Isolation and identification of two new compounds from Semen Persicae / 药学学报

Five compounds were isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction of Semen Persicae by using various chromatographic methods, including ODS, Sephadex LH-20, HPLC and semipreparative HPLC. Their structures were identified by 1D-NMR, 2D-NMR, HR-ESI-MS, UV, IR, circular dichroism (CD) and ECD calculation techniques: (2R,3R)-5,7,4′-trihydroxy-3′-methoxy-3-formylflavan-3-ol-5-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (1), (7R,8S)-dihydrodehydrodiconiferyl 6″-benzoyl alcohol-9-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (2), (7R,8S)-dihydrodehydrodiconiferyl alcohol-9-β-O-D-glucopyranosid (3), 2-methoxy-4-(2-propenyl)-phenyl-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (4), 2-[4-(3-hydroxypropyl)-2-methoxyphenoxy]-propane-1,3-diol (5). Compound 1 and 2 are new compounds, and compounds 3-5 were obtained from Prunus davidiana (Carr.) Franch. for the first time.

MRI Findings of the Uterine Tumors Resembling Ovarian Sex Cord Tumors:Report of Two Cases / 中国医学科学院学报

Uterine tumors resembling ovarian sex cord tumors are rarely reported with limited imaging findings.The current study reported two case of uterine tumors resembling ovarian sex cord tumors and described the detailed MRI findings,which would provide valuable imaging evidence for the diagnosis of such tumors.

Genomic structure of varicella-zoster virus and its vaccine application status / 中华预防医学杂志

With the determination of the whole genome sequence of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) virus, the successful breakthrough of infectious cloning technology of VZV, and the emergence of effective preventive vaccines, which have been proven to be effective and safe, varicella has become a disease preventable by specific immunity. This article will review the genomic structure, epidemiological characteristics, and research application progress of varicella vaccine and herpes zoster vaccine of varicella zoster virus to provide reference for primary prevention of the disease.

Effect of Xuanfu Daizhe decoction on stemness of esophageal cancer cells / 中国应用生理学杂志

Objective: To investigate the effect of Xuanfu Daizhe decoction on the stemness of esophageal cancer cells. Methods: The BALB/c nude mice were randomly divided into the control group and experimental group, 5 mice in each group, which were continuously administered with normal saline and Xuanfu Daizhe decoction (9.89 g/kg) by gastrogavage, respectively. Human esophageal carcinoma cells ECA-109 (5×106) were subcutaneously injected into the mice on the 8th day. Tumor volume was measured twice a week. The mice were sacrificed 4 weeks after injection, and the tumor tissue and mouse serum were collected. The expressions of the major stemness-regulating transcription factors, i.e., NANOG, OCT4 and SOX2, were detected by RT-qPCR, Western Blot and immunohistochemistry. ECA-109 cells were treated with 10% fetal bovine serum and serum from the above two groups of mice for 48 hours respectively, and three replicate wells were set in each group, and the expressions of NANOG, OCT4, SOX2 and the levels of AKT and p-AKT were detected by RT-qPCR and Western Blot, respectively. ALDH activity in tumor cells was detected by flow cytometry; the number of spheroids of tumor cells was detected by the spheroidization experiment. Results: Compared with the control group, the growth and size of esophageal cancer tumors were significantly inhibited by Xuanfu Daizhe Decoction; the expressions of NANOG, OCT4, SOX2, the ALDH activity, the number of spheroids, and the levels of AKT and phosphorylated AKT (p-AKT) in esophageal cancer cells were significantly reduced by Xuanfu Daizhe Decoction both in vivo and in vitro. Conclusion: Xuanfu Daizhe Decoction inhibits the stemness of esophageal cancer cells, it may be a potentially effective drug for the treatment of esophageal cancer and provides a theoretical basis for the exploration of new effective drugs for the treatment of esophageal cancer.

