Clinical features of hydronephrosis induced by retroperitoneal fibrosis: 17 cases reports / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the clinical features and outcome of hydronephrosis induced by retroperitoneal fibrosis (RPF), and to evaluate the effect of corticosteroid based therapy combined with surgical intervention of ureteral obstruction.@*METHODS@#A total of 17 RPF patients with hydronephrosis hospitalized in Peking University International Hospital from May 2016 to December 2019 were analyzed retrospectively.@*RESULTS@#The median age was 56 (53, 65) years, the male to female ratio was 2.4 : 1, and the disease duration was 4.00 (0.83, 8.00) months. The initial symptoms included back pain (9 cases), abdominal pain (6 cases), oliguria (2 cases) and lower limb edema (3 cases). Eight patients presented left hydronephrosis, 1 right hydronephrosis and 8 bilateral hydronephrosis. C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) were both elevated in 13 patients (76.5%, n=17). Immunoglobin (Ig) G4 increased in 5 cases (29.4%, n=17). IgG, IgE and IgA increased in 4 cases (30.8%, n=13), 4 cases (30.8%, n=13) and 1 case (7.7%, n=13), respectively. Among 12 patients who underwent biopsy, 3 patients were diagnosed with IgG4-relate disease. The level of IgG4 in the tissues varied, 6 cases expressed less than 10 per high power field (HPF) or no expression (50.0%). Only 2 cases expressed 10-30/HPF (16.7%), and 4 cases revealed more than 30/HPF (33.3%). Among the 17 patients with ureteral obstruction, no urinary drainage procedure was needed in 4 patients who had mild ureteral obstruction, whereas, ureteral stenting was carried out in the other 13 cases before drug treatment. Time was too short to evaluate the effect of urinary drainage procedures in 4 patients. For the rest, ureterolysis had to be performed in 3 cases after failed ureteral stent insertion. Successful drain removal was accomplished in all of these 9 patients and the mean time to drain removal was (6.7±3.0) months. In addition, 10 patients had complete medical records after an average follow-up time of 5 (3-13) months. Levels of ESR, CRP, IgG4, IgG, IgE, IgA were 54.0 (36.3, 98.5) mm/h, 26.8 (8.7, 53.0) mg/L, 1.34 (0.55, 3.36) g/L, 16.3 (13.0, 21.1) g/L, 40.5 (31.4, 203.0) IU/mL, 2.51 (1.82, 3.25) g/L at baseline, which all decreased predominantly after treatment. ESR, CRP, IgG4, IgG, IgE and IgA dropped by 38.5 (23.5, 54.3) mm/h (P < 0.01), 23.0 (5.5, 52.0) mg/L (P < 0.05), 0.92 (0.40, 2.85) g/L (P < 0.01), 6.5 (1.7, 9.1) g/L (P < 0.05), 23.7 (4.8, 162.0) IU/mL (P < 0.05) and 0.77 (0.32, 1.26) g/L (P < 0.05), respectively. Size of mass measured by CT/MRI imaging became smaller significantly and hydronephrosis relieved.@*CONCLUSION@#Onset of RPF is insidious and lack of specific initial symptoms. Corticosteroid based therapy combined with surgical intervention of relieving obstruction is effective.

Clinical deep remission and related factors in a large cohort of patients with rheumatoid arthritis / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

