Efficacy and Safety of Pulse Magnetic Therapy System in Insomnia Disorder: A Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial

Objective@#This study’s objective is to assess the efficacy and safety of Pulsed Magnetic Therapy System (PMTS) in improving insomnia disorder. @*Methods@#Participants with insomnia disorder were randomly assigned to receive either PMTS or sham treatment for four weeks (n= 153; PMTS: 76, sham: 77). Primary outcomes are the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) scores at week 0 (baseline), 1, 2, 3, 4 (treatment), and 5 (follow-up). Secondary outcomes are the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index at baseline and week 4, and weekly sleep diary-derived values for sleep latency, sleep efficiency, real sleep time, waking after sleep onset, and sleep duration. @*Results@#The ISI scores of the PMTS group and the sham group were 7.13±0.50, 11.07±0.51 at week 4, respectively. There was a significant group×time interaction for ISI (F3.214, 485.271=24.25, p<0.001, ηp 2=0.138). Only the PMTS group experienced continuous improvement throughout the study; in contrast, the sham group only experienced a modest improvement after the first week of therapy. At the end of the treatment and one week after it, the response of the PMTS group were 69.7% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 58.6%–79.0%), 75.0% (95% CI: 64.1%–83.4%), respectively, which were higher than the response of the sham group (p<0.001). For each of the secondary outcomes, similar group×time interactions were discovered. The effects of the treatment persisted for at least a week. @*Conclusion@#PMTS is safe and effective in improving insomnia disorders.

Phenotypic and genotypic features of twenty children with classic pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration / 中华儿科杂志

Objective@#To explore the phenotypic and genotypic characteristics in Chinese children with classic pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (PKAN).@*Method@#The clinical, radiographic and genetic data of all PKAN patients diagnosed at pediatric department of Peking University First Hospital from November 2006 to December 2016 were retrospectively collected and analyzed.@*Result@#Twenty patients with classic PKAN were included in the study. The median age at onset was 3.5 years (ranging from 1.0 to 10.0 years), and the most common initial symptom was gait disturbance (16 cases). At the last evaluation, the clinical features were limbs dystonia (20 cases), dysarthria (16 cases), dysphagia (11 cases), pyramidal sign (7 cases), mental regression (3 cases) and pigmentary retinopathy (5 cases). For those classic PKAN patients, the median time from onset of disease to loss of independent ambulation was 6.9 years (ranging from 2.0 to 12.0 years). Imaging data showed, except "eye of tiger" in MRI (19 cases), globus pallidus calcification in CT was also found in four patients. In gene testing, 26 different mutations in PANK2 gene were identified, and 16 of 26 were novel mutations. Moreover, c. 1502T>C (p.Ile501Asn) was the most common mutation (4 cases).@*Conclusion@#Dystonia is the major neurologic feature of classic PKAN. Disease progression is rapid, with loss of independent ambulation within 10 years after onset. Except "eye of tiger" in MRI, globus pallidus calcification in CT may be another imaging feature of PKAN.Sixteen novel mutations of PANK2 gene were identified in the study.

Influences of multiple gene interactions on bone mineral density and osteoporotic fractures in postmenopausal women / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

Objective To investigate the effects of the genetic polymorphisms in osteoporosis-related genes and the gene-gene interaction on bone mineral density (BMD) and osteoporotic fractures.Methods Thirty-nine single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) sites in 23 genes that related to bone mineral density ( BMD ) and osteoporotic fractures were scanned in 683 Shanghai Han postmenopausal women.TaqMan SNP Genotyping Assay or Sequenom Mass ARRAY System were applied for genotyping analysis.The relation of these SNP sites with BMD and osteoporotic fractures were analyzed.Results Altogether,12 SNPs in 9 candidate genes ( rs7524102 and rs6696981 in ZBTB40 gene,rs9479055 in ESR1 gene,rs6993813,rs6469804,and rs11995824 in OPG gene,rs3736228 in LRP5 gene,rs1107748 in SOST gene,rs87938 in CTNNB1 gene,rs1366594 in MEF2C gene,rs7117858 in SOX6 gene,and rs10048146 in FOXL1 gene) were associated with BMD at lumbar spine(L1-L4) or total hip.In addition,rs11898505 in SPTBN1 gene was related to osteoporotic fractures ( OR 0.522,95％ CI 0.326-0.838,P =0.007 ).Gene-gene interaction involving rs1038304 in ESR1 gene,rs1366594 in MEF2C gene,and rs10048146 in FOXL1 gene was associated with osteoporotic fractures ( P =0.010 7 ).Conclusions ( 1 ) SNPs in gene ZBTB40,ESR1,OPG,LRP5,SOST,CTNNB1,MEF2C,SOX6,FOXL1,and SPTBN1 are associated with BMD of lumbar spine or total hip,as well as osteoporotic fractures.(2) Gene-gene interaction involving rs1038304,rs1366594,and rs10048146may contribute to the risk of osteoporotic fractures.