Research progress of NLRP3 and its inhibitors in renal ischemia-reperfusion injury / 中国药理学通报

Nod-like receptor protein 3 ( NLRP3) is the most representative inflammasome in the kidney, which can mediate the occurrence of diseases through inflammasome dependent and non inflammasome dependent pathways in the process of renal ischemia-re j

Screening and functional study of key miRNAs in circulating exosomes of hypertension / 中国药理学通报

Aim To clarify the effect of circulating exosomes on hypertension, screen out miRNAs which plays a key role, and explore its function.Methods The plasma exosomes of spontaneously hypertensive rats were extracted and injected into Sprague Dawley rats.The blood pressure changes of rats were detected.Plasma exosomes and exosomal RNA of hypertensive patients and SHR were extracted.Real time PCR was used to verify the expression changes of the selected 8 miRNAs; Western blot was used to detect the expression changes of LKB1 and PTEN protein levels in human umbilical vein endothelial cells transfected with miR-17-5p mimics.Results The plasma exosomes of SHRs significantly increased the blood pressure of SD rats(P<0.05).The expression of miR-17-5p and miR-218-5p in the plasma exosomes of hypertensive patients and SHRs both significantly increased.miR-17-5p inhibitors significantly attenuated the effect of SHR-exos on raising blood pressure.miR-17-5p mimics down-regulated the expression of LKB1 and PTEN in HUVECs cultured in vitro.Conclusions The plasma exosomes of SHR can significantly increase blood pressure of Sprague Dawley rats.miR-17-5p may be the key miRNA.exo-miR-17-5p may promote the occurrence and development of hypertension by regulating the LKB1/PTEN signal.

The diagnostic performance of MR psychoradiology in identifying patients with mental disorders / 中华放射学杂志

Objective:To explore the efficiency of MR psychoradiology examination in screening and classification of psychiatric disorders as well as its potential clinical application.Methods:Retrospective study was conducted for 144 patients with MR psychoradiology examination, who were diagnosed mental disorders based on International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems Tenth Revision (ICD-10) from September 2018 to July 2020 in West China Hospital of Sichuan University. As our previous studies, imaging diagnostic models were constructed based on gray matter volume (GMV) analysis for four kinds of psychiatric disorders, including depression, anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. For 120 patients with psychiatric disorders, the GMV change pattern of brain regions was detected and subtyped by MR psychoradiology examination with 50% similarity threshold of the above imaging diagnostic models. The diagnostic efficiency of MR psychoradiology examination was evaluated with references of clinical diagnose. For 24 patients with dementia, brain atrophy was additionally measured by conventional MR examination and MR psychoradiology examination respectively.Results:The sensitivity, specificity, Youden index and accuracy of MR psychoradiology in identifying the four psychiatric disorders were 86.6% (84/97), 69.6% (16/23), 0.56 and 83.3% (100/120), including depression [77.8% (28/36), 69.0% (58/84), 0.47, 71.7% (86/120)], schizophrenia [58.8% (10/17), 91.3% (94/103), 0.50, 86.7% (104/120)], bipolar disorder [42.1% (8/19), 96.0% (97/101), 0.38, 87.5% (105/120)] and anxiety disorder [24.0% (6/25), 100% (95/95), 0.24, 84.2% (101/120)]. As for 24 patients with dementia, 58.3% (14/24) were detected with brain atrophy by conventional MR examination, while 91.7% (22/24) were detected by MR psychoradiology examination.Conclusions:MR psychoradiology can detect the subtle brain structural abnormalities of patients with mental disorders. Although it can′t be used as an independent biomarker for disease diagnosis till now, it is of great help in improving the accuracy and objectivity of diagnosis.

Two Cases of Hypovascular Pituitary Metastases and Literature Review / 中国医学科学院学报

Pituitary metastasis,a rare kind of intracranial malignant tumor,is characterized by metastasis from all parts of the body to the pituitary.The common tumors metastatic to pituitary are abundant with blood supply,located in the posterior pituitary lobe and/or the pituitary stalk.The lesion shows infiltrative growth,and mainly demonstrates low signal on T1 weighted imaging and high signal on T2 weighted imaging.It is usually enhanced significantly after iodinated contrast administration.The metastatic tumor with poor blood supply is similar to pituitary macroadenoma on magnetic resonance image,which makes it difficult to be differentiated.We reported two cases of pathologically diagnosed pituitary metastasis with poor blood supply and reviewed related papers,aiming to provide the imaging differentiation points of hypovascular pituitary metastasis.

