Investigation and Analysis of Lung Cancer Risk Factors in the Health Check-Up Population

Objective: To investigate and analyze the risk factors of lung cancer in the population of health checkups. Methods: A total of 500 cases of the health check-up population were selected for data study. Surveyed showed that 19 cases of lung cancer were grouped as the lung cancer group and the remaining 481 cases made up the control group, and the risk factors were analyzed. Results: Among men, there was a significant proportion of individuals aged 60-69 years old, and women aged 30-39 years old. Additionally, individuals aged 60 and above were at increased risk of developing lung cancer. The results of the multifactorial analysis were that the risk factors affecting the detection of lung cancer in healthy people were smoking history, family history of lung cancer, secondhand smoke, history of respiratory diseases, psychosomatic factors, living environment, and kitchen fumes. Conclusion: People over 60 years of age were prone to early lung cancer, followed by individuals aged 30-39 years. It is important to identify the risk factors of lung cancer to strengthen the screening of high-risk groups for early detection and treatment.

Analysis of the Prevalence Characteristics of Lung Nodules and Their Influencing Factors in The Health Check-Up Population

Objective: To study the prevalence characteristics of pulmonary nodules and their influencing factors in the health check-up population. Methods: A total of 500 cases of health checkups were selected for the data study to analyze the detection and prevalence characteristics of pulmonary nodules. The influencing factors between the pulmonary nodules group and the no pulmonary nodules group were analyzed. Results: A total of 209 cases were detected, of which there were more males than females, and for female patients, the detection rate increased with age (P < 0.05). The distribution of gender, age, smoking, respiratory symptoms, and exposure to kitchen fumes between the two groups was compared (P < 0.05). The multifactorial analysis concluded that risk factors include, respiratory symptoms, older age, exposure to kitchen fumes, and smoking. In addition, patients who exercised more had a lower risk of developing lung nodules. Conclusion: The detection rate of pulmonary nodules was high in the health check-up population and the influencing factors analyzed involved the presence of respiratory symptoms, older age, kitchen fume exposure, and smoking, while the positive influencing factor was increased exercise.

Continuous Monitoring of Serum Tumor Necrosis Factor-α for Patients with TEMIS Treated by Nitrates Postconditioning during PCI

Objective: To investigate the protective effect of nitrates postconditioning on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury and whether it plays a regulatory role in TNF-α in patients with STEMI during PCI. Methods: Patients with STEMI who underwent PCI were selected, except for obvious anemia, head trauma, cerebral hemorrhage, hypotension (systolic blood pressure less than 90 mmHg), and patients with autoimmune diseases, all kinds of acute and chronic infections and malignant tumors. They were randomly divided into PCI standardized treatment group and isosorbide dinitrate postconditioning during PCI group. The concentrations of cTnI and TNF-α in serum were detected by ELISA method in each group before PCI and after 2 hours, 1 day, 4 days and 7 days of PCI. Results: 1) There were no statistically significant differences in sex, age, smoking history, diabetes, hypertension and blood lipid abnormality in two groups. 2) Before operation, the concentration of cTnI in two groups was not statistically significant. The concentration of cTnI in the experimental group was lower than that of the control group after 4 days and 7 days of PCI, and P α in two groups before operation. The concentration of TNF-α in the experimental group was lower than that in the control group after 1 day, 4 days and 7 days of PCI, and P α in two groups was both in 1 day after operation, and the peak level of the experimental group and the level of each time after the operation were lower than that of the control group. Conclusion: Nitrates postconditioning during PCI in patients with STEMI has a protective effect on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury. Nitrates postconditioning has an effect to reduce the level of TNF-α of patients with STEMI after PCI treatment, and may have the mechanism of alleviating the inflammatory response after myocardial ischemia and reperfusion.

Serum tumor markers expression(CA199,CA242,and CEA)and its clinical implications in type 2 diabetes mellitus