Background:@#Clinical remission is the treatment target in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study aimed to investigate clinical remission and related factors in a large cohort of patients with RA.@*Methods:@#This study composed of 342 patients with RA. Data were collected by face-to-face interview of 1049 patients with RA who visited the Department of Rheumatology of three teaching hospitals from September 2015 to May 2016. The patients with RA were clinically assessed by rheumatologists and a four-page questionnaire was completed on site. Subsequently, patients fulfilled remission criteria were further analyzed. The practicability of different definitions of remission of RA was rated by a panel of rheumatologists. Sustained intensive disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) treatment was defined as a combination treatment with two or more DMARDs for at least 6 months.@*Results:@#In this cohort of 342 patients with RA, the proportions of patients achieving remission were 38.0%, 29.5%, 24.9%, 21.1%, 19.0%, 18.1%, and 17.0%, based on criteria of disease activity score in 28 joints (DAS28) using CRP (DAS28-CRP), DAS28 using ESR (DAS28-ESR), routine assessment of patient index data 3 (RAPID-3), Boolean, simplified disease activity index (SDAI), clinical disease activity index, and the newly described clinical deep remission (CliDR), respectively. Boolean and CliDR are the best in practicability scored by rheumatologists (7.5 and 8.0, respectively). Compared with the non-sustained intensive group, sustained intensive treatment with DMARDs yielded higher remission rates of 25.6%, 23.8%, and 21.3% in patients with RA based on Boolean (χ2=3.937, P=0.047), SDAI (χ2=4.666, P=0.031), and CliDR criteria (χ2=4.297, P=0.038). The most commonly prescribed conventional synthesized DMARDs (csDMARDs) in patients with RA was leflunomide, followed by methotrexate, and hydroxychloroquine. Compared with the non-remission group, patients achieving remission had a longer median duration of DMARDs (45.0 [22.8–72.3] months, Z=-2.295, P=0.022).@*Conclusions:@#The findings in this study indicated that clinical deep remission is achievable in patients with RA. Sustained intensive DMARD treatment is needed to achieve a better outcome in RA.

Dermatomyositis combined with IgA vasculitis: A case report / 北京大学学报(医学版)

Dermatomyositis (DM) is an autoimmune disease characterized by muscle involvement of the proximal extremities and specific skin involvement, like Gottron sign and heliotrope rash. HenochSchonlein purpura (IgA vasculitis) nephritis is characterized by hematuria and/or proteinuria clinically, with histologic evidence of IgA nephropathy, and also can be clinically characterized by non-thrombocytopenic purpura, presenting with petechiae and ecchymosis on the skin and mucous membranes, often involving multiple organs and systems, accompanied by abdominal pain, joint swelling and pain, and renal lesions. We reported here a patient with symmetric muscle weakness in her proximal limbs and typical Gottron sign, whose laboratory examination showed elevated creatine kinase (CK) level and myogenic damage electromyographically, which were concomitant with dermatomyositis. We applied prednisone combined with cyclophosphamide, and the patient's muscle strength, interstitial lung disease and all improved gradually. The patient gradually developed severe hepatic damage [significantly increased glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (ALT), glutamic oxalacetic transaminase (AST) and bilirubin], high fever (body temperature fluctuated between 38.0-39.2 °C), thrombocytopenia (limb distal purplish rash, some slightly protruded from the skin surface, some fused into a piece, which did not fade with pressure) and intractable diarrhea (waterlike stool, antidiarrheal drug treatment was not good), with new onset of the skin lesions on multiple areas of her body, as well as abrupt occurrence of massive proteinuria, which resulted in huge challenges in the following diagnosis and treatment. After extensive differential diagnosis from various directions, including pathological biopsies, it finally came out to be dermatomyositis combined with IgA vasculitis, which had been rarely reported. Both cellmediated immunity to muscle antigens and immune-complex disease might participate in the pathogenesis. There was evidence that they were immune complex diseases. Several immune mechanisms played an important role in the pathogenesis of both DM and IgA vasculitis. We conducted a substantial literature review of the above diseases. The purpose of our study is to strengthen the clinical understanding of such complicated diseases, and to highlight the importance of pathological biopsy in the diagnosis (renal biopsy pathology gave us a definite diagnosis). And what is more important is that seizing the opportunity to initiate treatment can control the disease and improve the prognosis.

