Protective Effects and Potential Mechanism of Tongxinluo on Mice with Thromboangiitis Obliterans Induced by Sodium Laurate / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the effects of Tongxinluo (TXL) on thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO) and the underlying mechanisms.@*METHODS@#Ninety male C57/BL6J mice were randomly divided into 6 groups according to a random number table: the sham group, TAO model group, Compound Danshen Tablet (CDT) group, and the high-, medium-, and low-dose TXL groups. All mice except the sham group were injected with sodium laurate (0.1 mL, 5 mg/mL) in the femoral artery to establish TAO mouse model. After modeling, mice in the sham and TAO model groups were intragastrically administered 0.5% (w/v) sodium carboxymethylcellulose, mice in the CDT group were intragastrically administered 0.52 g/kg CDT, and mice in the TXL-H, TXL-M, and TXL-L groups were intragastrically administered 1.5, 0.75, and 0.38 g/kg TXL, respectively. After 4 weeks of gavage, the recovery of blood flow in the lower limbs of mice was detected by Laser Doppler Imaging. The pathological changes and thrombosis of the femoral artery were observed by morphological examination. The expressions of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in the femoral artery wall were detected by HE staining. Levels of thromboxane B2 (TXB2), 6-keto-prostaglandin F1α (6-keto-PGF1α), endothelin-1 (ET-1), interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Levels of activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT), thrombin time (TT) and fibrinogen (FIB) were detected by a fully automated biochemical analyzer.@*RESULTS@#TXL promoted the restoration of blood flow in the lower limbs, reduced the area of thrombosis in the femoral artery, and alleviated the pathological changes in the femoral artery wall. Moreover, the levels of TXB2, ET-1, IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α and iNOS were significantly lower in the TXL groups compared with the model group (P<0.05 or P<0.01), while the level of 6-keto-PGF1α was significantly higher (P<0.01). In addition, APTT, PT, and TT were significantly prolonged in TXL groups compared with the model group (P<0.05 or P<0.01), and FIB levels were significantly decreased compared with the model group (P<0.01).@*CONCLUSIONS@#TXL had a protective effect on TAO mice, and the mechanism may involve inhibition of thrombosis and inflammatory responses. TXL may be a potential drug for the treatment of TAO.

Impact of health literacy on patient experience of outpatients in China and its mechanism / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To understand the relationship between health literacy and patient experience of outpatients in China, and to explore its mechanism.@*METHODS@#The conceptual framework was developed based on Andersen's behavioral model of health services use and health literacy skills framework. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted with snowball sampling method, while the health literacy was measured by self-designed patient health literacy scale, and the patient experience was measured by the Chinese patient experience questionnaire for ambulatory care developed by Peking Union Medical College. And a structural equation model was built to explore the relationship between them and test the mechanism of health literacy influencing patient experience.@*RESULTS@#A total of 2 773 subjects were investigated. The average score of health literacy was (90.72±12.90) points, accounting for 78.89% of the full score, and the dimension of seeking social support had the lowest score. The average score of overall rating of patient experience was (3.71±0.74) points, and the scores of each dimension of patient experience were between 3.56 and 3.80. The model fit indices of structural equation model for overall rating of patient experience among the outpatients were χ2/df=9.29 (χ2=4 107.27, df=442), root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA)=0.055 (< 0.06), comparative fit index (CFI)=0.926 (>0.90), Tucker-Lewis index (TLI)=0.918 (>0.90), standardized root mean square residual (SRMR)=0.061 (< 0.08), the model was acceptable. The variance in patient experience explained by the model was 0.108. The structural equation model analysis results showed that the overall rating of outpatient experience was directly affected by health literacy (β=0.263, P < 0.001), also indirectly affected by health literacy (β=0.012, P < 0.001). In other words, the overall rating increased by 0.275 units for each standard deviation increase of health literacy. Self-evaluated health status mediated the relationship between health literacy and the overall rating of outpatient experience. In terms of diffe-rent dimensions of patient experience, the standardized path coefficient of the total effect of health literacy on patient experience was as follows: Information guidance 0.337, humanistic care 0.319, communication with doctors 0.294, service efficiency 0.240, and hospital environment 0.173.@*CONCLUSION@#The patients with higher level of health literacy were more likely to have a better outpatient experience in China, and the information guidance experience and humanistic care experience were most affected by health literacy. And the communication and information utilization ability had the greatest influence on patient experience.