BACKGROUND Glucose and lipid metabolic disorder in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)is associated with the levels of serum tumor markers of the digestive tract,such as cancer antigen(CA)199.Therefore,tumor markers in T2DM are important.AIM To evaluate the expression of serum tumor markers[CA199,CA242,and carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA)]and the clinical implications of the expression in T2DM.METHODS For this observational study conducted at Hefei BOE Hospital,China,we enrolled 82 patients with first-onset T2DM and 51 controls between April 2019 and December 2020.Levels of fasting blood glucose(FBG),tumor markers(CA199,CEA,and CA242),glycosylated hemoglobin(HbA1c),etc.were measured and group index levels were compared.Moreover,FBG and HbA1c levels were correlated with tumor marker levels.Tumor markers were tested for diagnostic accuracy in patients with>9%HbA1c using the receiver operating curve(ROC)curve.RESULTS The T2DM group had high serum FBG,HbA1c,CA199,and CEA levels(P<0.05).A comparative analysis of the two groups based on HbA1c levels(Group A:HbA1c≤9%;Group B:HbA1c>9%)revealed significant differences in CEA and CA199 levels(P<0.05).The areas under the ROC curve for CEA and CA199 were 0.853 and 0.809,respectively.CA199,CEA,and CA242 levels positively correlated with HbA1c(r=0.308,0.426,and 0.551,respectively)and FBG levels(r=0.236,0.231,and 0.298,respectively).CONCLUSION As compared to controls,serum CEA and CA199 levels were higher in patients with T2DM.HbA1c and FBG levels correlated with CA199,CEA,and CA242 levels.Patients with poorly controlled blood sugar must be screened for tumor markers.

Effect of biliary drainage on inducible nitric oxide synthase, CD14 and TGR5 expression in obstructive jaundice rats

AIM: To investigate the effect of biliary drainage on inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), CD14 and TGR5 expression in rats with obstructive jaundice (OJ). METHODS: Male adult Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to four groups: OJ, sham operation (SH), internal biliary drainage (ID) and external biliary drainage (ED). Rat models were successfully established by two operations and succumbed for extraction of Kupffer cells (KCs) and liver tissue collection on the 8 th and 15 th day. KCs were isolated by in situ hepatic perfusion and digested with collagen Ⅳ, density gradient centrifuged by percoll reagent and purified by cell culture attachment. The isolated KCs were cultured with the endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS) with and without the addition of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA). The expression of iNOS, CD14 and bile acid receptor-TGR5 protein in rat liver tissues was determined by immunohistochemistry. The expression of iNOS and CD14 messenger RNA (mRNA) on the isolated KCs was detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the TGR5 mRNA level in KCs was measured by real-time quantitative PCR. RESULTS: The iNOS protein was markedly expressed in the liver of OJ rats, but rare expressed in SH rats. After relief of OJ, the iNOS expression was decidedly suppressed in the ID group (ID vs OJ, P < 0.01), but obviously increased in rats of ED (ED vs OJ, P=0.004). When interfered only with LPS, the expression of iNOS mRNA by KCs was increased in the OJ group compared with the SH group (P=0.004). After relief of biliary obstruction, the iNOS mRNA expression showed slight changes in the ED group (ED vs OJ, P=0.71), but dropped in the ID group (ID vs OJ, P=0.001). Compared with the simple intervention with LPS, the expressions of iNOS mRNA were significantly inhibited in all four groups after interfered with both LPS and UDCA (P < 0.01, respectively). After bile duct ligation, the CD14 protein expression in rat liver was significantly strengthened (OJ vs SH, P < 0.01), but the CD14 mRNA level by KCs was not up-regulated (OJ vs SH, P=0.822). After relieving the OJ, the expression of CD14 protein was reduced in the ID group (ID vs OJ, P < 0.01), but not reduced in ED group (ED vs OJ, P=0.591). And then the CD14 mRNA expression was aggravated by ED (ED vs OJ, P < 0.01), but was not significantly different between the ID group and the SH and OJ groups (ID vs SH, P=0.944; ID vs OJ, P=0.513, respectively). The expression of TGR5 protein and mRNA increased significantly in OJ rats (OJ vs SH, P=0.001, respectively). After relief of OJ, ID could reduce the expression of TGR5 protein and mRNA to the levels of SH group (ID vs SH, P=0.22 and P=0.354, respectively), but ED could not (ED vs SH, P=0.001, respectively).CONCLUSION: ID could be attributed to the regulatory function of activation of KCs and release of inflammatory mediators.