Clinical deep remission and related factors in a large cohort of patients with rheumatoid arthritis / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Clinical remission is the treatment target in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study aimed to investigate clinical remission and related factors in a large cohort of patients with RA.@*METHODS@#This study composed of 342 patients with RA. Data were collected by face-to-face interview of 1049 patients with RA who visited the Department of Rheumatology of three teaching hospitals from September 2015 to May 2016. The patients with RA were clinically assessed by rheumatologists and a four-page questionnaire was completed on site. Subsequently, patients fulfilled remission criteria were further analyzed. The practicability of different definitions of remission of RA was rated by a panel of rheumatologists. Sustained intensive disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) treatment was defined as a combination treatment with two or more DMARDs for at least 6 months.@*RESULTS@#In this cohort of 342 patients with RA, the proportions of patients achieving remission were 38.0%, 29.5%, 24.9%, 21.1%, 19.0%, 18.1%, and 17.0%, based on criteria of disease activity score in 28 joints (DAS28) using CRP (DAS28-CRP), DAS28 using ESR (DAS28-ESR), routine assessment of patient index data 3 (RAPID-3), Boolean, simplified disease activity index (SDAI), clinical disease activity index, and the newly described clinical deep remission (CliDR), respectively. Boolean and CliDR are the best in practicability scored by rheumatologists (7.5 and 8.0, respectively). Compared with the non-sustained intensive group, sustained intensive treatment with DMARDs yielded higher remission rates of 25.6%, 23.8%, and 21.3% in patients with RA based on Boolean (χ = 3.937, P = 0.047), SDAI (χ = 4.666, P = 0.031), and CliDR criteria (χ = 4.297, P = 0.038). The most commonly prescribed conventional synthesized DMARDs (csDMARDs) in patients with RA was leflunomide, followed by methotrexate, and hydroxychloroquine. Compared with the non-remission group, patients achieving remission had a longer median duration of DMARDs (45.0 [22.8-72.3] months, Z = -2.295, P = 0.022).@*CONCLUSIONS@#The findings in this study indicated that clinical deep remission is achievable in patients with RA. Sustained intensive DMARD treatment is needed to achieve a better outcome in RA.

Comparison of disease activities and extent measurements for anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody-associated vasculitis / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the significance of a set of seven disease activities and extension measurements and their correlations between one and another for anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody associated vasculitis (AAV).@*METHODS@#A total of 121 patients from Peking University International Hospital and Fouth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital with confirmed diagnoses of AAV clinically were enrolled in the study, including 15 cases of eosinophilic granulomatous with polyangiitis (EGPA), 59 cases of granulomatous with polyangiitis (GPA) and 47 cases of microscopic polyangiitis (MPA). A hundred and twenty-one AAV patients were divided into death group and survival group according to their survival conditions. A set of seven disease assessment scales including Birmingham vasculitis activity score (BVAS)-1994, BVAS-2003, as well as BVAS/GPA, vasculitis damage index (VDI), disease extent index (DEI), five factor score (FFS)-1996, and FFS-2009 were measured and scored one by one, and their relationships which were represented by Spearman correlation coefficient were compared between one and another.@*RESULTS@#BVAS-1994, BVAS-2003, as well as BVAS/GPA, VDI, DEI, and FFS, all of those seven evaluation indexes of the AAV patients in the death group were significantly higher than those in the survival group (P<0.05). Except for BVAS/GPA, all those above indicators in the patients with EGPA were lower than those in the patients with GPA and those in the patients with MPA, and those in all of the AAV patients as a whole group. There were high correlations among BVAS-2003, BVAS-1994 and BVAS/GPA (r values were 0.9 and 0.7, respectively); BVAS-1994 was fairly correlated with BVAS/GPA (r=0.69); FFS-1996 and FFS-2009 were highly correlated (r=0.73) with each other; BVAS-1994, BVAS-2003 and BVAS/GPA were fairly correlated with DEI (with r values of 0.62, 0.65, and 0.62, respectively); VDI was also fairly correlated with BVAS-1994 and with BVAS-2003 (r values were 0.49 and 0.52, respectively).@*CONCLUSION@#All of those seven AAV assessment indicators above can be used as indicators of disease activity and prognosis in AAV patients, most of which were relevant within one and another. There were high correlations among BVAS-2003, BVAS-1994 and BVAS/GPA, and besides, there were also high correlations between FFS-1996 and FFS-2009.