Correlation of Intravoxel Incoherent Motion-derived Parameters with Computer Tomography Perfusion Parameters in Insulinoma / 中国医学科学院学报

To prospectively evaluate the correlation between intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM)-derived parameters and CT perfusion parameters as well as the pathological grade in insulinoma. A total of 55 patients with suspected insulinoma undergoing IVIM and CT perfusion scans were prospectively enrolled. The images were post-processed to obtain IVIM parameters including apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC),diffusion (D),perfusion correlated diffusion (D*),and f,and CT perfusion parameters including blood flow (BF),blood volume (BV),and permeability (PM). The pathological specimens were stained to obtain pathological parameters including the grading,ki-67 index,and the mitotic count. The IVIM derived parameters of normal pancreas including head,body,and tail as well as that of the pancreatic insulinoma were compared. The correlation between IVIM parameters and CT perfusion parameters as well as the pathological parameters was analyzed. ADC and D values of pancreatic tail were significantly lower than those of the pancreatic head and neck (all 0.05). IVIM parameters differ at different anatomical parts of normal pancreas. IVIM parameters can distinguish normal pancreatic parenchyma from insulinoma. The ADC value is weakly correlated with BF.

Characteristic dysbiosis of gut microbiota of Chinese patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome by an insight into the pan-microbiome / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is reported associated with the alteration of gut microbial composition termed as dysbiosis. However, the pathogenic mechanism of IBS remains unclear, while the studies of Chinese individuals are scarce. This study aimed to understand the concept of dysbiosis among patients with Chinese diarrhea-predominant IBS (IBS-D), as a degree of variance between the gut microbiomes of IBS-D population and that of a healthy population.@*METHODS@#The patients with IBS-D were recruited (assessed according to the Rome III criteria, by IBS symptom severity score) from the Outpatient Department of Gastroenterology of Peking University Third Hospital, and volunteers as healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled, during 2013. The 16S rRNA sequences were extracted from fecal samples. Ribosomal database project resources, basic local alignment search tool, and SparCC software were used to obtain the phylotype composition of samples and the internal interactions of the microbial community. Herein, the non-parametric test, Wilcoxon rank-sum test was carried out to find the statistical significance between HC and IBS-D groups. All the P values were adjusted to q values to decrease the error rate.@*RESULTS@#The study characterized the gut microbiomes of Chinese patients with IBS-D, and demonstrated that the dysbiosis could be characterized as directed alteration of the microbiome composition leading to greater disparity between relative abundance of two phyla, Bacteroidetes (Z = 4.77, q = 1.59 × 10) and Firmicutes (Z = -3.87, q = 5.83 × 10). Moreover, it indicated that the IBS symptom features were associated with the dysbiosis of whole gut microbiome, instead of one or several certain genera even they were dominating. Two genera, Bacteroides and Lachnospiracea incertae sedis, were identified as the core genera, meanwhile, the non-core genera contribute to a larger pan-microbiome of the gut microbiome. Furthermore, the dysbiosis in patients with IBS-D was associated with a reduction of network complexity of the interacted microbial community (HC vs. IBS-D: 639 vs. 154). The disordered metabolic functions of patients with IBS-D were identified as the potential influence of gut microbiome on the host (significant difference with q < 0.01 between HC and IBS-D).@*CONCLUSIONS@#This study supported the view of the potential influence of gut microbiome on the symptom of Chinese patients with IBS-D, and further characterized dysbiosis in Chinese patients with IBS-D, thus provided more pathological evidences for IBS-D with the further understanding of dysbiosis.

Comparison Thigh Skeletal Muscles between Snowboarding Halfpipe Athletes and Healthy Volunteers Using Quantitative Multi-Parameter Magnetic Resonance Imaging at Rest / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>Background</b>Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging provides a unique, noninvasive diagnostic platform to quantify the physiological and biochemical variables of skeletal muscle at rest. This study was to investigate the difference in thigh skeletal muscles between snowboarding halfpipe athletes and healthy volunteers via multiparametric MR imaging.</p><p><b>Methods</b>A comparative study was conducted between 12 healthy volunteers and 14 snowboarding halfpipe athletes. MR scanning targeted the left leg at the level of the proximal thigh on a 3.0T MR system. The measured parameters compared between the two groups included T1, T2, T2* relaxation times, fat fraction (FF), and cross-sectional area (CSA) of the quadriceps femoris and the hamstring muscles. Statistical analysis was carried out using independent sample t-test. Interrater reliability was also assessed with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs).</p><p><b>Results</b>It was statistically equivalent between two groups in age, body mass index, thigh circumference, calf circumference, systolic blood pressure, and resting heart rate (all P > 0.05). However, the T1 and T2 values of the hamstring muscles in the athlete group were found to be significantly shorter than those in control group (T1: 1063.3 ± 24.1 ms vs. 1112.0 ± 38.2 ms in biceps femoris, 1050.4 ± 31.2 ms vs. 1095.0 ± 39.5 ms in semitendinosus, 1053.1 ± 31.7 ms vs. 1118.4 ± 40.0 ms in semimembranosus, respectively; T2: 33.4 ± 0.7 ms vs. 36.1 ± 1.9 ms in biceps femoris, 34.6 ± 2.0 ms vs. 37.0 ± 1.9 ms in semitendinosus, 36.9 ± 1.5 ms vs. 38.9 ± 2.4 ms in semimembranosus, respectively; all P < 0.05) although T2* relaxation time was detected with no significant difference. The FF of the hamstring muscles was obviously less than the control group (5.5 ± 1.9% vs. 10.7 ± 4.7%, P < 0.001). In addition, the quadriceps' CSA in the athlete group was substantially larger than the control group (8039.0 ± 1072.3 vs. 6258.2 ± 852.0 mm, P < 0.001). Interrater reliability was excellent (ICC: 0.758-0.994).</p><p><b>Conclusion</b>Multiple MR imaging parameters indicated significant differences between snowboarding halfpipe athletes and healthy volunteers in the thigh skeletal muscles.</p>

