Analysis of Chinese Medical Syndrome Features of Ischemic Stroke Based on Similarity of Symptoms Subgroup / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To derive the Chinese medicine (CM) syndrome classification and subgroup syndrome characteristics of ischemic stroke patients.@*METHODS@#By extracting the CM clinical electronic medical records (EMRs) of 7,170 hospitalized patients with ischemic stroke from 2016 to 2018 at Weifang Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong Province, China, a patient similarity network (PSN) was constructed based on the symptomatic phenotype of the patients. Thereafter the efficient community detection method BGLL was used to identify subgroups of patients. Finally, subgroups with a large number of cases were selected to analyze the specific manifestations of clinical symptoms and CM syndromes in each subgroup.@*RESULTS@#Seven main subgroups of patients with specific symptom characteristics were identified, including M3, M2, M1, M5, M0, M29 and M4. M3 and M0 subgroups had prominent posterior circulatory symptoms, while M3 was associated with autonomic disorders, and M4 manifested as anxiety; M2 and M4 had motor and motor coordination disorders; M1 had sensory disorders; M5 had more obvious lung infections; M29 had a disorder of consciousness. The specificity of CM syndromes of each subgroup was as follows. M3, M2, M1, M0, M29 and M4 all had the same syndrome as wind phlegm pattern; M3 and M0 both showed hyperactivity of Gan (Liver) yang pattern; M2 and M29 had similar syndromes, which corresponded to intertwined phlegm and blood stasis pattern and phlegm-stasis obstructing meridians pattern, respectively. The manifestations of CM syndromes often appeared in a combination of 2 or more syndrome elements. The most common combination of these 7 subgroups was wind-phlegm. The 7 subgroups of CM syndrome elements were specifically manifested as pathogenic wind, pathogenic phlegm, and deficiency pathogens.@*CONCLUSIONS@#There were 7 main symptom similarity-based subgroups in ischemic stroke patients, and their specific characteristics were obvious. The main syndromes were wind phlegm pattern and hyperactivity of Gan yang pattern.

Lipogenic stromal cells as members of the foam-cell population in human atherosclerosis: Immunocytochemical and ultrastructural assessment of 6 cases.

To identify the nature of foam cells in atherosclerosis, carotid atherosclerotic plaques (CAPs) from six patients were studied. Hematoxylin-and-eosin, Congo Red and Oil Red O staining were used to study histopathologic alterations in CAPs. CD31, α-smooth-muscle actin (α-SMA), CD68, desmin and S100 were stained immunohistochemically. The ultrastructure of foam cells was analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). CAPs were shown to be composed of a fibrous cap covering a dome-shaped mass with a peripheral, circumferential fringe merging with a basal band which itself met the tunica media, the latter consisting of smooth-muscle cells (SMCs). The interior of the dome-shaped mass exhibited fibrosis, neovascularization, hemorrhage, necrosis and calcification. Lipid droplets identified by histological stains and TEM were found in the rounded epithelioid foam cells regarded as macrophages, as well as in spindled cells interpreted here as lipoleiomyocytes (lipid-containing SMCs), lipofibroblasts and lipomyofibroblasts; and all these cells were located in different regions of the CAPs. All of these lipid-laden cells were strongly positive for CD68 but negative for desmin. Foam cells were weakly positive for α-SMA, CD31 and S100. The results indicate that the light microscopically identifiable population of foam/lipid-laden cells hide a spectrum of diverse differentiation ranging from the expected macrophage phenotype to non-macrophage phenotypes. The origin of these diverse cell phenotypes in terms of multipotential mesenchymal precursors and the origin of the intracellular lipid are discussed.

Histopathological and ultrastructural study of carotid atherosclerotic plaques: a study of four cases.

To clarify the characteristics and origin of the cellular components in atherosclerosis, carotid atherosclerotic plaques (CAPs) of four patients were studied by light microscopy using hematoxylin-eosin, Congo red and alpha-smooth-muscle actin stains, and by transmission electron microscopy of different regions of CAPs. By light microscopy, CAPs were composed of 1) a fibrous cap; 2) an atherosclerotic core presenting focal fibrosis, neovascularization, hemorrhage, necrosis, chondrification and ossification; and 3) a basal band composed of a hyperplasic pseudo-media and affected tunica media. Ultrastructurally, the CAPs contained a diversity of cells including fibroblasts, myofibroblasts, osteochondrocytes, vascular smooth-muscle cells, foam cells and other myoid cells characterized by varied features of the above mentioned cells. The results indicated that CAPs were derived from a proliferation of multipotential mesenchymal stem cells, leading to the presence of degenerated foam cells and lipid-laden cells.

