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ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical efficacy and possible mechanism of Erzhi Tiangui prescription on repeated implantation failure (RIF) of kidney deficiency syndrome. MethodSeventy patients with RIF of kidney deficiency syndrome who underwent natural cycle frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) in the Reproductive and Genetic Center of the Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine were enrolled and randomly divided into a treatment group (35 cases) and a control group (35 cases). Patients in the treatment group took oral Erzhi Tiangui prescription from the third day of each menstrual cycle two months before the FET cycle and continued to take it until the day of transplantation from the third day of the menstrual cycle in the month of transplantation. Those in the control group did not accept traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). In addition,10 patients who successfully achieved clinical pregnancy after the first natural cycle FET were screened from the reproductive medical record bank of this hospital and assigned to the normal group. Peripheral blood samples of patients in the three groups on the day of embryo transfer were collected from the specimen bank of the Reproductive and Genetic Center. Serum soluble programmed death molecule-1 (sPD-1),soluble programmed death molecule-ligand 1 (sPD-L1),transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β),interleukin-17 (IL-17), and interleukin-10 (IL-10) levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The changes in kidney deficiency syndrome scores, the final biochemical pregnancy rates, clinical pregnancy rates, and embryo implantation rates of the treatment group and the control group before and after treatment were observed. ResultCompared with the normal group,the model group showed increased serum levels of sPD-1 and IL-17(r=0.347,P<0.05),decreased levels of IL-10 and TGF-β (P<0.01),and non-significant change in sPD-L1 level. Serum sPD-1 was positively correlated with IL-17 (P<0.05) and negatively correlated with IL-10(r=-0.521,P<0.01) and TGF-β(r=-0.457,P<0.01) in RIF patients with kidney deficiency syndrome. After TCM treatment,compared with the control group, the treatment group showed improved TCM syndrome score (P<0.05) and increased clinical pregnancy rate and embryo transfer rate(P<0.05),but there was no statistically significant difference in the biochemical pregnancy rate between the two groups. ConclusionAbnormal expression of sPD-1 in patients with RIF of kidney deficiency syndrome breaks the balance of T helper 17 (Th17)/regulatory T cell (Treg),which is not conducive to embryo implantation and pregnancy maintenance. Erzhi Tiangui prescription,a TCM for tonifying the kidney,can significantly improve the symptoms of kidney deficiency in patients with RIF of kidney deficiency syndrome,reduce the concentrations of sPD-1 and IL-17 in the peripheral serum,increase the levels of TGF-β and IL-10,regulate the peripheral Th17/Treg immune balance,and increase the implantation rate and clinical pregnancy rate,which has a high clinical value.
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Objective To investigate the early clinical characteristics and radiographic changes in confirmed Novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP) and excluded NCP patients. Methods Twenty-four patients with suspected NCP admitted to Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital and Jinshan Branch Hospital between January and February, 2020 were chosen as our research subjects. Early clinical features and radiographic changes were analyzed in 10 patients of confirmed NCP and 14 patients of excluded NCP. Results In the early stage, all 24 suspected patients were mild, and had normal blood gas analysis. Of 10 diagnosed patients, 50% were male. All the 10 patients had fever and fatigue, with body temperature between 37.5℃ and 38.5℃. Only 1 patient had dry cough. 2 patients had no clear epidemiological exposure history, the other 8 had a clear epidemiological exposure, with a possible incubation period of 1-10 days. From CT imaging, lesions were characterized as ground glass shadow ( n =9), which could be unilateral ( n =1) or bilateral ( n =9), and were mainly close to the pleura ( n =9), with nodule shadow ( n =1) and without focal necrosis, and could combined with pleural effusion ( n =1. Among patients excluded NCP, all 14 patients had a clear history of epidemic exposure, with an onset time of 1 to 13 days. 12 patients had fever , including 4 with temperature > 38.5°C, 8 with temperature 37.3-38.5°C, and 2 without fever. All patients had fatigue , 7 patients had dry cough and 2 patients had chest pain. From CT imaging, ground glass shadow appeared in 4 patients , lesions were unilateral in 10 patients and bilateral in 4 patients , and the lesions were relatively sporadic, without necrosis or pleural effusion. Conclusion 1.Not all patients with NCP have a direct history of epidemiology exposure, some patients may be infected unknowingly. 2. According to CT imaging, NCP seems to have no special manifestations different from other viral pneumonia. 3. NCP is more common among middle-aged people.
