Systematic sequential therapy for ex vivo liver resection and autotransplantation: A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND Perihilar cholangiocarcinoma(pCCA)is a highly malignant tumor arising from the biliary tree.Radical surgery is the only treatment offering a chance of long-term survival.However,limited by the tumor’s anatomic location and peri-vascular invasion,most patients lose the chance for curative treatment.Therefore,more methods to increase the resectability of tumors as well as to improve outcomes are needed.CASE SUMMARY A 68-year-old female patient had a hepatic hilar mass without obvious symptoms.Laboratory results showed hepatitis B positivity.Magnetic resonance imaging indicated that the mass(maximum diameter:41 mm)invaded the left and right branches of the main portal vein,as well as the middle,left and right hepatic veins;enlarged lymph nodes were also detected in the hilum.The patient was diagnosed with pCCA,and the clinical stage was determined to be T4N1M0(stage IIIC).Considering the tumor’s anatomic location and vascular invasion,systematic conversion therapy followed by ex vivo liver resection and autotrans-plantation(ELRA)was determined as personalized treatment for this patient.Our original systemic sequential therapeutic strategy(lenvatinib and tislelizumab in combination with gemcitabine and cisplatin)was successfully adopted as conversion therapy because she achieved partial response after three cycles of treatment,without severe toxicity.ELRA,anastomotic reconstruction of the middle hepatic vein,right hepatic vein,root of portal vein,inferior vena cava and right hepatic artery,and lymph node dissection were performed at one month after systemic therapy.Pathological and immunohistochemical examination confirmed the diagnosis of pCCA with lymph node metastasis.Although the middle hepatic vein was partially obstructed four months later,hepatic vein stent implantation successfully addressed this problem.The patient has survived for 22 mo after the diagnosis,with no evidence of recurrence or metastasis.CONCLUSION An effective therapeutic strategy for conversion therapy greatly increases the feasibility and efficiency of ELRA.

Helicobacter pylori eradication: Sequential therapy and Lactobacillus reuteri supplementation

AIM:To evaluate the role of sequential therapy and Lactobacillus reuteri (L. reuteri ) supplementation, in the eradication treatment of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori ). METHODS:H. pylori infection was diagnosed in 90 adult dyspeptic patients. Patients were excluded if previously treated for H. pylori infection or if they were taking a proton pump inhibitor (PPI), H2-receptor antagonist or antibiotics. Patients were assigned to receive one of the following therapies:(1) 7-d triple therapy (PPI plus clarithromycin and amoxicillin or metronidazole) plus L. reuteri supplementation dur- ing antibiotic treatment; (2) 7-d triple therapy plus L. reuteri supplementation after antibiotic treatment; (3) sequential regimen (5-d PPI plus amoxicillin therapy followed by a 5-d PPI, clarithromycin and tinidazole) plus L. reuteri supplementation during antibiotic treatment; and (4) sequential regimen plus L. reuteri supplementation after antibiotic treatment. Successful eradication therapy was defined as a negative urea breath test at least 4 wk following treatment. RESULTS:Ninety adult dyspeptic patients were en- rolled, and 83 (30 male, 53 female; mean age 57 ± 13 years) completed the study. Nineteen patients were administered a 7-d triple treatment:11 with L. reuteri supplementation during and 8 after therapy. Sixty-four patients were administered a sequential regimen:32 with L. reuteri supplementation during and 32 after therapy. The eradication rate was significantly higher in the sequential group compared with the 7-d triple regimen (88% vs 63%, P = 0.01). No difference was found between two types of PPI. No difference in erad- ication rates was observed between patients submitted to L. reuteri supplementation during or after antibiotic treatment. Compliance with therapy was excellent in all patients. No difference in adverse effects was observed between the different antibiotic treatments and between patients submitted to L. reuteri supplementation during and after antibiotic treatment. There was a low incidence of adverse effects in all groups of patients with sequential therapy, probably due to the presence of the L. reuteri supplementation. CONCLUSION:The sequential treatment regimen achieved a significantly higher eradication rate of H. pylori compared with standard 7-d regimen. L. reuteri supplementation could reduce the frequency and the intensity of antibiotic-associated side-effects.