Expression of albumin, IGF-1, IGFBP-3 in tumor tissues and adjacent non-tumor tissues of hepatocellular carcinoma patients with cirrhosis

AIM： To explore the expression of albumin （ALB）, insulinlike growth factor （IGF）-I, and insulin-like growth factor binding protein （IGFBP）-3 in tumor tissues and adjacent non-tumor tissues of hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） patients with cirrhosis.METHODS： Twenty-four HCC patients with cirrhosis who underwent hepatectomy were studied. ALB mRNA, IGF-1 mRNA, and IGFBP-3 mRNA in liver tissues （including tumor tissues and adjacent non-tumor tissues） were detected by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction（RT-PCR）. Liver Ki67 immunohistochemistry staining was studied. At the same time, 12 patients with cholelithiasis or liver angioma who underwent operation were segregated as normal control.RESULTS： In HCC patients with cirrhosis, hepatic ALB mRNA, IGF-1 mRNA, and IGFBP-3 mRNA of tumor tissues or adjacent non-tumor tissues were lower than the normal liver tissues, while in tumor tissues, hepatic ALB mRNA and IGFBP-3 mRNA were lower, hepatic IGF-1 mRNA was higher than in adjacent non-tumor tissues. Liver Ki67 labeling index （Ki67 LI） in tumor tissues or adjacent nontumor tissues were higher than that in the normal liver tissues, while in tumor tissues it was higher than that in adjacent non-tumor tissues.CONCLUSION： Imbalance of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 may play a role in hepatocarcinogenesis and tumor development of liver cirrhosis patients.

Cefoperazone sodium/sulbactam sodium vs piperacillin sodium/tazobactam sodium for treatment of respiratory tract infection in elderly patients

BACKGROUND Respiratory tract infections in the elderly are difficult to cure and can easily recur,thereby posing a great threat to patient prognosis and quality of life.AIM To investigate the therapeutic effects of different antibiotics in elderly patients with respiratory tract infection.METHODS Seventy-four elderly patients with respiratory tract infection were randomly allocated to a study(n=37;treated with cefoperazone sodium/sulbactam sodium)or control(n=37;treated with piperacillin sodium/tazobactam sodium on the basis of routine symptomatic support)group.Both groups were treated for 7 d.Time to symptom relief(leukocyte recovery;body temperature recovery;cough and sputum disappearance;and rale disappearance time),treatment effect,and laboratory indexes[procalcitonin(PCT),C-reactive protein(CRP),white blood cell count(WBC),and neutrophil percentage(NE)]before and 7 d after treatment and the incidence of adverse reactions were assessed.RESULTS In the study group,the time to WBC normalization(6.79±2.09 d),time to body temperature normalization(4.15±1.08 d),time to disappearance of cough and sputum(6.19±1.56 d),and time to disappearance of rales(6.68±1.43 d)were shorter than those of the control group(8.89±2.32 d,5.81±1.33 d,8.77±2.11 d,and 8.69±2.12 d,respectively;P=0.000).Total effective rate was higher in the study group(94.59%vs 75.68%,P=0.022).Serum PCT(12.89±3.96μg/L),CRP(19.62±6.44 mg/L),WBC(20.61±6.38×10^(9)/L),and NE(86.14±7.21%)levels of the study group before treatment were similar to those of the control group(14.05±4.11μg/L,18.79±5.96 mg/L,21.21±5.59×10^(9)/L,and 84.39±6.95%,respectively)with no significant differences(P=0.220,0.567,0.668,and 0.291,respectively).After 7 d of treatment,serum PCT,CRP,WBC,and NE levels in the two groups were lower than those before treatment.Serum PCT(2.01±0.56μg/L),CRP(3.11±1.02 mg/L),WBC(5.10±1.83×10^(9)/L),and NE(56.35±7.17%)levels were lower in the study group than in the control group(3.29±0.64μg/L,5.67±1.23 mg/L,8.13±3.01×10^(9)/L,and 64.22±8.08%,respectively;P=0.000).There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the groups(7.50%vs 12.50%,P=0.708).CONCLUSION Piperacillin sodium/tazobactam sodium is superior to cefoperazone sodium/sulbactam sodium in the treatment of elderly patients with respiratory tract infection with a similar safety profile.

