Effect of cyclophosphamide on fungal infection in SLE mice detected by fluorescent quantitative PCR

Objective:To observe the effect of the cyclophosphamide(CTX) on systemic lupus erythematosus mice by fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction.Methods:(BALB/c C57BL/J6) Fl hybrid mice were used as recipients of donor lymphocytes which were injected intravenously.Mice were randomly divided into control group and treatment group,serum autoantibody and urinary protein were measured,renal pathological changes and the situation of fungal infection were observed.Results:The reduced urinary protein,ameliorated renal lesions were found in the CTX-treated mice.Candida albicans and Aspergillus Jlants were detected respectively in respiratory tract and gastrointestinal tract.Conclusions:CTX can alleviate lupus nephritis and the fluorescent quantitative PCR is a rapid and sensitive method for the detection of fungal infection.

A multi-center,double-blind,randomized,placebo-and positive-controlled phase II clinical study of benvitimod for the treatment of atopic dermatitis

To the Editor:Atopic dermatitis(AD)is a chronic,recurrent,and inflammatory skin disease that can be accompanied by asthma,allergic rhinitis,conjunctivitis,and other diseases.[1]Topical corticosteroids are mostly used in patients with AD.Considering the side effects of the long-term use of corticosteroids,additional topical treatments could be useful.

Infliximab monotherapy for Chinese patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis： a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicenter trial

Background Tumor necrosis factor-α is a key mediator in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. Infliximab is a monoclonal antibody that specifically binds to tumor necrosis factor-α. The purpose of this study was to validate the efficacy and safety of 5 mg/kg infliximab therapy in Chinese patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Methods In this multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 129 patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis were randomized to the induction therapy （weeks 0, 2 and 6） with infliximab 5 mg/kg （n=84） or placebo （n=45）, followed with infliximab 5 mg/kg scheduled at week 14 and week 22 in the infliximab group, and infliximab 5 mg/kg scheduled at weeks 10, 12 and 16 in the placebo group. The primary end point was the proportion of patients who achieved at least 75% improvement in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index （PASI 75 response rate） from baseline at week 10. Results At week 10, 81.0% of patients treated with infliximab （5 mg/kg） achieved a 75% or greater improvement compared with 2.2% of patients treated with placebo （P 〈0.001）. A significant improvement in PASI, Physician＇s Global Assessment （PGA） and Dermatology Life Quality Index （DLQI）, was seen from week 6 through week 14 in the infliximab group compared with the placebo group. Through week 22, PASI, PGA, DLQI were well maintained. The incidence of adverse events for the infliximab treatment group was slightly higher in comparison to the placebo treatment group during the first 10 weeks without statistical significance. However, there were 3 cases of tuberculosis that developed during the 26 weeks treatment with infliximal. Conclusions Infliximab treatment was effective as induction and maintenance treatments for Chinese patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Most drug-induced adverse events were mild to moderate, and well tolerated. Screening for tuberculosis is essential and prophylactic treatment should be given if necessary.

Consensus by Chinese Expert Panel on Chlamydia trachomatis-Resistant and Chlamydia trachomatis-Persistent Infection

Chlamydia trachomatis （Ct） genital infection is the most common sexually transmitted disease （STD） in China and the US. The morbidity of Ct genital infection in China has increased from 32.48/100,000 in 2008 to 37.18/100,000 in 2015.[1] The major areas of Ct infections are concentrated in the Zhujiang Delta, Changjiang Delta, Minjiang Area, and West China. In these areas, the highest incidence of Ct infection reaches 615.99/100,000 citizens. In the US, there are 1,441,789 reported Ct, which include 627.2 females and 278.4 males per 100,000 population. It is now the most prevalent STD, with its rate increasing to 22% in males and 6% in females.[2] Ct genital infection can cause epididymitis, prostatitis, cervicitis, annexitis, infertility, and atopic pregnancy, which have been identified as the major public health problems.