Treatment and prevention of inflammatory responses and oxidative stress in patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome using Chinese herbal medicines.

The present study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of Chinese herbal medicines for the treatment and prevention of inflammatory responses and oxidative stress in obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS). A total of 60 patients with OSAHS were randomly divided into two groups (n=30/group): The experimental group, who received the conventional treatment + oral administration of the traditional Chinese herbal formula, Jiawei Di Tan Tang; and the control group, who received the conventional treatment only. OSAHS patients were included in the current study if they presented with snoring and had an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) of >30 in a polysomnography study, without comorbidities. The therapeutic course lasted 12 weeks in both groups. Alterations to the mean clinical symptom score, Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) and AHI scores, lowest nocturnal blood oxygen saturation (SaO2) and the serum levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and C-reactive protein (CRP) prior to and following treatment were observed. The mean clinical symptom score was significantly decreased in the experimental group post-treatment compared with the control group (P<0.05). In addition, the clinical symptoms in the experimental group were significantly improved following treatment compared with pre-treatment symptoms (P<0.05). Furthermore, the ESS and AHI scores, lowest nocturnal SaO2 and serum levels of SOD, MDA, IL-6, TNF-α and CRP were significantly improved in the experimental group post-treatment compared with the control group (P<0.05). These parameters in the experimental group were also significantly improved post-treatment compared with those pre-treatment (P<0.05). The results of the present study suggested that oral administration of the traditional Chinese herbal formula Jiawei Di Tan Tang was able to attenuate oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in patients with OSAHS, and thus may relieve their clinical symptoms.

[The efficacy and safety of moxifloxacin in the treatment of patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness and safety of moxifloxacin and cefoperazone-sulbactam therapy in acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHODS: This was a prospective, randomized, multicentre study conducted between December 2011 and December 2012 involving 21 hospitals in Fujian. A total of 202 patients with AECOPD requiring antibiotic therapy were enrolled. Of these patients randomized to either treatments, 102 patients [male 60, female 42, (69.8 ± 6.5) y] received moxifloxacin (400 mg qd) and 100 [male 56, female 44, (69.6 ± 6.7) y] received cefoperazone-sulbactam (3.0 q 8 h). Clinical effectiveness, bacterial eradication and drug safety were evaluated. RESULTS: The clinical effectiveness rate was 90.2% (92/102) in the moxifloxacin group and 88.0% (88/100) in the cefoperazone-sulbactam group. The bacterial eradication rate was 51.9% (14/27) and 48.3% (14/29) in the 2 groups respectively. The differences between groups were not statistically significant in terms of clinical and microbiological effectiveness (χ² = 0.251, χ² = 0.072, both P > 0.05). The length of hospital stay and antibiotic-days were shorter in the moxifloxacin group [(8.7 ± 2.4) vs (11.7 ± 3.0) d; (6.7 ± 2.2) vs (8.7 ± 2.3) d], the differences being significant between the 2 arms. (t = 6.360, t = 7.732, P < 0.05). Both drugs were well tolerated with no significant differences in numbers of drug-related adverse events (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Moxifloxacin was equivalent to cefoperazone-sulbactam therapy for clinical success, bacteriologic eradication and showed superiority over the control group in shortening the length of hospital stay and antibiotic-days. Additionally, the drug safety of moxifloxacin was good.

[Clinical features of 127 cases of novel influenza A (H1N1) infection in Fujian Province].

OBJECTIVE: to investigate the clinical features of 127 cases of the novel influenza A/H1N1 infection in Fujian Province. METHODS: this study included 127 human cases with the novel influenza A/H1N1 infection in Fujian Province from May 2009 to July 2009. Data were collected and reviewed from hospital medical records. The statistical analyses were performed with SPSS 11.5. RESULTS: the median age of the 127 patients (55 were females) was 21 years (range 0.4 - 58). The median incubation period was 2 d (range 1 - 12 d). The typical clinical symptoms included fever, cough, sputum, and sore throat. The duration of symptoms in patients less than 5 years old and in patients more than 5 years old were (8.2 +/- 4.1) and (5.4 +/- 3.0) d respectively, the difference between these 2 groups being significant (z = 3.182, P < 0.01). There was also a statistically significant difference in the duration of symptoms between the high-temperature group and the low-temperature group [(6.8 +/- 3.2) vs (4.8 +/- 2.1) d, Hc = 9.729, P < 0.05]. The duration of symptoms in the high, the normal and the low white blood cell groups were (6.3 +/- 4.7) d, (5.4 +/- 2.8) d, and (8.5 +/- 4.2) d respectively, but the differences were not statistically significant (Hc = 4.729, P = 0.094). However, the duration of symptoms in the higher lymphocyte count group was significantly longer than that in the lower and normal lymphocyte count groups [(6.8 +/- 3.3) vs (5.4 +/- 3.4), (5.2 +/- 3.2) d, Hc = 10.105, P < 0.01]. Chest radiography showed patchy infiltrates in 6 patients, and their duration of symptoms was longer than patients with normal chest radiography [(8.1 +/- 5.7) vs (5.6 +/- 3.1) d], but the difference was not statistically significant (z = 1.286, P > 0.05). 125 patients received antiviral treatment with oseltamivir and they all had a good prognosis. There was a statistical difference in the duration of symptoms between the patients who used oseltamivir within 48 h after disease onset and patients who used the drug beyond 48 h [(4.7 +/- 2.2) vs (7.4 +/- 4.1) days, z = 4.907, P < 0.01]. All of the patients survived. CONCLUSIONS: the clinical symptoms of this series of patients with the novel influenza A (H1N1) infection appeared to be mild. There were several factors associated with longer duration of symptoms, including aged 5 years or younger, higher fever (body temperature > 38 degrees C), higher white blood cell count and lymphocyte count. The early use of anti-retroviral treatment with oseltamivir was useful in shortening the duration. The novel influenza A (H1N1) infection was a self-limited disease, and patients with no complications had a good prognosis.