Vacuum therapy ameliorates erectile dysfunction in bilateral cavernous nerve crush rats by inhibiting apoptosis and activating autophagy / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

Postprostatectomy erectile dysfunction (pPED) remains a current problem despite improvements in surgical techniques. Vacuum therapy is clinically confirmed as a type of pPED rehabilitation. However, its underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. Recently, autophagy and apoptosis were extensively studied in erectile dysfunction resulting from diabetes, senescence, and androgen deprivation but not in the context of pPED and vacuum therapy. Therefore, this study was designed to investigate the roles of autophagy and apoptosis in pPED and vacuum therapy. Twenty-four adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups: the control group, bilateral cavernous nerve crush (BCNC) group, and BCNC + vacuum group. After 4 weeks of treatment, intracavernosal pressure was used to evaluate erectile function. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, western blot, and immunohistochemistry were used to measure the molecular expression. TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling staining was used to assess apoptosis. Transmission electron microscopy was used to observe autophagosomes. After treatment, compared with those of the BCNC group, erectile function and cavernosal hypoxia had statistically significantly improved (P < 0.05). Apoptosis and the relative protein expression of B-cell lymphoma-2-associated X and cleaved Caspase3 were decreased (P < 0.05). Autophagy-related molecules such as phosphorylated unc-51-like autophagy-activating kinase 1 (Ser757) and p62 were decreased. Beclin1, microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 A/B, and autophagosomes were increased (P < 0.05). Besides, the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin signaling pathway, as a negative regulator of autophagy to some degree, was inhibited. This study revealed that vacuum therapy ameliorated pPED in BCNC rats by inhibiting apoptosis and activating autophagy.

N-acetylcysteine maintains penile length and erectile function in bilateral cavernous nerve crush rat model by reducing penile fibrosis / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

Penile length shortening and erectile dysfunction are common complications after radical prostatectomy. Various methods have been used to maintain erectile function, but less attention has been paid to preserving penis length. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) has the effect of antioxidation and antifibrotic, which may be beneficial to improve those postoperative complications. This study investigated the effect of NAC on maintaining the penile length and the erectile function after bilateral cavernous nerve crush (BCNC) and its underlying mechanism. Twenty-four male rats were randomly divided into three groups: control group, BCNC group, and BCNC + NAC group. NAC or equal volume of saline was daily administrated by intragastric gavage for 4 weeks. The initial and end penile lengths were measured. Intracavernosal pressure/mean arterial pressure (ICP/MAP) ratio was calculated to assess erectile function. Hematoxylin-eosin staining, Masson's trichrome staining, immunohistochemistry, and Western blot were performed to explore cellular and molecular changes of the penis. Compared to the BCNC group, the penile length, ICP/MAP ratio and smooth muscle/collagen ratio in the BCNC + NAC group were improved significantly (all P < 0.05), and the expressions of endothelial nitric oxide synthase, α-smooth muscle actin, glutathione, and glutathione peroxidase 1 were significantly increased after NAC treated (all P < 0.05), along with the decreased expressions of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α, transforming growth factor-β1, collagen I, collagen III, collagen IV, malonaldehyde, and lysine oxidase (all P < 0.05). This study demonstrated that NAC could maintain penile length and partly improve erectile function. Possible mechanism is directly and/or indirectly related to antihypoxic and antifibrosis.

Safety analysis of definitive surgery for chronic radiation intestinal injury / 中华胃肠外科杂志