Characteristics of retinal vein occlusion with final vision better than 78 letters after sequential therapy with ranibizumab and triamcinolone acetate

AIM： To analyze the reasons that may lead to the different vision result by combining the ranibizumab and triamcinolone acetate（TA） in sequence to treat macular edema in retinal vein occlusion（RVO）.METHODS： Ranibizumab and TA were combined in sequence to treat 43 patients with macular edema secondary to RVO.Six months after the treatment,patients with central fovea thickness（CFT） less than 300 μm in optical coherence tomography（OCT） were collected into Groups I and II,based on vision acuity（VA） better than 78 letters or less than 60 letters.The age,baseline VA,duration from onset to treatment,CFT at the baseline,sub-retinal fluid（SRF）,sub-foveal exudates and injection times of TA and ranibizumab were taken into comparison.RESULTS： The mean age of the subjects was 46.4y in Group I but 57.5y in Group II.The difference of age was significant between groups（P〈0.01）.The mean baseline VA was 51.4 letters in Group I and 43.9 letters in Group II（P〈0.05）.The baseline CFT were 670.9 μm in Group I with SRF in 54.3% patients and 678.1 μm in Group II with SRF in 52.9%（P〉0.05）.The mean number of injections of TA was 0.9 and the mean number of injections of ranibizumab was 2.3 in Group I but 1.7 and 2.9 respectively in Group II.The treatment times of ranibizumab had no difference between the 2 groups（P〉0.05） but the difference of TA injection times was significant（P〈0.05）.Subfoveal exudates at final stage happened in no subjects in Group I but in 45.83% subjects in Group II.CONCLUSION： This combined treatment is safer than TA injection and cheaper than ranibizumab injection alone.Younger patients and earlier treatment will help to get better vision outcome.Subfoveal exudates at the final stage have significant relationship with vision outcome.No relationship existed between the baseline CFT,SRF and the vision outcome.

Clinical study on concurrent and sequential therapy of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) combined with NP regimen chemotherapy in the treatment of middle and advanced non-small cell lung cancer

Objective: To evaluate the clinical effects of concurrent and sequential therapy for middle and advanced stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) useing IMRT combined with NP regimen chemotherapy. Methods: Eighty patients with middle and advanced stage NSCLC were randomized into two groups. Forty patients were underwent sequential therapy and other 40 patients were underwent concurrent therapy. IMRT was used in radiotherapy and NP regimen of vinorelbine+cispatin (NP) was used in chemotherapy. Results: (1) The overall response (CR+PR) rate was 75% in concurrent group and 45% in sequential group (P<0.05); (2) The treatment courses were 84 days and 140 days for concurrent group and sequential group respectively (P<0.05); (3) One-year survival rate in concurrent group was 72.4% and 52.3% in sequential group respectively; (4) The toxic effects can be tolerable by all of patients. Conclusion: The concurrent chemo-radiotherapy has better overall re- sponse, one-year survival rate and shorter treatment course than the sequential chemo-radiotherapy, so it is a better method for the treatment of middle and advanced stage NSCLC, but the long term survival rate will be studied.

Sequential neoadjuvant chemotherapy using pegylated liposomal doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide followed by taxanes with complete trastuzumab and pertuzumab treatment for HER2-positive breast cancer: A phase Ⅱ single-arm study

