Intestinal Behçet's disease: A review of clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Behçet's disease (BD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder prone to frequent recurrences, with a high predilection for intestinal involvement. However, the efficacy and long-term effects of surgical treatment for intestinal BD are unknown. In the current issue of World J Gastrointest Surg, Park et al conducted a retrospective analysis of 31 patients with intestinal BD who received surgical treatment. They found that elevated C-reactive protein levels and emergency surgery were poor prognostic factors for postoperative recurrence, emphasizing the adverse impact of severe inflammation on the prognosis of patients with intestinal BD. This work has clinical significance for evaluating the postoperative condition of intestinal BD. The editorial attempts to summarize the clinical diagnosis and treatment of intestinal BD, focusing on the impact of adverse factors on surgical outcomes. We hope this review will facilitate more precise postoperative management of patients with intestinal BD by clinicians.

Relationship between Helicobacter pylori infection and colorectal polyp/colorectal cancer.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) plays an important role in the development of gastric cancer, although its association to colorectal polyp (CP) or colorectal cancer (CRC) is unknown. In this issue of World Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Zhang et al investigated the risk factors for H. pylori infection after colon polyp resection. Importantly, the researchers used R software to create a prediction model for H. pylori infection based on their findings. This editorial gives an overview of the association between H. pylori and CP/CRC, including the clinical significance of H. pylori as an independent risk factor for CP/CRC, the underlying processes of H. pylori-associated carcinogenesis, and the possible risk factors and identification of H. pylori.

A randomized controlled trial comparing total glucosides of paeony capsule and compound glycyrrhizin tablet for alopecia areata.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the efficacy and safety of total glucosides of paeony capsule (TGPC) in patients with mild and moderate alopecia areata. METHODS: A total of 86 outpatients were randomly allocated into two groups of TGPC (treatment, 44 cases) and compound glycyrrhizin tablet (control, 42 cases). The treatment group was given oral TGPC, three times daily and 600 mg per time; the control group was given oral compound glycyrrhizin tablets, three times daily and 50 mg per time. In addition, both groups were given 10 mg of vitamin B(2) and tapped the bold patches with massage. The treatment course was three months for both groups. Peripheral blood T-cell subsets (CD3(+)CD4(+), CD3(+)CD8(+), Th, Ts, Th/Ts) of 10 patients randomly selected from each group respectively were tested before and after three months of treatment. The effectiveness and adverse reaction of all cases were observed each month. The safety was evaluated according to the incidence rate of adverse reaction. RESULTS: In the treatment group, the cured and markedly effective rate was 36.36% (16/44), 50.00% (22/44) and 68.18% (30/44) at the end of first, second and third month of treatment, respectively, and the incidence rate of adverse reaction was 13.64% (6/44). In the control group, the cured and markedly effective rate was 38.10% (16/42), 57.14% (24/42) and 71.43% (30/42), respectively, and the incidence rate of adverse reaction was 16.67% (7/42). The cured and markedly effective rate and the incidence rate of adverse reaction were similar in both groups (P>0.05). TGPC and compound glycyrrhizin tablet can inhibit CD3(+)CD4(+) and CD3(+)CD8(+), and decrease the ratio of Th/Ts (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: TGPC is effective and safe in the treatment of alopecia areata.

Effect of Chinese herbal medicine combined with acitretin capsule in treating psoriasis of blood-heat syndrome type.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical curative effect of Chinese herbal medicine combined with acitretin capsule in treating psoriasis of blood-heat syndrome (P-BH). METHODS: Eighty patients of P-BH were randomly assigned to two groups, 39 in Group A and 41 in Group B. Both was treated with Chinese herbal medicines for clearing heat, cooling blood and removing toxic substance, and acitretin capsule was given to Group A additionally, with 8 weeks as one therapeutic course. The clinical curative effect was compared between groups, and the change of psoriasis activity severe index (PASI) scores before and after treatment was observed. RESULTS: The total effective rate in Group A was 84.2% and that in Group B 68.2%, also showing significance between groups (P<0.01). PASI score lowered significantly after treatment in both groups, showing statistical significance (P<0.01), but no significant difference between groups. Little adverse reaction was found in Group B, while in Group A, the adverse reaction was of even milder degree, which could be alleviated by adjusting the herbal medicine and symptomatic treatment administration. CONCLUSIONS: The effect of Chinese herbal medicine combined with acitretin capsule was superior to Chinese herbal medicine alone in treating P-BH, but the adverse reaction of acitretin capsule could be alleviated by adjusting the herbs used. However, the result is waiting to be verified further by larger samples.

[Clinical study on treatment of acute eczema by Shuangfujin].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects and safety of Shuangfujin (SFJ) on acute eczema. METHODS: One hundred and twenty patients with acute eczema were randomly assigned to 4 groups equally, the saline group, the boric acid group, the Pifukang lotion group and the SFJ group, treated with respective medicine. RESULTS: After 4 days of treatment, the symptom score was remarkably lower in the SFJ group than in the other three groups (P<0.01), score in the saline group was higher than that in the boric acid group and the Pifukang lotion group, and insignificant difference was shown between the latter two groups. The total effective rate and cured rate were 46.4% and 14.3% in the SFJ group, which were matched to those in the Pifukang lotion group and significantly higher than those in the other two groups (P <0.01), and the saline group showed the lowest efficacy. The effect of stopping itch in the SFJ and the boric acid group were matched, which was higher than that in the Pifukang lotion group, and the lowest was in the saline group. No skin irritant reaction and other adverse reactions were found. CONCLUSION: SFJ is effective, safe and convenient in treating acute eczema.