Incidence of gastroesophageal reflux disease in Uygur and Han Chinese adults in Urumqi

AIM:To investigate the incidence of gastroesophageal reflux disease(GERD) and its related risk factors in Uygur and Han Chinese adult in Urumqi,China.METHODS:A population-based cross-sectional survey was undertaken in a total of 972 Uygur(684 male and 288 female) aged from 24 to 61 and 1023 Han Chinese(752 male and 271 female) aged from 23 to 63 years.All participants were recruited from the residents who visited hospital for health examination from November 2011 to May 2012.Each participant signed an informed consent and completed a GERD questionnaire(GerdQ) and a lifestyle-food frequency questionnaire survey.Participants whose Gerd Q score was ≥ 8 and met one of the following requirements would be enrolled into this research:(1) being diagnosed with erosive esophagitis(EE) or Barrett's esophagus(BE) by endoscopy;(2) negative manifestation under endoscopy(non-erosive reflux disease,NERD) with abnormal acid reflux revealed by 24-h esophageal pH monitoring;and(3) suffering from typical heartburn and regurgitation with positive result of proton pump inhibitor test.RESULTS:According to Gerd Q scoring criteria,340 cases of Uygur and 286 cases of Han Chinese were defined as GERD.GERD incidence in Uygur was significantly higher than in Han Chinese(35% vs 28%,χ2 = 11.09,P < 0.005),Gerd Q score in Uygur was higher than in Han Chinese(7.85 ± 3.1 vs 7.15 ± 2.9,P < 0.005),and Gerd Q total score in Uygur male was higher than in female(8.15 ± 2.8 vs 6.85 ± 2.5,P < 0.005).According to normalized methods,304(31%) cases of Uygur were diagnosed with GERD,including 89 cases of EE,185 cases of NERD and 30 cases of BE;256(25%) cases of Han Chinese were diagnosed with GERD,including 90 cases of EE,140 cases of NERD and 26 cases of BE.GERD incidence in Uygur was significantly higher than in Han Chinese(31% vs 25%,χ2 = 9.34,P < 0.005) while the incidences were higher in males of both groups than in females(26% vs 5% in Uygur,χ2 = 35.95,P < 0.005,and 19.8% vs 5.2% in Han,χ2 = 5.48,P < 0.025).GERD incidence in Uygur male was higher than in Han Chinese male(26% vs 19.8%,χ2 = 16.51,P < 0.005),and incidence of NERD in Uygur was higher than in Han Chinese(χ2 = 10.06,P < 0.005).Occupation(r = 0.623),gender(r = 0.839),smoking(r = 0.322),strong tea(r = 0.658),alcohol drinking(r = 0.696),meat-based diet(mainly meat)(r = 0.676) and body mass index(BMI)(r = 0.567) were linearly correlated with GERD in Uygur(r = 0.833,P = 0.000);while gender(r = 0.957),age(r = 0.016),occupation(r = 0.482),strong tea(r = 1.124),alcohol drinking(r = 0.558),meat diet(r = 0.591) and BMI(r = 0.246) were linearly correlated with GERD in Han Chinese(r = 0.786,P = 0.01).There was no significant difference between Gerd Q scoring and three normalized methods for the diagnosis of GERD.CONCLUSION:GERD is highly prevalent in adult in Urumqi,especially in Uygur.Male,civil servant,smoking,strong tea,alcohol drinking,meat diet and BMI are risk factors correlated to GERD.

Ultra-early treatment of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells for focal cerebral ischemia/ reperfusion injury

The time point at which bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells（BMSCs）can be used in transplantation for the treatment of ischemic brain injury remains unclear.In the present study,BMSCs were transplanted to the ischemic site 90 minutes post-ischemia.The results demonstrated that the transplanted BMSCs improved neurological function,reduced infarct volume,increased survivin expression,decreased caspase-3 expression and reduced apoptosis.This suggests that BMSCs transplanted at an ultra-early stage ameliorated brain ischemia by increasing survivin expression,decreasing caspase-3 expression and reducing apoptosis at the ischemia/reperfusion injury site.

Construction of neuron specific vector of human antisense noggin gene expression

Thenoggin gene is present in the central nervous system in embryonic and postnatal mammals, and plays an important role in maintaining nervous system development and physiological function A 0.76-kb sequence of human noggin gene was cloned by polymerase chain reaction with the digestion site of Hind Ill and Xba I on the 5＇ end. The cloned fragment was reversely inserted into pCS2＋[Tal]-GFP plasmid, an neural cell-specific antisense eukaryotic expression vector. The plasmid expresses antisense for human noggin specifically in neurons, which may facilitate understanding of the physiological function of noggin.