Objective: To investigate the safety of definitive surgery for chronic radiation intestinal injury. Methods: A descriptive case series study was performed. Clinical data of 105 patients who were diagnosed as chronic radiation intestinal injury, had complete data and received definitive surgery (the radiation-induced intestinal segment and digestive tract reconstruction) at Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery of Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital from June 2016 to May 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 30 males (28.6%) and 75 females (71.4%) with the median age of 58 years (P25, P75: 52, 64 years). Patients who had tumor recurrence or refused surgical treatment were excluded. According to the preoperative evaluation and clinical manifestations, to select the resection range. Outcome parameters: (1) preoperative evaluation (nutrition risk assessment and status of obstruction or fistula); (2) clinical manifestations and treatment strategies; (3) details of surgical parameters; (4) postoperative complications, and Clavien-Dindo classification III to V was defined as main moderate-severe complication. Results: (1) Preoperative evaluation: Eighty-eight patients (83.8%) developed symptoms of chronic radiation intestinal injury more than 1 year after the end of radiotherapy. Ninety-eight patients (93.3%) had preoperative NRS-2002 score ≥3, 74 patients (70.5%) received preoperative parenteral nutritional support, and the median time of nutritional support was 10.5 (7.0, 16.0) days. Sixteen patients (15.2%) received small intestinal decompression tube implantation due to severe obstruction. (2) Clinical manifestations and treatment strategies: Among 105 patients, 87 (82.9%) presented with obstruction and received definitive resection of the radiation-induced intestinal segment plus one-stage digestive tract reconstruction; 18 (17.1%) presented with intestinal fistula and all of them received definitive resection of the radiation-induced intestinal segment, intestinal fistula plus one-stage digestive tract reconstruction. Among above 18 patients with fistula, 3 patients with ileorectal stump fistula received pedicled pelvic closure of greater omentum at the same time; 4 patients had ileal vesical fistula, of whom 2 patients received cystectomy and bladder repair due to preoperative nephrostomy decompression, and the other 2 patients received transection of the small intestine proximal and distal to the fistula and anastomosis of the intestinal loop without fistula resection, intestinal fistula or bladder fistula repair. (3) The details of surgical parameters: Median operative time and intraoperative blood loss was 230 (180, 300) minutes and 50 (20, 50) ml respectively. Ninety-two patients (92/105, 87.6%) underwent ileocolonic anastomosis, and anastomosis on the hepatic flexure or splenic flexure colon were performed in 88 (83.8%) and 4 (3.8%) patients respectively. Ileoileal anastomosis was performed in 13 patients (12.4%). The anastomotic site of 92 patients (87.6%) was strictly located in the contralateral quadrant of the radiation field, and the anastomotic site of 13 patients (12.4%) was far from the radiation field. Nine patients (8.6%) had more than one anastomosis, 5 patients (4.8%) had less than 180 cm of residual small intestine, 7 patients (6.7%) underwent retrograde intestinal permutation, 4 patients (3.8%) underwent abdominal wall reconstruction surgery due to abdominal wall defects, and 87 patients (82.9%) had severe abdominal pelvic adhesions (grade 3-4 adhesions). Intraoperative complications occurred in 3 patients (2.9%), which were found in time and handled properly. The median postoperative hospital stay was 13.0 (12.0, 24.5) days, and all the patients had resumed oral feeding upon discharge. (4) Postoperative complications: Fourteen patients (13.3%) had 18 major complications (grade III to V). The incidence of postoperative anastomotic leakage was 5.7% (6/105), and the incidence of anastomotic leakage for ileocolon anastomosis and ileoileal anastomosis was 2.2% (2/92) and 4/13, respectively (χ(2)=17.29, P<0.001). The incidence of postoperative anastomotic leakage of intestinal fistula and intestinal obstruction was 3/18 and 3.4% (3/87), respectively (χ(2)=4.84, P=0.028). The mortality at 30 days after operation was 1.0% (1/105), after abdominal infection and septic shock caused by postoperative anastomotic leakage resulting in multiple organ failure. Conclusion: For chronic radiation intestinal injury patients with obstruction or fistula, definitive surgical treatment is feasible and safe with acceptable major complications.

Biocompatibility of extracellular matrix hydrogel with human iPSCs differentiated cardiomyocytes / 中华心血管病杂志