Risk factors for clopidogrel resistance in patients with ischemic stroke: a prospective case series study / 国际脑血管病杂志

Objective To investigate the risk factors for clopidogrel resistance (CR) in patients with ischemic stroke.Methods Turbidimatry was used to measure the platelet aggregation rate changes after the patients with acute ischemic stroke taking 75 mg of clopidogrel per day for 10-14 days.The patients were divided into either a CR or a clopidogrel sensitivity (CS) group according to the platelet aggregation rate changes.The demographic and clinical data of both groups were compared.Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify the independent risk factors for CR.Results A total of 147 patients with acute ischemic stroke were included,42 of them (28.57％ ) were in the RC group and 105 (71.43％) were in the CS group.The proportion of patients in diabetes (54.76％ vs.11.43％ ;x2 =31.054,P =0.000),the history of transient ischemic attack (TIA) (80.95％ vs.26.67％ ;x2 =36.251,P=0.000) or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) (26.19％ vs.3.81％;x2 =16.400,P=0.000),taking calcium channel blocker (CCB) (83.33％ vs.54.29％ ;x2 =10.810,P =0.001 ),angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI)/angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) (66.67％ vs.42.86％;x2 =6.803,P=0.009),and proton pump inhibitor (47.62％ vs. 14.29％;x2 =18.375,P =0.000) in the CR group,as well as the levels of plasma total cholesterol (TC),glucose,and glycated hemoglobin were significantly higher than those in the CS group.Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that diabetes (odds ratio [ OR] 13.711,95％ confidence interval [ CI] 1.667 - 112.784; P =0.015),increased TC level (OR 2.828,95％CI 1.574 - 5.080; P =0.001),previous history of TIA (OR16.627,95％ CI 4.691 - 58.934; P =0.000),and long-term taking CCB (OR 4.147,95％ CI 1.053 - 16.332;P =0.042),and ACEI/ARB (OR 4.841,95％ CI 1.539 - 15.231; P =0.007) were the independent risk factors for CR.Conclusions CR in patients with ischemic stroke is associated with a variety of factors,in which diabetes,increased TC,as well as long-term taking CCB and ACEI/ARB are the independent risk factors for CR.

Effect of metformin on osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation of rat mesenchymal stem cells / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

Objective To investigate the effect of metformin on osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation of primary bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. Methods Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were isolated and purified from the rat bone marrow by adherent method, the cells from passage 3-4 were used in our experiments. At 90% confluence, the medium was removed and the cells were cultured in osteogenic medium with or without 10 μmol/L metformin, medium was changed every two or three days. At days 7, 14, and 21, the cells were collected, osteogenic differentiation was evaluated by measuring Runt-related transcription factor 2, alkaline phosphatase, collagen type Ⅰ and osteocalcin using real-time PCR; ALP activity was also evaluated by p-nitrophenyl phosphate as the substrate and normalized to total protein content; At day 21, mineralization nodules in the extracellular matrix of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were stained using Alizarin red staining. Differentiation of adipocytes were induced in adipogenic medium for 14 days with or without 10 μmol/L metformin, then the cells were collected for detecting the transcription activity of PPARγ and CAAT/enhanced-binding protein α, lipid droplets in adipocytes were measured by oil red O staining. Results In the metformin group, alkaline phosphatase activity was higher, osteoblast markers were up-regulated(all P＜0.05), and the calcium nodules were more, while the adipocyte markers are down-regulated by about 70%, and lipid droplets were less than the group without metformin. Conclusion Metformin can effectively promote the differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells to osteoblasts, while inhibit the differentiation to adipocytes.

Thoughts on the rescue of persons with abdominal injuries after the Wenchuan earthquake / 中华消化外科杂志

At 2:28 p.m. local time on 12 May, 2008, the Wenchuan earthquake struck with a magnitude of 8.0. After the earthquake, 1364 injured persons, including 732 women and 632 men, were admitted to Deyang People's Hospital. The ages of the injured persons ranged from 0.2 years to 102 years (mean, 42.5 years). Of all injured persons, 4.65% aged under 7 years, 13.84% between 7 and 18 years, 39.57% between 19 and 45 years, 24.48% between 46 and 65 years, and 17.46% above 65 years. A total of 1713 injuries were found in all the injured persons, and the predominant injuries were found in limbs, body surface, head and chest. The incidence of the multiple injuries was 23.64%. Eighteen persons with abdominal injuries received operation. Prompt, accurate and systematic evaluation of the injury is necessary in raising the rescue efficiency. Treating the injured persons according to a classification optimizes the usage of the limited medical resources. Early definitive operation is crucial in rescuing the lives of the injured persons, and the treatment should be applied within 24 hours after the earthquake, then the emphasis of the rescue work should shift to helping orthopedic surgeons with operation and debridement.