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Objective:To investigate the early clinical characteristics and radiographic changes in confirmed novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) and COVID-19 excluded patients.Methods:Twenty-four patients with suspected COVID-19 admitted to Shanghai Jiaotong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital and Jinshan Branch Hospital between January and February, 2020 were enrolled in this research. Early clinical features and radiographic changes were analyzed in 10 confirmed COVID-19 patients and 14 COVID-19 excluded patients.Results:In the early stage, all 24 suspected patients had minor symptoms, and had normal blood gas analysis results. Of 10 confirmed COVID-19 patients, 5 patients were male. All the 10 patients had fever and fatigue, with body temperature between 37.5 and 38.5 °C. Only 1 patient had hacking cough. Two patients had no clear epidemiological exposure history, the other 8 had clear epidemiological exposure history, with a possible incubation period of 1-10 days. From CT imaging, lesions were characterized as ground glass shadow ( n=9), which could be unilateral ( n=1) or bilateral ( n=9), and were mainly close to the pleura ( n=9), with nodule shadow ( n=1) and without focal necrosis, and could combined with pleural effusion ( n=1). Among the COVID-19 excluded patients, all 14 patients had clear history of epidemic exposure, with an onset time of 1 to 13 days. Twelve patients had fever, including 4 patients with body temperature > 38.5 °C, 8 patients with body temperature bwteen 37.3-38.5 °C, and 2 patients without fever. All patients had fatigue, 7 patients had hacking cough and 2 patients had chest pain. From CT imaging, ground glass shadow appeared in 4 patients, lesions were unilateral in 10 patients and bilateral in 4 patients, and the lesions were relatively sporadic, without necrosis or pleural effusion. Conclusions:Not all patients with COVID-19 have a direct epidemiology exposure history, some patients may be infected unknowingly. According to CT imaging, COVID-19 seems to have no special manifestations being different from other viral pneumonia. COVID-19 is more common among middle-aged people.
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Objective:To investigate the value of superb micro-vascular imaging (SMI) in evaluating carotid neovascularization in patients with Takayasu arteritis (TA).Methods:SMI was used to analyze the wall thickness and neovascularization in a total of 38 common carotid arteries in 23 patients with TA diagnosed in Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, and the results were compared with contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS).Results:SMI could clearly show the thickening wall of the common carotid artery in TA patients, and could show very tiny blood flow channels in the thickening wall. Neovascularization was detected in a total of 34 common carotid arteries by SMI, 23 of which showed 1 point of score with scattered low-velocity blood flow and the rest of which showed 2 points of score with diffused spots or strips with low-velocity blood flow. Correspondingly, neovascularization was detected in a total of 34 common carotid artery by CEUS, 22 of which showed 1 point of score and the rest of which showed 2 points of score. The scores of the two groups were consistent ( Kappa=0.641, P<0.01). Conclusions:SMI can be used as one of the important screening methods for neovascularization assessment in thickened carotid wall in patients with TA, which shows potential application value in the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up for TA patients.
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Objective@#To explore the mechanism and influencing factors of mirror-image artifact of color blood flow (MACBF) due to longitudinal strong echo big interface (LSEBI).@*Methods@#Fifty suspicious patients with MACBF beside the main pulmonary artery and/or the left pulmonary artery undergoing echocardiography examination from November 2018 to April 2019 in Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University were chosen as the subjects. Image characteristics of the MACBF were observed, and mechanism and influence factors of the MACBF were explored with Doppler imaging principle.@*Results@#Of all the subjects with MACBF, 36 subjects occurred only on the left side of the main pulmonary artery, 14 subjects occurred on both the left side of the main pulmonary artery and the left pulmonary artery. The LSEBI was found between the real color blood flow (RCBF) and the MACBF, there was a mirror relationship between the RCBF and the MACBF. The LSEBI on the left of the main pulmonary artery and the left pulmonary artery were the interface of the left lung and pleural. The signal strength of MACBF enhanced as the distance between the blood flow and the LSEBI got closer or the gain of the color blood flow got bigger.@*Conclusions@#MACBF may caused by LSEBI beside vessel. The formation of MACBF and its signal strength are influenced by the distance between blood flow and LSEBI and the gain of the color blood flow.