Immunomodulatory effects of α-Lipoic acid / 中国免疫学杂志

Alpha-lipoic acid is a naturally occurring antioxidant in human body and has been widely used as an antioxidant clinically.Accumulating evidence suggests that α-lipoic acid might have immunomodulatory effects on either adaptive or innate immune system.This Review focuses on the evidence and potential targets involved of the immunomodulatory effects of α-lipoic acid.It highlights that α-lipoic acid may have beneficial effects in conjunction with the current treatment of autoimmune diseases once the immunomodulatory effects can be confirmed by further investigation.

Analysis of irrational drug use in patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease / 天津医药

Objective To investigate the standard prescription in patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and to provide a reference for rational drug use. Methods A total of 157 patients with COPD in our hospital were included into the study from June 2016 to January 2017. Of patients, there were 3 patients with mild airflow limitation, 18 patients with moderate airflow limitation, 39 patients with severe airflow limitation and 97 patients with extremely severe airflow limitation. The self-made questionnaire was used to understand the basic situation, complications and irrational drug use. Results Most severe and extremely severe COPD patients were male, and most of them combined with high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. Of the 157 patients, 12 cases with moderate airflow limitation used inhaled therapy of corticosteroids/bronchodilator medications, 45 cases combined with pneumocardial disease used compound methoxyphenamine, 26 cases used leukotriene receptor antagonist, 14 cases used antibiotics for no obvious infection symptom and 11 cases used systemic corticosteroids in stable COPD. All of them belong to rational drug use. Conclusion There are some unreasonable situations of drug using in patients with stable COPD. The medical staff should strictly control indications, strengthen the education for drug use, guide rational drug use and avoid the occurrence of adverse consequences.

Analysis of irrational drug use in patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease / 天津医药

Objective To investigate the standard prescription in patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and to provide a reference for rational drug use. Methods A total of 157 patients with COPD in our hospital were included into the study from June 2016 to January 2017. Of patients, there were 3 patients with mild airflow limitation, 18 patients with moderate airflow limitation, 39 patients with severe airflow limitation and 97 patients with extremely severe airflow limitation. The self-made questionnaire was used to understand the basic situation, complications and irrational drug use. Results Most severe and extremely severe COPD patients were male, and most of them combined with high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. Of the 157 patients, 12 cases with moderate airflow limitation used inhaled therapy of corticosteroids/bronchodilator medications, 45 cases combined with pneumocardial disease used compound methoxyphenamine, 26 cases used leukotriene receptor antagonist, 14 cases used antibiotics for no obvious infection symptom and 11 cases used systemic corticosteroids in stable COPD. All of them belong to rational drug use. Conclusion There are some unreasonable situations of drug using in patients with stable COPD. The medical staff should strictly control indications, strengthen the education for drug use, guide rational drug use and avoid the occurrence of adverse consequences.

Study of the efficacy and safety of diacerhein in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis / 中华风湿病学杂志

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of diacerhein in the treatment of patients with knee osteoarthritis.Methods The efficacy and safety of diacerhein was randomly investigated in 42 pa- tients with knee osteoarthritis using parallel group methodology and a double-dummy technique to ensure dou- ble blind status with respect to diacerhein and control drugs diclofenac.Results Significant changes were ob- served in 20 meters walk pain,knee joint tenderness scale,WOMAC index scale,5F-36 health survey,knee joint swelling scale,compared with baseline(P＞0.05)in both diacerhein and diclofenac group respectively.No difference was found between diacerhein group and diclofenae group.The patient global assessment and physi- cian's global assessment were similar in diacerhein group and diclofenac group(P＞0.05).The side effect was similar in two groups.All of these side effects in gastrointestinal tract appeared to be transient.Conclusion Diacerhein can effectively relieve pain and swelling of knee osteoarthritis,and provides us a new effective and safe approach for treating knee osteoarthritis.