Objective: Despite cardiotoxicity overlap, the trastuzumab/pertuzumab and anthracycline combination remains crucial due to significant benefits. Pegylated liposomal doxorubicin(PLD), a less cardiotoxic anthracycline, was evaluated for efficacy and cardiac safety when combined with cyclophosphamide and followed by taxanes with trastuzumab/pertuzumab in human epidermal growth factor receptor-2(HER2)-positive early breast cancer(BC).Methods: In this multicenter, phase II study, patients with confirmed HER2-positive early BC received four cycles of PLD(30-35 mg/m^(2)) and cyclophosphamide(600 mg/m^(2)), followed by four cycles of taxanes(docetaxel,90-100 mg/m^(2) or nab-paclitaxel, 260 mg/m^(2)), concomitant with eight cycles of trastuzumab(8 mg/kg loading dose,then 6 mg/kg) and pertuzumab(840 mg loading dose, then 420 mg) every 3 weeks. The primary endpoint was total pathological complete response(tp CR, yp T0/is yp N0). Secondary endpoints included breast p CR(bp CR),objective response rate(ORR), disease control rate, rate of breast-conserving surgery(BCS), and safety(with a focus on cardiotoxicity).Results: Between May 27, 2020 and May 11, 2022, 78 patients were treated with surgery, 42(53.8%) of whom had BCS. After neoadjuvant therapy, 47 [60.3%, 95% confidence interval(95% CI), 48.5%-71.2%] patients achieved tp CR, and 49(62.8%) achieved bp CR. ORRs were 76.9%(95% CI, 66.0%-85.7%) and 93.6%(95% CI,85.7%-97.9%) after 4-cycle and 8-cycle neoadjuvant therapy, respectively. Nine(11.5%) patients experienced asymptomatic left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF) reductions of ≥10% from baseline, all with a minimum value of >55%. No treatment-related abnormal cardiac function changes were observed in mean N-terminal pro-BNP(NT-pro BNP), troponin I, or high-sensitivity troponin.Conclusions: This dual HER2-blockade with sequential polychemotherapy showed promising activity with rapid tumor regression in HER2-positive BC. Importantly, this regimen showed an acceptable safety profile,especially a low risk of cardiac events, suggesting it as an attractive treatment approach with a favorable risk-benefit balance.

Clinical Observations of Sequential Therapy with Chinese Medicine and Hysteroscopic Mechanical Stimulation of the Endometrium in Infertile Patients with Repeated Implantation Failure Undergoing Frozen-Thawed Embryo Transfer

Objectives： To investigate the clinical effect of sequential therapeutic intervention Yupei Qisun [compensating for weakness by invigorating Kidney （Shen） and Spleen （Pi） in advance] in Chinese medicine （CM） and hysteroscopic endometrial mechanical stimulation on the treatment of infertile patients with repeated implantation failure （RIF）; and to study the differences in patients＇ endometrial thickness and type on the day of embryo transfer, serum hormone levels on embryo transfer day and clinical pregnancy outcomes. Methods： In the clinical study, 168 frozen-thawed embryo transfer （FET） cycles for couples with RIF conforming to the research protocol were randomly divided into three groups： a CM group with 56 cycles （CM combined with FET）, a hysteroscopy group with 55 cycles （hysteroscopic endometfial mechanical stimulation）, and a control group with 57 cycles （conventional FET）. Differences in endometrial thickness on the embryo transfer day, levels of serum estradiol （E2） and progesterone （P） on the embryo transfer day, the E2/P ratio on the embryo transfer day, biochemical and clinical pregnancy rates, implantation rate, abnormal pregnancy rate and other indices were compared among the three groups. Results： Endometrial thickness, E2 and P levels, and the EJP ratio on embryo transfer day and other factors had no significant differences among groups. The biochemical pregnancy, clinical pregnancy, and implantation rates of the CM and hysteroscopy groups were significantly higher than the control group （P〈0.05）, and there were no significant differences between these two groups. The abnormal pregnancy rate had no significant difference among the three groups. Conclusions： Sequential therapy of Yupei Qisun could significantly improve the clinical outcomes of RIF-FET cycles, being equivalent to hysteroscopic endometrial mechanical stimulation, and provided a reliable method to treat such infertile couples.

Comparison of sequential and 7-,10-,14-d triple therapy for Helicobacter pylori infection

AIM:To compare the effectiveness of sequential therapy for Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori) infection with that of triple therapy of varying durations.METHODS:The 460 patients enrolled in this study had H.pylori-associated gastritis or a gastric or duodenal ulcer.After screening,H.pylori-infected patients were randomly assigned to receive either conventional triple therapy for 7,10 or 14 d,or a new 10-d sequential therapy.Each of the 4 treatment groups included 115 patients.The outcomes of eradication therapy were assessed 4 wk after treatment by the urea breath test and histology.RESULTS:The overall eradication rate was 81.0%,and eradication rates were 75.7% for 7-d conventional triple therapy,81.9% for 10-d conventional triple therapy,84.4% for 14-d conventional triple therapy,and 82.0% for 10-d sequential therapy.Neither intention-to-treat analysis nor per protocol analysis showed significant differences in eradication rates using sequential therapy or the standard triple therapy(P = 0.416 and P = 0.405,respectively).CONCLUSION:There are no significant differences between 10-d sequential eradication therapy for H.pylori and any duration of standard triple treatment in Korean patients.