Objective: To observe the biocompatibility of porcine omental derived extracellular matrix (ECM) hydrogel with human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) and the feasibility of ECM hydrogel as a delivery vector of cell transplantation. Methods: A series of chemical, physical and enzymatic methods were applied to acellularize the porcine omentum. Subsequently, the extracted ECM was prepared into thermosensitive hydrogel. The biochemical composition of the hydrogel was identified by histological staining. The microstructure was observed by scanning electron microscopy. The hydrogel was then injected into the myocardium of mice to observe its in situ gelation ability. Differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells into cardiomyocytes was achieved by small molecule induction, and then the obtained hiPSC-CMs were cultured. hiPSC-CMs cultured onto the prepared hydrogel were defined as the hydrogel group, while conventionally cultured hiPSC-CMs were defined as the control group. Cardiomyocyte viability and growth patterns were detected using live/dead staining, CCK-8 and phalloidin staining. Immunofluorescence staining and Western blot of cardiomyocytes were used to determine the survival and phenotypic maintenance markers of cardiomyocytes in materials. Results: The results of HE staining, oil red O staining and DAPI fluorescence staining showed that there was no significant cell debris, nucleus and lipid residue in the prepared ECM hydrogel. The Sirius red staining and Alcian blue staining showed that the hydrogel retained collagen and glycolaminoglycan, which were the main components of ECM. The prepared hydrogel behaves as a viscous liquid at 4 ℃ and as a gel state at 37 ℃. Scanning electron microscope results showed that the microstructure of the hydrogel was composed of irregular fibers and pores of different sizes. Under the guidance of ultrasound, the prepared ECM hydrogel could be successfully injected into the myocardium of mice. Immediately after the injection, the hyperechoic signal could be observed under ultrasound, suggesting that the hydrogel remained in the myocardium. HE staining of myocardial tissue evidenced that there was lump of gel in the injection area. The differentiated hiPSC-CMs were co-cultured with the prepared ECM hydrogel, and the results of live/dead staining showed that most of the hiPSC-CMs in the hydrogel group and the control group were alive, dead cells were scanty. The results of CCK-8 test showed that the absorbance values of the two groups were similar (P>0.05). The results of phalloidin staining showed that hiPSC-CMs could extend normally when co-cultured with ECM hydrogel. The cell morphology of the hydrogel group was similar with that of the control group, and there was no statistically significant difference in the F-actin coverage area per cell between the two groups (P>0.05). Immunofluorescence staining of cardiomyocyte markers showed that there was no significant difference in the coverage area of α-actinin and connexin-43 (Cx-43) per field between the hydrogel group and the control group (both P>0.05), the quantitative results of DAPI staining showed that there was no statistically significant difference in the number of cells between the two groups (P>0.05). Meanwhile, the results of Western blot showed that the expression levels of α-actinin and Cx-43 in cardiomyocytes in the hydrogel group were similar as those in the control group (both P>0.05). Conclusions: These results show that preparation of the ECM hydrogel from porcine omentum is successful. The hydrogel has good biocompatibility and no obvious cytotoxicity. Besides, the hydrogel can support the survival of hiPSC-CMs in vitro and maintain its phenotype. These properties make it a promising injectable cardiac tissue engineering material.

Progress in clinical application of umbilical cord blood cells / 中国输血杂志

In recent years, human cord blood has become an important source of stem cells, stromal cells and immune cells in cell therapy. Cord blood stem cells, as one of the sources of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, have been used to treat many malignant diseases, blood diseases, immunodeficiency diseases and inherited metabolic diseases. With the development of biological and medical technology, the application of cord blood has become more and more widespread. This article briefly introduces the research status and main clinical applications of cord blood stem cells and their derivatives.

Effect of Task-based Rehabilitation Training on Neural Circuit Plasticity and Forelimb Motor Function post Spinal Cord Injury in Mice / 中国康复理论与实践

Objective:To explore the effect of task-based rehabilitative training on neural circuit plasticity and forelimb motor function after C5 spinal cord injury in mice. Methods:A total of 21 healthy C57/BL mice were randomly and equally divided into sham group, model group and training group. The model was established by left C5 spinal cord crush injury. The lamina was removed without damaging the spinal cord in the sham group. Four weeks after injury, the training group received task-based rehabilitative training for four weeks. The horizontal ladder and rearing tests were used to assess motor function for forelimb before injury, and three days, two weeks, four weeks, six weeks and eight weeks after injury. The axons of the corticospinal tract in all mice were observed six weeks after injury by using biotinylated dextran amin (BDA) anterograde tracing. Eight weeks after injury, motor-evoked potential was applied to measure nerve conduction velocities in forelimb, while the axon sprouting and syntagmatic relation of neuron in the anterior horn of gray matter above lesion were observed by immunofluorescence double-labeling of BDA/neuron-specific nuclei protein (NeuN); the expression of Synapsin in the anterior horn of gray matter at lesion was observed by immunofluorescence double-labeling of NeuN/Synapsin I. Results:Eight weeks after injury, the latency of P1 and N1 was longer in the model group than in the sham group (P < 0.05), and was shorter in the training group than in the model group (P < 0.05). Compared with the sham group, the error rate of left forelimb increased, and the usage rate decreased (P < 0.05) in the model group and the training group; compared with the model group, the error rate of left forelimb decreased six weeks and eight weeks after injury (P < 0.05), and the usage rate increased eight weeks after injury (P < 0.05) in the treatment group. Compared with the model group, more axon sprouting co-localized with neurons in the anterior horn of gray matter above lesion (P < 0.05), and the expression of Synapsin I increased in the training group (P < 0.05). Conclusion:Task-based rehabilitative training could promote the neural circuit plasticity and improve the motor function of forelimb after spinal cord injury in mice.