Wall Imaging for Unilateral Intracranial Vertebral Artery Hypoplasia with Three-dimensional High-isotropic Resolution Magnetic Resonance Images / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>There are few studies for evaluating wall characteristics of intracranial vertebral artery hypoplasia (VAH). The aim of this study was to determine wall characteristics of VAH with three-dimensional volumetric isotropic turbo spin echo acquisition (3D VISTA) images and differentiate between acquired atherosclerotic stenosis and VAH.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty patients with suspicious VAH by luminograms were retrospectively enrolled between January 2014 and February 2015. The patients were classified as "acquired atherosclerotic stenosis" or "VAH" based on 3D VISTA images. The wall characteristics of VAH were assessed to determine the presence of atherosclerotic lesions, and the patients were classified into two subgroups (VAH with atherosclerosis and VAH with normal wall). Wall characteristics of basilar arteries and vertebral arteries were also assessed. The clinical and wall characteristics were compared between the two groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Five of 30 patients with suspicious VAH were finally diagnosed as acquired atherosclerotic stenosis by 3D VISTA images. 25 patients were finally diagnosed as VAH including 16 (64.00%) patients with atherosclerosis and 9 (36.00%) patients with normal wall. In the 16 patients with atherosclerosis, plaque was found in 9 patients, slight wall thickening in 6 patients, and thrombus and wall thickening in 1 patient. Compared with VAH patients with normal wall, VAH patients with atherosclerosis showed atherosclerotic basilar arteries and dominant vertebral arteries more frequently (P = 0.000).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Three-dimensional VISTA images enable differentiation between the acquired atherosclerotic stenosis and VAH. VAH was also prone to atherosclerotic processes.</p>

Comparative study of portal vein stent and TACE combined therapy with or without endovascular implantation of iodine-125 seeds strand for treating patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and main portal vein tumor thrombus / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare the efficacies of portal vein stenting and transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined therapy performed with or without endovascular implantation of iodine-125 (125I) seeds strand in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and main portal vein tumor thrombus (MPVTT).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>One-hundred-and-six patients with HCC complicated by MPVTT who were treated with portal vein stents and TACE, either with (Group A, n=56) or without (Group B, n=50) endovascular implantation of 125I seeds strand, between July 2005 and April 2011, were retrospectively analyzed. Overall survival, stent patency, and procedure-related adverse events were compared between the two groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The technical success rate was 100% for placement of 125I seeds strands and stents in the obstructed main portal vein. No serious procedure-related adverse events were recorded. Group A had significantly higher median survival (335 days vs. group B: 146 days; P=0.001, hazard ratio (HR)=2.244). Additionally, group A had significantly higher median stent patency (400 days vs. group B: 190 days; P=0.005, HR=2.479).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The combination therapeutic strategy of portal vein stenting and TACE with endovascular implantation of 125I seeds strands improves the survival of HCC patients with MPVTT complication.</p>

Study on the change of bladder wall weight pre and after surgery in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the changes and its clinical significance of ultrasound evaluated bladder wall weight (UEBW) pre and after surgery in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The clinical data of 63 patients of benign prostatic hyperplasia and 30 of contrast control were studied. The bladder wall weight was calculated by subtracting the volume of sphere represented by the urine volume inside the bladder from the volume of the sphere representing the whole bladder (sphere with a radius = internal radius + bladder wall thickness). Bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) and bladder function was evaluated by urodynamic studies. Of the 63 patients with BPH, UEBW was (97 +/- 54) g, while the control group was only (41 +/- 14) g. UEBW was found to be significantly correlated with LinPURR grade (R = 0.47, P < 0.01) and positive residual urine volume (R = 0.48, P < 0.01), and it was negatively correlated with Qmax (R = -0.52, P < 0.01) and detrusor contraction strength (presented as WF, R = -0.4, P < 0.05).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A significant difference was found between the UEBW pre and after surgery [(99 +/- 50) g vs. (56 +/- 21) g, t = 5.05, P < 0.01)]. UEBW decreased 43.68%, and IPSS score decreased 16.81 point, while Qmax increased 8.38 ml/s.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>As an non-invasive methods, measurement of bladder wall weight appears to be a useful marker in evaluating status before operation and in monitoring the effect of surgery for patients with BPH.</p>

CT-guided percutaneous biopsy of musculoskeletal lesions / 中华放射学杂志

3 cm)and small lesions(diameter≤3 cm)were 80.6%(79/98)and 67.2% (45/67),respectively(P

Inferior epigastric artery angiography applied in the transplantation with the deep inferior epigastric perforator free flap / 中华放射学杂志

Objective To observe the effect of inferior epigastric artery angiography applied in the transplantation with the deep inferior epigastric perforator free flap.Methods Seven patients who had undergone the deep inferior epigastric perforator free flap transplantation,received angiography of the inferior epigastric artery.The value of the angiography was discussed.Results All patients were successful in angiography without any adverse reaction.Mll patients were successful in transplantation except one because of personal reason.Conclusion Inferior epigastric artery angiography facilitates the transplantation with the deep inferior epigastrie perforator free flap.