Standard triple, bismuth pectin quadruple and sequential therapies for Helicobacter pylori eradication

AIM: To compare the effectiveness of standard triple, bismuth pectin quadruple and sequential therapies for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori ) eradication in a randomized, double-blinded, comparative clinical trial in China. METHODS: A total of 215 H. pylori -positive patients were enrolled in the study and randomly allocated into three groups: group A (n = 72) received a 10-d bismuth pectin quadruple therapy (20 mg rabeprazole bid , 1000 mg amoxicillin bid , 100 mg bismuth pectin qid , and 500 mg levofloxacin qd ); group B (n = 72) received the sequential therapy (20 mg omeprazole bid , 1000 mg amoxicillin bid , in 5 d, followed by 20 mg omeprazole bid , 500 mg tinidazole bid , 500 mg clarithromycin bid , for another 5 d); group C (n = 71) received a standard 1-wk triple therapy (20 mg omeprazole bid , 1000 mg amoxicillin bid , 500 mg clarithromycin bid ). After all these treatments, 20 mg omeprazole bid was administrated for 3 wk. H. pylori status was assessed by histology, 13C-urea breath test and rapid urease test at baseline and 4-6 wk after completion of treatment. Ulcer cicatrization was assessed by gastroscopy. χ 2 test (P < 0.05) was used to compare the eradication rates and ulcer cicatrisation rates among the three groups. RESULTS: The eradication rate was 83.33% (60/72) in group A, 88.89% (64/72) in group B, and 80.56% (58/71) in group C. The ulcer cicatrisation rate was 86.44% (51/59) in group A, 90.16% (55/61) in group B, and 84.91% (45/53) in group C. The sequential therapy yielded a higher eradication rate and ulcer cicatrisation rate than the standard triple and bismuth pectin quadruple therapies. Statistically, the eradication rate of group B was significantly different from groups A and C (P < 0.05), but the difference of ulcer cicatrisation rate and side effects was not statistically significant among the three groups (P > 0.05). The three protocols were generally well tolerated. CONCLUSION: The sequential therapy has achieved a significantly higher eradication rate, and is a more suitable first-line alternative protocol for anti-H. pylori infection compared with the standard triple and bismuth pectin quadruple therapies.

A new look at anti-Helicobacter pylori therapy

With the rising prevalence of antimicrobial resistance,the treatment success of standard triple therapy has recently declined to unacceptable levels (i.e.,80% or less) in most countries.Therefore,several treatment regimens have emerged to cure Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori) infection.Novel first-line anti-H.pylori therapies in 2011 include sequential therapy,concomitant quadruple therapy,hybrid (dual-concomitant) therapy and bismuth-containing quadruple therapy.After the failure of standard triple therapy,a bismuth-containing quadruple therapy comprising a proton pump inhibitor (PPI),bismuth,tetracycline and metronidazole can be employed as rescue treatment.Recently,triple therapy combining a PPI,levofloxacin and amoxicillin has been proposed as an alternative to the standard rescue therapy.This salvage regimen can achieve a higher eradication rate than bismuth-containing quadruple therapy in some regions and has less adverse effects.The best second-line therapy for patients who fail to eradicate H.pylori with first-line therapies containing clarithromycin,amoxicillin and metronidazole is unclear.However,a levofloxacin-based triple therapy is an accepted rescue treatment.Most guidelines suggest that patients requiring third-line therapy should be referred to a medical center and treated according to the antibiotic susceptibility test.Nonetheless,an empirical therapy (such as levofloxacin-based or furazolidone-based therapies) can be employed to terminate H.pylori infection if antimicrobial sensitivity data are unavailable.