Hypovascular Pituitary Metastasis from Poorly Differentiated Lung Adenocarcinoma:Report of One Case / 中国医学科学院学报

Pituitary metastasis is a rare intracranial malignant tumor originated from other malignant tumors at other parts of the body.Pituitary metastases are typically hypervascular,while hypovascular pituitary metastasis is rare.Radiologically,hypovascular pituitary metastasis is difficult to be distinguished from pituitary adenoma.This article reports one case of pathologically confirmed hypovascular pituitary metastasis,with the main diagnostic clues including history of malignant tumor,presence of normal pituitary in the intrasellar region,and isointensity on T1 and T2 sequence.

Effect of MR Field Strength on the Texture Features of Cerebral T2-FLAIR Images: A Pilot Study / 中国医学科学杂志(英文版)

Objective To investigate effect of MR field strength on texture features of cerebral T2 fluid attenuated inversion recovery (T2-FLAIR) images. Methods We acquired cerebral 3D T2-FLAIR images of thirty patients who were diagnosed with ischemic white matter lesion (WML) with MR-1.5T and MR-3.0T scanners. Histogram texture features which included mean signal intensity (Mean), Skewness and Kurtosis, and gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) texture features which included angular second moment (ASM), Contrast, Correlation, Inverse difference moment (IDM) and Entropy, of regions of interest located in the area of WML and normal white matter (NWM) were measured by ImageJ software. The texture parameters acquired with MR-1.5T scanning were compared with MR-3.0T scanning. Results The Mean of both WML and NWM obtained with MR-1.5T scanning was significantly lower than that acquired with MR-3.0T (0.05). ASM, Correlation and IDM of both WML and NWM acquired with MR-1.5T revealed significantly lower values than those with MR-3.0T (<0.001), while Contrast and Entropy acquired with MR-1.5T showed significantly higher values than those with MR-3.0T (<0.001). Conclusion MR field strength showed no significant effect on histogram textures, while had significant effect on GLCM texture features of cerebral T2-FLAIR images, which indicated that it should be cautious to explain the texture results acquired based on the different MR field strength.

First line nucleos(t)ide analog monotherapy is more cost-effective than combination strategies in hepatitis B e antigen-positive chronic hepatitis B patients in China / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Nucleos(t)ide analog (NA) in combination with peginterferon (PegIFN) therapy in patients with hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) shows better effectiveness than NA monotherapy in hepatitis B surface antigen loss, termed "functional cure," based on previous published studies. However, it is not known which strategy is more cost-effective on functional cure. The aim of this study was to analyze the cost-effectiveness of first-line monotherapies and combination strategies in HBeAg-positive CHB patients in China from a social perspective.@*METHODS@#A Markov model was developed with functional cure and other five states including CHB, compensated cirrhosis, decompensated cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and death to assess the cost-effectiveness of seven representative treatment strategies. Entecavir (ETV) monotherapy and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) monotherapy served as comparators, respectively.@*RESULTS@#In the two base-case analysis, compared with ETV, ETV generated the highest costs with $44,210 and the highest quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) with 16.78 years. Compared with TDF, treating CHB patients with ETV and NA - PegIFN strategies increased costs by $7639 and $6129, respectively, gaining incremental QALYs by 2.20 years and 1.66 years, respectively. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratios were $3472/QALY and $3692/QALY, respectively, which were less than one-time gross domestic product per capita. One-way sensitivity analysis and probabilistic sensitivity analyses showed the robustness of the results.@*CONCLUSION@#Among seven treatment strategies, first-line NA monotherapy may be more cost-effective than combination strategies in HBeAg-positive CHB patients in China.

