.05),on theproliferation of HaCaT cells.In addition,cellular proliferative activity in the UVB group was significantly lower thanthat in the control group (F =99.00,P ＜ 0.01).Compared with the UVB group,cellular proliferative activityincreased to different degrees in HaCaT cells treated with both UVB and astragaloside Ⅳ of 10-200 mg/L (F =19.08,P ＜ 0.01),with the strongest increase observed in those treated with UVB and astragaloside Ⅳ of 20 mg/L.Further experiments revealed reduced intracellular ROS levels in the UVB + astragaloside Ⅳ (20 mg/L) groupcompared with the UVB group (t =21.12,P ＜ 0.01).Western blot assay showed that the expression levels of p53,p38,MMP-9 and HMGA-1 protein were significantly higher in the UVB group than in the control group (all P ＜0.01),but significantly lower in the UVB + astragaloside Ⅳ (20 mg/L) group than in the UVB group (all P ＜ 0.01).Conclusion Astragaloside Ⅳ can effectively protect keratinocytes from UVB-induced photodamage.
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Aim To investigate the effect of baicalin on cell proliferation and cell migration in human skin SCC A431 cell line. Methods The A431 cells were incu- bated with 50 mg·L-1 baicalin. The protein level of cofilin-1 was assayed by Western blot. Cofilin-1 specific siRNA fragment was designed , synthesized and trans- fected into A431 cells. The proliferative activity and migration ability of cells were assessed by CCK8 assay and scratch wound healing assay separately. ResultsWestern blot results showed that baicalin treatment in-hibited the cofilin-1 protein expression to 49.3% com-pared with the control group. Single baicalin treatment and cofilin-1 silencing could drease the A431 cell growth and migration. And cofilin-1 silencing signifi- cantly enhanced the efficacy of baicalin. Conclusions Baicalin could significantly inhibit the tumor cell's growth and migration in the A431 cell line. And cofi-lin-1 might become the potential target gene to enhance the effect of anticancer drugs.