Helicobacter pylori:Future perspectives in therapy reflecting three decades of experience

The rising prevalence of antibiotic resistance has created a need to reassess the established Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)eradication protocols,and to develop new ones.Various bacterial and host factors are evaluated,and their contribution to eradication failure is estimated.For a long time being considered the cornerstone eradication scheme,the standard triple therapy has been replaced with novel,more efficient regimens,namely sequential and concomitant,along with the emergence of a new design of bismuth quadruple therapy.A rescue levofloxacin based regimen has overcome the fear of therapy failure due to higher prevalence of dual resistant(clarithromycin and metronidazole)H.pylori.Culture-free and efficient susceptibility test are reestablishing the concept of tailored therapy,making eradication success close to originally desirable rates.Alleviating therapy side effects and improving patient compliance are as important as choosing appropriate eradication schemes,so various probiotic compound supplements are taken into consideration.Finally,we summarize the emerging efforts and obstacles in creating efficientH.pylori vaccine.

A review of Helicobacter pylori diagnosis, treatment, and methods to detect eradication

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) affects nearly half of the world&#x02019;s population and, thus, is one of the most frequent and persistent bacterial infections worldwide. H. pylori is associated with peptic ulcer disease, gastric ulcers, mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma, and gastric cancer. Various diagnostic methods exist to detect infection, and the choice of one method or another depends on several factors, such as accessibility, advantages and disadvantages of each method, cost, and the age of patients. Once H. pylori infection is diagnosed, the clinician decides whether treatment is necessity, according to the patient&#x02019;s clinical condition. Typically, eradication of H. pylori is recommended for treatment and prevention of the infection. Cure rates with the standard triple therapy are acceptable, and effective quadruple therapies, sequential therapies, and concomitant therapies have been introduced as key alternatives to treat H. pylori infection. In this work, we review the main diagnostic methods used to identify H. pylori infection and to confirm eradication of infection. In addition, key factors related to treatment are reviewed.

Effect of switching from treatment with nucleos(t)ide analogs to pegylated interferon α-2a on virological and serological responses in chronic hepatitis B patients

AIM To investigate the efficacy of switching to pegylated interferon-α-2a(Peg IFNα-2a) treatment in nucleos(t)ide analog(NA)-treated chronic hepatitis B(CHB) responder patients. METHODS A 48-wk prospective and retrospective treatment trial of NA-treated CHB patients who had received entecavir(ETV) for at least 48 wk and had serum hepatitis B virus(HBV)-DNA < 500 IU/m L, serum hepatitis B envelope antigen(HBe Ag) < 100 S/CO, serum alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate aminotransferase levels < 2 × the upper limit of normal of 40 IU/L was performed. The effects on virological and serological responses and adverse reactions to 0.5 mg daily ETV for 48 wk vs switching to Peg IFNα-2a were compared. Forty-four patients were randomized to be switched from NA treatment to the Peg IFNα-2a group, and 44 patients were simultaneously randomized to the ETV group. RESULTS After 48 wk of therapy, the decrease in hepatitis B surface antigen(HBs Ag) levels was greater in the Peg IFNα-2a group than in the ETV group(3.1340 log10 IU/m L vs 3.6950 log10 IU/m L, P = 0.00). Seven patients who were anti-HBs-positive at baseline achieved HBs Ag loss when switched to Peg IFNα-2a(15.91% vs 0%,P = 0.018). The HBe Ag serological conversion rate was higher in the Peg IFNα-2a group than in the ETV group; however, the difference was not significant because of the small sample sizes(34.38% vs 21.88%, P = 0.232). In the Peg IFNα-2a group, patients with HBs Ag levels < 1500 IU/m L at baseline had higher HBe Ag seroconversion and HBs Ag loss rates at week 48 than those with HBs Ag levels ≥ 1500 IU/m L(HBe Ag seroconversion: 17.86% vs 62.5%, P = 0.007; HBs Ag loss: 41.67% vs 6.25%, P = 0.016). Moreover, patients with HBs Ag levels < 1500 IU/m L at week 24 had higher HBs Ag loss rates after therapy than those with HBs Ag levels ≥ 1500 IU/m L(36.84% vs 0%, P = 0.004). However, there were no statistically significant differences in HBe Ag seroconversion rates(47.06% vs 25.93%, P = 0.266). CONCLUSION NA-treated CHB patients switched to sequential Peg IFNα-2a achieved highly potent treatment termination safely.

Eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection:Which regimen first?

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a well-known human pathogen that plays an essential role in the pathogenesis of chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, and gastric malignancies. Although H. pylori is susceptible to several antimicrobials, this infection has proven challenging to cure because of the increasing prevalence of bacterial strains that are resistant to the most commonly used antimicrobials, particularly clarithromycin. An effective (i.e., &#x0003e; 90%) first-line therapy is mandatory for avoiding supplementary treatments and testing, and more importantly for preventing the development of secondary resistance. This study reviews the recent literature on first-line therapies for H. pylori. The eradication rates following standard triple therapy (a proton pump inhibitor plus amoxicillin and clarithromycin) for H. pylori infection are declining worldwide. Several first-line strategies have been proposed to increase the eradication rate, including extending the treatment duration to 14 d, the use of a four-drug regimen (bismuth-containing quadruple, sequential, and concomitant treatments), and the use of novel antibiotics, such as fluoroquinolones. However, the efficacy of these regimens is controversial. A first-line eradication regimen should be based on what works best in a defined geographical area and must take into account the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in that region.

Effects of antiviral agents and HBV genotypes on intrahepaticcovalently closed circular DNA in HBeAg-positive chronichepatitis B patients

AIM： To evaluate the effects of antiviral agents and HBV genotypes on intrahepatic covalently closed circular DNA （ccc DNA） in HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B patients.METHODS： Seventy-one patients received lamivudine （n = 35）, or sequential therapy with lamivudine- interferon alpha 2b （IFN-α 2b, n = 24） for 48 wk, or IFN-α 2b （n = 12） for 24 wk. All subjects were followed up for 24 wk. Intrahepatic ccc DNA was measured quantitatively by PCR. HBV genotypes were analyzed by PCR-RFLP.RESULTS： Sequential lamivudine- INF-α therapy, lamivudine and INF-α monotherapy reduced ccc DNA of 1.7 log, 1.4 log and 0.8 log, respectively （P 〈 0.05）. Seventeen out of the 71 patieots developed HBeAg seroconversion, the reduction of ccc DNA in the HBeAg seroconversion patients was more significant than that in the HBeAg positive patients （3.0 log vs 1.6 log, P = 0.0407）. Twenty-four weeks after antiviral therapy withdrawal, 16 patients had a sustained virological response, the baseline intrahepatic ccc DNA in the patients with a sustained virological response was significantly lower than that in the patients with virological rebound （4.6 log vs 5.4 log, P = 0.0472）. HBV genotype C accounted for 85.9% （n = 61）, and genotype B for 14.1% （n = 10）, respectively, in the 71 patients. There was no significant difference in the change of ccc DNA level between HBV genotypes C and B （2.1 log vs 1.9 log）.CONCLUSION： Forty-eight week sequential lamivudine- INF-α therapy and lamivudine monotherapy reduce ccc DNA more significantly than 24-wk INF-α monotherapy. Low baseline intrahepatic ccc DNA level may predict the long-term efficacy of antiviral treatment. HBV genotypes C and B have no obvious influence on ccc DNA load.

Diabetic macular edema in proliferative stage treated with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agent and triamcinolone acetonide by laser-based strategies