No association between low-dose reserpine use and depression in older hypertensive patient: result of a multicenter, cross-sectional study

Background Reserpine is currently used by millions of Chinese hypertensive patients, in spite of the continued concern of its depressogenic effect, even when used in low dose. This study aimed to investigate the association between low-dose reserpine use and depression in older Chinese hypertensive patient. Methods In this cross-sectional, case-control study, we recruited patient aged 60 years or over who had regularly taken one or two tables of “compound reserpine and triamterene tablets (CRTTs)” for more than one year (reserpine user) from 26 community health centers located in 10 provinces in China. For each patient who took CRTTs, we selected an age (within five years) and sex matched hypertensive patient who had never taken any drugs containing reserpine (non-reserpine user) as control. Depressive symptoms were evaluated using a Chinese depression scale adapted from the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale. Demographic, clinical data and laboratory examination results within six months were collected. Results From August 2018 to December 2018, 787 reserpine user and 787 non-reserpine user were recruited. The mean age of all study subjects was 70.3 years, with about equal numbers of males and females. The mean depression score was 40.4 in reserpine users and 40.6 in non-reserpine users (P = 0.7). The majority of study subject had a depression score < 53 (87.6% in reserpine users and 88.2% in non-reserpine users, respectively). There were no significant differences in the prevalence of mild, moderate or severe depression in reserpine users and non-reserpine users. Conclusions There is no association between low-dose reserpine use and depression in older hypertensive patient. The role of reserpine in the treatment and control of hypertension should be reconsidered;and further studies, especially randomized, controlled clinical trials to compare efficacy and safety of reserpine and other widely recommended anti-hypertensive agents are needed.

Chymase inhibitor TY-51469 in therapy of inflammatorybowel disease

AIM: To investigate the effect of chymase inhibitor TY-51469 in the therapy of inflammatory bowel disease and the underlying mechanism. METHODS: Seventy-five healthy Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to one of the three groups(control group, model group and TY-51469 experiment group) and each group had twenty-five rats. The rats of the model group and experiment group were subjected to treatment with 3.5% dextran sulfate sodium(DSS) 10 mg/kg to induce colitis. The control group and model group were subjected to intraperitoneal injection of saline, while the experiment group was subjected to intraperitoneal injection of 10 mg/kg TY-51469 each day. Five rats of each group were sacrificed on 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28 d, respectively. The degree of inflammation was assessed by histopathological scoring; flow cytometry was performed to detect the proportion of CD4+CD25+ Tregs in peripheral blood; colon tissues of rats were collected to measure m RNA and protein expression by PCR, Western blot and immunohistochemistry; serum levels of interleukin(IL)-10, transforming growth factor(TGF)-β1 and IL-17A were detected by ELISA. RESULTS: The rats in the experiment group and model group had significantly more severe colitis than the ones in the control group(P < 0.05) before treatment on day 0; no significant difference was observed between the experiment group and model group(P > 0.05). After treatment with TY-51469, the rats in the experiment group had significantly less severe colitis compared with the model group on 7, 14, 21 and 28 d(P < 0.05). The proportion of CD4+CD25+ Tregs was lower in the model group and experiment group than in the control group; the experiment group had a significantly higher proportion of CD4+CD25+ Tregs than that in the model group(P < 0.05). The model group and experiment group demonstrated lower expression of Foxp3 than the control group; the experiment group had higher Foxp3 expression than the model group(P < 0.05). Cytokines IL-10, TGF-β1 and IL-17 A were lower in the model group and experiment group than in the control group; the experiment group had higher expression than the model group(P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: After treatment with chymase inhibitor TY-51469, the experiment group demonstrated more significantly reduced intestinal inflammation and higher expression of immune tolerance related cytokines(IL-10, TGF-β1, IL-17A) and Foxp3 which is specifically expressed in Tregs compared with the model group. Therefore, chymase inhibitor TY-51469 might ameliorate the progression of DSS-induced colitis possibly by increasing the expression of Tregs and cytokines.

Successful treatment of refractory lung adenocarcinoma harboring a germline BRCA2 mutation with olaparib:A case report

BACKGROUND In recent years,targeted therapy and immunotherapy have become important treatment strategies for patients with non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC).However,the clinical evidence for successful off-label use of targeted drugs for patients with NSCLC following progression on multiple lines of treatment is still lacking.CASE SUMMARY We describe a 62-year-old male patient with a right lung adenocarcinoma who harbored an EGFR exon 19 deletion mutation.He received gefitinib combined with six cycles of vinorelbine,cisplatin,and recombinant human endostatin as the first-line therapy.Then gefitinib was administered in combination with recombinant human endostatin as maintenance therapy,resulting in a progression-free survival(PFS)of 14 mo.Chemoradiotherapy was added following progression(enlarged brain metastases)on maintenance treatment.Unfortunately,the brain lesions were highly refractory and progressed again after 15 mo,at which time next-generation sequencing(NGS)of 1021 cancer-related genes was performed using peripheral blood to identify potential actionable mutations.NGS revealed that the patient harbored a BRCA2 germline mutation,the EGFR exon 19 deletion mutation disappeared,and no additional targetable genetic variant was detected.Therefore,the patient received olaparib combined with gefitinib and recombinant human endostatin,with a rapid and long-lasting clinical response(PFS=13.5 mo).CONCLUSION This is a rare case of lung adenocarcinoma in a patient with a BRCA2 germline mutation who had long-term benefit from olaparib combination treatment,suggesting that NGS-based genetic testing may render the possibility of long-term survival in NSCLC patients after disease progression.

