ABSTRACT
?AlM: To evaluate the long - term effects of laser peripheral iridectomy ( LPl ) and trabeculectomy in treating early chronic angle-closure glaucoma. ?METHODS: Ninety-eight patients (102 eyes) with early chronic primary angle-closure glaucoma were randomly divided into two groups. Group A of 50 patients (54 eyes) was treated with LPl and group B of 48 patients (48 eyes) with trabeculectomy. After 3 - 8y of follow - up observation, comparison would be made from the perspectives of postoperative eyesight, intraocular pressure, anterior chamber angle, visual field and cup/disc ratio ( C/D) . ?RESULTS:ln group A, 24 eyes with eyesight declining, 22 eyes with theintraocular pressure>21mmHg (1mmHg=0. 133kPa), 21 eyes with chamber angle synechia >180o, 21 eyes with visual field narrowed, 21 eyes with C/D ratio enlarged. The results of group B for the same items were 10, 5, 4, 4, 4 eyes respectively. The comparative difference was statistically significant (P ?CONCLUSlON:Good effects will be achieved for early-stage chronic angle - closure glaucoma with surgical method. Trabeculectomy is obviously better than LPl for the long-term effects.
ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the outcomes of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients treated with antiviral regimens of interferon (IFN) plus ribavirin (RBV) using individualized doses and durations.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>This study was designed as an open-label, prospective clinical trial to analyze the virological responses of 169 CHC patients who received individualized dosages of IFNa-2b or pegylated (Peg)IFNa-2a combined with RBV based on their weight ( less than 60 kg or more than or equal to 60 kg), age (less than 65 years or 65-75 years), morbid state (liver cirrhosis or not), and complications (such as heart disease, diabetes, thyroid disorder). Treatment duration was calculated using the time required to induce HCV RNA negativity. The rates of virological response and adverse effects among the different groups were compared.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The IFNa-2b treatment was given to 116 patients, and PegIFNa-2a was given to 53 patients. Compared to the IFNa-2b group, the PegIFNa-2a group showed significantly higher rates of complete early virological response (cEVR; 76.7% vs. 92.5%, P less than 0.05) and sustained virological response (SVR; 53.6% vs. 92.3%, P less than 0.05) among the patients who had completed their course of treatment; the rapid virological response (RVR) rate was also higher for the PegIFNa-2a group but the difference did not reach statistical significance (48.7% vs. 60.4%, P more than 0.05). Seventy-eight patients received the routine dose, and 91 patients received the low dose; there were no significant differences between these two groups for RVR (53.8% vs. 58.9%, P more than 0.05), cEVR (78.0% vs. 80.8%, P more than 0.05), or SVR (65.5% vs. 58.3%, P more than 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Use of an individualized antiviral treatment strategy designed according to the patient's baseline condition, early viral kinetics, and tolerability to adverse reactions can achieve a high rate of SVR, as well as improve the safety, prognosis, and cost-effectiveness associated with treating CHC patients.</p>