AIM： To appraise the effect of treatment for diabetic macular edema（DME） in proliferative stage with sufficient panrentinal photocoagulation（PRP） therapy and intravitreal injections（IV） Conbercept and posterior subtenon＇s triamcinolone acetonide（STTA） sequential therapy.METHODS： This prospective clinical randomized controlled trial of cross-over design was conducted in three phases. The participants included cases of DME in proliferative stage. They were divided into two groups and treated with PRP before enrollment. Group A were treated with IVConbercept 0.5 mg for one month in the 1^st phase. Group B were treated with STTA 40 mg（twice per two weeks）. The interventions were exchanged in the second phase（2mo） between the two groups. In the third phase（3-6mo） no other treatment was given. Best corrected visual acuity（BCVA）, central macular thickness（CMT） measured by OCT and complications were compared.RESULTS： After phase I： in Group A, BCVA improved from 0.201±0.17 to 0.37±0.24（F=5.88, P=0.004）. CMT changed from 449±155.10 to 304.1±84.70 μm（F=14.9, P〈0.01）. In Group B, BCVA changed from 0.195±0.19 to 0.26±0.20（F=0.76, P=0.41） while CMT changed from 463.82±152.92 to 366.00±115.40 μm（F=3.70, P〈0.03）. The improvement of BCVA was better in Group A（P〈0.05）. After phase II： in Group A, BCVA raised to 0.47±0.27（F=0.26, P〈0.01）, CMT reduced to 260.67±62.97 μm（F=-188.3, P〈0.01）; in Group B, BCVA raised to 0.51±0.26（F=0.31, P〈0.01）, CMT reduced to 261.93±50.15 μm（F=-201.9, P〈0.01）. But there were no difference between two groups（P〉0.05）. After phase III： in Group A, BCVA maintained 0.42±0.25（F=0.22, P=0.001）, CMT maintained 267.8±58.34 μm,（F=-0.27, P〈0.01）; in Group B, BCVA was 0.47±0.25（F=-0.27, P〈0.01）, CMT was 272.71±49.16 μm（F=-191.1, P〈0.01）. No serious complications happened in all phases.CONCLUSION： PRP＋Conbercept is better than PRP＋STTA in DME with proliferative stage but PRP＋Conbercept＋STTA sequential therapy may be a wiser choice for persistent effectiveness on anatomical as well as functional status.

Current Helicobacter pylori treatment in 2014

Helicobacter pylori is one of the most commonly seen bacterium worldwide.It's in the etiology of multiple gastrointestinal diseases,ranging from gastritis to gastric carcinoma.The antimicrobial therapies,which are frequently prescribed empirically,are losing their effectivity as a result of the increasing antimicrobial resistance.As the standard triple therapy is now leftespecially in areas with high-clarithromycin resistance due to decreased eradication rates,quadruple therapies are recommended in most regions of the world.Alternatively,concomitant,sequential and hybrid therapies are used.There is still a debate going on about the use of levofloxacin-based therapy in order to prevent the increase in quinolone resistance.If no regimen can achieve the desired eradication rate,culture-guided individualized therapies are highly recommended.Probiotics,statins and n-acetylcysteine are helpful as adjuvant therapies in order to increase the effectiveness of the eradication therapy.Herein,we focused on different eradication regimens in order to highlight the current Helicobacter pylori treatment.

Treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection in children:A systematic review

BACKGROUND Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)infection is predominantly acquired in childhood.When indicated,the most accepted treatment for H.pylori eradication in this age group is first-line triple therapy.However,the increasing resistance to clarithromycin and nitroimidazoles has been associated with treatment failure,and thus,alternative treatment regimens have been proposed.AIM To perform a systematic review of randomized controlled trials on treatment regimens for H.pylori infection in children.METHODS We surveyed relevant articles published in English from 2010 to April 2020 in the PubMed and MEDLINE databases.Keywords included“Helicobacter pylori“/”children or childhood“/”treatment or eradication.”The risk of bias was evaluated according to the Cochrane Handbook of Systematic Reviews for Interventions.RESULTS Among the 1144 records identified through the database,20 articles were selected.Four studies compared the eradication rates of H.pylori infection between standard triple therapies,changing only the main antibiotic used.Seven studies evaluated the effectiveness of standard triple therapy with the addition of probiotics.One study investigated the relationship between the effectiveness in the eradication rates of standard triple therapy and vitamin E levels.Six studies analyzed the eradication rates of sequential therapy.CONCLUSION The findings suggest that although standard triple therapy is the most recommended regimen for children by the current guidelines,other therapeutic schemes have shown promising results and may also be recommended for clinical practice in the future.