Fast Screening of Chicken Egg Lysozyme in White Wine Products by Extractive Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry

Fast detection of trace lysozyme,one of the most important food allergens in white wine samples,was achieved by extractive electrospray ionization mass spectrometry without sample pretreatment in this study.The multiply-charged ions of m/z1587 were chosen for the quantitative detection of lysozyme in white wine,showing linear dynamic signal responses in a range of 5―75μg/mL with a linearity coefficient of 0.999 and an acceptable relative standard deviation（RSD） of 8.0%―15.0% for directly measuring lysozyme in the complex food samples.The limit of detection for lysozyme in white wine sample was calculated to be 5 μg/mL,which was lower than the amounts that can provoke allergic reactions（oral test with 3 mg or labial test with 1 mg/mL）.A single sample analysis was completed within 1 min.The data demonstrate that extractive electrospray ionization mass spectrometry is a useful tool for fast screening lysozyme in the complex matrix,showing promising application in the rapid detection of food allergen.

Alcohol consumption and the risk of Barrett's esophagus:A meta-analysis

AIM： To evaluate the possible association between al-cohol consumption and Barrett’s esophagus （BE）.METHODS： We performed a systematic literaturesearch of multiple online electronic databases. Inclusioncriteria entailed studies about alcohol and BE. Meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate odds ratio （OR） and95%CIs for the association between alcohol consump-tion and BE. RESULTS： Twenty studies comprising 4758 patientswith BE were included in the meta-analysis. The risk ofBE in patients with alcohol consumption was increasedcompared with control groups （OR = 1.01; 95%CI： 1.00-1.02）, especially in case-control and cohort, Eu-ropean and Asian, and hospital studies, but there was a decreased risk of BE associated with alcohol con-sumption from American studies （OR = 0.86; 95%CI： 0.77-0.96）. At the same time, there was no signifcant association between BE and alcohol consumption in community studies （OR = 0.97; 95%CI： 0.84-1.12） and the type of alcohol （wine, beer and liquor） studies. CONCLUSION： Our meta-analysis found that alcohol consumption was associated with an increased risk of BE, especially for European and Asian drinkers.

Alternation in F-wave parameters of median nerve from unaffected extremity in stroke patients with hemiplegia under dynamic state