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Objective To explore the mechanism and influencing factors of mirror-image artifact of color blood flow (MACBF) due to longitudinal strong echo big interface (LSEBI).Methods Fifty suspicious patients with MACBF beside the main pulmonary artery and/or the left pulmonary artery undergoing echocardiography examination from November 2018 to April 2019 in Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University were chosen as the subj ects.Image characteristics of the MACBF were observed, and mechanism and influence factors of the MACBF were explored with Doppler imaging principle.Results Of all the subjects with MACBF,36 subjects occurred only on the left side of the main pulmonary artery,14 subj ects occurred on both the left side of the main pulmonary artery and the left pulmonary artery.The LSEBI was found between the real color blood flow (RCBF) and the MACBF,there was a mirror relationship between the RCBF and the MACBF.The LSEBI on the left of the main pulmonary artery and the left pulmonary artery were the interface of the left lung and pleural.The signal strength of MACBF enhanced as the distance between the blood flow and the LSEBI got closer or the gain of the color blood flow got bigger.Conclusions MACBF may caused by LSEBI beside vessel.The formation of MACBF and its signal strength are influenced by the distance between blood flow and LSEBI and the gain of the color blood flow.
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Objective Colorectal polyp is a precancerous lesion of colorectal cancer .Aim of the study was to explore the risk fac-tors of colorectal polyp malignant transformation .Methods The related information of 75 084 colonoscopies performed from 2003 to 2012 in Southwest Hospital in Chongqing were collected and the relationship between polyp malignant transformation and the pa-tient age ,sex ,polyp location ,size or histological types was analyzed .Results From 2003 to 2012 ,polyps were diagnosed in 14 806 cases of the total 75 084 patients with a 19 .72% detection rate .There were significant difference of the left-side and right-side pol-yp detection rate in different age groups ,and the frequency of polyps distributed in the whole colorectum increased with the increase of age .The rates of epithelial neoplasia and malignant transformation increased with age .At the same time ,malignant transforma-tion rate was significant higher in polyps located in left-side than that in right-side (P<0 .0167) ,in adenoma than that in inflamma-tory hyperplastic polyp (P<0 .01) .The larger diameter and the more villus ,the higher rate of malignant transformation .Conclusion Patient age ,polyp size ,location and histological type could be considered as the significant predictors of colorectal polyp malignant transformation .It may be useful to treat the polyp with endoscopy in patient with age more than 45 and adenoma whose diameter was not less than 1 cm ,located in left-side for prevention of colorectal cancer .
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Objective To describe the time trend of esophageal and gastric cardia adenocarcinomas in Chongqing of China in the past 30 years .Methods The medical records of all patients who underwent gastroscopy from Janaury 1983 to December 2012 at the Southwest hospital were reviewed .The rate of endoscopic detection and proportion of adenocarcinoma in all upper gastrointestinal tumors (esophageal adenocarcinoma ,esophageal squamous cell carcinoma ,gastric cardia adenocarcinoma and gastric non-cardiac ad-enocarcinoma) were compiled and serial comparisons were made .Results 435 829 patients who underwent gastroscopy were re-viewed .Totally ,there were 352 patients with esophageal adenocarcinomas(0 .08% ) ,10 301 with esophageal squamous cell carcino-mas(2 .40% ) ,3 058 with gastric cardia adenocarcinomas(0 .70% ) and 5 543 with gastric non-cardiac adenocarcinomas(1 .30% ) .O-ver the 30-year period ,the rate of endoscopic detection of esophageal adenocarcinomas did not show a statistically significant .How-ever ,the proportion of esophageal adenocarcinomas increased from 1 .90% to 3 .20% ,suggesting an increased proportions .The rate of endoscopic detection of gastric cardia adenocarcinomas increased from 0 .70% to 0 .81% and the proportions of gastric cardia ade-nocarcinomas increased from 25 .30% to 38 .30% .Conclusion Over the 30-year period ,it seems that the incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma had increased .An increasing trend of gastric cardia adenocarcinoma is also observed in this study ,especially in male patients .