Secukinumab demonstrates high efficacy and a favorable safety profile over 52 weeks in Chinese patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease, affecting about 0.6% of the Chinese population. Many patients are not well controlled by conventional treatments, thus there is need for new treatment regimens. In this study, we assessed the efficacy and safety of secukinumab in Chinese patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.@*METHODS@#This study was a 52-week, multicentre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, Phase 3 trial. A sub-population of study participants (≥18 years) of Chinese ethnicity were randomized to receive subcutaneous injections of 300 or 150 mg secukinumab, or placebo. The co-primary endpoints were psoriasis area severity index (PASI) 75 and Investigator's Global Assessment (IGA) 0/1 at Week 12.@*RESULTS@#A total of 441 Chinese patients were enrolled in this study. Co-primary outcomes were achieved; 300 and 150 mg secukinumab were superior to placebo as shown in the proportion of patients that achieved PASI 75 (97.7% and 87.2% vs. 3.7%, respectively; P < 0.001), and IGA 0/1 (82.3% and 69.7% vs. 2.7%; P < 0.001) at Week 12. Treatment efficacy was maintained until Week 52. There was no increase in overall adverse events with secukinumab relative to placebo throughout the 52-week period.@*CONCLUSION@#Secukinumab is highly effective and well tolerated in Chinese patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.@*TRIAL REGISTRATION@#ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03066609; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/record/NCT03066609.

A double-blind, randomized, placebo- and positive-controlled phase III trial of 1% benvitimod cream in mild-to-moderate plaque psoriasis / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Benvitimod cream, a novel synthetic small molecule, was effective in treating mild-to-moderate plaque psoriasis. We conducted a phase III clinical trial to assess the efficacy and safety of benvitimod cream in patients with mild-to-moderate plaque psoriasis.@*METHODS@#We randomly assigned 686 patients (2:1:1) to receive 1% benvitimod cream, 0.005% calcipotriol ointment or placebo twice a day for 12 weeks. The primary efficacy end points were the percentage of patients with a 75% or greater reduction from baseline in the psoriasis area and severity index (PASI 75) score and with a score of 0 or 1 in static physician's global assessment (sPGA) at week 12.@*RESULTS@#The results showed that 50.4% of patients in the benvitimod group achieved PASI 75, which was significantly higher than that in the calcipotriol (38.5%, P < 0.05) and placebo (13.9%, P < 0.05) groups. The proportion of patients achieving an sPGA score 0 or 1 was 66.3% in the benvitimod group and 63.9% in the calcipotriol group, which were both significantly higher than that in the placebo group (34%, P < 0.05). In the long-term follow-up study, 50.8% of patients experienced recurrence. After retreatment with 1% benvitimod, 73.3% of patients achieved an sPGA score of 0 or 1 again at week 52. Adverse events included application site irritation, follicular papules, and contact dermatitis. No systemic adverse reactions were reported.@*CONCLUSION@#During this 12-week study, benvitimod cream was demonstrated with high effectiveness and safety in patients with mild-to-moderate plaque psoriasis.@*TRIAL REGISTRATION@#Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR), ChiCTR-TRC-13003259; http://www.chictr.org.cn/showprojen.aspx?proj=6300.

Persistent chlamydial genital infection in Tianjin area: An epidemiological study / 中华男科学杂志

Objective@#To investigate the epidemic features of persistent genital chlamydial infection (GCI) in Tianjin area.@*METHODS@#We statistically analyzed the clinical data about the persistent GCI patients received at the Venereal Disease Clinic of Tianjin Medical University General Hospital from 2009 to 2011.@*RESULTS@#A total of 158 patients with persistent GCI were received from Tianjin area. The patients ranged in age from 19 to 67 years, 39.24% from 20 to 29 and 34.81% from 30 to 39 years, 36.71% with commercial occupation, and 55.06% with college education or above. The sex partners of the patients included their spouses (32.91%) and waitresses (41.77%). The incidence probability of persistent GCI was higher in the females (59.49%) than in the males. Many of the patients were complicated with infections of mycoplasma, syphilis, candida albicans, or condyloma acuminatum.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The epidemic trend of persistent GCI is rather grim in Tianjin area. New measures have to be developed targeting the epidemiological features of persistent GCI for better prevention and control of the disease.