BACKGROUND: For many years, the extremities of stroke patients are divided into affected side and unaffected side according to clinical symptoms and body signs. Moreover, previous rehabilitation function training is developed simply aiming to the dysfunction manifested by unaffected extremity. Problems of unaffected extremity are always ignored, such as left- and right- side connection dysfunction, abnormal muscular tension of unaffected side and so on. OBJECTIVE: To observe neurophysiological change characteristics of unaffected extremity of stroke patients with hemiplegia by electromyographical method. DESIGN: Case-control observation. SETTING: First Hospital, Jilin University. PARTICIPANTS: Eighty stroke patients with hemiplegia confirmed by skull CT or MRI, who firstly hospitalized in the Department of Neurology, First Hospital, Jilin University between July 2004 and March 2005, were retrieved. They were scored > 8 points in Glasgow Coma Scale and had stable vital sign. Nineteen normal persons who received healthy examination in the clinic were involved in normal control group. Following the classification criteria of Brunnstrom's Recovery Stages of Stroke (BRSS), 80 stroke patients with hemiplegia were assigned into 3 groups: BRSS Ⅰ-Ⅱ group (n =36), BRSS Ⅲ-Ⅳ group (n =23) and BRSSⅤ-Ⅵ (n =21). METHODS: F-wave parameters of median nerve of unaffected extremity were detected by electromyographical technique. The recording electrode (muscular belly of abductor pollicis brevis) and reference electrode (first finger bone) were connected with grounding electrode. Stimulating electrode was placed in the median part of wrist joint with stimulation intensity of 130% that of threshold stimulation, stimulation frequency of 2 Hz, current pulse width of 0.2 ms, time course of 5 ms and sensitivity of 2 mV. The F-wave of median nerve of affected extremity under the resting stage (static status) and that of unaffected extremity under the maximum resistant contracted state were detected in order. The amplitude and appearance percentage of F wave were recorded. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Comparison of F-wave parameters of median nerve between the unaffected extremity of stroke patients with hemiplegia and the extremity of control subjects under different status. RESULTS: All the patients accomplished the detection, and all of them participated in the final analysis. ①Under dynamic status, the amplitude and appearance percentage of F wave of unaffected extremity of patients in BRSS Ⅲ-Ⅳ group were significantly higher than those in the normal control group, respectively[(0.803 9±0.157 3) mV vs. (0.406 7±0.170 3) mV; (0.856 1±0.266 8)% vs. (0.650 0±0.197 6)%, P < 0.05]. Under static status, there were no significant differences in F-wave parameters of median nerve in the unaffected extremity of patients between BRSS Ⅰ-Ⅱ group and BRSS Ⅴ-Ⅵ group (P > 0.05). ②F-wave parameters of median nerve of unaffected extremity of patients in BRSS Ⅰ-Ⅱ group and BRSS Ⅴ-Ⅵ group under dynamic statewere higher than those under static status, without significant difference (P > 0.05), while the amplitude and appearance percentage of F wave of median nerve of unaffected extremity of patients in BRSS Ⅲ-Ⅳ group under dynamic statewere significantly higher than those under static state[(0.803 9±0.157 3) mV vs. (0.391 7±0.131 6) mV; (0.856 1±0.266 8 )% vs.(0.639 1 ±0.259 4)%,P < 0.05]. ③ There was no significant difference in F wave parameters among groups under static state(P > 0.05). However, under dynamic status, the amplitude and appearance percentage of F wave parameters of median nerve of unaffected extremity of patients in BRSS Ⅲ-Ⅳ group [(0.803 9±0.157 3) mV,(0.856 1±0.266 8)%] were significantly lower than those in the other two groups [(0.395 1±0.148 8),(0.437 1±0.157 6) mV;(0.612 5±0.232 8)%,(0.657 1±0.232 5)%,P < 0.05]. CONCLUSION: With the development of disease condition and the increase of muscular tension at anesthetic side, combination motor of affected extremity is caused following movement and muscular tension enhances to non-anesthetic-side. Therefore, F-wave parameters increase under dynamic status.

Effect of paecilomyces hepiall chen on serum inflammatory factors,oxidative stress and renal function in patients with diabetic nephropathy

Objective: To investigate the effect of paecilomyces hepiall chen on serum inflammatory factors, oxidative stress and renal function in patients with diabetic nephropathy. Methods: A total of 124 cases of diabetic nephropathy patients were selected as the research object, based on the random data table they were divided into the control group and the observation group, 62 cases in each group, two groups of patients were given conventional treatment, on this basis, the patients in the control group were treated with valsartan capsules treatment, while patients in the observation group were given valsartan capsules combined with paecilomyces hepiall chen treatment. To compare the levels of blood pressure [systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP)], inflammatory factor [tumor necrosis factor -α (TNF-α), high sensitive C reactive protein (hs-CRP)], oxidative stress [superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA)] and renal function index [serum creatinine (Scr), urea nitrogen (BUN)] of the two groups before and after treatment. Results: Before treatment, there were no significantly different of the levels of SBP, DBP, TNF-α, hs-CRP, SOD, MDA, Scr and BUN between the two groups. After treatment, the observation group SBP, DBP, TNF-α, hs-CRP, MDA, Scr and BUN level were (135.71±15.64) mmHg, (84.96±13.97) mmHg, (46.37±5.92) ng/L, (5.99±0.94) mg/L, (20.91±2.38) μmol/L, (83.86±10.16) μmol/L and (6.53±1.37) mmol/L, were significantly lower than before treatment, and after treatment the TNF-α, hs-CRP, MDA, Scr and BUN in observation group were significantly lower than the control group;Compared with the levels in the same group before treatment, the two groups of SOD levels were significantly increased, and the observation group [(93.21±7.06) U/mL] was significantly higher than the control group ((79.84±6.12) U/mL)Conclusion: Paecilomyces hepiall chen on treatment of diabetic nephropathy, can effectively relieve chronic inflammation and oxidative stress, improve renal function, has an important clinical value.