Clinical features of advanced adenoid cystic carcinoma in the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses: analysis of 21 cases / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the clinical characteristics, treatment and prognosis of advanced adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) in the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty-one patients with advanced ACC in the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses were treated in our department between February, 2007 and May, 2016. The clinical manifestations, T-stage, N-status, treatment, histological grade, recurrence and distant metastasis of the tumors were analyzed. Univariate survival analysis was performed with Kaplan-Meier method and Log-rank test, and the factors affecting the prognosis of the patients were explored using multivariate analysis with Cox proportional hazard model.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Among the 21 patients, 10 (47.6%) had ACC containing less than 30% of solid tumor tissues and their overall survival rates at 1, 3, and 5 years were 100%, 100% and 70%, respectively; in the 11 cases (52.4%) with solid tumor tissues no less than 30%, the overall survival rates at 1, 3, and 5 years were 70%, 40% and 10%, respectively, showing significant differences between the two groups (P=0.02). The Log-rank test and survival analysis using the covariate variable model curve indicated a significant impact of the pathological classification on the patients' prognosis. The patients in T3 stage had slightly better prognosis than those in T4 stage; tumors originating from the maxillary sinus had a slightly better prognosis than those from the sphenoid sinus. Surgery combined with radiotherapy resulted in better outcomes of the patients than surgery or radiotherapy alone. Multiariable Cox regression model analysis showed that the pathological classification (P=0.045) and the disease course (P=0.028) were closely related with the prognosis of the patients.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>ACC in the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses has a low incidence without specific symptoms. Its early diagnosis can be difficult, and most of the patients are in advanced stage upon diagnosis. We recommend comprehensive treatments combining surgery, postoperative radiotherapy and chemotherapy for these patients. The pathological classification, disease course, lesion site, clinical stage, treatment approache, compromise of the peripheral nerves, status at the edge of resection, and postoperative radiotherapy dose can all be factors affecting the prognosis of patients with advanced ACC.</p>

Distribution of allergens in patients with allergic rhinitis in Hebei villagers and Tianjin citizens / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the epidemiology of allergic rhinitis (AR) and the distribution of allergens in villagers who lived in Hebei Province (Hebei villagers) and the citizens who lived in the city of Tianjin (Tianjin citizens).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From April 2007 to May 2010, face to face investigation and serum specific IgE (sIgE) examination were conducted among Hebei villagers and Tianjin citizens by randomly multi-stage and cluster sampling, and the results were analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A total of 1524 cases were investigated, among them, 1024 cases in Hebei and 500 cases in Tianjin, the prevalence of the sIgE test was 27.2% (279/1024) and 21.2% (106/500), and the difference was of statistical significance (χ(2) = 7.13, P < 0.01). The prevalence of AR was 9.2% (94/1024) and 9.0% (45/500), the difference was of no statistical significance (χ(2) = 0.01, P > 0.05). The most common allergens were dog epithelium and cat epithelium, the next were dust mites, house dust mites, birch and forage grasses in rural areas of Hebei Province. The most common allergens in Tianjin city were dust mites and house dust mites, the next were dog epithelium, cat epithelium, birch and forage grasses. The prevalence of allergens between Hebei villagers and Tianjin citizens had significant difference, which from high to low were house dust mites, dust mites and dog epithelium (χ(2) value were 11.36, 9.14, 5.28, all P < 0.05). The incidence of AR caused by dog epithelium in Hebei was higher than that in Tianjin, however, the dust mites in Tianjin was higher than that in Hebei.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Allergen plays an important role in the prevalence of AR. The allergens have differences not only in areas but also in urban and village. The key factor is contact with allergens frequently.</p>

Anatomic repair of congenitally corrected transposition of the great artery by double switch operation: two cases report / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To report two patients with congenitally corrected transposition of the great artery were performed double switch operation.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Two patients with corrected transposition of the great artery underwent double switch operation. One was 9-month years old boy, associated with ventricular septal defect (VSD), pulmonary artery hypertension. He had senning procedure and artery switch operation (ASO). The other was a 23 years old man, associated with VSD, tricuspid valve regurgitation, and pulmonary stenosis. He had senning procedure and Rastelli operation.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There was no operation death, one got heart block before operation requiring pacemaker. The echo of postoperation showed the patients had normal ventricle function and there were no stenosis of tunnel and conduit, no tricuspid valve regurgitation.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Double switch operation is a good option for congenitally corrected transposition of the great artery.</p>