Epidemiological features of male genital herpes in Tianjin / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the epidemic trend and features of male genital herpes (GH) in Tianjin.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We statistically analyzed the epidemiological data of the male GH patients received at the Venereal Disease Clinic of Tianjin Medical University General Hospital from 2006 to 2010.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A total of 130 cases of male GH were reported from 2006 to 2010, ranging in age from 18 to 76 years, with 31.54% aged at 30-39 years. Most of the patients were factory workers (30.77%) and clerks (30.00%). Those with high school education accounted for 61.54%, and those with college education 32.31%. The sex partners of the patients were mostly waitresses (60%).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The epidemic of GH has not been effectively controlled in Tianjin. New measures have to be developed targeting the changed epidemiological features of GH for better prevention and control of the disease.</p>

The effect of chlamydiaphage phiCPG1 capsid protein Vp1 on the Chlamydia trachomatis / 中华微生物学和免疫学杂志

Objective To investigate the effect of recombinant chlamydiaphage phiCPG1 capsid protein Vp1 on Chlamydia trachomatis(Ct) after Vp1 was co-cultured with Ct (reference strains and clinical strains).Methods The recombinant chlamydiaphage phiCPG1 capsid protein Vp1 was expressed and purified.Equal amount of Ct standard strains (E/UW-5/Cx and D/UW-3/Cx) or clinical strains,which had been incubated with Vp1 protein at the concentration of 53 μg/ml for 3 h at room temperature,were inoculated into McCoy.After cell culture,idione stain and transmission electron microscope were used to observe the effect of Vp1 on the Ct.The effect of Vp1 protein on the cell line McCoy was determined by MTT assay,the responses of Escherichia coli BL21 and DH5α toward Vp1 protein were determined using broth microdilution assays.Results Vp1 had obviously inhibitive effect on Ct,the inhibition ratios were about 40％-70％in clinical strains,72％ in reference strain D and 78％ in E,respectively.Abnormally enlarged RBs were observed after Vp1-treatment and Vp1 could arrest chlamydial developmental cycle using electron microscope.There was no effect of Vp1 on McCoy cells or bacteria BL21 or DH5α.Conclusion The recombinant Vp1 from phiCPG1 has obviously inhibitive effect on the growth of Ct,it will be helpful for the treatment of Ct infection in clinic.

Study on the role of local immunity in the female genital tract with nongonococcal urethritis / 中华传染病杂志

Objective To study the role of local immunity in the female genital tract with non- gonococcal urethritis(NGU).Methods Forty-four cervical secretions from patients with NGU were collected.After treatment with Azithromycin,22 cases were followed up.One month later,pathogen was eliminated in 15 patients.Another 27 un-infected people were included in our study.The level of secretory immunoglobulin A(SIgA)was detected using the automatic special protein analysor,and interferon-?(IFN-?)was quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).All data were analyzed with ANOVA.Results The levels of SIgA and IFN-?in NGU infected group were(34.29?15.92)mg/L and(97.13?24.00)ng/L respectively,while those of uninfected group were(47.57?19.61)mg/L and(120.71?33.78)ng/L,respectively(all P0.05).Conclusions SIgA and IFN-?secreted by genital tract mucosa may help pre- vent and resist the local NGU infection.However,the effect is limited,and is insufficient to eliminate infection completely and prevent reinfection.

Advances on Chlamydiophage / 微生物学通报

Bacteriophage is a kind of virus depending on bacterium,named bacterial virus,and it can multiply in bacterium.There're six types of Chlamydiophage discovered which are Chp1,Chp2,Chp3,Chp4,CPAR39 and PhiCPG1.Capsid proteins Vp1,Vp2 and Vp3 are three major structural proteins of Chlamydiophage.The study of Chlamydiophage will play great action on chlamydia infection therapy.