Clinical Effects of Bushen Culuan Prescription on Infertility Due to Decreased Ovarian Reserve of Kidney Deficiency and Liver Depression Pattern

Objective The objective of this study was to explore the clinical effects of Bushen Culuan prescription on infertility due to decreased ovarian reserve of kidney deficiency and liver depression pattern.Methods Totally 100 infertile patients with ovarian hypofunction treated from October 2019 to January 2022 were selected and divided into the observation group and the control group by a random number table.The control group was treated with estrogen sequential therapy,and the observation group was treated with Bushen Culuan prescription.The clinical efficacy,sex hormone levels including(follicle-stimulating hormone[FSH],luteinizing hormone[LH],and estradiol[E_(2)]),ovarian function,ovarian blood flow status(peak systolic velocity[PSV],antral follicle count[AFC],arterial pulse index[PI],and resistance index[RI]),and pregnancy outcome in the two groups were compared and analyzed.Results The total effective rate of the observation group(96.00%)was significantly higher than that of the control group(80.00%).The difference was statistically significant(p<0.05).Before treatment,there was no significant difference in sex hormone levels(FSH,LH,E_(2),and FSH/LH),ovarian function(number of primary follicles,number of dominant follicles,ovulation number,and endometrial thickness),and ovarian blood flow(PSV,RI,PI,and AFC)between the two groups(p>0.05).After treatment,the levels of serum hormones FSH,LH,E_(2),and FSH/LH decreased significantly in both groups.The number of primary follicles,dominant follicles,and ovulation increased significantly,and the thickness of endometrium decreased significantly;the indexes of PSV,RI,and AFC of ovarian blood flow increased significantly,and the PI index decreased significantly.The levels of each index in the observation group were better than those in the control group(p<0.05).In the control group,32 cases were pregnant within 1 year after treatment,and the pregnancy rate was 64.00%;21 cases in the observation group were pregnant within 1 year after treatment,and the pregnancy rate was 42.00%;the pregnancy rate in the observation group was higher than that in the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(χ^(2)=4.014,p=0.045<0.05).Conclusion Bushen Culuan prescription has a definite effect on infertility due to ovarian hypofunction.The action mechanism may involve multicomponent and multitarget stimulation to improve patients'ovarian function,regulate the level of sex hormones,and improve the pregnancy outcome.

Comprehensive sequential interventional therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma

Background Since the 1980s, various approaches to interventional therapy have been developed, with the development and achievement of medical imaging technology. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of comprehensive sequential interventional therapy especially personal therapeutic plan in 53 radical cure patients with hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC）. Methods From January 2003 to January 2005, a total of 203 patients with HCC received sequential interventional treatment in our hospital. Fifty-three patients achieved radical cure outcomes. Those patients were treated with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization （TACE）, radiofrequency ablation （RFA）, percutaneous ethanol injection （PEI）, or high intensity focused ultrasound （HIFU）, sequentially and in combination depending on their clinical and pathological features. PET-CT was used to evaluate, assess, and guide treatment. Results Based on the imaging and serological data, all the patients had a personal therapeutic plan. The longest follow-up time was 24 months, the shortest was 6 months, and mean survival time was 16.5 months. Conclusion Comprehensive sequential interventional therapy especially personal therapeutic plan for HCC play roles in interventional treatment of HCC in middle or advanced stage.

Assessing of the Therapeutic Efficacy of These 2 Treatment Regimens in the Management of Helicobacter pylori Infection at Kinshasa

Introduction: Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection is a worldwide public health problem. Unfortunately, its management poses a problem because of resistance to antibiotics. However, there are codified treatment protocols covering sequential and concomitant quadritherapy with regard to first-line probabilistic treatment. The objective of this study was to assess the therapeutic efficacy of these 2 treatment regimens in the management of Hp infection at Kinshasa. Methods: This was a mixed study, with documentary, descriptive and interventional approaches, carried out between September 1, 2018 and April 30, 2020. Results: Sixty-four patients were collected, including 36 men against 28 women with a sex ratio of 1H:1F;the mean age was 54 ± 16.5 years. There was an over-representation of senior patients (n = 29);an intermediate number of adult patients (n = 22) and a lower number of young patients (n = 13). 34 and 30 were respectively treated according to the concomitant and sequential regimens. Concomitant quadruple therapy offered an eradication rate of 91.2% compared to 56.7% for sequential quadruple therapy;concomitant treatment, advancing age and absence of risky behavior more quickly predicted the occurrence of eradication success. Conclusion: The present study showed superiority of concomitant quadruple therapy over sequential quadruple therapy in first-line treatment. Alcohol with active smoking had a negative influence, while concomitant quadruple therapy, advancement in age had a positive influence on the success of the eradication of Hp infection.