Effect of brain reflex instrument combined with acupuncture on convalescent neurotrophic status and nerve cell apoptosis in patients with cerebral infarction

Objective:To study the effect of brain reflex instrument combined with acupuncture on convalescent neurotrophic status and nerve cell apoptosis in patients with cerebral infarction. Methods:A total of 116 patients with convalescent cerebral infarction who were treated in Chinese Medicine Hospital Affiliated to Xinjiang Medical University between October 2014 and December 2016 were selected and randomly divided into two groups, intervention group received brain reflex instrument combined with acupuncture intervention + conventional intervention, and the control group only received conventional intervention. Serum levels of neurotrophic cytokines, monoamine neurotransmitter, and nerve cell apoptosis molecules were detected before intervention as well as 10, 20 and 30 d after intervention.Results:Serum BDNF, VEGF, bFGF, NE, E, 5-HIAA, DOPAC, HVA and Bcl-2 levels of both groups 10, 20 and 30 d after intervention were significantly higher than those before intervention while sFas, sFasL and sTRAIL levels were significantly lower than those before intervention, and serum BDNF, VEGF, bFGF, NE, E, 5-HIAA, DOPAC, HVA and Bcl-2 levels of intervention group 10, 20 and 30 d after intervention were significantly higher than those of control group while sFas, sFasL and sTRAIL levels were significantly lower than those of control group.Conclusions: Brain reflex instrument combined with acupuncture can significantly improve the convalescent neurotrophic status and nerve cell apoptosis in patients with cerebral infarction.

Probiotics and irritable bowel syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome(IBS)is common gastrointestinal problems.It is characterized by abdominal pain or discomfort,and is associated with changes in stool frequency and/or consistency.The etiopathogenesis of IBS may be multifactorial,as is the pathophysiology,which is attributed to alterations in gastrointestinal motility,visceral hypersensitivity,intestinal microbiota,gut epithelium and immune function,dysfunction of the brain-gut axis or certain psychosocial factors.Current therapeutic strategies are often unsatisfactory.There is now increasing evidence linking alterations in the gastrointestinal microbiota and IBS.Probiotics are living organisms which,when ingested in certain numbers,exert health benefits beyond inherent basic nutrition.Probiotics have numerous positive effects in the gastrointestinal tract.Recently,many studies have suggested that probiotics are effective in the treatment of IBS.The mechanisms of probiotics in IBS are very complex.The purpose of this review is to summarize the evidence and mechanisms for the use of probiotics in the treatment of IBS.

A specific objective supplemental factor in evaluating acute mountain sickness: ΔHR in combination with SaO_2

Background: So far, there have been no measurements confirmed useful in diagnosing acute mountain sickness(AMS). The aim of this study was to determine the role of heart rate(HR) difference(ΔHR) and oxygen saturation(Sa O2) as objective risk factors in aiding the diagnosis of AMS.Methods: A total of 1,019 participants were assigned to either the acute exposure group(AEG): from 500 m to 3,700 m by flight within 2.5 hours(n=752); or the pre-acclimatization group(PAG): ascended to 4,400 m from 3,650 m within three hours by car after adapting 33 days at 3,650m(n=267). The questionnaires or measurements of resting Sa O2 and HR were completed between 18 and 24 hours before departure and after arrival.Results: Incidence of AMS was 61.3%(461) in AEG, with 46.1%(347) mild cases and 15.2%(114) severe cases. In PAG, the incidence was 38.9%(104), with 30.7%(82) mild cases and 8.2%(22) severe cases. The AMS subjects showed a significant increase in HR and a decrease in Sa O2 levels compared with the non-AMS subjects in both groups. ΔHR and post-exposure Sa O2 were significantly correlated with the Lake Louise Score(LLS) in both groups. Stepwise logistic regression analysis revealed the ΔHR >25 and Sa O2 <88% in AEG as well as ΔHR >15 and Sa O2 <86% in PAG to be independent risk factors of AMS. Combining these two measurements could specifically indicate participants with AMS, which showed a positive predictive value of 89% and specificity of 97% in AEG as well as 85% and 98% in PAG.Conclusion:ΔHR or Sa O2, as objective measurements, correlate with AMS. Combination of these two measurements may be useful as an additional specific and objective factor to further confirm the diagnosis of AMS.