Advance in Rehabilitation Evaluation for Knee Osteoarthritis (review) / 中国康复理论与实践

Rehabilitation is an essential treatment for knee osteoarthritis. Rehabilitation evaluation is the foundation of rehabilitation treatment. The items of rehabilitation evaluation for knee osteoarthritis include pain, proprioception, range of motion, muscle force, balance, gait, quality of life, and so on. When evaluating the patient's pain, researchers should not only focus on Visual Analogue Score (VAS) outcomes, but also consider the patient's body function and activity level, and whether there is neuropathic pain. Furthermore, isokinetic dynamometer can not only be used for quantitative assessment for muscle strength, but also for the quantitative evaluation for patient's proprioception. Moreover, Community Balance and Mobility Scale has no ceiling and floor effects which also is a reliable and useful tool for assessing the balance function in patients with knee osteoarthritis, compared with Berg Balance Scale. The evaluation for body structure in patients with knee osteoarthritis mainly includes the radiological examination and physical examination. There are a lot of scales to evaluate the quality of life in patients with knee osteoarthritis, and Osteoarthritis of Knee and Hip Quality of Life fits most. Further researches and promotion of evaluation tools for knee osteoarthritis are needed in the future.

Diagnostic test for detection of cervical lymph node metastasis from oral squamous cell carcinoma via infrared thermal imaging / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the diagnostic performance of a non-invasive, non-radiating, economical and convenient infrared thermal imaging in the detection of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cervical lymph node metastasis, and evaluate its applicability via parallel test and series test.@*METHODS@#This study was a prospective clinical study which passed the ethical review by the Biomedical Ethics Committee, Hospital of Stomatology, Peking University, and had been submitted for clinical trial registration. Totally 74 OSCC patients who were to undergo a neck dissection were included in this study. The inclusion criteria were patients who: (1) were pathologically diagnosed as malignant tumors and planned to undergo surgical treatment including neck dissection; (2) agreed to participate in this study. The exclusion criteria were those who: (1) had undergone surgeries at head and neck previously; (2) with a history of systemic tumor adjuvant therapies such as radiotherapy or chemotherapy etc; (3) were unwilling or unable to cooperate. Basal information as well as clinical examination results were collected, such as physical examination and contradictive enhanced CT. Besides, infrared thermal imaging was done ahead of surgery. Analysis of the diagnostic power of infrared thermal imaging followed the principles of diagnostic test. The positive signs of infrared thermal imaging were: (1) asymmetric thermographic pattern including vascular pattern in ROI; (2) thickening image of unilateral facial artery/vein, submental artery/vein or external carotid artery; (3) surface temperature of ROI raised over 1 °C compared with the opposite side; (4) changes of neck profile with abnormal temperature pattern. The gold standard of this diagnostic test was pathology diagnosis of cervical lymph nodes.@*RESULTS@#The sensitivity of infrared thermal imaging was 75.0%, while the specificity was 69.0%, accuracy was 71.6%, positive predictive value was 64.9% and negative predictive value was 78.4%. The sensitivity of parallel test which stood for the combination of infrared thermal imaging and conventional clinical examinations was 87.9% while the specificity of series test was 97.6%.@*CONCLUSION@#Infrared thermal imaging is a promising non-invasive, non-radiating and economical tool in the detection of cervical lymph node metastasis from OSCC when combined with conventional pre-operative examination.

First line nucleos(t)ide analog monotherapy is more cost-effective than combination strategies in hepatitis B e antigen-positive chronic hepatitis B patients in China / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

Background@#Nucleos(t)ide analog (NA) in combination with peginterferon (PegIFN) therapy in patients with hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) shows better effectiveness than NA monotherapy in hepatitis B surface antigen loss, termed "functional cure," based on previous published studies. However, it is not known which strategy is more cost-effective on functional cure. The aim of this study was to analyze the cost-effectiveness of first-line monotherapies and combination strategies in HBeAg-positive CHB patients in China from a social perspective.@*Methods@#A Markov model was developed with functional cure and other five states including CHB, compensated cirrhosis, decompensated cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and death to assess the cost-effectiveness of seven representative treatment strategies. Entecavir (ETV) monotherapy and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) monotherapy served as comparators, respectively.@*Results@#In the two base-case analysis, compared with ETV, ETV generated the highest costs with $44,210 and the highest quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) with 16.78 years. Compared with TDF, treating CHB patients with ETV and NA - PegIFN strategies increased costs by $7639 and $6129, respectively, gaining incremental QALYs by 2.20 years and 1.66 years, respectively. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratios were $3472/QALY and $3692/QALY, respectively, which were less than one-time gross domestic product per capita. One-way sensitivity analysis and probabilistic sensitivity analyses showed the robustness of the results.@*Conclusion@#Among seven treatment strategies, first-line NA monotherapy may be more cost-effective than combination strategies in HBeAg-positive CHB patients in China.